Ten years ago, Breitling’s presence in India was relatively under the radar. Today, the brand has expanded to 26 points of sale and five dedicated boutiques, reflecting a steady shift in visibility and ambition. A large part of that evolution is thanks to Pradeep Bhanot, who has led Breitling India since 2015 and helped guide the brand into a more focused and accessible position within the country’s luxury watch landscape.

The latest milestone came with the opening of Breitling’s boutique in Gurgaon, located inside Ethos’ ambitious new City of Time complex. The launch event, held mid-July, doubled as a showcase for the refreshed Superocean Heritage collection—one of Breitling’s more recognisable dive watch families. There were cocktails, clients, and a fair bit of press, but the real takeaway was spatial: the new store’s 1,000-square-foot layout leans into mid-century styling and a slightly theatrical sense of calm. It’s retail built for lingering, not rushing, and it sets the stage for what Breitling clearly sees as a more immersive chapter in its Indian rollout. Here's what Bhanot had to say after addressing the crowd at Breitling's latest big reveal in India:

This year marks a decade for you at Breitling. Can you  paint a picture of how the brand has evolved in the Indian market over this time? What were the phases like?

Yes, it’s been a decade for me at Breitling. Actually, more than a decade for Breitling India. We incepted the company in 2014 and started business later that year. So we’ve crossed 10 years—this is our 11th year in progress.

The fact that Breitling decided to set up a subsidiary in India itself showed confidence in the market. Indians have long been patrons of Breitling globally. We started with a subsidiary, built a team, and began developing the distribution. Initially, we were only present in multi-brand stores, mostly with generic furniture. The first step was implementing our corner concept—so consumers could identify and connect with the brand immediately at the point of sale.

Next, we focused on developing the team, providing training material, and working with staff across all points of sale. We refined our distribution—cut some points and expanded into others. Today, we’re in 15 cities with 26 points of sale and five operational boutiques. But you could have all that and still fall short if the product isn’t right. So we ensured the assortment matched the global collection. That’s been consistent for a long time now across all our sales points.

Then comes connecting with the customer. We train people on the ground, equip them with resources to engage meaningfully. And finally, we have five service centres across the country—so after-sales is taken care of too. That’s the journey over the last 10 years.

The Superocean Heritage collection has always had a strong identity in the portfolio. What are your thoughts on the new refresh? What does it offer to collectors or newcomers?

I can say this confidently—Superocean Heritage has been among our top three families in India. The other two are Navitimer and Chronomat. So Superocean Heritage has had strong acceptance with the Indian consumer.

Globally, the collection was launched in 1957 with two references—39mm cases, one chronograph and one non-chronograph—with arrow hands and a ceramic rotating bezel. They were meant for people involved in diving and coastal sports. We’ve kept that DNA. The refresh includes two calibres: the B01 chronograph movement and the B31 automatic. Both are in-house, both come with a 5-year warranty.

We retained the arrow and baton hands, the round index at 12 o’clock for legibility—especially important for a dive watch—and added a ceramic bezel with a stylish inlay. Each variant comes with a mesh bracelet or a rubber strap—so that’s 15 SKUs times two. About 30 options in total.

Do you feel tool watches like the Superocean still resonate with Indian buyers? Or has the appeal shifted more toward design and lifestyle?

There’s definitely an aesthetic sensibility here. What Breitling has done well is refresh collections while respecting our heritage. Whether it’s the Navitimer, which we relaunched with the AOPA logo, or now the Superocean Heritage with its vintage-inspired look.

Let’s face it, you and I may not be divers—but we still appreciate watches that offer function and style. So it becomes a lifestyle decision. From an Indian consumer’s perspective—and arguably even globally—style and design matter first, followed by technical features and then price. We’ve kept all of that in mind. Superocean Heritage is versatile—you can wear it to work, for leisure, even on holidays. It’s truly an all-purpose watch.

We’re distributing all 30 SKUs across our 26 points of sale and five boutiques. Since this is a top-three family, sell-out has been very encouraging. We’ve already sold quite a few. There’s also a styling tweak this time—the bracelet sits more snugly, integrates beautifully with the bezel. It feels like a very well-fitted watch. That’s feedback we’ve consistently heard.

We’re halfway through 2025 and it’s been a busy year for Breitling. What have the highlights been?

At the end of March, we launched the new Top Time collection—38mm watches powered by the same B31 automatic we now use in Superocean Heritage. That size shift is important—earlier, big watches dominated, now we see a move to 39mm, 40mm sizes.

We launched automotive-themed Top Time editions—Martini Racing among them—in a 75-piece limited run. Very well received. Now with Superocean Heritage also dropping this year, we’re doubling down on growth. We’re seeing double-digit growth, both in volume and value. This collection will play a big part in that continued trajectory.

That ties in with Breitling’s recent push toward more experiential, boutique-style retail. Since March, how has the new City of Time boutique been received?

Over the last two years, we’ve expanded our boutique presence: Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, and now Gurgaon’s City of Time. This is our first in the Delhi-NCR region—very important, since Delhi and Mumbai are our top markets for luxury watch retail.

City of Time is still new, but customer feedback has been lovely. People say it’s calm, inviting, and relaxing—exactly what a boutique experience should be. It’s not about quick decisions. You can sit in the lounge, have coffee, try watches, chat with our team, even come back another day to finalise. That depth of engagement is key. It builds confidence and emotional connection with the brand.

And from a retail perspective, what’s the future vision? Will expansion focus more on metros or tier-2 cities? And is there scope for India-specific collaborations?

We’re already in tier-2 cities—Surat, Dehradun, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Indore. Going forward, we’ll expand carefully. Every point of sale should have room to develop its own customer base. Boutiques remain a strong focus. We now have five, and plan to reach 10 within the next 18 months. Overall, the plan is to consolidate around 30 points of sale, including those 10 boutiques. Long-term—over the next five years—we aim to double the business. We believe we have the right product, distribution, and people to make that happen.

We’ve done a couple of limited editions with our retail partners in the past and we’re doing a few more this year. As for India-specific collaborations—we have something in mind, but it’s too early to share. But yes, we’re working on it.

Last question—what’s on your wrist today, and why did you pick that piece?

I’m wearing the Chronomat B01 chronograph—42mm with a blue dial. I love this watch, especially with the rouleaux bracelet. That said, I was at the boutique recently and picked up a blue dial Superocean Heritage chronograph. I haven’t worn it yet. My other two watches are a Navitimer and a Chronomat—but I’m loving this one too, to be honest. Not just because I work here—it’s genuinely a fantastic watch.