F orget a boutique. What’s chic these days for luxury watch brands is to create a space as comfortable as a home to welcome clients and guests. That’s precisely the thought behind the AP House concept by Audemars Piguet, which imagines how the brand’s founders might live in cities around the world. Think of each AP House almost as an embassy, from which the Swiss haute horlogerie manufacture can nurture its relationships with an exceptional level of intimacy.
AP Houses are exclusive destinations, with just over 20 in the world. The latest to join the list is the AP House Singapore, which has opened its doors at the Bar & Billiard Room of the Raffles Hotel. The storied destination reflects a shared dedication to hospitality and fine living, the Raffles being a grande dame of historic 19th-century hotels, and the Bar & Billiard Room—opened in 1896—the first and oldest bar in Singapore.
The design of the AP House Singapore bridges the environs of Singapore and Le Brassus, Audemars Piguet’s home village in Switzerland. A palette of muted greens and gilded accents is accompanied by wood and stone materials that introduce organic warmth to the space. Norfolk pine trees, for instance, decorate the space as a nod to the spruces of Le Brassus; while sections of locally sourced rain trees are incorporated as decorative features and furniture.
The combination of seven-metre-tall ceilings and vast windows bathes the space in daylight. The central living area underscores the sense of a home most strongly, with a bar and dining table having pride of place—a nod perhaps to the food-loving culture of Singapore. The House is equipped with a full kitchen primed to serve gastronomic experiences at a five-metrelong dining table; and the bar’s cocktail programme is crafted in partnership with Native, the Singaporean craft cocktail concept that places local and regional ingredients at the forefront.
What is a house, though, without a few secrets? In addition to the open layout, the space is furnished with three private salons—one of which is dedicated to music, complete with a curated selection of vinyl records and hi-fi audio. There is also a private exhibition space, housed in a secret part of the House, that will host rotating shows of the manufacture’s watchmaking and heritage.
The billiards table is an apt homage to the space’s heritage as the Bar & Billiard Room, but the rug under it bears an even more charming tale. Legend has it that in 1902 the last tiger in Singapore escaped from a nearby circus on Beach Road, went for a swim and stopped to rest in this very space. The customised rug, therefore, is woven with the image of a tiger—a chic, discreet way of immortalising the character of a space.
From time to table
The AP House Singapore has an exciting trick up its sleeve: the first AP Café in the world. It’s exactly what it sounds like: an Audemars Piguet-branded cafe that’s open to the public. It’s a canny way of opening the doors into a world of fine watchmaking that can often be intimidating to approach, let alone enter.
“We aimed to elevate our hospitality and further evolve the AP House concept,” explained CEO Ilaria Resta in press notes. “Our goal is to create a welcoming hub for all—watch enthusiasts, connoisseurs, travellers and locals like—to come together, share their passions and forge meaningful connections.”
The AP Café marks a first for the Swiss manufacture and is operated in partnership with Michelin-starred Burnt Ends. It has a finely crafted offering of food and drinks designed to imbue Swiss dishes with a Singaporean flair. Burnt Ends chef-owner Dave Pynt even travelled to Le Brassus to immerse himself in the sights, sounds, smells and flavours of Audemars Piguet’s home to design the menu.
Must-tries include a spiced beef tartare served with wonton skins. Hand-cut Australian Wagyu tenderloin is dressed in sriracha and soy-cured egg yolk for an enervating spicy kick, and the crispy wonton skins are a nice local touch. Another genius bit of Switzerland-meets-Singapore: a chicken rice club sandwich that, though it sounds implausible at first, succeeds in capturing the flavours of the Hainanese dish in a sandwich. Go for a Swiss roll to finish, a vanilla sponge filled with chestnut puree and white chocolate Chantilly cream, topped with candied chestnut, and served with honeycomb and honey ice cream. There is also a selection of cocktails crafted as localised twists on classics, one of which is a wholly locale-apropos interpretation of the Singapore Sling.
The AP House and AP Café Singapore are located at the Bar & Billiard Room of the Raffles Hotel Singapore. We recommend making an appointment before a visit.
The March 2025 ‘Vigour’ issue of Vogue Singapore is available on newsstands and online.
