Watches and Wonders 2026: Audemars Piguet arrival, Montblanc departure – the reasons behind these changes

The announcement was made on 23rd September, although the news came as no surprise to many. Audemars Piguet is returning to Watches and Wonders Geneva after leaving it with a bang in September 2018 (then called SIHH), a decision that Richard Mille also took in the same year. The reasons at the time were a distribution system that the brand wanted to focus firmly on single-brand boutiques, a lack of direct access to the end customer and autonomous management of its communications and new products via ‘AP Days’ organised at its manufacture in Le Brassus.

This decision, taken by François-Henri Bennahmias, the head of Audemars Piguet until the end of 2023, was also motivated by a loss of appeal of the major watch industry fairs, a trend that was prevalent at the turn of the 2020s. Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the trauma experienced by the entire watch industry, the Watches & Wonders fair has adapted. Opening its doors to the public for three days, providing exhibition spaces dedicated to emerging or smaller brands, inviting numerous collectors to come and admire the brands' new products, and organising Watches & Wonders in the City to attract watch industry enthusiasts to the city finally convinced Audemars Piguet to return.

Contacted today, Audemars Piguet confirmed that it will occupy a 1,200 square metre space in Hall 2, not among the other brands, but facing the entrance to the show, close to the Auditorium. The space will be very open in order to attract a large number of visitors. This decision confirms the Brassus-based brand's strategy of offering everyone an experience that lives up to their expectations and a significant proximity to the public, without aiming to revitalise its network of retailers.

While some brands are investing more in their presence, such as H. Moser & Cie and Frédérique Constant, which will be occupying a large number of square metres, and Favre Leuba, which is joining the show, Montblanc has decided to leave. According to sources, the reasons are not financial, but rather a desire to redouble its efforts to reach local customers. For several years now, the brand has been seeking to make progress in the field and build greater loyalty among collectors. The solution would therefore be to go out and meet them, and develop tailor-made events in at least four regions of the world. Under the leadership of Laurent Lecamp, the Montblanc brand has successfully exploited its two new models launched a few years ago. According to some sources, around 60% of sales are now generated by the Iced Sea and 0 Oxygen collections. Only time will tell whether this strategic choice will pay off.

The 2026 edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva is already shaping up to be an exceptional year for the sector, with eleven new brands joining the show.