As I type this I am wearing a Gallet Multichron Chronograph, purchased by my father at Racines in 1970. Valjoux movement lovingly serviced by Roland Murphy of RGM Watches. None of the new watches come close (Classics are the best, though), although I am happy to see that the brand has been resurrected. I also have a Brietling Premier B09 with pistachio dial and the same manual movement as the new Gallet Classics. I see potential, though I will not rush out to buy one yet.
You’ve hit it out of the park again with this review Tony. That doesn’t mean I agree with everything you say, but we all have our perspectives. My perspective has a couple of distinct biases. First, I have way bigger wrists than you and second, as a vintage chrono collector, both Gallet and Breitling play a major part in my collection. I guess, also, that friendship with a certain Breitling historian may color my perspective. I want modern Breitling and Gallet (and UG) to succeed.
I love my vintage Gallets but their 35-37mm size is just at the small edge of being big enough not to be lost on my wrists. I welcome the couple of extra millimeters. The thickness is another thing, but I will wait until I can put them on my wrist to make any judgement.
Then there is the specific tool purpose vs “wanderlust” thing. I am an old boomer who grew up and got his first watches in the era that watches and specifically chronographs were tools for specific uses. But, today, how many people really buy a chronograph to time anything. How many modern chrono owners ever press the start button for any reason other than to see if the sweep hand still sweeps. To paraphrase what you said and make it more general, the original specificity (of chronographs) is long gone—instead, (chronographs have) become a moodboard for (nostalgia)/wanderlust. Like all mechanical watches, really, they are, in the modern digital/online world impractical, and, well, ”moodboards.”
I think that, for the most part, the new Gallet collections with their busy, but to me, well thought out dials are worthy moodboards. To me they seem grounded in a worthy history but are aesthetically whimsical in a modern sense. I hope people younger than I and perhaps even with smaller wrists will buy them. I hope maybe even I with my vintage only rules might like one of them well enough to be a rule breaker.
Appreciate your informed pov, Mr. Cote! I do think the 38mm 'Classics' hita modern sweet spot. The core collection I've seen in person is a bit clunky. As you mention, it's thickness as much as anything.
I get that it's all moodboards, to an extent, but gallet's vibe just seems so nebulous and undifferentiated to me I fear it'll be lost in the competitive under $5k segment.
I really wish them well. Because when you come down to brass tacks there are precious few non-micro Swiss watch brands catering to that price point with nicely done classically styled watches with quality movements, though Raymond Weil are really kicking asses and taking names imo in that segment.
There's something about these new Gallet watches, the modern UG, and Breitling that just says stay away. Even the Breitling aesthetic of a boutique with a brick wall and antiqued wood tables with rustic hardware might be a turn off at this point.
I think for all of these, it's a lack of authenticity. Instead of a Navitimer Miles Davis, I'd like to see a modernized Aerospace with better functionality and build quality while keeping the smaller size and slim case of the original. Even there, we got a watch that didn't work properly and had a piece of a hot air balloon in the case back while being so large that it was mostly unwearable. Travel has enough friction, no need to add an oversized watch to the experience.
Maybe this is inevitable when there are financials that mandate brand strategy.
Miles was a cool cat. Not more widely known or publicised nowadays probably due to a few fatal flaws. Obv great jazz musician (APLe and IASW are landmark albums for me) and the man had *the beat taste* in material goods, but alas, a wife beater.
I think this is an uncharitable take. Yes the styling may be a bit "sports bar", but bar none breitling sales staff are in my experience some of the most chillaxed and welcoming sales staff i see around, in multiple countries.
The watches maybe are the weak point though, I will concede. I have an og gen 1 Aerospace that I inherited from my father (who was an airline pilot) and I wish they could bring something like that back. There is a surfeit of high polished steel.
I actually agree with this. the Breitling boutique here in chicago is maybe the best boutique experience downtown. And the vibe, while very 2012 Brooklyn-y, with brick walls and motorcycles, is at least different than the safe beige of most other brands. And the boutique is always busy, which I can't say for many of the others.
I agree that the Breitling boutiques do a nice job of feeling far more welcoming and comfortable than the usual unwelcoming and cold experience that is the industry standard. In Chicago, the new Omega boutique is maybe a little better than the old one but is nowhere near as relaxed in feel as the Breitling one. Maybe red carpets are worse than red bricks.
Thank you! I don't know why they felt the need to increase the numeral font size, then BOLD it, then italicise it in subsequent iterations... will always be a mystery to me.
I actually thought the UG relaunch was about as good as it could have been (although it resulted in me setting up chrono24/ebay alerts for some vintage pieces, versus buying one of the new pieces). The watches are compelling.
This… I don’t quite know who it’s for. Effectively zero brand equity with the general public.
If, as Kern says, there are people walking out of Breitling due to sticker shock… I think they look to Longines? Or a pre-owned Breitling? Both of which seem more compelling than these. Heck, I think I’d take a Seiko or Hamilton.
At this price point, Breitling will need to sell *a lot* of watches to move the needle. And I think that means a lot of advertising. I don’t think sticking a Gallet display in a Breitling boutique will be sufficient (do many people even go into monobrand boutiques without knowing what they want?)
Modern Breitling lacks authenticity. But guy-walking-through-mall sees one and says “oh, that looks nice.” And they do look nice! Too big / thick, and you can see where they cut corners - but they look like “an expensive watch”. I can’t really say the same here. If anything, I think a Gallet display might make the nearby Breitlings look more appealing?
To be clear, I think Kern is effective. I can’t push back on the volume growth story. In an industry with shrinking units, it’s almost magical. (I’m genuinely impressed by how Breitling has managed to get such broad distribution; I wonder how the terms / margins they offer ADs differ vs other brands)
And the brand has sort of filled a void left by Rolex. Do you know how many CEOs I see wearing Breitlings? I don’t think it’s a “man of the people” schtick. Rather, I think somebody’s wife goes to the jewelry store a week before a holiday, asks to buy a watch, is told the Rolex is exhibition only, and then propositioned with “have you heard of Breitling?”
“Looks good to somebody who doesn’t know watches” combined with some social proof (sponsorships, stores in the right locations, etc.) - it does a lot! You could argue Cartier does something similar (except they have far greater brand equity).
“Patina, repackaged as a Pantone.” This one sentence encompasses alot of my feelings about this collection Tony. Excellent article. Fantastic overview with a deep historical/ market/aesthetics perspective. The Flying Officer is the biggest disappointment here. Also, the idea of special use watches just doesn’t work well anymore since they are at this point all affectations, tools being used as industrial chic.
I am guilty of it, wearing my desk divers and being afraid of the open water. I was hoping they would take the heritage models and evolve them in some way to reflect our new reality without letting too much of the Breitling vibe creep in. These fail there. I like the Yachting and the Silverlight. But I would take your clamshell anyday!
I am a big fan of vintage Gallet watches. Tony's multichron is beautiful, I had the pleasure of seeing it when I met him in Chicago and it looks fantastic.
I'm a bit disappointed in these new releases from Breitling. They're a bit too chunky and I don't find the designs innovative or interesting in any way. It makes Gallet feel like a microbrand.
The multichron autos feel like the 'poor man' Navitimer auto, which in itself is controversial for being time-only.
It seems to me, as an outsider, that Breitling put more effort, thought and resources into the UG relaunch than it the Gallet relaunch.
Appreciate the honest and sober take. I’m a fan of old Gallet, so I never expected to love any re-launch in the lower end of the market. On one hand I like that Breitling is marketing the brand and in the best case, raising awareness for the Gallet that once was. But beyond that, these new watches do nothing for me.
i think indies or pre-owned/vintage/neovintage has become a common outcome for many over the past few years, thanks to the generally uninspired releases from large brands that are typically paired with price increases
Great Review Tony. Gallet unloaded a lot. Not surprising given the UG launch. In my opinion, you took the correct approach at this point. I think there will be one or two pieces that catch on (not only in your faves). Guess we’ll see. I’m not a Gallet fan, but I did read a sneaky comment about how this would never have been published on Hodinkee and it made me smile wide and more importantly proud to support your work.
To offer some positivity, I like the hand shapes, and, in a world where everything seems to get more expensive, the prices seem reasonable.
What seems odd to me, however, is that the choices made do not seem to be in line with enthusiasts' preferences. Thus, it would seem that the revival of Gallet is intended to attract more regular customers. Yet, the brand is unknown and niche, possibly the opposite of what the average customer looks for. Are they expecting customers to walk into Breitling boutiques, experience sticker shock, and settle for their more affordable, lesser known sub brand?
interesting, thanks for sending. the press release they sent may have had a typo then. i was kinda wondering about the massive difference in thickness between the Flying Officer and the Multichrons, when they all use the same movement.
It all feels very Bremont - the look and feel of the watches, the exploration/wanderlust theming, and a similar market positioning.
I don’t think the watches are actually that bad (probably too thick) but I think they suffer a bit from having the weight of expectation of the Gallet relaunch put on them. The Classics are probably what the collector community expected (wanted?), but the core lines will probably sell well.
It’s just not a brand for me - tho almost none of the big brands are anymore!!
Overall, I think t's a good relaunch of the brand. It was inevitable that the brand launch would gather praise and scorn.
It's great that Selita movements were selected for the entry-level models. This keeps the prices to a reasonable level and offers a solid off-the-shelf movement. You want in-house movements? Get ready to pay and you can with Classic Line.
House of Brands slotted their Gallet pricing very neatly below Breitling, just touching the entry-level Breitling prices.
Here are my issues. They left out too much "Heritage". It's almost like they were afraid to make it a Homage. The color ways on the Flying Officers look like the Top Time Breitlings to me.
Now, the Tribute Classics seem to hit the Nostalgia mark. I'll take a Silverlight please.
This relaunch feels closer to Timex than Tudor: another broadly vintage-inspired collection, but without the technical credibility the pricing and “purpose-built” story demand. The Flying Officer Automatic uses a non-COSC Sellita SW200, while the chronographs rely on the SW510. Neither choice is inherently wrong, but at these prices Gallet could have specified COSC-certified executions—or newer Sellita calibres with meaningfully longer power reserve.
For a brand built on precise, purpose-driven instruments, that matters. I have a hard time taking a modern tool watch seriously if it cannot credibly target roughly ±5 seconds per day. Longines is executing this formula better, with stronger movement specs and clearer value. And “wanderlust” is a thin substitute for Gallet’s genuinely specific history.
Yeah, thanks for pointing out the Sellita grading, worth noting. They don’t specify elabore, COSC or anything else so I assume these are standard Sellitas, which, at this price, other brands offer more if evaluating strictly on technical (Longines for example has COSC chronographs for less). I wanted to ask for clarification/confirmation but ran out of time!
As I type this I am wearing a Gallet Multichron Chronograph, purchased by my father at Racines in 1970. Valjoux movement lovingly serviced by Roland Murphy of RGM Watches. None of the new watches come close (Classics are the best, though), although I am happy to see that the brand has been resurrected. I also have a Brietling Premier B09 with pistachio dial and the same manual movement as the new Gallet Classics. I see potential, though I will not rush out to buy one yet.
your father had style!!
Appreciate your honest review that doesn’t simply regurgitate the press release.
You’ve hit it out of the park again with this review Tony. That doesn’t mean I agree with everything you say, but we all have our perspectives. My perspective has a couple of distinct biases. First, I have way bigger wrists than you and second, as a vintage chrono collector, both Gallet and Breitling play a major part in my collection. I guess, also, that friendship with a certain Breitling historian may color my perspective. I want modern Breitling and Gallet (and UG) to succeed.
I love my vintage Gallets but their 35-37mm size is just at the small edge of being big enough not to be lost on my wrists. I welcome the couple of extra millimeters. The thickness is another thing, but I will wait until I can put them on my wrist to make any judgement.
Then there is the specific tool purpose vs “wanderlust” thing. I am an old boomer who grew up and got his first watches in the era that watches and specifically chronographs were tools for specific uses. But, today, how many people really buy a chronograph to time anything. How many modern chrono owners ever press the start button for any reason other than to see if the sweep hand still sweeps. To paraphrase what you said and make it more general, the original specificity (of chronographs) is long gone—instead, (chronographs have) become a moodboard for (nostalgia)/wanderlust. Like all mechanical watches, really, they are, in the modern digital/online world impractical, and, well, ”moodboards.”
I think that, for the most part, the new Gallet collections with their busy, but to me, well thought out dials are worthy moodboards. To me they seem grounded in a worthy history but are aesthetically whimsical in a modern sense. I hope people younger than I and perhaps even with smaller wrists will buy them. I hope maybe even I with my vintage only rules might like one of them well enough to be a rule breaker.
Appreciate your informed pov, Mr. Cote! I do think the 38mm 'Classics' hita modern sweet spot. The core collection I've seen in person is a bit clunky. As you mention, it's thickness as much as anything.
I get that it's all moodboards, to an extent, but gallet's vibe just seems so nebulous and undifferentiated to me I fear it'll be lost in the competitive under $5k segment.
I really wish them well. Because when you come down to brass tacks there are precious few non-micro Swiss watch brands catering to that price point with nicely done classically styled watches with quality movements, though Raymond Weil are really kicking asses and taking names imo in that segment.
Good call out, I forgot to mention the RW Millesime Chrono!
Hodinkee would never have published this! Thank you 👏
That's why we read Tony.
There's something about these new Gallet watches, the modern UG, and Breitling that just says stay away. Even the Breitling aesthetic of a boutique with a brick wall and antiqued wood tables with rustic hardware might be a turn off at this point.
I think for all of these, it's a lack of authenticity. Instead of a Navitimer Miles Davis, I'd like to see a modernized Aerospace with better functionality and build quality while keeping the smaller size and slim case of the original. Even there, we got a watch that didn't work properly and had a piece of a hot air balloon in the case back while being so large that it was mostly unwearable. Travel has enough friction, no need to add an oversized watch to the experience.
Maybe this is inevitable when there are financials that mandate brand strategy.
but did you hear that the Miles Davis Navitimer gets you a 2 year membership to the Briteling Social Club in Brooklyn??
Miles was a cool cat. Not more widely known or publicised nowadays probably due to a few fatal flaws. Obv great jazz musician (APLe and IASW are landmark albums for me) and the man had *the beat taste* in material goods, but alas, a wife beater.
I think this is an uncharitable take. Yes the styling may be a bit "sports bar", but bar none breitling sales staff are in my experience some of the most chillaxed and welcoming sales staff i see around, in multiple countries.
The watches maybe are the weak point though, I will concede. I have an og gen 1 Aerospace that I inherited from my father (who was an airline pilot) and I wish they could bring something like that back. There is a surfeit of high polished steel.
I actually agree with this. the Breitling boutique here in chicago is maybe the best boutique experience downtown. And the vibe, while very 2012 Brooklyn-y, with brick walls and motorcycles, is at least different than the safe beige of most other brands. And the boutique is always busy, which I can't say for many of the others.
I agree that the Breitling boutiques do a nice job of feeling far more welcoming and comfortable than the usual unwelcoming and cold experience that is the industry standard. In Chicago, the new Omega boutique is maybe a little better than the old one but is nowhere near as relaxed in feel as the Breitling one. Maybe red carpets are worse than red bricks.
That Aerospace is such a great watch.
Thank you! I don't know why they felt the need to increase the numeral font size, then BOLD it, then italicise it in subsequent iterations... will always be a mystery to me.
I’m sorry to say I don’t love these.
I actually thought the UG relaunch was about as good as it could have been (although it resulted in me setting up chrono24/ebay alerts for some vintage pieces, versus buying one of the new pieces). The watches are compelling.
This… I don’t quite know who it’s for. Effectively zero brand equity with the general public.
If, as Kern says, there are people walking out of Breitling due to sticker shock… I think they look to Longines? Or a pre-owned Breitling? Both of which seem more compelling than these. Heck, I think I’d take a Seiko or Hamilton.
At this price point, Breitling will need to sell *a lot* of watches to move the needle. And I think that means a lot of advertising. I don’t think sticking a Gallet display in a Breitling boutique will be sufficient (do many people even go into monobrand boutiques without knowing what they want?)
Modern Breitling lacks authenticity. But guy-walking-through-mall sees one and says “oh, that looks nice.” And they do look nice! Too big / thick, and you can see where they cut corners - but they look like “an expensive watch”. I can’t really say the same here. If anything, I think a Gallet display might make the nearby Breitlings look more appealing?
well said, I think the new UGs look quite nice too.
Your last point, about the Gallets making the Breitlings right next door look better, is a funny thing to think about.
To be clear, I think Kern is effective. I can’t push back on the volume growth story. In an industry with shrinking units, it’s almost magical. (I’m genuinely impressed by how Breitling has managed to get such broad distribution; I wonder how the terms / margins they offer ADs differ vs other brands)
And the brand has sort of filled a void left by Rolex. Do you know how many CEOs I see wearing Breitlings? I don’t think it’s a “man of the people” schtick. Rather, I think somebody’s wife goes to the jewelry store a week before a holiday, asks to buy a watch, is told the Rolex is exhibition only, and then propositioned with “have you heard of Breitling?”
“Looks good to somebody who doesn’t know watches” combined with some social proof (sponsorships, stores in the right locations, etc.) - it does a lot! You could argue Cartier does something similar (except they have far greater brand equity).
“Patina, repackaged as a Pantone.” This one sentence encompasses alot of my feelings about this collection Tony. Excellent article. Fantastic overview with a deep historical/ market/aesthetics perspective. The Flying Officer is the biggest disappointment here. Also, the idea of special use watches just doesn’t work well anymore since they are at this point all affectations, tools being used as industrial chic.
I am guilty of it, wearing my desk divers and being afraid of the open water. I was hoping they would take the heritage models and evolve them in some way to reflect our new reality without letting too much of the Breitling vibe creep in. These fail there. I like the Yachting and the Silverlight. But I would take your clamshell anyday!
I am a big fan of vintage Gallet watches. Tony's multichron is beautiful, I had the pleasure of seeing it when I met him in Chicago and it looks fantastic.
I'm a bit disappointed in these new releases from Breitling. They're a bit too chunky and I don't find the designs innovative or interesting in any way. It makes Gallet feel like a microbrand.
The multichron autos feel like the 'poor man' Navitimer auto, which in itself is controversial for being time-only.
It seems to me, as an outsider, that Breitling put more effort, thought and resources into the UG relaunch than it the Gallet relaunch.
Appreciate the honest and sober take. I’m a fan of old Gallet, so I never expected to love any re-launch in the lower end of the market. On one hand I like that Breitling is marketing the brand and in the best case, raising awareness for the Gallet that once was. But beyond that, these new watches do nothing for me.
It’s a good example of why I’ve leaned more into vintage collecting over the years
Similarly, though with a different outcome is why I’ve basically gone all indie.
i think indies or pre-owned/vintage/neovintage has become a common outcome for many over the past few years, thanks to the generally uninspired releases from large brands that are typically paired with price increases
Great Review Tony. Gallet unloaded a lot. Not surprising given the UG launch. In my opinion, you took the correct approach at this point. I think there will be one or two pieces that catch on (not only in your faves). Guess we’ll see. I’m not a Gallet fan, but I did read a sneaky comment about how this would never have been published on Hodinkee and it made me smile wide and more importantly proud to support your work.
I believe the Multichron Pilot 42 may actually quite a bit thicker than you report, 15.25mm as opposed to 11.3 (https://www.gallet.com/us-en/watches/multichron-pilot/multichron-pilot-chronograph/AG2303171C1W1/).
To offer some positivity, I like the hand shapes, and, in a world where everything seems to get more expensive, the prices seem reasonable.
What seems odd to me, however, is that the choices made do not seem to be in line with enthusiasts' preferences. Thus, it would seem that the revival of Gallet is intended to attract more regular customers. Yet, the brand is unknown and niche, possibly the opposite of what the average customer looks for. Are they expecting customers to walk into Breitling boutiques, experience sticker shock, and settle for their more affordable, lesser known sub brand?
interesting, thanks for sending. the press release they sent may have had a typo then. i was kinda wondering about the massive difference in thickness between the Flying Officer and the Multichrons, when they all use the same movement.
It all feels very Bremont - the look and feel of the watches, the exploration/wanderlust theming, and a similar market positioning.
I don’t think the watches are actually that bad (probably too thick) but I think they suffer a bit from having the weight of expectation of the Gallet relaunch put on them. The Classics are probably what the collector community expected (wanted?), but the core lines will probably sell well.
It’s just not a brand for me - tho almost none of the big brands are anymore!!
Bremont leans on its Britishness, Gallet on its Breitling-ness
Very well put! 😊
Overall, I think t's a good relaunch of the brand. It was inevitable that the brand launch would gather praise and scorn.
It's great that Selita movements were selected for the entry-level models. This keeps the prices to a reasonable level and offers a solid off-the-shelf movement. You want in-house movements? Get ready to pay and you can with Classic Line.
House of Brands slotted their Gallet pricing very neatly below Breitling, just touching the entry-level Breitling prices.
Here are my issues. They left out too much "Heritage". It's almost like they were afraid to make it a Homage. The color ways on the Flying Officers look like the Top Time Breitlings to me.
Now, the Tribute Classics seem to hit the Nostalgia mark. I'll take a Silverlight please.
This relaunch feels closer to Timex than Tudor: another broadly vintage-inspired collection, but without the technical credibility the pricing and “purpose-built” story demand. The Flying Officer Automatic uses a non-COSC Sellita SW200, while the chronographs rely on the SW510. Neither choice is inherently wrong, but at these prices Gallet could have specified COSC-certified executions—or newer Sellita calibres with meaningfully longer power reserve.
For a brand built on precise, purpose-driven instruments, that matters. I have a hard time taking a modern tool watch seriously if it cannot credibly target roughly ±5 seconds per day. Longines is executing this formula better, with stronger movement specs and clearer value. And “wanderlust” is a thin substitute for Gallet’s genuinely specific history.
Yeah, thanks for pointing out the Sellita grading, worth noting. They don’t specify elabore, COSC or anything else so I assume these are standard Sellitas, which, at this price, other brands offer more if evaluating strictly on technical (Longines for example has COSC chronographs for less). I wanted to ask for clarification/confirmation but ran out of time!