What Went Down: Audemars Piguet Celebrated 150 Years in London with RAYE and Mark Ronson

When you think of a watch brand celebrating a milestone, you might imagine a star-studded gala or a special-edition timepiece drop. But Audemars Piguet chose a completely different direction. In a low-lit London studio, they dropped Suzanne – a soulful, hauntingly beautiful track by RAYE and Mark Ronson – and invited guests to experience their 150th anniversary not through watches, but through sound (and it worked, beautifully).

The Space

180 Studios in London transformed into a visual homage to Audemars Piguet’s Swiss home in Le Brassus, guiding visitors through an enchanting journey that evoked the region’s natural landscape. The space, designed to replicate the quiet luxury of AP’s heritage, offered more than just aesthetics. With Benji B.’s music setting the tone, the venue’s interactive décor unveiled historical archives, portraits of the AP family, and glimpses of the watchmaker’s most closely-guarded secrets. The atmosphere was immersive – a deep dive into a legacy, but with a fresh, modern twist.

Further down the corridor, guests discovered an unexpected pivot. A speakeasy-style entrance revealed a complete change of scenery: an intimate, underground hideaway where the lines between past and present blurred effortlessly.

The Track: Suzanne Was a Tribute to Legacy

At the heart of this celebration was Suzanne, a track co-created by RAYE and Mark Ronson. The result is a soulful with a groovy, almost hypnotic beat. Initially, Suzanne was simply a title, suggested during their writing sessions. But as the story goes, they discovered that Suzanne Audemars – an influential matriarch from the brand’s founding history – was the very woman behind the name. The revelation gave the track a weight that neither artist could have predicted.

“It’s something we poured ourselves into completely,” Ronson said. “The music carries both our DNA but takes us somewhere neither of us would’ve reached alone.” For RAYE, the connection to the brand’s legacy was immediate: “I’m proud of Suzanne because it feels like everything was meant to be.”

The Guests: Who’s Who of the Cool Crowd

As the night unfolded, the guest list included names such as Gstaad Guy, Fai Khadra, and Romeo Beckham. Carlita, J Balvin, Theophilus London and Stormzy brought a touch of musical heat while Naomi Campbell’s presence was a statement of its own, as was Central Cee, Black Coffee, and Iris Law. Also in the mix were Heron Preston and Rampa from Keinemusik, each adding their own signature cool to the night. And if you blinked, you would’ve missed Meryl Streep pulling a Houdini.

AP and Music: A Tradition of Sound and Creativity

This event wasn’t a one-off stunt. It was part of Audemars Piguet’s ongoing APxMusic programme, which explores the creative intersections between music and horology. Since 2019, the brand has been committed to championing artistic collaboration, from partnering with EPFL to digitise Montreux Jazz Festival archives to collaborating with a wide range of musical talents, including Lucky Daye, Keinemusik, and now RAYE. For AP, music is an extension of their commitment to pushing boundaries and blending artistic worlds.

And Suzanne was a perfect example of that – an unexpected collaboration that fuses the worlds of watchmaking and music with effortless ease.