Breitling Acquires Another Watch Brand From the 1800s

The Gallet “Flying Officer” watch, a waterproof chronograph launched in 1939 that could keep track of the time in multiple time zones. President Harry Truman received a “Flying Officer” as a Christmas gift and was known to wear it regularly. (Photo courtesy of Breitling)

Geneva—On Tuesday, Breitling announced the acquisition of Gallet, a watch brand founded 200 years ago and popular in the early days of long-distance travel.

The purchase price was not disclosed, though Breitling CEO Georges Kern told Hodinkee that it was much less than the $69 million the company paid for Universal Genève in 2023.

Julien Gallet founded Gallet in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1826.

According to a history of the brand provided by Breitling, Gallet was known for making timekeeping instruments used in racing, aviation, and off-road expeditions, a heritage that “aligns with Breitling’s own chronograph DNA.” 

It expanded into the U.S. market in 1856, and in 1890, Jules Racine & Co. became the sole distributor of Gallet watches in North America, the brand’s main market. 

Among the brand’s standout models were the “Flying Officer” (1939), a waterproof chronograph designed to track the time in multiple time zones, and the “MultiChron Regulator,” which racing driver Rex Mays Jr. received after winning the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fair in 1940. 

It also made two stopwatches for the Wright Brothers’ famous flight in 1903. 

Though it continued making watches through the 1970s, Gallet, like so many other mechanical watch brands, did not survive the “quartz crisis” of the 1970s and ‘80s. 

Gallet is the second historical Swiss watch brand Breitling has purchased in the last two years.

In December 2023, the company announced its acquisition of Universal Genève, a Swiss watch brand founded in 1894 that is a favorite among collectors. 

The purchase of Gallet, “continues Breitling’s commitment to shaping the future of Swiss watchmaking while honoring its past,” the company said.

“Gallet’s return in 2026 underscores a commitment to heritage, quality, and the spirit of adventure, taking horology off the beaten path and into new territory.” 

Breitling said it plans to position Gallet as a “luxury, entry-level sibling brand to Breitling,” but declined to provide any more details on the brand’s retail rollout, other than to confirm that its relaunch will happen in 2026.