I clearly remember being a teenager in Paris and dreaming of one day owning a Breitling watch! The brand connoted with luxury, sex appeal and unattainable. One could not escape it. It was everywhere … on billboards, magazine spreads, TV commercials, you name it. I did not care that they were too big and most likely too heavy for my wrist, I just wanted one! But unfortunately, I could not afford it.
Life went on and with it Breitling became a distant memory which slowly faded away … until a couple of years ago while traveling on Swiss! As a passenger whether you wanted it or not, you could not (and still to this day) escape the Breitling ads unless your eyes were shot the entire time! Their ads became a staple in the Swiss world. I remember getting upset at them because they seemed quite gender biased to say the least. Even a few men I know felt totally disengaged with the story the brand was narrating. We were wondering when Breitling would finally wake up and get on with the time and revamp its Macho image. The product was still beautiful and its history so rich but clearly time had come to make certain adjustments.
Breitling takes off into a Legendary Future
Now fast forward to 2017. Breitling acquired a new CEO, the notorious Georges Kern who brought with him a big box of ideas and changes – a new chapter called “a Legendary Future”. Mr. Kern is committing to taking the brand to the next level while embracing and acknowledging its glorious past – one must not forget the brands’ accomplishments in the pioneering days of aviation.
Part of this new future is the new Navitimer 8 Collection, a tribute to Willy Breitling and the HuitAviation he founded in 1938. (a reference to the eight-day power reserve essential for onboard timekeeping instruments on planes)
Red carpet events around the world
What better way to launch anything of that magnitude than by having a massive party around the world? And what better way to share the message of Change and Innovation than by bringing together the taste makers, opinion leaders and influencers of this world, one country at a time?
The tour began in Shanghai, China followed by Zürich then New York.
ZURICH
On February 16, 2018, Breitling unveiled and celebrated its new Navitimer 8 Collection in the presence of 600 prominent guests from the worlds of business, entertainment, culture, politics and media of Switzerland. The red carpet, held at Zürich’s Hallenstadion, was quite significant and impressive. Some of the notable guests were Gregory Breitling, son of Willy Breitling, adventurers Bertrand Piccard and Inge Solhelm, French and British actors Guillaume Canet and Richard E. Grant, just to name a few.
No detail or expense were spared. The energy was high and everyone was enjoying their time networking, drinking their bubbles and dancing away . Truly a fun evening!
NEW YORK
On February 23, 2018, it was time for New York city to experience the awaited reveal. Over 300 guests from Australia, Latin America, Canada and North America came to celebrate. Legendary figures like Huston Astros world series pitcher Justin Verlander, MLB player Lance McCullers Jr., former NFL quarterback and CBS NFL commentator Boomer Esiason, former astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, and actors Darren Criss, Olivia Munn and Armie Hammer, were all in attendance.
Stay tuned for more exciting news after BaselWorld! Breitling is making a BIG come back!
And thank you Alexander Scheuber for the beautiful pictures!
Stay connected and don’t miss out on unique Experiences & Discoveries.
Sign up now!
