Jul 29, 2026 – 5.00amGeorges Kern refuses to hide his ambitions for Universal Genève, the storied brand he’s breathing new life into. “I don’t see any reason why we won’t become a multibillion-dollar brand,” he insists over a video call.In late 2023, Universal Genève was snapped up by Breitling in a deal reportedly worth 60 million Swiss francs. Kern was Breitling’s chief executive at the time, but his new title is group CEO of what’s now called the “House of Brands”, which includes Breitling, Universal Genève and Gallet – a heritage brand known for its chronographs that’s being revived later this year.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Luke BenedictusContributorLuke Benedictus is the Financial Review’s watch writer.Fetching latest articles