CEO Georges Kern On Breitling And The Relaunch of Universal Genève

He joined Richemont in 2000 and played a key role in integrating A. Lange & Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and IWC after the trio of brands was acquired. He became the conglomerate’s youngest CEO in 2002 when he took the helm at IWC. 

In 2017, Breitling appointed Kern as its CEO, just as CVC Capital Partners had acquired a majority stake in the brand. According to Bloomberg, Breitling was valued at about $900 million when CVC purchased its majority stake in 2017. During his six years as CEO, he’s led a massive turnaround for Breitling. Last year, it entered the top 10 Swiss brands by sales, with annual turnover approaching $1 billion. A focus on fewer models, Breitling’s heritage, and streamlined distribution has led to the brand’s revival. 

In 2022, Partners Group acquired a majority share of Breitling, with CVC reducing its ownership. The deal valued the Swiss watchmaker at more than $4.5 billion.

Our conversation starts with an in-depth discussion of Breitling’s surprise acquisition of  Universal Genève, including details on Kern’s plans for the brand’s relaunch. Then, we talk about his tenure at Breitling before zooming out on the changes he’s seen over his more than 30 years in the watch industry. 

About The Author

Tessa Petak

Tessa is a staff writer at the George V Magazine, and a news team writer at InStyle. She is based in London, UK.

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