Breitling is Back

by Micahel Satterfield - 01/01/2022

I have been a fan of Breitling watches for as long as I can remember, the first Breitling I purchased was in the early 2000s when I was working as the internet sales manager for a car dealership. A watch like the 48mm Breitling for Bentley 6.75 A44362 was part of the required uniform, where everyone in management wore one of the “big three” Swiss watches, Rolex, Omega, or Breitling. But by 2010, Breitling hadn’t gotten the memo that the oversized, over-the-top watches had fallen out of fashion, as I was no longer wearing a suit and tie every day, I swapped mine for a more understated Tudor while the Breitling mostly sat in a box. Changing tastes, bad advertising campaigns, and the introduction of the Apple Watch, by 2016 the Breitling was on the ropes.

In 2017, the Schneider family sold an 80% stake to British private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for 837 million dollars, for the first time in over forty years Breitling would not be run by a member of the Schneider family. CVC installed former IWC CEO Georges Kern to lead the relaunch of the nearly 140-year-old watchmaker. Kern would immediately take action by shifting product development that was driven by heritage while expanding Breitling beyond the scope of aviation.

In 2018, the relaunch of the Breitling Premier collection started getting the attention of watch enthusiasts. Reissues of Navitimer, the AVI, and the SuperOcean all paid homage to the originals without trying too hard. With the right mix of products, great marketing, and price points that start at around $3,000, Breitling was back in a big way.

In 2021, Breitling announced it was ending its partnership with Bentley and soon after announced a new automotive series that celebrated three iconic 1960s American cars, the Shelby Cobra, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Corvette. This collection brought the Breitling name to a broader audience of automotive enthusiasts than Bentley ever could, the collection was well received by the watch community at large since the automotive branding was subtle and didn’t take away from the classic Top Time design.

Breitling has continued to build on the three categories Kern has created for the brand, elegant, sports- elegant, and instruments for professionals. So far, his plan has worked, leveraging Breitling’s incredible yet mostly unknown history to recast the story of Breitling as more than just a pilot’s watch, but instead as one of the most innovative watch companies of all time. Breitling developed the chronograph push-button start/stop/reset function in 1915, a Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute was the first Swiss wristwatch in space, worn by American astronaut Scott Carpenter in 1962, a few years later Breitling would launch the first self-winding chronograph movement. In 1995, the Breitling Emergency, which integrated a personal distress beacon, gave peace of mind to adventurers and military operators and has been credited with saving lives around the world.

Heritage resonates with luxury watch buyers, for years Breitling seemed to trade in the heritage and reputation of partner brands like Bentley, but that perception has shifted. It feels like new partnerships with the likes of Triumph Motorcycles, Shelby, the Commemorative Airforce tend to put more emphasis on Breitling’s heritage than previous collaborations.

While the brand has been working to grow its image outside of the world of aviation, the pilot’s watch is still one of the most important aspects of the brand’s heritage. Retelling that history and incorporating it into the new vision for Breitling would require more storytelling, something Kern does better than most in the industry.

I attended the recent launch of the new Super AVI collection at the Commemorative Airforce headquarters in Dallas, where Kern showcased his flair for storytelling. Instead of jet pack-wearing stuntmen and scantily clad ladies, the new Super AVI collection was launched at a small by highlighting four World War II-era aircraft that inspired the series and the pilots who today keep these amazing warbirds flying.

At the launch event, Georges arrived dramatically, the doors to the hanger sliding open, the four planes on the tarmac as he is standing on the wing of a P51 Mustang in a retro flight suit as it taxis partially into the hanger. The event, which was mostly attended by Breitling retailers, went off without a hitch and the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd were apparent. From the stage, Kerns announced that they would be increasing production for 2022 as currently, retailers are selling out of watches almost immediately upon their arrival. Several of the retailers I spoke to from across the country shared the same story, they can’t keep Breitling and many other luxury watches in stock.

Breitling hasn’t forgone traditional marketing, however, with celebrity ambassadors like Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Adam Driver, and Daniel Wu being part of what Breitling calls the Cinema Squad. But outside of traditional influencer campaigns featuring well-known Hollywood actors, Breitling has created other “Squads” that include explorers, triathletes, artists, and even surfers. The goal is to expand the brand beyond the typical luxury watch market of Formula 1, golf, or equestrian events to more relatable and accessible lifestyles that represent a broader range of people. This ethos can be seen in the redesigned Breitling Boutiques that feature eclectic décor that is welcoming and comfortable, while still being high-end, the new stores feel more like a cool lounge than a retail shop.

For many, they are discovering the brand for the first time, but for those of us who are watch enthusiasts, it is great to see that Breitling is back.