Gallet Returns For Its 200th Anniversary With A New Era Of Adventure

Two centuries after its foundation in La Chaux-de-Fonds, historic Swiss watchmaker Gallet returns with four collections inspired by aviation, exploration, motorsport and travel, now manufactured by Breitling.

There are few better reasons for a watch brand to return than a 200th anniversary. For Gallet, the occasion marks not simply a celebration of the past, but the beginning of a new chapter for a name whose history has long been intertwined with exploration, aviation, racing and adventure.

Founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1826, Gallet built its reputation producing timing instruments for people operating at the limits of what was possible. Its watches and chronographs accompanied the pioneers of a rapidly changing world, including the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight, early intercontinental aviation and motorsport competition.

Now, exactly two centuries after its founding, Gallet is returning as a sibling brand to Breitling, with every watch manufactured within Breitling’s infrastructure.

“Gallet has a remarkable history and a distinct identity. By manufacturing every watch within Breitling’s infrastructure, we’re able to honor that heritage while ensuring the quality, reliability, and service expected from a modern Swiss watch brand.” Erwan Rossignol, Managing Director, Gallet

A Watch Brand Built For The Journey

The idea behind the relaunch is summed up in a single word: wanderlust. Derived from the German wandern, meaning to explore, and lust, meaning to long for, it describes the impulse to leave the familiar behind and discover what lies beyond.

That philosophy is reflected across Gallet’s new collection, which comprises the Flying Officer, Multichron Pilot, Multichron Sport and Gallet Classics.

Rather than simply reproducing historic watches, Gallet has looked to its archive for the ideas and design language that made the originals distinctive, adapting them for a new generation of travellers and adventurers.

The Flying Officer provides perhaps the clearest expression of that philosophy.

Flying Officer: The Original World-Traveller’s Watch

First introduced in 1939, the Flying Officer was designed for an age in which long-distance travel was becoming increasingly accessible. Its rotating bezel and city ring enabled pilots to keep track of the time at destinations and refuelling stops during early intercontinental flights.

It soon became more than an aviation instrument. Among its notable admirers was former U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who described it as “the most elaborate watch I ever saw.”

For 2026, Gallet has reinterpreted the Flying Officer as a 40mm watch designed around the realities of modern travel.

Its rotating bezel now features 24 contemporary destinations, combining major international gateways with more remote locations. The principle remains unchanged: keeping track of world time while travelling between time zones.

There are two versions. The chronograph is offered in light blue or black, with tone-on-tone subdials and the Gallet 23 chronograph calibre, based on the Sellita SW510, providing approximately 65 hours of power reserve.

The automatic version is available in orange and dark blue. The orange model takes its inspiration from the warm patina of an aged Flying Officer, while both versions are powered by the Gallet 17 automatic calibre, based on the Sellita SW200, with approximately 41 hours of power reserve.

Multichron Pilot: Built For Unpredictable Conditions

The Multichron family represents another important strand of Gallet’s history: the tool watch.

First introduced in 1969, the Multichron Pilot was created for long-duration timing and second-time-zone tracking, with an emphasis on legibility in demanding conditions. The new 42mm Multichron Pilot retains that instrumental character while bringing it into a contemporary setting.

Available in black with white subdials or blue with black subdials, it is powered by the Gallet 23 chronograph calibre and offers approximately 62 hours of power reserve.

A bi-directional bezel, telemeter scale and luminescent hands and indices reinforce its purpose-built character. The date display sits at 6 o’clock, while the textured dial and strong contrasts are designed to maintain clarity when conditions change. It is, in essence, a watch designed to be used rather than simply admired.

Multichron Sport: From The Racetrack To The Road Less Travelled

Gallet’s association with speed and motorsport is carried forward by the Multichron Sport.

During the 1960s, models such as the Multichron 12 Scientific helped establish the brand’s technical and performance-driven approach to timing. That heritage subsequently became closely associated with motorsport. The new Multichron Sport takes that history beyond the racetrack.

At 41mm, it is designed for everything from asphalt to off-road exploration. Its Gallet 23 chronograph calibre offers approximately 62 hours of power reserve, while the tachymeter scale allows average speed to be calculated over a known distance.

The watch is offered in dark blue with black subdials or black with white subdials. In both versions, vivid orange chronograph hands and the “Multichron Sport” inscription provide a distinctive visual signature.

Gallet Classics: A Tribute To 200 Years

To mark its bicentenary, Gallet has also introduced three special-edition Classics pieces inspired by important watches from its history.

These are perhaps the most traditional watches in the new collection, with compact 38mm cases and hand-wound chronographs powered exclusively by Breitling’s Caliber B09 manufacture movement.

With approximately 70 hours of power reserve, the Gallet Classics combine historic proportions with contemporary mechanical performance.

Tribute To Multichron Yachting Big Eye

The first pays tribute to the Multichron Yachting Big Eye, a chronograph originally created during the 1960s for regatta racing.

Its defining feature was the distinctive oversized countdown subdial, designed to provide clarity during the chaotic moments before a race begins.

The new interpretation retains that graphic character, pairing a white dial with a tone-on-tone subdial and a larger regatta subdial in dark blue and red.

Tribute To Multichron 45

The Multichron 45 was originally conceived for precise interval timing across aviation and racing.

Its contemporary tribute features a deep black dial with tone-on-tone subdials and compact 38mm proportions. Anti-glare during the day and luminescent at night, it is designed around the same fundamental requirement as the original: clarity when timing matters.

Tribute To Silverlight

The final tribute takes its inspiration from the historic Multichron Navigator.

The original watch featured a distinctive display intended to help orient its wearer while in motion, together with softly irregular numerals that gave the dial its character.

The new Tribute to Silverlight translates those ideas into a silver-toned dial, stylised numerals and a deliberately vintage-inspired appearance.

One Watch, Different Adventures

One of the more practical aspects of the new Gallet collection is its approach to straps. Across the core collection, a shared lug width and integrated quick-release system allow leather, rubber, field and fabric straps to be exchanged without tools.

Stainless-steel bracelets use the same quick-release construction and add integrated micro-adjustment for a more precise fit.

It is a relatively simple idea, but one that fits naturally with Gallet’s philosophy. The watch is intended to adapt to the journey rather than the other way around.

A New Generation Of Adventurers

Gallet’s return is not limited to watches. The brand has also assembled a group of professional adventurers, conservationists, photographers and filmmakers whose experiences embody the contemporary interpretation of wanderlust.

Its Field Notes video series features Donal Boyd, Benjamin Kellett, Dhir Jakharia, Benjamin Hardman and L. Renee, with stories ranging from tracking injured elephants and documenting wildlife in Kenya to paragliding across the Himalayas, sailing Arctic waters and exploring the Northern California coastline.

Their destinations may be very different from those encountered by the pilots and racers who wore Gallet watches generations ago, but the underlying idea remains remarkably familiar.

Explore further. Go somewhere new. See something differently.

Two Hundred Years: And The Journey Continues

Gallet’s relaunch is an interesting proposition because it does not attempt to separate the brand from its past.

The Flying Officer remains a world-traveller’s watch. The Multichron Pilot continues the tool-watch tradition. The Multichron Sport carries forward Gallet’s relationship with speed and competition. And the Classics collection provides a direct link to some of the most significant watches in the company’s archive.

At the same time, the watches have been given the technical infrastructure, manufacturing capability, after-sales service and global distribution network of Breitling.

“Gallet was born in an age of exploration and has followed that path ever since. We’re proud to bring Gallet back for a new generation.” Georges Kern, CEO, House of Brands

Two hundred years after Gallet first began making timing instruments in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the destination may have changed, but the journey continues.

Prices start from £2,200.00.

For more information please visit Gallet