Gallet Celebrates 200 Years with a New Era of Adventure

Modern Times

The new Gallet not only jettisons the “& Co.” part of its original moniker but also returns with inspired, adaptable designs and modern quick-release strap-swapping to appeal to watch fans seeking personalization and easy customization. But the chronography expertise and the element of wanderlust mentioned above are the focus of its adventurous spirit.

The three new core collections – the Flying Officer, the Multichron Pilot, and the Multichron Sport – join a trio of special-edition anniversary Gallet Classics tributes, and it is all making a big noise right now.

The Flying Officer

Arguably, one of the historic watchmaker’s greatest successes in its golden age was the 1939 introduction of the Flying Officer, which claims the title of the world’s first wrist chronograph designed to handle multiple time zones, just as full-fledged global travel and flight were entering their own golden age. (Fun Fact: US President Harry S. Truman wore one, and he called it “the most elaborate watch [he] ever saw.” So, its fame obviously grew well beyond the cockpit.)

The 40mm steel Flying Officers revealed this week comprise two authentically chronograph-centric models and two automatic three-handers; however, they all carry the Flying Officer’s ground-breaking 24 time-zone approach with a quirky modern-meets- historic aviation city-pair outer dial ring and bezel (contemporary gateway Geneva is paired with remote Samoa, for example) to handle across-time-zone travel.

Two colorways are offered for the mushroom-pushered chronographs – an eye-catching light blue dial with tone-on-tone bicompax sub-dials, and a similar black execution – are powered by the 62-hour power reserve Gallet 23 chronograph calibre (based on the Sellita SW510).

The three-hand automatics come in a vibrant orange-dial edition or a more subdued dark blue-dialed version, both powered by a Gallet 17 automatic movement (this time based on the Sellita SW200) that offers a 41-hour power reserve.

Like the rest of the new core collection, expect quick-swap attachment options that include a steel bracelet and leather, rubber, field-style, and fabric strap choices. In fact, the three new core collections share a lug width and release system, so personalization options across the collections are more than abundant.

The Multichron Pilot

Introduced in 1969, the Multichron Pilot was designed to be a more purpose-driven chronograph for long-duration flying by, you guessed it, professional pilots.

Today, the two colorways of the modern 42mm steel Multichron Pilot (a textured black dial with white tri-compax sub-dials and black bezel version and similar black sub-dials on textured blue dial and blue bezel execution) are powered by the same Gallet 23 chronograph movement as the chrono versions of the new Flying Officers detailed above. However, there are some devilish details sure to thrill in-the-know pilot watch fans.

The bezels are bi-directional to more easily set timed intervals, date windows are integrated into the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock (perfect for cockpit quick glances), lumed hands and indices increase night flight legibility, and an outer ring telemeter scale measures the distance to a spotted event that is calibrated to take the delayed speed of an event’s sound into consideration against its instant visual cue.

Basically, start the chrono when you see the event, like a lightning flash; stop it when you hear its thunder, and the telemeter scale will tell you how far away the lightning strike was.

Again, you can select attachments as you so desire: The angled links of the metal bracelet carry some “jet-set”-age commercial airline pilot flavor, but the Multichron Pilot is equally handsome on the other strap options.

The Multichron Sport

The new Multichron Sport’s steel 41mm case, contemporary flat chrono pushers, and dynamic orange detailing peg it as a more modern, general-use, tri-compax chronograph tool watch, which is also based on the shared Gallet 23 movement detailed above.

The dial options here mimic its Multichron Pilot sibling, with black subs on a dark blue dial and on a white dial with a 6 o’clock date window. The Pilot’s telemetric scale is swapped with a more general-use tachymetric outer ring for calculating average speeds over a known distance. And, of course, you can utilize any of the swappable strap and bracelet options of the core collections.

The Anniversary Tribute Trio

Full details for these special-edition chronographs are a bit thin on the ground, but even a brief review of these steel tributes may go a long way towards indicating some of the revived brand’s future plans. Hint: All three feature the Breitling B09 hand-wound chronograph movement; they all clock in at vintage-y 38mm; and they are all presented exclusively on straps.

The Tribute to Multichron Yachting Big Eye honors Gallet’s 1960s-era sailing icon and its “Big Eye” regatta countdown display sub-dial. This modern tribute’s design hues close to the original’s DNA with a white dial, a white 60-minute counter at 9 o’clock, and a large blue-and-red regatta countdown at 3 o’clock.

Meanwhile, the Tribute to Multichron 45 is an ode to the original Multichron 45’s intention as an elegant, after-hours, general-use chronograph. This tribute’s tone-on-tone black dial/sub-dial approach only reinforces its stylish, nocturnal nature.

Finally, the Tribute to Silverlight pays homage to Gallet’s historic, and very rare, Multichron Navigator, which featured a distinctive display to help orient the wearer while in motion. It guided you towards true north with a specialized, red, 24-hour hand that, in combination with the sun’s position, helped you tell which end was up.

Team Gallet

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

In that regard, the brand is working with a new cadre of global adventurers, conservationists, photographers, and filmmakers to help tell its ongoing story of pursuing new places and perspectives.

Boston-based wildlife photographer, film producer, and conservationist Donal Boyd has signed onto the “Gallet Adventurers” team, as well as internet extreme-adventure videographer Benjamin Kellett, Kenyan safari guide and photographer/videographer Dhir Jakharia, intrepid Australian natural history photographer based in Iceland, Benjamin Hardman, and Appalachian-born environmental and cultural justice activist, the multi-hyphenate L. Renee.

Sadly, at press time, pricing information was not available, but you can begin your adventure by visiting the new Gallet website to discover more.