Some mark the seconds. Others change the course of time. When adventure calls, will you answer? Founded in 1826 and acquired by Breitling in 2025, the Swiss watchmaker is back exactly two centuries after its founding. In anticipation of a full relaunch on September 3, Gallet unveils its new creative identity through a website dedicated to the great escape.
From the German wandern (to wander, to explore) and lust (to desire, to long for), wanderlust is more than the urge to travel. It is the instinct to break free from the ordinary, leave the noise behind, and chase what lies beyond.
From the outset, Gallet was shaped by the call of wanderlust and adventure. A maker of chronographs for flight, racing, sailing, and exploration, it was trusted where conditions were uncharted and demands uncompromising. That impulse remains.
Today, Gallet returns with a new website and a new creative identity: “The Great Escape—Wanderlust Since 1826.” A brand film, historical stories, and weekly dispatches made by Gallet’s adventurers from around the world offer a first glimpse into the world of Gallet.
MANUFACTURED BY BREITLING
“Some watches are made to stay in one spot. Gallet was never one of them,” says Georges Kern, CEO of House of Brands (Universal Genève, Breitling, and Gallet). “In the past it followed pilots, racers, travelers, and explorers. Now, it returns, backed by Breitling’s expertise and infrastructure.”
Gallet combines two centuries of history with Breitling’s watchmaking competence and craftsmanship, its global distribution network, and after-sales service. Breitling boutiques around the world will feature dedicated safari-inspired Gallet corners as of September 3, introducing guests to its universe of escape and adventure. Within House of Brands, Gallet is positioned as Breitling’s luxury entry-level sibling brand.
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
Founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1826 by Julien Gallet, the company began as a watch-trading business where precision and reliability mattered from the start.
Gallet’s spirit of adventure also took hold in Switzerland. Julien Gallet’s grandson climbed and documented alpine routes, contributing to early exploration guides. One trail in the Bernese Oberland still carries his name: the Galletgrat.
Soon, exploration extended far beyond the mountains.
In 1903, the Wright brothers took flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their first powered journey lasted only 59 seconds, but it changed the course of history. The moment was timed with a Gallet stopwatch known as The Sun.
As exploration accelerated through the early 20th century, watches were pushed into increasingly demanding conditions. Dust, humidity, heavy rain, and extreme environments required timepieces that could endure unpredictability. In 1938, Gallet introduced the MultiChron Clamshell, one of the first waterproof chronographs, built to perform when conditions were at their harshest.
A year later, as air travel expanded across continents and time zones, Gallet introduced the Flying Officer chronograph, designed to help pilots track local time at refueling stops around the world. Even President Truman relied on one, calling it “the most elaborate wristwatch [he] ever saw.”
Motorsport demanded a different kind of precision: speed, endurance, and split-second timing. In 1940, Rex Mays won the Springfield Mile and was awarded Gallet’s racing watch, the MultiChron Regulator, underlining the brand’s relevance in the sport.
Since its inception, Gallet has been a trusted companion to seekers, wanderers, people who embrace the unknown and never stay still for long. Today, that sense of adventure continues.
GALLET’S ADVENTURERS
To introduce “The Great Escape—Wanderlust Since 1826,” Gallet is teaming up with modern adventurers, photographers, and filmmakers from around the world. Beginning July 22, they’ll share their stories through weekly dispatches from the field.
Among them is Donal Boyd, an American fine art photographer, filmmaker, and wildlife conservationist from Boston, Massachusetts. He now splits his time between Africa, Iceland, and Europe, documenting elephant conservation and threatened ecosystems. In Boyd’s first dispatch from Kenya, he follows the story of rescued elephant Ndotto, documenting his recovery and the conservation efforts surrounding it.
From tracking injured elephants with Boyd, to paragliding across the Himalayas with Benjamin Kellett, sailing through Antarctica with Benjamin Hardman, photographing wildlife in Nairobi with Dhir Jakharia, and hiking the wild edges of the Bay Area with L. Renee, Gallet’s adventurers are heading far and wide. Follow their weekly dispatches on gallet.com.
Gallet has always followed those who move beyond the familiar. Now, manufactured by Breitling, its history will not simply be preserved, it will be set in motion again. Two centuries after its founding, Gallet returns with a new lineup of watches made for the great escape. Stay tuned for more news on September 3, 2026.
GALLET
Founded in 1826 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Gallet is a historic Swiss watchmaker built for the unknown. From early aviation and long-distance travel to racing, sailing, and exploration, its chronographs accompanied those who pushed beyond the familiar. For two centuries, Gallet created robust timing instruments trusted in demanding conditions and changing environments. Today, manufactured by Breitling, Gallet returns for a new era of wanderlust, combining its adventure-driven heritage with Breitling’s craftsmanship, technical expertise, global distribution network, and after-sales service.