Breitling, Gallet, and Bimbu: The grand finale!
From stone dials to iconic timepieces, and from emerging houses to historic brands, the watchmaking world constantly reinvents its own heritage. At Bimbu, designs take shape based on individual tastes and a love for gemstones; at Breitling, the Navitimer channels the sound of Miles Davis; meanwhile, Gallet a house founded two centuries ago returns to the spotlight with a breathtaking collection. Exciting surprises await in this final episode of Geneva Watch Days 2026, featuring as always interviews with top CEOs!
BIMBU, Patrium Turquoise Spider and Patrium Silicium
At bimbu, the watch begins with the material. Since the launch of the Patrium collection, the young Swiss brand has made natural stone a signature element, incorporating it into everything from the main dial to the small seconds sub-dial. Whether jade, turquoise, quartzite, marl, lapis lazuli, or Tahitian mother-of-pearl, each material offers its own distinct nuances and above all its own unique character. This approach goes beyond mere aesthetics: clients can customize their watch by selecting dials, hands, and straps, and subsequently modify that combination over time thanks to a tool-free interchangeability system.
These new Patrium models exemplify this creative freedom. The Patrium Turquoise Spider features the collection’s signature combination of natural Turquoise Spider and Tahitian mother of pearl, complemented by a bezel set with 68 diamonds. The iridescent shimmer of the mother-of-pearl echoes the hues and irregularities of the turquoise, whose veining ensures that every dial is unique. Available upon request alongside other Patrium models, this diamond-set bezel offers a new customization option without overshadowing the watch’s true heart: the stone itself.
With the Patrium Silicium, bimbu shifts gears. Monocrystalline material takes over the dial, lending it a grey hue with a more technical aesthetic. Lightweight and resistant to both magnetic fields and thermal shock, this material introduces a more contemporary dimension. At 6 o’clock, the white quartzite small-seconds sub-dial provides a luminous, mineral contrast, while the Grade 5 titanium case and various strap options rubber, lizard, alligator, or woven fabric allow the timepiece’s character to be further customized.
Powering these two iterations is a manual-winding mechanical movement based on the Peseux 7001, reworked and decorated by Concepto in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This 2.5 mm-thick calibre features, among other elements, modified and decorated bridges, hand-applied bevelling, a grained and copper toned finish, a sunburst-finished ratchet wheel, and a double-snailed barrel. It is a deliberately understated mechanism that allows the materials to take center stage.
To learn more about the origins of Bimbu, read our dedicated article:
BREITLING, Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Tribute To Miles Davis
The Navitimer according to Miles Davis
Before becoming a style icon, the Navitimer was an instrument designed for aviators. Yet, Miles Davis had already made it his own. In the mid-1960s, the trumpeter wore a Reference 806 Mk5, recognizable by its “reverse panda” dial and “Twin Jet” logo. To mark the centenary of his birth, Breitling is now revisiting this configuration with a limited edition of 500 pieces. More than just a historical recreation, this new Navitimer translates the design cues of the watch worn by Davis into a contemporary build.
The inverted panda as a signature
The black dial adopts the “reverse panda” configuration of the 806 Mk5, featuring a white inner bezel and subdials that contrast with the dark background. The hour markers and hands are treated with Old Radium-colored Super-LumiNova, while the “Twin Jet” logo returns to the dial. Surrounding it, the signature bidirectional bezel incorporates the circular slide rule an essential element of the Navitimer. Furthermore, the 41 mm steel case mirrors the diameter of the reference worn by Davis.
However, this interpretation is only part of the tribute. Breitling is also offering an exclusive set limited to 50 pieces, bringing together three Navitimer 806 Mk5 models in stainless steel, 18k yellow gold, and platinum. The first two feature the black-and-white “reverse panda” dial, while the platinum version stands out with a blue dial and white sub-dials. Each watch comes with a gradient calfskin strap that matches its case.
The choice of strap extends this story. The watch can be fitted with a hand-patinated, brown-to-tan gradient calfskin strap or the stainless steel Air Racer originally launched in the 1960s and made famous two decades later by Serge Gainsbourg. Inspired by car rallies, this perforated strap has been updated here with articulated links near the clasp to enhance comfort and ergonomics.
The presentation case itself extends the musical tribute: inspired by a traditional trumpet case complete with handle, dual latches, and reinforced corners it features a blue interior lining that alludes to Kind of Blue. A small red trumpet rounds out the package. Owners of the 500 Miles Davis edition pieces also receive a two-year membership to the upcoming Breitling Social Club.
An in-house movement
The Navitimer Tribute to Miles Davis is powered by the Manufacture Caliber B09, a manual-winding chronograph movement measuring 30 mm in diameter and 6.73 mm in thickness. It operates at 4 Hz and offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. Its construction combines a column wheel and a vertical clutch featuring a 30-minute counter and the movement is COSC-certified. Visible through the sapphire caseback, this mechanism serves as a reminder that the tribute goes beyond mere aesthetics: historical design cues are here paired with contemporary engineering.
View the technical details of the Navitimer B09 Chronograph 41 Miles Davis. – € 8, 900 on a leather strap / € 9, 450 on a steel bracelet
Price of the “Lifetime Club Member Set”:
GALLET, Classics Tribute To Multichron 45
Two centuries of adventure
Founded in 1826 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Gallet is one of those watchmakers whose history is intertwined with the great eras of exploration. Its chronographs have notably been associated with the dawn of aviation, early intercontinental flights, motor racing, and navigation. The Flying Officer, launched in 1939, enabled pilots to track the time at various stopovers via its city ring, while the Multichron family established itself over time as the brand’s most instrument-focused line. Two hundred years after its inception, Gallet is making a comeback under the leadership of Georges Kern and is now manufactured by Breitling. The brand thus benefits from Breitling’s infrastructure, technical expertise, and global network, while retaining its own distinct identity.
Four collections, one shared spirit
This new chapter is structured around four collections. The Flying Officer draws on a heritage of long-haul travel with its city ring, now redesigned to feature 24 destinations. The Multichron Pilot is geared more towards exploration and changing environments, while the Multichron Sport lays claim to a lineage rooted in automotive timekeeping and speed measurement. Finally, the Gallet Classics adopt a more traditional, elegant aesthetic, reinterpreting three historic chronographs to mark the brand’s bicentennial. All models also feature an interchangeable strap system that allows the watch’s character to be altered without tools, with options available in leather, rubber, fabric, “field” style, and steel.
The Multichron 45 steps back into the spotlight.
Among these models, the Gallet Classics Tribute to Multichron 45 is arguably one of the most understated expressions of this return to roots. The historic Multichron 45 was designed for precise interval timing particularly in aviation and motor racing with a focus on legibility. The new version embodies this philosophy within a compact 38mm case, featuring a deep black dial and tone-on-tone sub-dials. The hour and minute hands, treated with Super-LumiNova, ensure clear readability in low-light conditions a feature that also accounts for its nickname, the “night chronograph.”
Beneath this deliberately minimalist dial lies the Breitling Manufacture Calibre B09, a manual-winding mechanical chronograph measuring 30 mm in diameter and 6.73 mm in thickness. Operating at 4 Hz, it offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours and holds COSC certification. The chronograph retains quarter-second and 30-minute displays, while a sapphire caseback allows the movement to be viewed. This contemporary construction lends a genuine horological dimension to the historic reissue, without erasing the design codes that defined Gallet’s identity.
€ 6, 100
View the technical details of the Gallet Classics Tribute To Multichron 45.
Read Also :
Read Also :