Breitling marked its 140th anniversary in 2024 with a campaign called “140 Years of Firsts.” CEO Georges Kern used the milestone to explain how he had sought to reconnect the watchmaker with its history while giving it a more contemporary identity. The anniversary combined heritage storytelling, special-edition watches, events and a commemorative book.
What Breitling was celebrating in 2024
Breitling dates its founding to 1884, when Léon Breitling opened a St. Imier atelier focused on chronographs. The company’s official history says the operation moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1892. Breitling marked 140 years from that founding with the “140 Years of Firsts” campaign, presenting milestones in its own history as the thread connecting the anniversary program.
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The company’s timeline highlights several chronograph developments. Breitling says Gaston Breitling introduced an independent chronograph pusher in 1915, and that Willy Breitling’s addition of a second pusher at 4 o’clock in 1933 was an important step toward the modern chronograph form. These are claims in Breitling’s account of its history, not a claim that the company alone invented the chronograph.
Other entries in the company timeline include the 1907 Vitesse pocket chronograph, which Breitling says could measure speeds from 15 to 250 miles or kilometers per hour and was used by Swiss police in issuing early speeding tickets. Breitling also says it reached production of its 100,000th timepiece in 1910, 26 years after its founding.
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- Breitling Superocean 42mm Heritage B20 Automatic Blue Dial Watch UB2010161C1S1
How Georges Kern connected the anniversary to a brand reset
Kern became Breitling CEO in 2017. In an interview with Gulf Business published on 27 August 2024, he described the central task as reconnecting the company with its past while updating how it looked and communicated. “We’ve reconnected with Breitling’s rich history while modernising the brand,” he said.
Kern characterized the brand’s prior condition bluntly: “Seven years ago, Breitling was becoming irrelevant — our designs were outdated, and our communication was out of touch.” That is his assessment of the company’s recent past, rather than an independently measured finding. The interview describes his transformation program as including streamlined collections, refreshed design language and changes to distribution.
His framing makes the 140th anniversary more than a retrospective. In Kern’s account, historic chronographs and familiar collections could serve as material for a present-day identity, provided the brand modernized its design and presentation. He called that aesthetic “modern retro”—a description of Breitling’s intended style, not a consumer survey result.
What the anniversary program included
Breitling’s anniversary page presented three limited editions tied to established collections: Premier, Navitimer and Chronomat. The Chronomat anniversary edition featured Caliber B19. The official campaign also included an anniversary certificate and a traveling “Time Capsule” heritage exhibition.
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Kern told Gulf Business that the year’s celebrations also included a Cosmonaut watch, a pop-up museum in Zurich, a commemorative book and limited series that included watches limited to 140 units. These are details from his interview; the official campaign page separately identifies the three collection editions above.
Anniversary collections
| Collection | Anniversary connection established by Breitling |
|---|---|
| Premier | Named as a limited-edition anniversary watch in Breitling’s “140 Years of Firsts” campaign. |
| Navitimer | Named as a limited-edition anniversary watch in Breitling’s “140 Years of Firsts” campaign. |
| Chronomat | Named as a limited-edition anniversary watch; Breitling identifies Caliber B19 in the anniversary edition. |
The available anniversary information establishes these historical and campaign links, not current prices, present availability or a recommendation about which model suits a particular buyer.
What “140 Years in 140 Stories” is
The anniversary book, titled 140 Years in 140 Stories, is a commemorative history of Breitling. The company describes it as a collection featuring rare documents, vintage watches and previously unseen photographs, intended for newcomers as well as enthusiasts. It was part of the anniversary program alongside events and special editions; current retail availability and price are not established here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Kern described Breitling’s audience and identity
Kern rejected dividing customers primarily by age or gender: “We don’t categorise our customers by age or gender. Instead, we focus on style.” He described Breitling as spanning a broad range of styles, with the “modern retro” language intended to connect vintage references to contemporary design. These are the CEO’s statements about the brand’s positioning, not independent evidence about customer demographics or preferences.
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- Chronograph Movement: Self-winding
- Case Size: 42mm Stainless Steel
- Dial Color: Black
- Water Resistance: Up to 300 Meters
In the same interview, Kern said Breitling acquired Universal Genève because of its history and designs, and said a full relaunch was planned for 2026. That was a forward-looking statement made in August 2024; it should not be read as confirmation of the relaunch’s status today.
What the 140th anniversary says about Breitling—and what it does not
The anniversary’s clearest message is the one Kern stated directly: Breitling wanted to modernize without abandoning the heritage that gives its chronographs and collections their historical identity. The campaign expressed that approach through archive-led storytelling, three collection editions, a traveling exhibition and a book.
The anniversary itself does not establish how successful the repositioning was commercially or culturally. Kern discussed growth and market positioning in the interview, but the reported conversation does not provide independent impact statistics. The 140th year is best understood as a company-led statement of identity and strategy, supported by Breitling’s own chronology and anniversary program.
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