A greatly coveted brand among luxury fake watch fans for its cult-favorite Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet replica has just appointed Patrick Ottoman as the new CEO for North America, which suggests the brand's goal is to become more fashionable in the USA and broaden its appeal to a wider audience than just hard-core collectors. 
AP North America's new Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Ottoman does not come from the watch world interestingly enough but was formerly CEO of Berluti, the ultra-luxe Parisian shoe brand established in 1895, whose famous clients over the years have included everyone from Marcel Proust and the Duke of Windsor, to Andy Warhol and Jeremy Irons. Audemars Piguet fans such as Jay-Z, LeBron James, Patrick Dempsey, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Wahlberg, and Tom Cruise.
Now located in Audemars' New York City office, Ottoman replaces Antonio Seward and reports directly to Yves Meylan, AP's Chief Commercial Officer, in Le Brassus, Switzerland. Before Berluti, Ottoman served tenures in the luxury hospitality industry according to AP. He joined Berluti as Chief Executive Officer in 1993, when LVMH acquired the brand, and later served as U.S. Managing Director of Berluti USA, where he established the brand in the United States in 2005 and remained with the company until last year.
Since LVMH owns a handful of luxury replica watch brands including Zenith, Hublot, and TAG Heuer, we can surmise that Ottoman may have come into connection with that side of the business and perhaps participated in some joint marketing strategies which might serve him well in his new capacity.
"I am very glad to take part in a family-owned company with an equally respected reputation after many years spent at a brand considered a leader in its category," Ottoman said in a statement. "Audemars Piguet is one of the few manufacturers in the replica watches industry today dedicated to the fundamental values of craftsmanship. Joining the team is not only an honor but also stands for a great chance to be a part of a family."