Giulio Papi is one of those names that echoes quietly but powerfully through modern watchmaking. Swiss-born and of Italian descent, he trained in Switzerland before joining Audemars Piguet in the mid-1980s. Not long after, in 1986, he and Dominique Renaud set up Renaud & Papi, a workshop that quickly became the go-to address for anyone wanting to push complications further than tradition allowed.

In 1986, Giulio Papi and Dominique Renaud set up Renaud & Papi

The results speak for themselves. For IWC, the Grande Complication (1990) and Il Destriero Scafusia (1993) set new benchmarks in technical ambition. With Richard Mille, Renaud & Papi gave shape to the RM 001 Tourbillon (2001), the very first Richard Mille and a manifesto for the brand’s futuristic approach. And for Audemars Piguet, the Royal Oak Concept (2002) fused tourbillon, dynamograph and power reserve in a package that signaled a new era of experimentation.

Equally significant were the watchmakers who passed through his doors: Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, Andreas Strehler, Carole Forestier-Kasapi and Tony de Haas — all of whom went on to leave their own mark on the industry.

Today, Papi is Technical Director of Audemars Piguet in Le Locle, his fingerprints still evident on the brand’s boldest projects. His legacy is not only the watches he has built, but also the generation of watchmakers he helped shape.