Léon Breitling started his eponymous brand in 1884 and it has specialised in complicated timepieces and chronographs from the beginning, going on to pioneer the wrist-worn chronograph, which was hugely popular with military pilots.
Spirit of innovation
A spate of supplying cockpit clocks to commercial aircraft led to the development of its most iconic watch, the Navitimer, a timepiece with a slide rule for accurate in-air calculations. Their timepieces are used by pilots and chair-born squadrons, as well as by divers both professionals and those merely dabbling, and collections such as the Navitimer and Superocean remain as popular a choice now as they were when they were first manufactured. Breitling has been an early adopter of sustainability protocols, both in its business and its watchmaking. It has introduced the first 100% eco-friendly, foldable, and reusable watch box. Made from upcycled plastic bottles, this new box is part of its efforts to reduce negative environmental impact and it is committed to a circular economy. Breitling is also taking steps to ensure that its timepieces also reflect its aspiration for sustainability. The brands Superocean Heritage 57 Outerknown has a strap made from the innovative material ECONYL that uses repurposed nylon waste from the likes of fishing nets.
Our Partnership
Our relationship with Breitling dates back to the 1980s and we are proud to work with the brand across all of our portfolio of showrooms, stocking a large selection of its most iconic collections and ensuring that our teams are highly trained in all things Breitling, from its history and heritage right through to its technical innovations. We are also proud to have partnered with Breitling on multiple mono-brand boutique locations, in both the UK and the US. 2022 sees our partnership with Breitling extend to Europe with openings of mono-brand boutiques in both Stockholm and Copenhagen. We partner with Breitling to ensure each boutique has its own local marketing plan and even introduced SMART events, which allow our colleagues to create bespoke client experiences to promote the brand. In 2021 we also partnered with Breitling on our second exclusive piece – an Endurance Pro in beautiful deep green with the colour extending from the dial to the strap. Unsurprisingly, it garnered much press attention, and was featured in GQ, the Evening Standard and was reviewed by renowned watch Editor Bill Prince for our Calibre editorial channels. We also worked with the brand on further marketing opportunities, both traditional and digital, from placement in national and local papers and magazines to social media and emails. We also included Breitling in our in-house print title Calibre and its models are regularly included in our photoshoots and content themes. In 2021, we were delighted to host Breitling’s UK Managing Director, Gavin Murphy, on our Calibre podcast, where he spoke about his career history at the brand and talked through the new timepieces and collection highlights. The brand was also part of our ambitious and successful Watches of Switzerland US “Anytime. Anywhere.” multi-channel marketing campaign.
The Watches of Switzerland Group Exclusive Special Edition
2020 saw the Watches of Switzerland Group and Breitling unite for the first time to create an exclusive timepiece in the ‘Watches of Switzerland Group Exclusive Special Edition Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42’. It combines function with style, and is a high performing model, one that is worthy of the legacies of both companies, as well as any watch collector.
The history of the Breitling Premier dates back to the 1940s, where the timepieces were the perfect accompaniment to the remarkable changes taking place all over the world. In 2018, Breitling released new models that extended that legacy, reflecting the historic design codes and proud history while still remaining modern and stylish. This collaboration follows suit and is designed for those who live an active lifestyle with the collection specifically dedicated to Breitling’s ‘land’ environment, one of three environments including ‘sea’ and ‘air’ that are the cornerstones of Breitling’s core collections.
The Watches of Switzerland Group Exclusive Special Edition
The new 42 mm timepiece features a striking, clean silver dial with contrasting blue subdials – a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and a small-second subdial at 9 o’clock and date window at 6 o’clock. The dial also features a white tachymeter scale on a blue inner bezel around the dial, enhanced by a blue alligator leather strap. The timepiece is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, visible through the transparent case back. Developed in-house and recognised as one of the finest watch movements in the world, the self-winding COSC-certified chronograph carries an approximate power reserve of 70 hours. One final design touch comes in the form of an inscribed Watches of Switzerland Group logo on the case back.
the partnership between the watches of switzerland group and BREITLING
We are privileged to partner with Breitling on nine mono-brand boutiques in prestigious locations in both the UK and the US.
