Is Gallet set to become Breitling’s Tudor? Discussing the rumoured acquisition with Tony Traina

Zach Blass

Is Gallet about to become Breitling’s Tudor? Russell and I had the pleasure of remotely sitting down with Tony Traina, a former lawyer and Hodinkee Editor who, earlier this week, broke the news (alongside Ms. Tweed) of Breitling’s rumoured acquisition of Gallet on his Unpolished Watches newsletter.

This development comes in the wake of Breitling’s acquisition of Universal Genève at the end of 2023, but with a possible third brand entering the fold, it would seem a Kerniverse is brewing. After Russell recaps the history of Gallet, the three of us discuss how Gallet stands to fit into the mix. What are the best strategies for its revival? How will the watches be priced?

When I first read about this acquisition, I found myself scratching my head a bit. On the one hand, Georges Kern and Breitling have long proven they know how to do heritage-driven chronographs. But does it really make sense to own two brands that have historically operated in a similar lane? With Universal Genève, a much clearer path could be envisioned. Kern and co. would apply their heritage revival skills to a brand that has a diverse range of creations that can act as a true foil to Breitling with minimal overlap. Like Breitling, Gallet is known for its ’30s and ’40s wartime chronographs, and is very much aligned with the tool watch aura Breitling has been built on. Therefore, the only path I see is that, as Breitling continues to inch more and more upmarket, Gallet stands to add value by filling a pricing gap.

Akin to the historical relationship between Tudor and Rolex, Breitling could position Gallet as its Tudor – creating price-approachable, heritage-driven chronographs that do not run in conflict with Breitling offerings. This is just a taste of the discussion, definitely watch the full video for everyone’s thoughts.