The head of the Swiss watchmaker discusses his passion for timepieces, the importance of building a relationship with the people you work with, and why the maison is no longer ruled by gender when it comes to design
If you are a watch collector or watch lover, you will have heard the name François-Henry Bennahmias. The CEO and poster boy of Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet joined the maison in 1994 as a salesman following a brief spell in the worlds of fashion and sports.
In 2022, Bennahmias announced that he would retire in 2023, a year shy of his 60th birthday. The Frenchman was in Hong Kong last week, and Tatler spoke with him about his extraordinary journey and secrets to success.
Here's what the watch lover had to say as he bids adieu to “his mentor”, Audemars Piguet.
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This is your last year serving as the CEO of Audemars Piguet. How does it feel to be leaving?
Sure, it’s the end, but it’s the end of a beautiful, 29-year love story. [When I announced in 2022 my plans to retire in 2023, I knew I would be concluding] my career on a high. I will be 59 in a few months, and there are so many more things I want to do with my life before I truly stop. I want to appreciate the time I have left, so, I knew [my time at Audemars Piguet had to] end. Planning ahead of time makes things much easier. Despite this, while I was at an Audemars Piguet party in Taipei a few days ago, [my AP colleagues] got to me, and they got to me hard. I was overcome with emotion.