A fresh wind is blowing through the heritage watch brand Breitling. Since Georges Kern took the helm, there has been an upheaval: "My goal is to create modern classics, watches designed to stylishly stand the test of time."Who is Georges Kern? It was fate and the right circumstances that eventually made me roll into the watchmaking profession. My father was a jeweller, but I initially started my career in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods. Of course, it helped that my father was already in this business, because you are indirectly influenced from an early age. I became fascinated by it because it is such a visual and tangible business; it evokes emotions from consumers.
My father is French and my mother German. I grew up in both countries and studied Sciences Politiques (policy sciences -red.) in France before I moved to Switzerland and continued my studies at a Business School there. I now have Swiss nationality, of which I am proud. But I still feel like a European.
Breitling is a true heritage watch brand if you look at its history, but it is so much more than just the watch for the aviation industry. Only when I dove into the archives did I see that in the 1940s to 1970s, there were also a lot of other segments that the brand was active in. I believe Breitling is among the top five largest watch brands in the world. The brand has a phenomenal intrinsic value that needs to be unleashed. That will be our goal for the coming years. To break away from the traditional characteristics of the watch brand and go down a path where we become the alternative, cool and relaxed brand, with lots of choice in different styles.
We are doing our bit for a more sustainable world through a collaboration with surf legend (and Breitling Surfers Squad member) Kelly Slater and her sustainable clothing brand Outerknown. Resulting in the Super Ocean Outerknown watch and a strap collection made from Econyl yarn. These yarns are made from recycled nylon made partly from used fishing nets.
SMAKERS
On a business level, I have great appreciation for Warren Buffet (American businessman and investor, also one of the richest people in the world - ed.) and Jeff Bezos (CEO of e-commerce company Amazon.com -red.). Both have shown us that it is possible to stay absolutely true to their principles and achieve enormous success. Warren Buffett has proven for decades to be a great listener and a very knowledgeable observer of human nature. Jeff Bezos has an unparalleled sense of the global business environment and incredible strategic vision.
People like Tom Ford and Karl Lagerfeld have also always fascinated me. I especially find designers and tastemakers interesting to watch. Tom Ford I know personally and have worked with both of them. With Ralph Lauren as well. He gave fashion a face in America. They are visionaries. I like good taste and find it a shame when people spend their money on the wrong stuff.
To my team, I always tell them to face the world with an open mind. Develop an antenna for the zeitgeist. What is happening? What music is being listened to? What colours does the car industry use? What is currently happening in fashion? How can one explain Gucci's huge success? You can only be a trendsetter if you intuitively sense this. In the FCMG industry you can test everything out. Like coffee, for example, until you have the perfect blend. That's not how it works in the luxury industry. Tom Ford also never did market research to see if a garment would catch on.
INSPIRATION
My music taste is broad. We have worked with Breitling to have its own playlists on Spotify which I have put together. Anyone can listen to it. From R&B to Easy Listening to rock music. Personally, I like real music. I play drums myself and my daughter is an opera singer. We are a musical family. I hate electronic music!
Films inspire me immensely. Recently, I co-produced a film. That's my hobby. It is a French comedy by Yvan Attal with Charlotte Gainsbourg, based on a book by John Fante and called 'Mon Chien Stupide'. It came out at the end of October 2019. I love both French films, film noir, as of big American productions like Apocalypse Now, the first Blade Runner, Star Wars; the science fiction genre. Then again, the popular Marvel films are not my thing.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell was one of my favourite books of recent years. It is one of the best analyses on how trends and movements start and should be intriguing reading for anyone in any industry.
In terms of art, my preference is for classical painters. Impressionists, such as Monet.
CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
I have my own tailor in the United States who makes my clothes. At some point, you have to adapt your style to your age. For instance, I don't wear jeans with holes. A nice blazer with a white shirt and good jeans is fine, provided there are no holes in the trousers. I would describe my style as comfortably chic.
The coolest man in the world ever I think Steve McQueen. I would recommend everyone to The Thomas Crown Affair watch. The original film he starred in. This man has such natural class, unparalleled. I also love the 1940s and 1950s fashion, as in Downtown Abbey and Peaky Blinders.
ARMCANDY
Because my father was a jeweller, we came into contact with fine watch brands at an early age, Piaget, Patek Philippe, IWC... By the time I was 15 or 16, I already had a fine watch.
The model I love most right now is -of course- a Breitling: the homage to Mosquito de Havilland, with a modern retro style. No other watch brand has such a model. Apart from watches, the only other accessories I like to wear are cufflinks and good shoes.
Despite technological advances, we remain far away from smart watches. People may say that the Apple watch is the best-selling watch, but in my view, it is not a watch and certainly not a luxury item. It is a mass-market product. Of course, we have a number of electronic watches in our range, but they are for professionals in the flight industry and thus serve a specific purpose. Analogue watches have been worn for over a hundred years and people will always wear them because they are linked to memories and emotions. It is a statement of craftsmanship and tradition.
WHEELS
Switzerland has very good public transport so I mainly travel by train. It is comfortable and sustainable. No coal is used, all energy is extracted from the lakes. I don't find cars as interesting as I used to. Back then I liked to read car magazines. I drive a decent Mercedes, but use it less and less. You also don't know which car to buy these days. In my opinion, electric cars are neither sustainable nor the solution to the environmental problem. After all, what about those batteries? The best thing is hydrogen. That is what they are working on in the car industry in Japan in particular.
LEISURE TIME
In my spare time, I cycle. Call me an amateur cyclist. About 3,500 km a year I try to tick off. I often go to Mallorca, which is an ideal place for cycling. It's a moment for myself. Nobody wanting anything from me and just my mind at zero for a while.
In winter, I do cross-country skiing. 'Normal skiing' is nothing more than sliding downhill, you can hardly call it a sport anymore. After an hour or two of cross-country skiing, you are exhausted. Good for your fitness and to keep on weight!
WANDERLUST
Asia is surely my preferred continent. Business-wise, I travel the world and in terms of service and hospitality, Asia comes first. Dubai is also pleasant. Nothing authentic about it, but everything is organised to perfection there.
With my family, we take more cultural trips, off the beaten track. My children are in their early twenties and still enjoy going with us. Last summer, we went to Japan. A few years ago to China. For a fortnight, we hopped from place to place.
Japanese are the most respectful, polite people I have ever experienced. The country is extremely clean -the toilets on the train are even at 5-star level-, it is a beautiful and peaceful country but at the same time it is strict and rigid. Everything has to be by the book.
Countries I'm still curious about include Argentina and Mexico. I would like to see more of Central and South America. Looking for nature there. Iceland, the North and South Poles. I like that too.
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