Breaking News: Breitling Acquires Another Historic Watch Brand! It’s Gallet!

Following Breitling’s acquisition of the renowned Universal Genève brand, the Grenchen-based watchmaker has done it again with another iconic name in chronographs — Gallet. With Gallet, Breitling, and Universal Genève, the group will cover a wide range, from entry-level luxury to the high-end segment and everything in between.

Gallet Multichron Regulator from 1936 — Image: Gallet

Gallet’s heritage

In a separate article, Fratello member Tomas Rosputinsky will guide you through the history of Gallet watches. It’s a long and rich history indeed, with Julien Gallet having founded the brand in 1826. With a great feel for significant moments, Breitling CEO Georges Kern is reviving Gallet exactly 200 years later. In 2026, Gallet will make its return with watches underlining the brand’s heritage, quality, and spirit of adventure.

Harry S. Truman in Miami in 1949 — Image: Abbie Rowe, National Park Service, Harry S. Truman Library

Harry S. Truman’s watch

Gallet’s heritage resembles Breitling’s chronograph history. Gallet developed watches with a clear focus on travel, aviation, and racing. One example is an early hand-held stopwatch that the Wright brothers used during their first powered flight in 1903. In 1856, Jules Racine & Co. took over Gallet’s distribution in North America, which then quickly became the brand’s primary market. In 1939, Gallet introduced its Flying Officer watch, a waterproof chronograph designed to track multiple time zones.

Truman’s Gallet Flying Officer from 1939 — Image: Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Truman’s Gallet Flying Officer from 1939 — Image: Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

The Flying Officer watch was the perfect companion for pilots and globetrotters, and it also found its way to the wrist of US President Harry S. Truman. Fratello editor Tomas Rosputinsky picked up a wonderful Gallet “Truman,” which he will cover soon here on Fratello.

Gallet Multichron Clamshell from ca. 1938

Multichron

Another impressive and significant Gallet watch is the 1938 Multichron Clamshell. The Multichron Clamshell was a waterproof chronograph, with various versions available for motor racing, speed boating, and aviation. Many consider the Multichron series the cornerstone of the Gallet brand.

The Gallet Multichron Regulator that belonged to Rex Mays — Image: John Cote

For example, car racer Rex Mays wore the Multichron Regulator, which he got in 1940 after winning the Springfield Mile championship.

Unfortunately, like many other Swiss watch brands, Gallet suffered tremendously from the Quartz Crisis and a soaring Swiss franc in the 1970s and 1980s, and Gallet disappeared from the market.

Gallet Flying Officer from 1939

Five questions about the Gallet acquisition

Today, the new owners of Gallet announced the return of this historical watch brand. We can expect watches priced between CHF 3,000 and CHF 5,000. Nowadays, brands like Tudor, Longines, TAG Heuer, and Oris occupy this crowded segment, but it can always use some additional creativity and interesting propositions.

The Gallet acquisition makes us curious about the watches and the brand itself. What movements will the new Gallet watches use? What price segment will they be in (we spoiled that one already), and how/where will people be able to buy them? We were able to ask these questions to Georges Kern.

Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling

Challenges

Fratello (F): What was the biggest challenge during the Gallet acquisition process?

Georges Kern (GK): The biggest challenge during the acquisition process for Gallet was managing its complexity over a year and a half while ensuring that all elements came together seamlessly under strict confidentiality.

We had been eyeing this acquisition for years. The vision was to have three brands in our portfolio. We knew where we wanted to take Breitling and recognized that we were now operating in a completely different price segment than we were 7–8 years ago. Breitling has evolved significantly. In recent years, we have been able to sell higher-priced products, meaning our average price has increased considerably.

However, you can’t stretch a brand too far, neither to the lower nor to the higher end. There are limits for most brands, and the same is true for Breitling. The acquisitions of Universal Genève and Gallet allow us to extend our reach both upward and downward. With the three brands, we have a clear segmentation. Universal Genève, which we acquired in 2023, will be positioned distinctly above Breitling in terms of price and will operate completely independently.

With Gallet, we have found a strong brand with historical roots and relevance that complements Breitling’s offering in the entry-level segment of luxury watches. Gallet will be a sister brand to Breitling and will be integrated into Breitling boutiques, but it will maintain a completely distinct brand identity and positioning, targeting different customers.

This enables us to offer retailers a comprehensive range across different price segments from a single independent provider.

A Gallet Flying Officer advertisement from ca. 1950

Gallet’s pricing

F: Mechanical Breitling watches start at around €5,000. At which price point will Gallet be offered?

GK: Gallet will be positioned in the entry-level luxury segment, with prices ranging from slightly below CHF 3,000 to around 5,000. This is lower than Breitling’s current average selling price of around CHF 7,200, offering an attractive alternative as most competitors focus on models above CHF 5,000.

With the acquisition of Gallet, Breitling is further expanding its influence in the luxury watch sector following its purchase of Universal Genève in 2023. Breitling aims to position Gallet as a brand with classic products and a distinctive design language in the entry-level segment of luxury watches — a market many Swiss watch brands have abandoned in recent years.

This expansion allows us to cover a price range from which Breitling has moved away in recent years. With Universal Genève and Gallet, we have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive product strategy from the ground up with an offering that complements Breitling.

Entry-level luxury

F: Is the target audience the watch enthusiast/collector, or is Gallet targeting a wider audience?

GK: We see great potential for watches in the entry-level luxury segment, especially for a strong, historically significant, and distinctive brand like Gallet. Many competitors have vacated this segment in recent years, creating an opportunity for us to establish a strong presence. With Gallet, we can offer customers iconic designs and high-quality products at an attractive price-performance ratio. The common belief that only the high-end segment is thriving is not accurate; many successful brands specialize in “accessible luxury,” including in the watch industry.

A Gallet Multichron Clamshell advertisement from 1939

Gallet’s distribution network

F: Will Breitling boutiques offer Gallet watches, or will this be a separate operation?

GK: While we plan on having an e-commerce platform by the end of 2026, there are no plans to open standalone Gallet boutiques. Gallet will leverage Breitling’s existing sales and distribution network, including Breitling’s internal and external boutiques as well as selected wholesale partners.

F: Breitling has a strong focus on (in-house-developed) chronometer-certified movements. With the positioning of Gallet in mind, is it possible to offer an in-house (Breitling) movement, or will there be at least COSC-certified movements? Can you elaborate?

GK: We are currently not planning to equip Gallet watches with Breitling in-house movements. However, this possibility will be considered as part of the ongoing development process. Gallet will leverage Breitling’s strong relationships with industry suppliers to ensure access to high-quality movements. Gallet watches will be crafted with precision and quality, though they will not undergo a COSC certification.

F: Thank you for answering our questions.

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We are looking forward to seeing what Gallet has up its sleeve for us in 2026. Tomorrow, March 18th, the official Gallet website will go live at 8:00 AM CET.

*Header image is a collection of Gallet Multichron Clamshell watches.