When Audemars Piguet announced at the end of September last year that it would return to Watches and Wonders after a six-year absence—AP pulled out when SIHH was replaced by Watches and Wonders—, the watch world took notice. The Le Brassus manufacture had famously departed SIHH in 2019 alongside Richard Mille, declaring its intention to forge direct relationships with collectors through boutique-only distribution and private events.