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Autor: Strahinja Đorić

Interview with Matthias Breschan, CEO of Longines

It was a great weekend for us. Not only did I attend the ski races in Kitzbühel, but I also had the opportunity to interview Longines’ CEO mister Matthias Breschan.

Longines has been the official timekeeper at this sporting event in Kitzbühel, Austria, since 1948. With the advancement of modern technology, the company has improved its methods of timekeeping and brought the level of precision to perfection. I was a guest at this event thanks to our local partner and distributor for Longines watches, Absolut Time, in the company of Olivera Stojanović (CEO of AT) and Petar Janošević (EIC of Harpers BAZAAR Serbia).

source: Sat na Ruci Watch Media; photographer: Olivera Stojanović

Below, I bring you my interview with Mr. Matthias Breschan, which we conducted on the morning of January 25th, before the main event, the Hahnenkamm Downhill, which was followed by over 65,000 spectators on-site that day.

STRAHINJA ĐORIĆ: 
Longines’ long tradition of crafting high-quality watches is truly impressive. How do you plan to technologically enhance your future models, particularly in terms of materials? Are you considering broader use of titanium or carbon, for example, in your sports collections such as HydroConquest or Spirit Zulu Time, or even in more elegant lines such as the Master Collection?

MATTHIAS BRESCHAN:
Innovations are the key to the success of any brand, regardless of the industry it belongs to. The moment you stop innovating, you start killing the brand, slowly but surely. Longines has proven for its 190 years of existence that innovation is a priority. In the watchmaking world, innovation is perhaps more evident than anywhere else, arising as a result of looking to the past. We draw the necessary inspiration from our rich archive.

You are also right to ask about materials, as in addition to new materials for our cases, we also focus on the materials used within the movements. For example, recently, all of our movements are equipped with a silicon balance spring, and all movements have antimagnetic properties starting from the escapement, which has caused issues for many brands in the near past. Due to the increasing magnetic fields we are exposed to daily, servicing movements without an antimagnetic escapement has become more frequent, so this innovation was necessary in all of our new mechanical watches.

On the other hand, the use of titanium and carbon is becoming more common. Watch enthusiasts need to know that not all titanium/carbon watches are the same because the quality of these two materials is not standardized, and there are differences. Our titanium and carbon are of the highest quality, especially the carbon we use. Our carbon alloy contains over 70% carbon fibers, and the thickness of one carbon strings we use is 25mm. We then compress them under high pressure and get a plate from which we cut the case using high-pressure water and further shape it. This production method has allowed us to make each Longines carbon case unique in terms of texture. Our carbon cases are far superior to those made of forged carbon.

STRAHINJA ĐORIĆ: 
Can we expect more men’s gold watches from Longines in the future?

MATTHIAS BRESCHAN:
Today, the biggest problem we face is the unpredictable price of gold on the market, but yes, gold watches have always been and will continue to be part of Longines’ portfolio. But I will use the DolceVita collection for women as a example, which we make in gold, and despite the high price, it has really achieved great success, and the demand is high. I believe we will succeed in doing the same with men’s gold watches in the future, but we don’t want to move outside of our price range at any cost, which is between 10,000 and 30,000 euros for gold watches.

STRAHINJA ĐORIĆ: 
Longines has positioned itself as a luxury brand with more accessible pricing compared to some competitors. Considering the current trend of rising prices in the industry, how far do you plan to go in this regard? Do you have a strategy to balance accessibility and luxury, or is there a desire to move away from being known for accessible watches?

MATTHIAS BRESCHAN:
Definitely not! We have positioned ourselves in the price range from 1,000 to 5,000 euros, and we will stay there! Within this price range, we will increase the prices of our models according to the improvements, but we won’t go outside the defined limits because there is no need for that. In the range above 5,000 euros, we (Swatch Group) have Omega, while for 1,000 euros or less, we have Tissot.

Our main goal is to improve Longines watches in the range up to 5,000 euros but not to raise their prices beyond that. An example that shows we are doing our job well in these numbers is the fact that 5 years ago, we sold 93% of our watches in this price range, and last year the data was even more encouraging. In 2024, we realized 95% of sales in this price range, which means not only did we not falter, but we also improved sales, even though some iconic models underwent price increases (such as Hydroconquest, Conquest, and Spirit Zulu). This data applies to almost all of our stores worldwide. Over the past 5 years, despite the price increases, we have managed to raise our market share!

The price increases that have been much talked about in the past are justified because we have improved the movements and incorporated silicon parts resistant to magnetic fields in everything. Every price increase for Longines watches will be accompanied by progress and a new technical innovation. A minimal part of the price increase was due to inflation adjustments and currency fluctuations, as many currencies weakened, and we adjusted prices accordingly.

STRAHINJA ĐORIĆ: 
Why are the Longines Spirit 37, Conquest 38, and even Legend Diver 39mm models referred to as women’s watches on your website and in communication with clients?

MATTHIAS BRESCHAN:
I’m surprised that they have been labeled as women’s watches… because the Legend Diver 39 is mostly sold to men. The truth is that we are noticing an increase in demand for smaller watches, particularly in European countries, which, for example, is not the case in Asia, where the audience tends to prefer larger watches. I will take the example of HydroConquest, which we make in 41mm and 43mm. In Italy, we sell 50% more HydroConquests in 41mm than in 43mm, while in China, the situation is different: 50% more sales are made for the HydroConquest in 43mm, and this is a change that has been happening in the last 10 years.

Now, the key thing: why do we still use the terms MEN’S and WOMEN’S watches in 2025? It’s because of Google. Research we conduct shows that people still predominantly search for “men’s watches” and “women’s watches” on Google and other search engines. To optimize the search and be at the top when someone types similar queries, we still need to use this generic categorization, even though many of our watches are unisex and can truly be worn by both men and women.

STRAHINJA ĐORIĆ: 
Are there plans to integrate more sophisticated mechanical movements into the DolceVita collection, enhancing its appeal to women who value both elegance and technical craftsmanship?

MATTHIAS BRESCHAN:
For us, this is one of the most important collections because its design and shape date back to the early decades of the 20th century. I must be cautious when I say this, but Longines, if not the first, is among the first companies in the world to produce rectangular and square cases for watches. Also, I can say with certainty (saying this with a smile) that Longines was the first company to use Roman numeral hour markers on dials.

So, my answer to your question is: yes, we plan to develop the DolceVita collection in this direction and integrate mechanical calibers into it. There will be more talk about this soon; for now, I can’t reveal more.

STRAHINJA ĐORIĆ: 
Longines is already sponsoring some prestigious sporting events around the world. Are there any new sports or events that the brand is exploring for future sponsorships, and how do you decide which sports align with Longines’ values and image?

MATTHIAS BRESCHAN:
At the moment, we sponsor/support over 200 sporting events around the world annually. The two areas where we are most present are equestrian sports, both races and jumping, as well as alpine skiing. We have a historical connection to these two sports. We have data showing that we were sponsors, or more precisely, the official timekeeper at equestrian races as early as 1878. With skiing, we celebrated a century of cooperation last year, during which we precisely measured time at various events worldwide.

In line with our belief that both men and women equally purchase our watches, and due to our desire to produce an equal number of sports and elegant watches, we are very pleased that we are still present in equestrian sports, where both men and women compete equally. Equality in this sport is more pronounced than anywhere else. In equestrian jumping, men and women compete in the same category… now I’m trying to recall another sport where this is possible, but I can’t.

In short, we do not plan to integrate new sports into our sponsorship portfolio because we are very proud of the sports we currently collaborate with, as they share the same values with us, values related to refinement, elegance, and quality. To end with a quote from Coco Chanel: Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside.

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