This communicational partnership began back in 2010, with the archives, at a time when the major Montreux event seemed impervious to any watchmaking involvement other than its historic sponsor, the Parmigiani Fleurier brand.

Joël A. Grandjean, JSH Magazine & Swiss-Watch-Passport.ch’s editor in chief
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“Debuted in 2019, Audemars Piguet’s music programme supports rising music talents through collaborations directly fostering the artists’ practice and development. Through this programme, the brand also seeks to foster enriching encounters between artists while inviting all music lovers to live unique music experiences brimming with emotions” the press release says about the creation of a one-off Mark Ronson concert to close the 2023 Montreux Jazz Festival.

Exceptional audiovisual archives

In fact, Audemars Piguet has already been involved in the Montreux Jazz Digital Project since 2010, alongside the Claude Nobs Foundation and EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne). This colossal project has made it possible to digitize, restore and preserve the Festival’s entire archive, which is included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World register

This archives, containing over 5,000 hours of concert recordings, has been described by Quincy Jones as “the most important testimony to the history of music, covering jazz, blues and rock”. The Montreux Jazz Digital Project is in harmony with Audemars Piguet’s ongoing quest for innovation and its efforts to maintain the heritage and tradition of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, where it was born.

As a Global Partner, Audemars Piguet provides support to the Montreux Jazz Festival during the festival period in Montreux, but also throughout the year via its various entities such as the Montreux Jazz Festival Café restaurants and by organizing joint events in Switzerland and around the world.

This partnership with the Montreux Jazz Festival extends Audemars Piguet’s long-standing commitment to music and artists. Committed to supporting emerging and established artists, the Manufacture accompanies the Montreux Jazz Festival Artists Foundation and helps the talents of tomorrow via the Montreux Jazz Academy and the Montreux Jazz Talent Awards.