Audemars Piguet cultivates its “authentic attitude”

Is there a “François-Henry Bennahmias style”? The answer from the man himself, appointed CEO of Audemars Piguet just over a year ago, and speaking at the 2014 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in January: “It’s pretty straight-forward. We’ll keep on doing the things we do well and ditch the rest to focus on something else. In any activity there’s going to be some deadwood. It’s a question of picking out the good and the not so good. I take a very down-to-earth approach.” Bennahmias’ method certainly seems to have hit the spot: 2013 revenue broke through the CHF 700 million mark, and even though the previous year’s figure is only known to be “around” CHF 600 million, this still means a significant increase. Production, meanwhile, has risen from 31,000 to 35,000 watches.

"Sensible choices"

“It’s not what we were expecting, so really it’s been a pleasant surprise,” notes Bennahmias. “We’ve done a “small” amount of work for 2014, concentrating on quality and making sensible choices. Our collections are the reflection of this. So nothing out of the ordinary – and I do hate it when superlatives get bandied around – just well-structured collections that will go the distance. Now we’ve come to the end of the SIHH, I can say that retailers understand what we are doing. They’ve really taken on board our approach and our ranges that will make money for them.”

For Audemars Piguet, 2014 brings six iterations of the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 42mm and a Royal Oak Offshore Diver 42mm. It also sees the return of concept watches, but as a new interpretation of the Tourbillon Royal Oak Concept GMT, originally presented in 2011. Women’s collections also revolve around the Royal Oak with an automatic 41mm, an automatic chronograph 41mm, and a quartz Offshore 37mm, all gem-set. Not forgetting an asymmetric Fine Jewellery watch that commands respect. Overall, the brand has paid close attention to exteriors and materials, particularly ceramic and titanium, to fuel the “legend” of the Royal Oak Offshore which premiered in 1993.

A united front

What ultimately amounts to a rather conservative approach implies that Audemars Piguet’s recent priorities have included other measures to establish a structure that can count on a solid network of suppliers; a tight-knit structure that stands out for its professionalism. François-Henry Bennahmias has certainly gone about this with a sports coach’s energy, which is hardly surprising given his tendency to apply methods normally used to direct top-class athletes. “When I was in charge of the North American market for Audemars Piguet, one aspect of my job was people management. For me, this means plain speaking and not wasting time in pointless meetings. Rustic common sense, if you like. What matters most, however, is to bring everyone together, which is precisely what I’m doing today at group level. Obviously you can’t compare a team of 70 people, which we had in the US, with a company that employs 1,200 people in Switzerland and worldwide, and continues to hire. But it’s the same idea, and retailers are picking up on this sum of competencies within a brand that speaks with one voice and shows a united front.”

As if to make himself clear, François-Henry Bennahmias, who has a twenty-year career with Audemars Piguet, gesticulates the “AP move”, the equivalent of the All Blacks’ haka, minus the intimidating poses. Staff perform the move on each decisive occasion. From now on, the Royal Oak is also part of this “authentic attitude” whereby the mechanical ballet of the company’s timepieces plays out to a score of more profound values. And we can take François-Henry Bennahmias’ word for it.