Our Editor-at-Large Isabelle Junod met Managing Director Gregory Bruttin on the Universal Genève stand at Geneva Watch Days 2026, where the Geneva house showed the five collections of its return under the motto “Le Couturier de la Montre”.
What the interview reveals: a relaunch built on five collections at once rather than a single icon, a first year limited to 2,000 pieces, boutiques planned for Geneva, New York, London and Milan, and a dinner in China attended by twenty clients, where more than ten watches were sold. Bruttin explains why the Middle East, visited twice between April and June 2026, ranks with the United States and Japan among the three regions that will define the brand’s next five years, and explains why he prefers to keep the name of a future couture partner for later.
Universal Genève at a Glance
- Founded in Le Locle on 18 January 1894 by the watchmakers Numa-Émile Descombes and Ulysse-Georges Perret, established in Geneva since 1919, and one of the three major Geneva brands of the 1960s: the Compax of 1936, the Tri-Compax of 1944 and Gérald Genta’s Polerouter of 1954 all carry its name.
- Relaunched in April 2026 with five collections at once, Polerouter, Compax, Cabriolet, Disco Mini and the bespoke Couture creations, under the historic motto “Le Couturier de la Montre”; the UG-110 Microtor manufacture calibre is 3.8 mm thick with a 72-hour power reserve.
- Prices from CHF 14,000 for the Polerouter Prêt-à-Porter 37 mm in steel to CHF 62,000 for the Polerouter Hardstone; each Couture piece is a one-of-a-kind creation, made to order.
- A first year of 2,000 pieces; one boutique each in Geneva, New York, London and Milan, plus wholesale doors in the United States and the Middle East; roadshows from Shanghai and Hong Kong to Spain, France and Japan in the meantime.
- Acquired by Breitling in 2023, together with its investors Partners Group and CVC Capital Partners, and operated independently within the House of Brands alongside Breitling and Gallet; Gregory Bruttin has been Managing Director since August 2024.
Between Two Watchmaking Worlds
Universal Genève was one of the three major Geneva brands of the 1960s, and “Le Couturier de la Montre” was already its slogan as of the late 1950s. How do you make that heritage resonate with a Gen Z audience that never knew the brand’s golden era?
The strength of the positioning is that our vision is to create something different from everyone else. In the watch industry today you have two types of company: on one side, the very classical, very traditional ones, with strong watchmaking content, and on the other side the very modern ones, with bold colour and new materials. We think it is possible to create something in between: a very beautiful watch with contemporary attributes and design, a modern interpretation of watchmaking. Our vision is functional beauty: design leads, while reliable, precise movements serve the watch’s design and aesthetic appeal. We think that is a good message for the younger generation, because many young people do not want the same watch as their parents. They want to build their own identity, and with Universal Genève we have the right answer for that.
The second element is our philosophy itself, “Le Couturier de la Montre”. It is very simple, and reflects a distinctive creative vision that unites technical mastery with a strong aesthetic sensibility. It also means we take our inspiration from the worlds of couture and fashion: materials, colour trends, a more dynamic world than watchmaking. The process in watchmaking is very long; it is a long-term vision. For us it is important to come with something new very quickly, to adapt to the trends of the market. And this is not new: it is linked to the history of the brand. In the 1960s watchmaking was very creative, and we simply want to continue that.
Universal Genève, 1894-2026: The Brand in Ten Milestones
Couture Rather Than Fashion
In 1970 the house asked the Italian stylist Roberta Di Camerino to design a women’s collection. If you could work with a grand couturier today, even one no longer with us, who would it be?
It is really part of the brand’s strategy. In the past, Universal Genève maintained close links with jewellery houses and couture houses, and we think it is natural to return to that world. Our objective is to create such collaborations in the future. I prefer to keep names for later, because what matters most is to find a company with the same DNA and the same vision. It is like a marriage: you decide together, and the fit has to be right. We have an idea and we have started some discussions, but it takes time; for now we prefer to talk about the brand first. In the future it will be a natural evolution.
It is like a marriage: you decide together, and the fit has to be right.
The Compax capsule editions use the leather of a fashion house’s jackets and a linen-effect dial. Are you designing specific pieces, price points or storytelling formats to attract younger, first-time buyers rather than long-time collectors?
No. We do not design specific products for specific clients. Our objective is to position the brand at the level we believe is right, based on the perceived value of the product, its content and the competition. We do not target clients by price; we target young clients through design. A good example is the Compax linen: very fresh in colour, in design and in storytelling, because we use the same leather some fashion houses use for their jackets, and the same linen effect on the dial. We play with the world of couture, not fashion, couture, to create that image. The young client is a consequence, not a target.
Five Collections at Once
The relaunch of April 2026 began with a new website and social channels, long before any physical retail. What role does digital play in building demand ahead of the autumn 2026 boutique openings?
It was very important, because we want to introduce Universal Genève to a new generation of clients, and also to show the diversity of the brand. That is why we decided to launch five collections at once. Starting with the Polerouter alone would have defined Universal Genève as “the Polerouter brand”. So we made the decision to launch the Polerouter, the Compax, the Cabriolet, the Disco Mini and the Couture creations together, to show that the DNA of the brand is creativity and diversity: in shape, in bracelet, in colour. The website was essential to start explaining that. Universal Genève is not the brand of one watch. It was one of the three major brands in Geneva in the 1960s, with a rich history and a wide catalogue, and that deserves time to explain.
Only 2,000 pieces will be made in the first year. So how does a client actually buy a watch today?
We plan to open distribution gradually, in step with production: 2,000 pieces in the first year. We plan to open one boutique each in Geneva, New York, London and Milan, plus some wholesale doors in the USA, in the Middle East and in Asia. The objective is to focus on key markets at the beginning. But we have many requests from other countries, so we do roadshows around the world. Last week I was in Shanghai and Hong Kong; we have done roadshows in Spain, France, the USA, many countries. We spend three or four days in one city to show the collection, then move to the next.
Twenty Clients at Dinner in China
The brand was famous in Japan, Europe and the United States in the 1960s. What did you find in China, where the brand has no memory?
The brand was very famous in Japan, in Europe and in the USA, and when we travel there everyone knows it; you do not need to explain everything. China was completely different: nobody knew the brand, so it was entirely new, and we really had to introduce it to clients. But we were very surprised by the success. We had a dinner with twenty clients and sold more than ten pieces. At that pace, out of the 2,000 pieces in the first year, there will be very little left for the boutique openings (he laughs). The feedback from clients was that the brand is legitimate because the history is incredible, the products are beautiful and the perceived value is very strong. When you have all those elements, clients have fewer reservations about discovering a new brand. And clients always tell us the watch is more beautiful in the hand than in pictures. When you turn it over and see the movement, you really understand the value of the product.
A Boutique Like a Couture Atelier
Your Geneva boutique opens on rue du Rhône in autumn 2026, and the Couture collection already lets a client commission a one-of-a-kind piece. A couture dress reflects the personality of the woman wearing it. Can a watch do the same?
Yes, and that is linked to our retail concept. Our objective is to do things our own way. We want to sit beside the client, rather than opposite, to co-create the product. That is why the watches are so versatile: the strap or bracelet can be changed very quickly, because the objective is to build the watch together. Maybe it is only the bracelet or the strap, but it becomes your watch, your interpretation of it. That is why the boutique concept will be like a couture atelier.
We want to sit beside the client, rather than opposite, to co-create the product.
The Middle East, Twice Between April and June
Between April and June 2026 you travelled twice to the Middle East, and it was your first watch show after Watches and Wonders. How important is the region today?
The Middle East is a key market for us. It was the first watch show we did after Watches and Wonders, and we travelled there twice between April and June. It is a very important market for tourism, it is a mature collectors’ market, and the client knows the value of the product. When you have one, two or three watches from the same brand, you want something else, and that is what is happening in the Middle East. For Universal Genève it is the right time.
Will you adapt designs for the region?
No, I do not think so. As I said before, we do not design for individual markets; clients come to us because of the brand’s distinct identity.
The green piece shown at the end of your presentation looked made for the region. Will different markets favour different products?
Different markets will favour different products. We were also very surprised by the interest in the Cabriolet in the Middle East. I think it is linked to the maturity of the market: when you already own many round watches, you want to move to something else, and the shaped watch becomes the alternative.
Three Regions for the Next Five Years
If you had to choose one region to define Universal Genève’s success five years from now, in 2031, which would it be?
I see three regions, for different reasons. The USA, because it was a key market for Universal Genève and the traction is really strong, particularly for the Compax. Japan, because of the technical depth of the brand and the attention to detail: Japanese clients are very demanding in both respects, and we focus on every detail; it is also a historical market. And definitely the Middle East, because of our product offering. As I said at the start, our objective is to bridge the gap between traditional watchmaking and the modern, exuberant kind, and the taste of the Middle East fits that perfectly right now, partly because of the size of the watches. Where I was before, the Middle East was the first market to ask me for smaller sizes, and now the trend is really moving in that direction. We have a strong offering for that.
Interview by Isabelle Junod, Editor-at-Large, for WATCHESPEDIA, Geneva Watch Days, September 2026. Photographs © WATCHESPEDIA; product images courtesy of Universal Genève.
