When Mr Francois-Henry Bennahmias joined Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet (AP) to do sales in 1994, they gave him a Royal Oak to wear since he was representing the brand.

He was not thrilled. In fact, he thought the watch – created by legendary designer Gerald Genta and launched in 1972 – was ugly.

Fast forward nearly 30 years. The watch world credits the 51-year-old Frenchman for two things: increasing AP’s revenue from 630 million Swiss francs (S$987 million) in 2012 to two billion Swiss francs in 2023, and making the Royal Oak one of the most coveted watches in the world.

Mr Bennahmias, who became AP’s global chief executive in 2012, left the company last week. When The Straits Times met him in Dubai earlier in 2023 and asked if he was leaving with reluctance or regret, his answer was a swift and emphatic: “No, no, no.

“Because if I were to go back to when I was 18 years old, and you told me that at some point, I would be running a billion-dollar company and be in charge of more than 2,000 people, travelling the world and getting to know so many people, I would have said: ‘Where do I sign?’

“I can only say: ‘This has been the greatest experience, and the best 29 years.’ I cannot leave with regret. I leave with pride that I have built something special that will keep on going,” said Mr Bennahmias, who will be succeded by Ms Ilaria Resta who has a background in the cosmetics industry.

Charismatic, flamboyant, witty and loquacious, Mr Bennahmias is one of the most unconventional but dynamic and successful head honchos in the usually serious world of watchmaking.

A Star Wars fan and samurai sword collector who eschews suits in favour of leather jackets and sneakers, he was a professional golfer for five years before cutting his teeth in the fashion industry working for the likes of Giorgio Armani and Gianfranco Ferre.

His ascent in AP was meteoric. After a stint as brand manager for Singapore, where he was also responsible for the markets of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Brunei, Australia and Malaysia, he went to New York to become managing director, tasked with growing the brand across the Atlantic.

In 2012, he became CEO of the Swiss watchmaking brand founded in Le Brassus in 1875. Although healthy, AP was lethargic. Mr Bennahmias decided some turbocharging was in order, and over the next decade, proceeded to initiate and execute strategies which many other watchmakers have since copied.

A key initiative was integration by reducing the number of third-party retailers and points of sale to curb high mark-ups, control inventory and gather customer data. Another was introducing a revolutionary experiential retail concept called AP House. There are now more than a dozen in major global cities including Hong Kong, London and Zurich, where watch lovers can chill and learn about timepieces at the same time.

But perhaps his most significant achievement is making high-end watches appealing to younger consumers by marrying haute horology and pop culture.

In 2006, he and American hip-hop mogul Jay-Z collaborated on the 100-piece AP Royal Oak Offshore “Jay-Z” 10th Anniversary Limited Edition. In 2013, Mr Bennahmias worked with American basketball star LeBron James to release the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James.

Mr Bennahmias also famously made headlines by hitching up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the American media franchise centred on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios.

An entertaining raconteur, he let on that he made overtures to Marvel as early as in 2004, but failed to make any headway. Six years later, he met American actor Don Cheadle on the red carpet of the Tony Awards, where AP was a sponsor.

“He was wearing a Nautilus,” Mr Bennahmais said cheekily, referring to the iconic model by Patek Philippe. “I looked at it. I didn’t know him, but I said: ‘One day, you’re going to grow up and understand what watch you should wear.’ He said: ‘What watch should I wear?’ I said: ‘AP.’”

The two became fast friends. They found themselves in Paris at the same time in 2017 and Mr Bennahmias mentioned he once tried pitching a collaboration to Marvel. Cheadle – who plays James Rhodes, an Avenger known as War Machine and good mate of Iron Man Tony Stark in several Marvel movies – picked up the phone, and called Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. The rest is history.

AP inked a six-character collaboration with Marvel and has released two wildly successful limited-edition models: The AP Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon in 2021 and the AP Royal Oak Concept Spider-Man Tourbillon in 2023. At the Spider-Man watch launch in Dubai, a unique model of the watch was auctioned for a staggering US$6.2 million (S$8.2 million).

Waving away snobby critics who believe pop culture has no place in haute horology, Mr Bennahmias said: “If we respect the integrity of craftsmanship, have a beautifully designed movement, character and case, why can’t we have watches done in a fun way?”

In an interview with GQ magazine, he said: “What we’ve achieved in the past 20 years by partnering the Jay-Z’s and LeBron James’ of the world, and Marvel, is that these names open the gates to a much, much younger audience. Today, we are seeing 20-year-old kids educating their parents and taking them into the brand. It’s the exact opposite of how it used to be.”

Like all high-profile corporate honchos – and Mr Bennahmias does not shy away from the limelight – he has had his share of sniggering detractors.

Quipping that he has a thick hide, he said: “In today’s world, whatever you do in life, you will be judged because we live in a world of judgment. Some people will tell you: ‘This is nothing.’ Others will say: ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.’

“That’s a game you have to be willing to play. When you do something and it’s publicly out there, you have to risk being challenged or loved. In the end, it’s like a boxing match, there will be one guy standing.”

The man who also famously ramped up investments in the brand’s manufacturing capacity and built a new museum, The Musee Atelier Audemars Piguet, added: “Where are we as a brand today? We’ve increased our revenue, we’ve increased the number of people working for the company. So, the brand is doing something good. There will always be the naysayers. Who cares?”

What Mr Bennahmias, who will be taking a six-month break before deciding on his next move, cares about instead is what he has built during his 30-year tenure at AP.

“It’s the relationships with the employees, the suppliers and the clients of AP, and the vibes that we built something which is very unique. It’s bringing people together and having fun together.”