Gallet Returns for Its 200th Anniversary With Chronographs at the Center

Gallet is returning at a moment that neatly matches its own history.

Founded in 1826, the watchmaker comes back for its 200th anniversary with a range that leans into the thing it was best known for, practical chronographs with aviation, navigation and sporting roots.

It also gives Georges Kern’s House of Brands a more accessible heritage name beneath Breitling, with Universal Genève occupying the higher end of the group’s revival strategy.

At a glance

A 200-year name with aviation in its archive

Gallet’s comeback isn’t just another exercise in reviving a dormant dial name.

The brand has genuine chronograph pedigree, including a place in early aviation history through the timing of the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight.

That gives the modern Gallet a clear lane, especially at a time when collectors remain drawn to smaller cases, manual-wind chronographs and instrument-style dials with purpose beyond decoration.

The launch range is split across four families, with Flying Officer, Multichron Sport, Multichron Pilot and Classics forming the foundation of the new catalogue.

The most fully defined watches at launch are the Classics and Flying Officer pieces, and together they show how Gallet is trying to balance historical character with modern reliability and pricing.

Classics puts three archive chronographs back on the wrist

The Classics line is the purest expression of the Gallet archive at launch.

It consists of three 38mm stainless steel chronographs, each drawing on a different historical model while using a shared case architecture and movement.

The Tribute to Multichron Yachting Big Eye is the most colourful of the trio, with a white dial, black Arabic numerals and a red-and-blue regatta countdown display.

Its enlarged 30-minute chronograph register is divided into five-minute sections, giving sailors a clear read on the approach to a race start.

The Tribute to Multichron 45 takes a more monochrome, instrument-like route.

Its black dial uses smaller chronograph subdials so the timing scales can breathe, while tachymeter and telemeter tracks around the outer dial give it the purposeful feel of a mid-century field or military chronograph.

The Tribute to Silverlight is the quietest of the group, with a silver-toned sunray dial and stylised Arabic numerals that connect it to the old Multichron Navigator.

Unlike that historical Navigator, this modern interpretation doesn’t include a compass indication, which explains the new Silverlight name.

All three Classics models are powered by the Breitling B09, a hand-wound chronograph calibre with a 70-hour power reserve.

The manual-wind format matters here because it supports the vintage character while helping the case stay more compact than it might with an automatic rotor.

Flying Officer turns a pilot’s tool into a modern travel watch

The Flying Officer is another central piece of the relaunch, and its history reaches back to 1939.

The original was associated with aviation and worn by notable figures including Harry S. Truman, which gives the modern version a recognisable hook beyond its technical layout.

The new Flying Officer is a 40mm stainless steel dual-time watch offered in chronograph and non-chronograph forms.

Its cities scale recalls a world-time display, though the emphasis has shifted from air refuelling locations to a more contemporary mix of travel destinations.

A 12-hour bezel adds another layer of time-zone practicality, and the chronograph model uses traditional pump pushers around the crown.

The chronograph version is powered by the Gallet 23 movement, which is derived from the Sellita SW510 and offers a 65-hour power reserve.

It comes with black or light blue dial options.

The non-chronograph Flying Officer uses the Gallet 17 movement, derived from the Sellita SW200, with a 41-hour power reserve.

That model is offered with electric blue or orange dials, the latter paired with an olive cities ring for one of the more distinctive colour combinations in the revived range.

Gallet has also kept strap flexibility in mind, with core collection models sharing the same lug width across strap and bracelet options.

Details & Specifications

Gallet’s revival works because the brand has a defined identity to return to rather than a vague vintage mood board.

If the rest of the Multichron Sport and Multichron Pilot lines maintain the same discipline shown in the Classics and Flying Officer models, this could become one of the more convincing heritage relaunches in the approachable luxury space.