According to Miss Tweed, Audemars Piguet CEO Ilaria Resta is exiting the company after only two years.
Audemars Piguet is one of the leading Swiss watchmakers, a part of the Holy Trinity that also includes Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
Based in Le Brassus, Audemars Piguet is also one of the very few Swiss watchmakers estimated to generate ten figures in sales revenue per year (based on Morgan Stanley estimates).
Whether this decision is a result of a luxury slowdown, a bad fit between Resta and Audemars Piguet, or some other reason altogether is unclear. This is based on the assumption that Astrid Wendlandt and MissTweed.com sources are correct — and based on past results, they have been.
UPDATE 9/8/25: Audemars Piguet reached out to us Monday night (September 8, 2025) and stated that Ilaria Resta will remain as CEO, and that any speculation to the contrary is “unfounded.” The Head of PR & Communications at the headquarters in Le Brassus also provided this official statement: “She remains fully dedicated to leading Audemars Piguet into its next phase of growth, strengthening our culture, expanding our global presence, and driving the continued success of the brand.”
UPDATE 9/9/25: “Miss Tweed has just updated its breaking story on the expected exit of Ilaria Resta, CEO of Audemars Piguet (AP). On Tuesday, the company issued a denial. The board of AP does not want the teams to know that it is looking for a replacement. Such news can be destabilizing for the company and its partners. Internally at the company, no one knows that Resta’s departure is on the cards.
Also, it has emerged that on July 30, Resta joined the board of Prada Group as an independent non-executive director and would be paid a €100,000 fee. This appointment indicates that Resta has started looking for opportunities elsewhere. It’s quite unusual for the CEO of a major luxury player to join the board of another important luxury company, even if AP is in watches and Prada is specialised in fashion and leather goods.”
Photo by Audemars Piguet.
