Gala night in Beijing

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Gala night in Beijing - Breitling
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Breitling marks its entry into China with a red-carpet gala celebration.

Breitling announced its presence in China with a gala night at Beijing’s Phoenix Center. The Phoenix Center welcomed some 500 invited guests. They entered the venue via a red carpet flanked by lanterns while more than 100 members of the local and international media photographed and interviewed the VIPs as they arrived. 

An atmosphere of elegance 

Inside the Phoenix Center, the decor recalled Breitling’s brand worlds of air, sea, and land. Live music was performed by the Beijing Percussion Art Troupe, which distinguished itself at the 2008 Olympic Games, and by an orchestra selected from among Beijing’s leading virtuosos. The musical interludes punctuated the evening’s festivities. 

Gala night in Beijing

A celebration of Breitling’s Squads 

Breitling CEO Georges Kern sarted the night off with the introduction of his brand’s celebrity guests, including Australian Surfers Squad member Sally Fitzgibbons and renowned photographer and filmmaker Peter Lindbergh, along with two high-profile members of the Breitling Cinema Squad, Daniel Wu and Brad Pitt. 

“Tonight marks the beginning of a new chapter for Breitling in China, and we are incredibly excited”, said Georges Kern. “Breitling opened its first Asian flagship boutique in Beijing only a few months earlier and we are strengthening our online and digital presence in Asia through our partnership with Alibaba with the opening of the Breitling Tmall flagship store.” 

Premier

At the gala night in Beijing, Breitling took the opportunity to introduce the watches in the new Premier family, which underpin the brand’s connection to its land environment and express an important part of Breitling’s current mission statement: to create timepieces for men and women of action, purpose, and style. 

The original Premiers launched in the 1940s were Breitling’s first elegant watches and were a much-admired part of the collection, introducing a fashionable flair that complemented the “instruments for professionals” for which the brand was already well known. 

Gala night in Beijing

Historic link with aviation 

Breitling has built a significant part of its international reputation on its pilot’s watches, including, notably, the Navitimer. At the gala night in Beijing, the brand previewed two pilot’s watches that will be launched next year, commemorating the history of the legendary Curtiss P-40 Warhawk plane. On hand to help celebrate were pilots from two different generations, Taylor Stevenson and 93-year-old Ollie Crawford, the oldest living pilot to have ever flown a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk plane. 

Gala night in Beijing

The stars came out at night 

The evening’s highlight featured the introduction of Breitling’s Cinema Squad members, international film stars Brad Pitt and Daniel Wu, along with renowned photographer and filmmaker Peter Lindbergh. The three had worked together on Breitling’s 360° #squadonamission campaign earlier in the year, and after watching short films covering the Cinema Squad photo shoot, they shared anecdotes from the experience. 

“It’s great to be here in Beijing with Breitling. The brand is undergoing a transformation while also incorporating its history into the designs and I’m enjoying being part of it”, said Brad Pitt.

“I think you’ve seen that the Breitling campaign is unlike anything being done by anyone else. It’s very effective but I hope you can also get a sense of how much fun it is,” added Daniel Wu.

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