Audemars Piguet, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, disclosed plans Tuesday to invest $22 million and create 105 new jobs in Raleigh.
The company will locate its North America service center in the Raleigh Iron Works development. The watches sell for as much as $100,000.
The 63,000-square-foot real estate deal, the largest new-to-market office lease of the year in Raleigh, is part of a growing cohort of luxury brands establishing a presence in the city. Other recent additions include Peter Millar, Johnnie O, Raleigh Denim Workshop, and the Bal Harbour pop-up experience.
“When our employees visited Raleigh and the Triangle area, they said it felt like home,” CEO Francois-Henry Bennahmias said in a release. “Quality of life, schools, healthcare, culture, and safe communities were the major considerations for our teams. We are excited to move to the dynamic City of Raleigh and look forward to settling into the area.”
Audemars Piguet, based in Le Brassus, Switzerland, employs almost 3,000 people and operates 97 sales locations around the world.
The Raleigh Iron Works is a 19-acre mixed-use adaptive reuse development by Raleigh-based Grubb Ventures and Jamestown, a global investment firm with headquarters in Cologne, Germany and Atlanta. The Iron Works is along Atlantic Avenue at the crossroads of Raleigh’s Five Points, Person Street and Mordecai neighborhoods, and includes more than 200 apartments.
“Audemars Piguet’s expansion to Raleigh signals a recognition of the city’s growing innovation economy and global appeal,” Jamestown President Michael Phillips said. “Their presence at Raleigh Iron Works will add a new dimension to the campus and be a further catalyst for the city’s ecosystem of creative class companies.”