Exclusive: Interview with Breitling CEO Georges Kern

Exactly four years on from his arrival at the helm of Breitling, Georges Kern talks to The 1916 Company about how he’s gone about relaunching the brand.

It’s been a difficult year, but as it turns out we’ve progressed much faster than anticipated. Of course, we’ve had fewer opportunities to be in the public eye, but our campaigns have done very well nevertheless. I’d say I’ve achieved 60-70% of what I’d like to do with Breitling, so I’m very happy with how my plan for the brand has worked out.

Obviously, much still remains to be done; a product we still need to work on, plans for stores that I’d like to open… Strategy is important, but we also have to make sure it’s implemented. Overall, we’re on track, though. We’ve not yet experienced any delays in watch production; we can rely on our in-house capacity, as well as excellent relations with our suppliers.

The health crisis has inevitably meant we haven’t been able to do everything exactly as we’d hoped to in terms of the market. Vaccination rates vary widely; things are still difficult in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Australia. We won’t be out of the woods for several months yet in some countries with low levels of vaccination, but things are different in China, where they’ve taken a different approach to Covid-19.

How have Breitling’s regular customers reacted to your new models, such as the three-hand Navitimer, the Endurance Pro, and the Pastel Paradise?

As you know, the plan I’ve put in place involves a thorough-going transformation of the brand. We’re completely redefining our strategy and broadening our spectrum. We’re no longer confining ourselves solely to aviation, returning instead to Breitling’s three historic segments of land, air, and sea; these are actually our original foundations. People always tend to think in terms of the past 20 years or so, whereas these have been our three historic pillars ever since the 1940s. We’ve broadened the brand considerably, and in doing so, we’re coming back more in line with the original Breitling ethos. As to the brand’s recent past, there’s nothing surprising about seeing customers come and go over the space of 40 years.

As yet, Breitling isn’t showing up on the radar at major auctions. Is that a concern for you?

Not at all; auctions are absolutely not a priority for us right now. The market for historic pieces will emerge naturally over time. Indeed, we’re already making quite some progress in that area: you only have to look at the prices older Navitimers are starting to fetch. That said, the most important priority for me when it comes to repositioning a brand is attracting new customers. Vintage really isn’t our focus at the moment. We’re there for the younger generation of today; today’s consumers. Collectors are a very different breed. As the brand grows, the price of historic timepieces will rise of its own accord.

How have you weathered the crisis? What lessons have you learned from it?

Of course, we’ve learned a lot. But above all, we’ve come through it thanks to everything we’d put in place in the three years beforehand. We’re among the brands that are doing better than most; we’ve really emerged during the crisis, having developed our strategy around luxury that’s inclusive, casual, and sustainable. This worked very well for us – and indeed is still doing so.

We did a lot of hard work prior to the crisis, and the ‘modern retro’ positioning we’ve adopted has stood us in good stead: it strikes a chord in today’s world. There’s a degree of nostalgia for a bygone era when things were simpler and more down-to-earth; our modern retro style is exactly what people are looking for. Take the Chronomat, a discreet embodiment of watchmaking tradition, or our new Top Time Deus, a throwback to the past that’s nonetheless firmly rooted in the present. Our products are very attractive, and our store reorganisation is underway.

How do you see the immediate future?

Things could be better in some regions, such as Asia, but that’s down to external factors beyond our control. When all’s said and done, we’ve had a good crisis, emerging victorious thanks to our values – and everything we’ve put in place to live them out. I hope we’ll soon be able to put all this bad stuff behind us, though, and get on with normal life!