What We Know
When Gallet’s relaunch was announced, I sat up in my chair a bit. My second cousin, once removed, has a vintage Gallet Yachting that once belonged to my great uncle, who was an avid sailor. I have fond memories of going out on my Uncle Bob’s boat and sailing around the bay of Green Bay every few summers—well, fond when I was piloting and not getting seasick. All Gallet needed to do was not forget the Yachting watches of the past (and, hopefully, do a good job with the legacy), and I would be somewhat happy. Well, they did that, and a lot more. But let’s start with another model first.
Sitting at the top of the price range for the modern Gallet lineup, yet still below the Breitling offerings with the same movement (a key positioning for the group), are the new Gallet Classics, featuring three Multichron reissues, of sorts. All of them measure 38mm by 12.5mm with 46mm lug-to-lug, and share the same stainless steel case with slightly twisted and faceted lugs.
The cases have stainless steel screw-down casebacks with sapphire displays. Despite that sapphire crystal, the entire package is rated to 100m of water resistance, protecting a Breitling B09 manually wound movement. While a bit thicker than the original Multichrons, the movement, caseback, and reliable water resistance are huge upgrades.
You can see that the three watches differ only in dial treatment. At the top of this article is the only version with lume: the Tribute to Multichron 45, with a deep black dial. Next is the Tribute to Multichron Silverlight with the silver dial and subdials. Then there’s the one I was waiting for: the Tribute to Yachting Big Eye, with its white dial, bold numerals and bolder hands, and a red-and-white yachting timer display. The subdials are in a uni-compax configuration with running seconds at 9 and a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock.
For those who don’t know, the Breitling B09 is that brand’s in-house COSC-certified manually wound movement, running at 4Hz, so these are 1/4-second chronographs. The B09 offers 70 hours of power reserve. They’re offered with a variety of strap options, which seem to be based on your choice when you buy the watch.
Alright, here’s the wrinkle. Gallet was meant to be the introductory-tier brand, leading into Breitling, which then leads into Universal Genève. That holds true for the pricing, but unlike the other watches, these sit a bit higher on the spectrum. Keep in mind you get the Breitling B09, an upgrade over the other watches, which are based around a Sellita movement. A Breitling Premier B09 will set you back $9,750 at retail, and a Classic Avi Ref. 765 1964 Re-Edition is $9,450. These shave $3,000 off that price, to $6,700 at retail.
What We Think
I know these releases may be overlooked or even rebelled against because they’re priced so far above the rest of the new Gallet collection. However, I understand the pricing on two levels. First, the movement is most certainly more expensive to produce and, as mentioned, feels like a great value compared to what Breitling is offering it for elsewhere. Second, the goal isn’t for Gallet to exist only in a vacuum as an affordable brand (which could very well impact the microbrand market and reach a much larger commercial audience), but rather to eventually slide people into buying a Breitling. Do I wish that these watches were $4,500? Sure, but I think this could be a fair trade-off for some people. As for the fit and finish, I’m going to wait until I see these in person, but I’m quite curious.
The Basics
Brand: Gallet
Model: Tributes to Multichron Yachting Big Eye, Multichron 45, and Multichron Silverlight
Diameter: 38mm
Thickness: 12.5mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: White with a tone-on-tone subdial and a larger regatta subdial in dark blue and red (Yachting); Deep black with tone-on-tone subdials (Multichron 45); Silver-toned dial with tone-on-tone subdials (Multichron Silverlight)
Indexes: Printed
Lume: Multichron 45 has Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 100m
Strap/Bracelet: Straps only, offered in various quick-release leather, rubber, field, and fabric straps
The Movement
Caliber: Breitling B09
Functions: Hours, minutes, running seconds, chronograph with 30-minute counter
Diameter: 30mm
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 4Hz
Chronometer Certified: COSC-Certified chronometer
Pricing & Availability
Price: $6,700
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No
For more, click here.
