ormant brands have been harder to come by these past few years, the most desirable having already been (or soon to be) woken from their slumber by some of the industry’s most ambitious entrepreneurs: Universal Genève under Georges Kern; Favre Leuba under Patrik Hoffmann; Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth under Jean Arnault; Czapek under Xavier de Roquemaurel; Nivada Grenchen under Guillaume Laidet and Angelus under Pascal Béchu, with plans afoot to revive other legendary names, from Ardath to Urban Jürgensen.

How many of these sleeping beauties are still waiting for Prince Charming’s kiss? Quite a few, if a search through Europa Star’s digital archives (covering issues since the 1930s) is anything to go by. And given the cyclical nature of the Swiss watch industry, some of these newly awoken brands are almost certain to doze off again… if only for a short while. Léon Hatot is a case in point, recently analysed for Europa Star by Pierre-Yves Donzé (read here).

The post-pandemic boom prompted a wave of relaunches in the industry with investments on a scale we are unlikely to see in the current climate. In the business of time, timing is everything. Think back to Kering’s acquisition of Ulysse Nardin for an estimated CHF 800 million in 2014, at the height of Chinese shoppers’ luxury spending spree.

Favre Leuba’s new Chief Chronograph retains the distinctive design elements of the timepiece below from the 70s, including the vintage-inspired ‘cushion’ case, but updated with a contemporary, sporty aesthetic. It is equipped with the La Joux-Perret L113 chronograph movement.

“Plenty in reserve”

Helming the sale for Ulysse Nardin was a certain Patrik Hoffmann – the same seasoned entrepreneur now overseeing the relaunch of Favre Leuba after a failed attempt by Tata Group, its previous owner. Again, timing is everything and the subcontinent as eyes turn from China to India, the brand, which has longstanding ties with the South Asian country, is ripe for a comeback.

The advantage of having luxury watch retailer Ethos as investor wasn’t lost on Hoffmann, as the deal immediately opened 40 doors for Favre Leuba’s new models in India. However, ambitions go beyond simply tapping this historic market, to effectively rebuilding a global brand.

Favre Leuba’s new Sea Sky

“We’re implementing a business plan that will make us an international volume brand,” Patrik Hoffmann confirms, “as already demonstrated with the launch of 22 models in a highly competitive price segment.”

Having instant access to new outlets wasn’t the only incentive. Another dealmaker, Hoffmann says, was the possibility to communicate directly and more easily with collectors, and share the brand’s vision with them. After India, priority markets will be Japan, the Middle East and Europe, selling both direct-to-consumer and through retail partners. Meanwhile, the first Favre Leuba stores are being rolled out in India.

“Delving into the brand’s history turned up some real gems, which inspired the new Chief, Deep Sea and Sea Sky collections,” Patrik Hoffmann continues. “We have plenty in reserve, too. Our next release will be a relaunch of the legendary Bivouac. Our global ambitions begin with the products. Everything is built around them. The market has been cleared of inventory, which is a good thing as managing stock can quickly become a nightmare when relaunching a brand.”

A ”culture of respect”

The return of Universal Genève is nothing less than “the most long-awaited relaunch of the past fifty years,” according to Georges Kern who, having reinvigorated Breitling, is taking on a new challenge. The acquisition was announced in December 2023 by previous owner Stelux for a sum in the region of CHF 60 million according to the February 2024 Morgan Stanley Swiss Watches report.

Why buy Universal Genève? “Firstly because we could. We had the right infrastructure and it corresponds to a new phase, a fresh challenge for our team. Also because opportunities are opening up, when you see certain brands pulling out of traditional distribution or others that aren’t particularly dynamic in our target segment. An entrepreneur also takes advantage of competitors’ weaknesses!”

In honour of the 70th anniversary of the first Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) flight over the North Pole from Copenhagen to Los Angeles in 1954, Universal Genève has released three special tribute Polerouter SAS watches ahead of the storied brand’s revival in 2026.

Kern sees several advantages to reviving a “sleeping beauty” rather than an active brand including, again, not having to deal with inventory. “Just to be clear, we don’t want to launch a collectors’ brand for 0.1% of potential customers. Universal Genève has to be a presence in distribution and reach a wide audience. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while and I believe this was the right brand to choose.”

Key to winning over distribution is what Kern refers to as a “culture of respect” – operating as a partner rather than a competitor for retailers who often find themselves short-circuited by the brands they have traditionally represented.

Reinvent rather than relaunch

Having previously voiced his opinion that certain competitors are too weighed down by tradition, Kern intends to bring the simplicity and approachability of “casual luxury” to Universal Genève and has retained the brand’s original “Couturier of Watchmaking” slogan.

“Swiss watch brands are conservative but society is changing. More and more people will have access to luxury. India will be the third-largest economy in 2028. What I myself was doing in marketing a decade ago isn’t right for today’s consumer. In luxury, we create a need and we have to keep on creating that need. There’s room for feel-good luxury. The challenge will be to make Universal Genève more widely known. Luckily for us, the brand has an amazing back catalogue.”

He will, he says, “forge a segment” for the brand that will be a middle ground between traditional luxury and status symbol: “I’m convinced Universal Genève can appeal to a different clientele. There are a lot of wealthy people with sophisticated tastes who are wearing Apple Watches because they can’t find what they want in a mechanical watch. We intend to create a new segment for them.”

Giving a contemporary direction to a historic name is a balancing act for new owners who must honour a history and a heritage without embarking on a pure nostalgia trip. More than a relaunch, for brands making their second or third comeback, it’s a reinvention.