This article was originally published in the November/December 2022 Issue of the WatchTime print magazine. Photos by Jens Köppe, Roger Ruegger and Breitling.

He did it again. Georges Kern, Breitling?s highpowered CEO, has relaunched another important watch line based on his ?Modern Retro? design concept. The instructions were the same as for the Superocean Heritage, the Premier and the Chronomat: Take a historical Breitling model and design a new watch on that basis, but not an exact copy. Instead, the essential components are carefully selected, brought together in a modern format, and combined with additional elements to meet today?s expectations for style and comfort. As a rule, this produces an attractive new watch that is offered in a range of different versions.
Kern has been very successful with this approach so far. He has turned the once clearly positioned pilots? watch brand into a lifestyle brand that feels at home in the air but also on land and water and utilizes the full potential of its rich history. Breitling watches are attractive and highly desirable. And by combining the informal, sporty brand image and a cool boutique concept, Breitling has flourished since its 2017 acquisition by the financial investor CVC.

The numbers prove it. CVC paid around 800 million euros for an 80-percent share, and by autumn 2021, Breitling was valued at an estimated 3 billion euros. At that time, the Partners Group, another investment company, purchased app...