Breitling’s Georges Kern on revitalising the brand, its ‘140th’ milestone and more

Since stepping into the role of CEO at Breitling in 2017, Georges Kern has led the luxury watch brand through a remarkable transformation coinciding with CVC Capital Partners’ acquisition of a majority stake in the company. Kern streamlined the collection, leveraged Breitling’s rich heritage, and refined its distribution strategy, leading to a dramatic resurgence. His efforts helped propel Breitling into the top tier of Swiss watch brands.

In 2022, the brand’s success was further cemented when Partners Group acquired a majority share, solidifying Breitling’s position as a leader in the luxury watch industry. In December last year, the brand also acquired the historic watchmaking brand, Universal Genève, which is working on its “comeback”.

This year, as Breitling celebrates its 140th anniversary, Kern spoke to Gulf Business, reflecting on the key changes he’s implemented, the brand’s renewed relevance, and how the “new” Breitling is setting itself apart in the luxury watch industry. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

What changes have you brought to Breitling since taking over as CEO in 2017?

We’ve reconnected with Breitling’s rich history while modernising the brand. As we celebrate our 140th anniversary, we’re showcasing our heritage through initiatives like the “140 of Firsts,” which highlights 140 key moments in our history. We’ve also modernised iconic lines like the Navitimer, making the collection more appealing while staying true to its roots. Our approach is similar to what other heritage brands have done — revitalising historical designs to create a fresh, contemporary look.

What has kept Breitling as a key player in the luxury watch market?

Seven years ago, Breitling was becoming irrelevant — our designs were outdated, and our communication was out of touch. Today, we’re completely relevant and growing rapidly. We’ve rebuilt the brand’s esteem by emphasising our rich history and the quality of our products. As we increase awareness, particularly of our updated designs and brand identity, we expect even greater growth.

What defines the “new” Breitling in your view?

Breitling today is defined by its tasteful, diverse, and cool brand image. We’re a ‘generalist’ brand that caters to a wide range of styles, and our partnerships and product offerings reflect that.

How does Breitling maintain its dynamic and vibrant brand image, particularly with its use of colours?

Colours have always been a differentiating factor for Breitling. We embrace vibrant, bold colours, which help position us as a “happy days brand” in a sometimes gloomy environment. This playful, colourful approach will continue to be a key aspect of our brand identity.

How does Breitling appeal to different age groups, particularly the youth segment?

We don’t categorise our customers by age or gender. Instead, we focus on style. Our design language is modern retro, with a bit of an edge. Partnerships with brands like Triumph and our involvement in sports like surfing give us a distinctive style that appeals to generations. Our goal is to be the cool and relaxed alternative to more conservative Swiss watch brands.

Tell us about Breitling’s involvement in the Climate Impulse project and your commitment to ESG principles.

Our commitment to ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles is essential, especially for younger customers who expect meaningful actions from luxury brands. We’re actively involved in initiatives like fighting plastic pollution in the oceans, particularly through our surfer partnerships. However, we’re not activists — we focus on doing meaningful things within our sphere of influence, using our platform to promote environmental awareness without being overly preachy.

You mentioned Breitling’s acquisition of Universal Genève. What drove this decision, and what are your plans for the brand?

We acquired Universal Genève because of its incredible history and iconic designs. The brand holds significant heritage, particularly with iconic pieces designed by Gérald Genta. Instead of creating something new from scratch, we prefer reviving a dormant brand with a rich legacy. Universal Genève is a perfect example of a brand that we can “kiss back to life”.

We’re currently working on the necessary movements, and this process takes time because we are not just producing textiles; we are in the business of engineering high-quality watches. While you can expect to see some activities related to Universal Genève this year, the full relaunch of the brand is planned for 2026. We believe Universal Genève will be an incredible hit once it’s reintroduced to the market.

Where do you see the watch industry today, especially given the current global environment?

The luxury industry, including the watch sector, has consistently grown since the 1980s, and this trend will continue. This growth is driven by an increasing number of wealthy individuals and broader access to luxury products, especially in markets such as China, India, and Indonesia, as well as in Europe and the US.

Despite occasional economic or political challenges affecting consumer sentiment, which may lead to postponed purchases, the overall trend for luxury remains positive. The recent dips in the secondary market are simply a normalisation after the abnormal post-Covid 19 surge.

What is your view on the current consumer sentiment towards luxury, particularly in the UAE?

The UAE, like the Middle East and Switzerland, operates in a kind of economic bubble, largely insulated from global issues. As a brand, our focus is on outperforming the competition, which allows us to gain market share regardless of overall market conditions. While very expensive luxury items are still performing well, accessibly priced luxury is facing challenges due to factors like inflation and rising interest rates, particularly in the US and Europe.

What trends are you observing in the watch industry, and how is Breitling responding to them?

One noticeable trend is the shift towards smaller watches, especially in Asia and other markets where tastes are evolving. Breitling is well-positioned to respond with upcoming collections that feature smaller models, such as our Premier and Top Time collections.

Additionally, we’ve seen significant growth in our female market segment, particularly in the Middle East, which now accounts for about 25 per cent of our business in the region. Collaborations, such as our partnership with Victoria Beckham, have also played a key role in our success, with specific designs like yellow gold watches performing exceptionally well.

Finally, tell us how Breitling’s 140th anniversary is being celebrated.

The 140th anniversary will be celebrated throughout the year with various products and events. We recently launched another Cosmonaut watch, commemorating John Carpenter’s famous watch that was the first chronograph in space. We’ll also have a pop-up museum in Zurich, a commemorative book, and several limited-edition series, including some high-end pieces limited to 140 units each.

Our goal is to create a 360-degree celebration of Breitling’s legacy, showcasing our history and our position as a leader in the luxury watch market.