Audemars Piguet Raises $8.5 Million at Launch Event in Dubai
LONDON — Time is money: Audemars Piguet revealed its second watch collaboration with Marvel in Dubai via a charit auction.
The Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” is a limited edition watch with only 250 available for purchase. The watch features a 3D silhouette of the superhero presented in a 42 mm titanium case.
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The special edition features Spiderman wearing a black suit, which is a direct reference to the 1984 comic “The Amazing Spider-Man” #252.
The watch was auctioned for $6.2 million at the launch event, with proceeds going to First Book and Ashoka, two nonprofit organizations that encourage young people with education.
The final total of the auction was $8.5 million, with two other pieces being up for grabs.
The Swiss watchmaker recently named veteran beauty executive Ilaria Resta as its new chief executive officer.
She will be joining Audemars Piguet from Swiss fragrance and flavors supplier DSM-Firmenich, succeeding longtime CEO François-Henry Bennahmias, who said last year that he planned to leave the company by the end of 2023 after almost 30 years.
Resta is set to join Audemars Piguet in August and will officially take on the role of CEO on Jan. 1, following a transition period, the watchmaker said in a statement Monday. Bennahmias will remain on board until the end of the year to ensure a “seamless and orderly” handover, it added.
The company said Resta, a Swiss Italian national who lives near Geneva, was recruited after “an extensive global search.” She had been with Firmenich for just over three years, most recently serving as president of its integrated perfumery and ingredients division, and member of the executive committee. Firmenich merged with DSM earlier this month to form DSM-Firmenich.
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