At House of Brands...
Freshly returned from Geneva, let's just say the multiple reincarnations taking place at the freshly minted "House of Brands" was a topic much discussed by Watch Town's cognoscenti. Curious to relate - fan boys and girls had nothing but sunshine for these re-re-re-releases. Gallet had actually been operating, albeit poorly, up until very recently, so this cannot really be placed in the class of a UG lift.For those of us in Watch Town's Fourth and Fifth Estates, let's just say we are divided. Those who crave to maintain their invitations for comped travel with celebrity "squadies" will no doubt bark like the trained seals they have come to be, waiting to be fed the tasty sardine that is a luxury press junket. For the rest of us...
Well, while I do appreciate the operating policy of not intentionally trying to "yuck someone's yum", I have to look at this through a bigger lens. While Breitling is certainly a brand most folks are aware of, it continues to lean heavily on celebrity "chums of the brand" while the prices climb relentlessly upward. And many folks are starting to ask if the juice is worth the squeeze. I'm not saying it is, or is not. I have my eye firmly on getting a Breitling Montbrillant Eclipse so although I'm not a fan boy, I appreciate a fine watch when I see one.
So then we get onto the now churning debate as to whether or not Universal Geneve has been priced appropriately. Well, the word around the campfire in Geneva (at least as spoken by those not fearful of being uninvited next year) was a fairly firm no. But then in fairness, it is a deeper question as to whether or not we (the press and employees of other brands) are really in a demographic that will matter in terms of sales. Probably not.
As for Gallet? Not unlike poor Yorick, I knew it. It was a brand bought by someone who then hired someone else to run it. It produced (if memory serves) a chronograph or two that were priced at dollar amounts not usually requested without the aid of a pistol and a getaway car. One abortive BaselWorld appearance in old Hall 2 was the high point.
And so now we have another "squad" set to be unleashed to put this all in motion.
Per World Tempus, Mr. Kern shared the following -
In the context of the creation of our House of Brands which includes Breitling, newly launched Universal Genève and upcoming Gallet, we have decided to further strengthen our executive leadership team and organization to drive continuous strong development of all three brands.
As CEO of House of Brands, I welcome Jean-Marc Pontroué to support the development of House of Brands as newly appointed CEO of Breitling. With an extensive career in the luxury watch industry at Montblanc and as CEO of Roger Dubuis (since 2011) and Panerai (since 2018), he brings long-standing experience in retail, wholesale and marketing.
Grégory Bruttin continues to build on the momentum created by the recent successful brand relaunch of Universal Genève and is appointed its Managing Director.
Erwan Rossignol is preparing with his team the relaunch of Gallet by the end of August 2026 and is appointed its Managing Director.
Antoine Loron (34) assumes newly the role of President of Breitling USA and Canada and joins the executive leadership board of Breitling and its product committee. His appointment follows a fast-tracked sales career first in our headquarters and his outstanding entrepreneurial successes in the Caribbean and Latin America. He will build on the strong foundations achieved by current President USA and Canada, Thierry Prissert, who has driven exceptional growth over the past fifteen years by successfully elevating our wholesale channel, establishing an extensive boutique network and securing our global NFL partnership. Thierry Prissert will continue to support Breitling’s brand expansion and the introduction of Universal Genève and Gallet in the American market and transition to chairman of the House of Brands USA board.
Renato Meier, currently Marketing Director of Breitling USA and Canada, having achieved strong momentum in marketing activations in the region, succeeds Antoine Loron as Managing Director of Breitling LATAM.
Together with our excellent current executive leadership team, we are well positioned to develop the full potential of our House of Brands. All changes will take effect in May 2026.
Georges Kern, CEO House of Brands.
As with all comings and goings in Watch Town, we won't really know anything until the dust settles, but we wish Mr. Kern and his squad good luck and Godspeed.
