INSIGHT-RADAR: News Briefs from the Watch Industry
The Timex Group acquires Daniel Wellington, Laura Burdese becomes CEO of Bulgari, Antoine Pin becomes CEO of De Bethune, Jaeger-LeCoultre launches a fragrance, and IWC takes off.
Our Insight Radar reports reveal a great deal of activity in the market: consolidation in the more accessible watch and jewelry segment, new experiential formats for brands and audiences, key personnel changes, and an olfactory interpretation of watchmaking.
Timex Group Acquires Daniel Wellington
The Timex Group has completed the acquisition of Daniel Wellington and has fully integrated the watch and jewelry brand into its portfolio.
Following the initial 25-percent stake acquired three years ago and the increase to 51 percent at the end of last year, Daniel Wellington is now wholly owned by the Timex Group. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
In recent years, the companies have already worked closely together in the areas of product development, procurement, brand communication, and commercial activities. Now that the Timex Group owns 100 percent of Daniel Wellington, it plans to increase its investment in the brand.
“Now that we own 100 percent of the brand, we are increasing our investments and leveraging the full strength of the Timex Group’s global expertise and infrastructure to further drive this exciting growth story,” says Tobias Reiss-Schmidt, President and CEO of the Timex Group.
Daniel Wellington will continue to operate as an independent brand within the Timex Group.
“The Timex Group has shown genuine respect for Daniel Wellington’s identity while also bringing the necessary experience and scale to support the brand’s continued growth,” adds Filip Tysander, founder of Daniel Wellington. danielwellington.com
Bulgari has a new CEO: Laura Burdese
On July 1, Laura Burdese assumed her new position as CEO of the LVMH brand Bulgari. She succeeds Jean-Christophe Babin, who is stepping down as head of Bulgari after more than 25 years with the luxury group—first at TAG Heuer, then at Bulgari.
Laura Burdese was Chief Marketing Officer at Bulgari and has served as the company’s Deputy CEO since July 2024. Previously, she was CEO of Acqua di Parma and held leadership positions at Beiersdorf, L’Oréal, and the Swatch Group.
Stéphane Bianchi, Group Managing Director of LVMH, described the appointment as a “smooth transition” and praised Burdese’s significant contribution to the brand’s continued development.
Jean-Christophe Babin will remain with the company in several key roles. Under his leadership, Bulgari consolidated its position in haute joaillerie while consistently expanding the house’s expertise in watchmaking. At the same time, he drove the expansion of the hotel division. Babin will continue to serve as Chairman of the Bulgari Board of Directors, CEO of the Bulgari Hotels business unit, and President of the Bulgari Foundation. bulgari.com
De Bethune Welcomes Antoine Pin as CEO
The independent Swiss watchmaker De Bethune has appointed Antoine Pin as Chief Executive Officer. The former CEO of TAG Heuer is tasked with driving the company’s growth while preserving the brand’s independent identity. The appointment comes just ahead of De Bethune’s 25th anniversary.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the luxury sector, including more than 17 years in the watch industry, Antoine Pin has had an international career with some of the world’s most prestigious companies.
Together with De Bethune founder Denis Flageollet, he will drive the company’s strategic development and set the course for a sustainable future.
Denis Flageollet says: “Even during our initial discussions, I was impressed by his understanding of our culture, our independence, and our vision of the art of watchmaking. We share the same conviction: to preserve the essence of De Bethune while opening up every opportunity for the company’s continued growth.”
Antoine Pin adds: “Denis wants to understand the world through watchmaking and express its beauty. This vision, combined with an uncompromising commitment to watchmaking mastery, has produced something truly unique. I join the Maison with genuine humility and sincere enthusiasm to contribute to its development, strengthen its foundation, and secure its long-term future, without ever compromising what defines De Bethune’s strength and identity.” debethune.ch
Jaeger-LeCoultre continues its “Made of Makers” initiative and translates watchmaking into fragrance
Made of Makers is a cultural and creative program by Jaeger-LeCoultre through which the Manufacture deliberately extends its reach beyond watchmaking. The program focuses on artists, designers, and artisans from other disciplines whose work reflects certain values of the brand: creativity, precision, expertise, an understanding of materials, and craftsmanship.
The Manufacture is now continuing its collaboration with French perfumer Nicolas Bonneville. Following the first collection in 2024, three new olfactory signatures are being created exclusively for Jaeger-LeCoultre:
The Adventure Spirit, The Dream Shaper, and The Sound Maker.
“The Adventure Spirit” refers to the brand’s instrument and expedition watches and features a woody-spicy profile. “The Dream Shaper” draws inspiration from jewelry watches, miniaturization, and women’s models, blending floral and leathery notes. The Sound Maker draws on the manufactory’s acoustic tradition and translates striking mechanisms and sound complications into a woody, rosy fragrance composition.
In the future, the three fragrance signatures will be used to create a special customer experience and will be incorporated into the Maison’s other initiatives.
IWC Exhibition: A Journey Through Time, Combining Precision, Aviation, and Space Exploration
The IWC exhibition, taking place July 8–12 (at the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Center in Garching near Munich), is aimed at technology and space enthusiasts, families, and anyone interested in the history of timekeeping and the mysteries of the universe. Admission is free.
The exhibition “A Journey Through Time: Precision, Aviation, and Space” combines historical artifacts with modern displays, bringing to life the importance of precise timekeeping for aviation and space exploration.
Visitors can trace the evolution of IWC watches over nearly a century—from the first “Pilot’s Watch” in 1936 to the “Mark XI,” which was in service in Royal Air Force cockpits for 32 years, all the way to current models such as the “Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Le Petit Prince.”
Another highlight is the “Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive.” It was developed specifically to meet the requirements of manned spaceflight and precise timekeeping in space. The model has successfully met all test criteria required for the Haven-1 spaceflight environment and for use by the crew, and has thus received official certification for use in space from Vast. iwc.com
