During the Geneva Watch Days, we had the opportunity to sit down with Georges Kern.
Breitling has been under your direction since 2017. What has changed under your direction since then?
We defined a new strategy to reposition Breitling to a casual, inclusive, and sustainable brand, restructured the product offering across the universes air, land, sea, and professional, and we introduced our distinct design style “modern-retro”, a heritage-inspired design with a stylish modern twist. One of the highlights is the growing number of Breitling boutiques across the world. From just 50 boutiques six years ago, we’ll hit 300 worldwide by the end of this fiscal year. This boost will amplify our presence worldwide. And it’s not only boutiques—or watches, for that matter. Today’s Breitling experience is phenomenal. When you visit one of our boutiques, designed in a relaxed, industrial-loft style, you embrace the whole world of Breitling. Our flagship store in Seoul, South Korea (the largest Breitling boutique in the world), is a two-story townhouse with a wine bar and restaurant. The look and feel of this retail and lifestyle space say everything about our casual, inclusive, and sustainable approach to luxury.
How would you describe the identity of the brand? What is the distinguished side of Breitling in the watch industry?
We’re distinguished by our clear positioning as the leader in what we call “neo-luxury” in the watch industry and our unique modern-retro design style is what sets us apart. The brand embodies three fundamental values that will shape the watch and luxury goods industry in the coming decades. Breitling’s success is built on a wide product offering with strong products in all segments ranging from 3’000 CHF to above 30’000 CHF. We are a uniquely generalist brand and one of the few luxury watchmakers that can offer attractive products to such a wide range of customers. In the past couple of years, we have broadened our offering with a wide range of new products, from the sporty Endurance Pro, at the entry-level of our collection to the more refined and complex Premier and Super Chronomat lines.
Could you tell us about the novelties of Breitling for the Geneva Watch Days?
To commemorate Breitling’s 140th anniversary, we have released three limited editions at Geneva Watch Days. Additionally, we have some exciting surprises in the pipeline, including the launch of our “140 Years in 140 Stories” book. We kickstarted the celebrations with the launch of the Aerospace B70 Orbiter, followed closely by the Navitimer GMT and Automatic 41, and the Navitimer Cosmonaute B12. In June, we introduced new Chronomat models, and at Wheels & Waves, we unveiled two new Superocean collections. Starting at the end of August, we will host a pop-up museum in Zurich, showcasing the evolution of our brand through rarely seen watches and artifacts. This is just the beginning of many launches this year, as there are many elements to the Breitling story that we have yet to reveal, making this anniversary the perfect opportunity to share them.
