In a comeback that watch lovers have been lengthy dreaming of, watchmaker Breitling has introduced its acquisition of Common Genève and in doing so, marking the revival of the Swiss watchmaking Icon. Lengthy recognized for its famend horological artistry, revolutionary in-house actions and legendary fashions Common Genève was as soon as hailed because the “couturier of watchmaking”. Nonetheless, the arrival of the quartz disaster considerably challenged the corporate, marking a shift in its trajectory. With Common Genève acquisition from the Hong Kong primarily based Stelux Group, Breitling goals to revive the storied model to its former glory, grounding the model in its Swiss custom whereas holding it poised for up to date relevance.
Based on Joseph Wong, chairman and CEO of Stelux Group, the administration at Breitling has demonstrated that it’s 100% dedicated to making sure that Common Genève lives on, not simply in identify however in spirit. “Rebuilding a model with such a wealthy narrative will not be a fast endeavor—it’s a meticulous labor of affection that we anticipate will unfold over the approaching years. A devoted crew might be introduced on board to permit Breitling and Common Genève to function as separate maisons,” defined Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. Kern additionally defined {that a} devoted crew might be introduced on board to permit Breitling and Common Genève to function as separate maisons.
Common Genève has wealthy histroy since its founding in 1894 nevertheless it was the model’s technical prowess within the early to mid-Twentieth century that noticed Common Genève rise to prominence. Within the Twenties, Common Genève’s crafted the reversible Cabriolet, a primary of its type. The Nineteen Forties noticed the model go from producing elegant girls’s cocktail watches and revolutionary males’s jewellery timepieces to providing a formidable number of its Compax chronographs with manufacture actions, together with the legendary Tri-Compax full calendar launched to have a good time the model’s fiftieth anniversary.
Within the Nineteen Fifties, the model launched a revolutionary self-winding motion generally known as the Microtor. Commissioned from a 23-year-old Gérald Genta, The Polerouter watch was designed to face up to any local weather, from the pole to equator. Within the Nineteen Sixties, the model efficiently relaunched its Compax sequence as sports activities watches and in 1966, Common Genève launched the world’s flattest computerized motion in its Golden Shadow.
As Hodinkee studies, Breitling CEO Georges Kern has invaluable expertise in revolutionising a model as since heading Breitling in 2017, gross sales have surged, changing into one of many 10 largest Swiss manufacturers by income. In 2022, gross sales approached USD 1 billion, growing about 40 p.c year-over-year in response to Morgan Stanley. With Common Genève’s wealthy historical past in thoughts, Breitling now has a pivotal function in restoring the status of a hallowed identify on this planet of luxurious timepieces.
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