Audemars Piguet x Keinemusik Are Redefining the Art of Time
This September, Audemars Piguet (AP) and Keinemusik closed out summer with an exclusive event to celebrate a newly-announced collaboration between the iconic Swiss watchmaker and the Berlin-based music collective.
Perched 500m (1,640 feet) above Lake Lucerne, the Bürgenstock Resort was high in the clouds atop the misty Nidwalden mountains, surrounded by the raw beauty of Swiss nature. Safe to say, it was a surreal setting for the event. The staging for the panoramic space included an industrial retro-futuristic DJ platform designed by both Keinemusik and AP that doubled as a makeshift dance floor for the few hundred people at the experience.
"Time is relative when you're having fun" read the event merch — a fitting slogan. I saw this theory of relativity in action as Keinemusik played with BPMs, samples, and genres to create a memorable experience for attendees. The event climaxed with a fleet of drones brightly, lighting up the night sky with the AP logo, then evolving into Keinemusik’s now globally recognized peace sign.
The partnership is a natural evolution of Audemars Piguet's ongoing thesis: the connection between watchmaking, music, and culture. And more importantly, it reflects AP's shift into experiential flagships.
But how did this partnership between watches and music come together in the first place?
Friends of Highsnobiety, Keinemusik is a Berlin underground collective that has exploded in popularity over the years, producing the soundtracks to our summer. The label of artists, producers, and DJs was founded in 2009 by Rampa DJs &ME and Adam Port.
If you're anything like me, you've probably been stimming Keinemusik's "Move," reciting the pre-chorus, "Know you wanna party, Listen to your body," at random parts of the day for the past two months. The song has blown up in popularity, becoming a staple of just about anyone posting on socials this past season.
But don't be mistaken; Keinemusik didn't just appear overnight. "A lot of people think we blew up fast, but actually, we slept on promoters' couches for ten years," Rampa shared in a mini-documentary chronicling the collective's journey to their partnership with Audemars Piguet.
“That’s actually the time that refined us the most — our friendship, our vision, and also our craft.”
During our round-table round-table discussion with Rampa at the Bürgenstock theater, the DJ discussed how he attributes the collective's success to passion, precision, and a genuine love for music. Each track they release is part of a world they build for their fans, carefully created and released with intention.
"Working with AP was a natural fit. We share the same attention to detail and drive to create unique experiences. It just made sense to sit down and design something together," says Rampa.
Audemars Piguet is as obsessed with music as they are with watchmaking. If you've been paying attention, you'd know these aren't just passing interests — they're core tenets of the brand's DNA.
Sure, if you were to skim through AP's history, you would come across watch collaborations with musicians like Jay Z, Travis Scott, and John Mayer, as well as an extensive list of artists who have made Audemars Piguet their go-to piece of wristwear. Nonetheless, it's deeper than that.
Musicality is literally built into some of AP's watches, with the brand's historic minute repeater complication — a movement that uses musical notes to tell time — being another direct line between watchmaking and music.
Audemars Piguet doubled down on its ongoing relationship with music by founding its AP x Music program back in 2019 to support up-and-coming talent while partnering with pillars in the music space like the Montreux Jazz Festival.
As I've noted before, AP intuitively understands that experiences like these — and the communities they nurture — are the true connective tissue between aspiring AP owners and the fine art of Audemars's horology.
What makes Audemars Piguet so exciting is its talent for organically weaving watchmaking into the culture, giving the brand a slight edge over its peers. AP doesn't just see watches as objects to be had; they see them as staples in the "fun moments in time” like this one in Switzerland.
Put simply, my favorite part of the event? Watching Keinemusik perform a flawless set while wearing some of my favorite Royal Oaks in AP's lineup.
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