Breitling chose Dubai Watch Week to unveil what it calls the House of Brands, a curated portfolio that places three storied names on distinct rungs of the luxury ladder. Breitling remains the anchor. Above it sits Universal Genève, revived as an ultra-luxury, standalone maison. Alongside, Gallet returns as the entry point, a sister brand manufactured by Breitling and sold through its boutiques and select multi-brand partners. For collectors, it is a promise of clarity rather than a blur of sublines and limited editions.
The design identities are established before the first new case is shown. Universal Genève arrives with the confidence of a maison known as Le Couturier de la Montre, the watch couturier whose Polerouter by a young Gérald Genta and celebrated Compax chronographs helped define modern Swiss design language. That heritage suggests a creative and artisanal approach, with collaborations with craftspeople explicitly part of the plan. Gallet’s brief is more utilitarian and adventurous. Its history runs from airfields to mountain summits, including the stopwatch used by the Wright brothers on their first flight and the Flying Officer, the first chronograph designed to track multiple time zones for early commercial pilots and intercontinental travelers. Breitling, meanwhile, keeps its modern retro signature intact, grounded in air, land, and sea tool watches.
On movements and mechanics, the message is equally deliberate. Specific references, case diameters, calibers, water resistance, and materials were not disclosed in Dubai. What is confirmed is structure. Universal Genève will be the most exclusive brand within the House of Brands, operating independently in the ultra-luxury segment. Gallet will be manufactured by Breitling, a company that remains one of the few independent watchmakers producing its own manufacture calibers and certifying every movement as a COSC chronometer. That foundation should matter when Gallet returns as a reliable, accessibly positioned tool watch maker and when Universal Genève leans into high craft.
If Breitling is the bridge, its role is both practical and cultural. The brand has more than 140 years of history and a distribution network of over 280 industrial loft inspired retail locations. It opened a two story, almost 400 square metre pavilion at Dubai Watch Week to preview the House of Brands to clients, retailers, and media. It also brings manufacturing muscle and a contemporary luxury sensibility to the project, which CEO Georges Kern called a long term strategy to offer “select, exceptional and differentiated brands” that meet evolving interests across price points.
Context matters. Universal Genève and Gallet were leading chronograph names before the quartz era pushed them into dormancy. Their revival is not nostalgia for its own sake. It is a bid to reoccupy spaces they helped shape. For Universal Genève, that is the upper tier of creative Swiss watchmaking, where finishing and design narratives carry as much weight as frequency and torque. For Gallet, it is the no nonsense chronograph for people who actually use their watches, a space that has been underserved by true heritage players.
Collectors will read this as both housekeeping and opportunity. Universal Genève has long held cult status, particularly the Polerouter and the Compax family, and its reemergence as the most exclusive name in the portfolio will raise expectations of artistry and limited availability. Gallet’s story is equally potent, with historically significant tool watches and a promise of functionality at an entry luxury level, now backed by Breitling manufacturing and retail support. With previews shifting toward the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and India, the brand is signaling the markets where it expects informed enthusiasm.
Two dates matter. The premiere of the House of Brands took place in 2025 at Dubai Watch Week. The relaunches of Gallet and Universal Genève are set for 2026. Until then, the spec sheet stays closed. The idea, however, is clear, and it is refreshingly simple. Three names, three roles, one strategy, each allowed to sound like itself when the time finally comes.
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