Audemars Piguet Configurator

Overview

A concept configurator for Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, exploring how a heritage watchmaker could offer digital customisation while preserving the exclusivity and craftsmanship the brand is known for.

Watch configurators easily feel like generic ‘build your sneaker’ tools. The challenge was designing customisation that felt as considered and restrained as the watches themselves.

The Problem

Clients interested in bespoke Audemars Piguet pieces currently rely on in-boutique consultations with little way to explore options independently beforehand, creating friction for a global, digitally-minded clientele.

Research

I studied Audemars Piguet’s existing digital presence, boutique consultation processes, and competitor configurators from other luxury and automotive brands to understand tone and pacing expectations.

Research synthesis visual.

Key Insights

Luxury clients wanted fewer, more meaningful choices rather than an overwhelming matrix of options, and expected the process to end in a personal boutique conversation, not an instant checkout.

Design Challenge

How might we let clients explore a personalised Royal Oak digitally, while keeping the experience as considered as an in-boutique consultation?

Ideation

Concepts ranged from an open 3D configurator with dozens of materials to a curated, editorial-style journey through case, dial, and strap. I chose the curated path to match the brand’s restraint.

Early concept exploration.

Information Architecture

The configurator is structured as four sequential chapters — case, dial, strap, engraving — each with a small, curated set of options, ending in a saved configuration a client can discuss with a boutique.

User Flows

Users move from selecting a case finish, to a dial colour and texture, to a strap material, to an optional engraving, before reviewing a summary and requesting a boutique appointment.

Wireframes

Wireframes tested how much of the screen the 3D watch preview should occupy versus the selection panel. Ultimately the watch took the majority of the frame to keep focus on craftsmanship.

UI Design

The UI uses a dark, gallery-like backdrop with a large rotating 3D watch render, minimal typographic labels, and generous whitespace so each material choice feels considered rather than transactional.

Final interface detail.

Prototype

The prototype walks through choosing a stainless case, a smoked dial, an integrated bracelet, and a personal engraving, ending on a ‘Reserve at Boutique’ summary screen.

Testing

This is a concept project without user testing. A logical next step would be validating the pacing and boutique hand-off with existing Audemars Piguet clients.

Iteration

The engraving step was moved from the beginning to the end of the flow after early sketches showed it worked better as a final, personal touch rather than an early technical decision.

Final Solution

The final concept is a four-step, editorial-feeling configurator that lets clients explore a personalised Royal Oak and hand off their configuration directly to a boutique for the final in-person fitting.

Final concept screens.

Outcome

As a concept exploration, this was not built or tested with real clients. It represents a direction for how heritage watchmakers might approach digital customisation.

Reflection

This project taught me how much restraint matters in luxury interfaces — fewer, better-framed choices communicate more value than exhaustive customisation. I’d explore material storytelling further next.