At the 1993 opening of Baselworld—then the horological industry’s largest trade show—an apoplectic Gerald Genta stormed into Audemars Piguet’s booth, screaming, “You killed my Royal Oak! You killed my Royal Oak!”
At least that’s how Emmanuel Gueit remembers it. The classic reference’s legendary creator aimed his anger squarely at the then 25-year-old designer, who had just unveiled the Royal Oak Offshore, a bolder, bigger take on the 1970s original designed by Genta. Gueit recalls replying in a low voice, “Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Genta.”
The amplified redesign was far from the model’s demise. The Offshore can reasonably be credited with turning around Audemars Piguet’s fortunes and setting the stage for Gueit’s long and distinguished career. Decades later, it’s still the brightest spot on a C.V. that features commissions from Rolex, Harry Winston, and other well-known brands. But the designer, who turns 58 this year, says his lifelong dedication to watches almost didn’t happen.
A 1993 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ref. 25721.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
Though his father, Jean-Claude, was a renowned watch designer in his own right, Gueit didn’t originally aspire to follow in his footsteps. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a cook or a singer,” he says. “I sing very badly and cook very badly.”
By the time he was 20, Gueit’s creativity and natural flair had helped him secure a job at Audemars Piguet, where he reported to its head of design, Jacqueline Dimier. When, after a few years, he had proved himself, the brand’s C.E.O. Stephen Urquhart challenged him to produce a version of the Royal Oak that would appeal to a younger clientele.
A 1999 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore End of Days ref. 25770SN.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
At the time, the company was struggling. “Sales were very bad,” he says simply. The version he proposed to help solve the issue enlarged the case size to 42 mm by 13mm thick from the original 39 mm by 7 mm thick, in part thanks to its robust chronograph movement. “My boss Jacqueline said, ‘Oh, my God, this is so crazy. This is not A.P.’ The board was probably telling Steve that it was too dangerous.” At a decisive moment, Gueit’s youthful defiance got the best of him. “I took a Rolex Sea-Dweller and dropped it in the middle of the table and said, ‘Look, this is a little bit smaller, but it’s still big, and a huge success. So, stop talking about thickness.’ ”
While his confidence helped secure the green light, the critical reaction was brutal. “One journalist named it the Beast,” Gueit says. “Everybody thought I was crazy.” But clients loved it, and A.P.’s sales began to rise. “Because of the Offshore, it brought the brand up another step and brought [in] new clients—the younger generation,” he adds. It also spawned decades of allegiance to oversize sports watches and, to this day, he considers it his greatest achievement. “In my view, I totally changed the vision of the watch industry.”
Piaget Emperador Coussin Tourbillon Automatic Ultra-Thin.
Courtesy of Piaget
As for Genta? “At the end he was wrong, and I was right,” he adds. “I saved his Royal Oak and made it become an icon.”
It casts a long shadow over the rest of his oeuvre, which is no less impressive. After spending a decade as Audemars Piguet’s head of design, Gueit reimagined Rolex’s recently discontinued Cellini line, which attracted clients including Barack Obama. (The former president wore a time-only model for the Kehinde Wiley painting that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.) He later spent time helping Harry Winston define the look of its watches and even followed in his father’s footsteps at Piaget. In the 1970s, Jean-Claude had originated the Polo and pioneered the use of stone dials. It’s a look Gueit has brought back more recently through his work reviving the watch brand Dennison, known for its stylish, cushion-shaped cases and accessible price points. “I’m very proud of the Dennison watch because it’s something that my dad could have done in the ’60s,” he says.
Dennison ALD watch.
Courtesy of Dennison
Despite his influence, Gueit isn’t resting on his laurels. Even now, he urges watch brands to look forward rather than repeat Genta-inspired tropes and jump on the integrated-bracelet-trend train. “I’m fighting with my clients now because they all want a Royal Oak,” he says, adding, “If you want to succeed, if you want to surprise, move away from this.”
For his part, Gueit is seriously considering how his own brand would manifest, one that he hopes will blend exclusivity and prestige. “It will be jewelry watches, and obviously a mix of my dad’s style and my style,” he says. He recalls his father telling him, “You should recognize a watch from seven bar stools away.” We’d wager that whatever he does next will make you want to take a closer look.