Lucas Raggi, CIO of Audemars Piguet: “Strengthening our mastery of processes, a strategic lever for the brand”

Appointed Chief Industrial Officer of Audemars Piguet last April, Lucas Raggi has been entrusted with leading a profound evolution of the brand’s manufacturing sites. A microtechnology engineer trained at EPFL, he has risen through all the ranks at Audemars Piguet since 2011: from fundamental acoustic research on chiming watches, to heading R&D, and now to industrial leadership. Today, his mission is to equip the brand with the means to become more agile and accelerate horological innovation. We met with him in Le Brassus, at the new Manufacture.

You are now Audemars Piguet’s Chief Industrial Officer. What does this role encompass?

It encompasses all activities related to watch creation (excluding design and product definition), production, and repair. This includes R&D, production supply, manufacturing, customer service, and quality. In short: the entire life cycle of the product.

What motivated this decision?

Watchmaking is living through a fascinating period. In a rapidly changing world, the challenge is to remain relevant while preserving our savoir-faire. What drives me is precisely this tension between tradition and innovation, which pushes us to constantly evolve our industrial model without losing the soul of our craft.

Had you already identified points for improvement before taking on this role?

Our manufacture is built on strong foundations, and there are always areas to improve. My main objective is to foster a more agile dynamic, relying on proven practices, so we can better control production flows, strengthen adaptability and anticipation, and ensure long-term quality.

What are those methods?

Creating the conditions for the right people to gather around the right topics. This starts with fostering trust within the team, which then enables the sharing of a common vision. My role is to let the most relevant ideas emerge from a collective that feels secure enough to carry them forward. That requires listening to everyone, including those who speak up less—because that is where the solution is often hidden.

Your appointment coincides with the launch of the new Manufacture in Le Brassus—bringing together much of the brand’s know-how—just as Audemars Piguet is reshaping its production processes. Would you say that’s a matter of good luck?

The Manufacture du Brassus project was initiated years ago, but it’s only fully coming to life now. It brings together the vast majority of industrial activities in the Vallée de Joux, in a place designed to foster synergies. I had the chance to contribute to this milestone moment, with the mission of rethinking spatial organization to encourage exchanges between métiers and skills. The layout was conceived with people at the center, featuring meeting and relaxation spaces. While the production flow remains logically structured, the novelty lies in the closer proximity of administrative functions (R&D, industrialization, HR for example) to the workshops. Teams that previously interacted from a distance now share the same environment.

What is the ambition of this new structure? Faster, higher quality, or more flexible production?

All three. The goal is to smooth operations by reducing interruptions. Beyond operational gains, it’s about restoring meaning to everyone’s work, by highlighting the value of each contribution within the production chain. When people understand the impact of their role, collective engagement is strengthened.

To achieve this, have you had to part ways with collaborators or hire new ones in recent months?

No. This project is the result of a vision initiated several years ago, designed to accompany the brand long-term—just like the evolution of our Meyrin manufacture, which specializes in bracelets and precious-material cases. A new building will soon be added there to host strategic activities such as ceramic machining. That project will be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

How do you view verticalization?

We choose to verticalize an activity when we have a sufficient technological foundation to master it. The goal is not to produce everything in-house: we want to keep our partners, as they challenge us and enrich our innovation thinking. This complementarity allows us to remain agile while strengthening expertise in key skills.

What is Audemars Piguet’s vision regarding participations and integrations, such as the recent Inhotec case?

Our approach is guided by the will to preserve and strengthen the Swiss watchmaking industrial ecosystem. We recently acquired a majority stake in Inhotec SA, a company recognized for excellence in micromechanics and precision machining. It is a valuable player in Haute Horlogerie. Since Inhotec has been an Audemars Piguet supplier for many years, this acquisition continues a long-standing relationship between the two companies.

Do the 39% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Swiss exports already send warning signals among suppliers?

It’s still too early to fully assess the impact of this measure. Since the Covid crisis, many subcontractors have had to invest heavily to meet volume increases requested by clients. Those investments now face a stabilized, even slowed, demand. In this context, Audemars Piguet’s support of the Swiss industrial landscape is a responsibility we take very seriously.

Does your previous role as Head of R&D give you an advantage in managing innovation?

That experience allows me to structure a more agile approach to innovation. We are setting up different prototype-manufacturing units independent of existing production resources, which can be difficult to mobilize quickly. These new tailor-made capacities will be split between Le Locle and Le Brassus.

What does that represent in terms of investment?

With just a few prototype pieces, we can validate the aesthetics and technical feasibility of a project—that says it all!

Does this imply a faster pace of innovation at Audemars Piguet, in order to justify the investment?

Our primary mission is to remain relevant and sustainable in a constantly evolving environment. Innovation is not an end in itself, but an essential lever to achieve that. The structures we are creating aim to transform ideas into reality more quickly and effectively, facilitating the journey from concept to prototype. It’s not necessarily about accelerating production, but about innovating better, with more impact. The perpetual calendar (Caliber 7138), launched in 2025 and fully adjustable by the crown, illustrates this approach: improving functional ergonomics to provide an ever more intuitive experience.

What is your vision of innovation and overall production volume?

Controlled growth remains our constant goal.

What is your dream?

My ambition is for Audemars Piguet to continue strengthening its mastery of manufacturing processes, by deepening knowledge of certain skills in-house and with the support of our suppliers. With the Manufacture’s solid expertise, we are in a dynamic of continuous learning. It’s difficult to evolve something you don’t fully master. This is why we continue to develop ongoing training programs, to nurture long-term innovation and pass on savoir-faire and our métiers to future generations.