he first life of Breva began in 2010 with a young French entrepreneur fascinated by the possibility of “taming” the natural elements through a watch. From this vision was born Breva, a name borrowed from the warm and powerful wind that sweeps across Lake Como.

From its very first model, the Genie 01, the brand made a strong impact: barometer, altimeter, power reserve, and nearly 1,000 components developed in partnership with Jean-François Mojon and Chronode.

The ensemble was a technical tour de force, but also an extremely ambitious undertaking: three unprecedented complications, a price approaching CHF 150,000, heavy investments, and an industrial complexity that would ultimately force the brand into dormancy in 2015.

The rebirth: Segreto di Lario

Ten years later, in 2025, Breva officially returned to the spotlight at the Time to Watches fair. The guiding thread was clear: to return to the brand’s DNA — that of measuring instruments — while this time pairing it with an Italian elegance inspired by Lake Como.

The Segreto di Lario, shown here in rose gold with a blue dial, marked Breva’s return to the watchmaking scene in spring 2025. The crossed hands, the brand’s stylistic and technical signature, provide a dual power reserve indication with a double retrograde time scale.

The first model of this new era, Segreto di Lario (“the secrets of the lake” in Italian), plays on the imagination of travel and discreet luxury. Its design evokes old scientific instruments in which hands crossed like in a duel, recalling the tools of explorers of yesteryear more than traditional watchmaking codes.

For this first model, a double barrel movement with an exceptional power reserve of seven days was created by Jean-François Mojon and the Chronode manufacture.

The bespoke double-barrel movement, once again developed with Chronode and Jean-François Mojon, drives the triple retrograde indication — hours, seconds, and a 7-day power reserve. Like a dashboard, the double power-reserve gauge juxtaposes available energy at two levels of precision. The first hand indicates the power reserve over the long term (six days), after which the second hand takes over for the final 24 hours, providing a more detailed indication of remaining energy consumption.

The watch, with a diameter of 41 mm, a thickness of 11.10 mm and water resistance to 50 metres, was initially launched in pink gold with a “Serenade Blue” dial at a price of CHF 58,000, before being offered in titanium in two dial versions — “Slate Grey,” with its intense, lunar grey tone, and “Sunset,” with reflections of the setting sun — priced at CHF 46,000. The finishing is of a remarkable level, with subtle details such as finely bevelled hands produced with the expertise of GMG, dials by Cadranor, cases by AB Concept, straps made in Italy by Cinturini, and creative contributions from Fabrice Gonet.

Julien Haenny

The overall result expresses the Italian class claimed by the brand in every detail, where technical precision is combined with an aesthetic inspired by the lake, its villas, its Riva boats, and its atmosphere of exclusivity.

A strategy of exclusivity

Production remains deliberately limited – between 50 and 100 pieces for this first year, with a target of around 300 pieces by 2030 – but without falling into the trap of artificial limited editions. The launch was initially carried out directly with collectors for the rose gold models, then distribution was opened up internationally. Asia responded with a dedicated agent, David Keel, and initial footholds in Bangkok and the Philippines. Japan welcomed a new distributor, and Benelux welcomed an agent based in Amsterdam. The Middle East and the United States followed suit.

The Segreto di Lario has since been produced in two versions with a titanium case, including this model with a ‘Slate Grey’ dial.

This development was accompanied by extensive fieldwork, with numerous collectors’ dinners and private meetings designed to create a loyal and engaged circle. The enthusiasm generated at launch encouraged Julien Haenny and Gabriella Sinicco to accelerate the timeline: what had until then existed only as projects on paper quickly took shape and became a fully-fledged collection, supported by a structured commercial strategy.

A new imaginary

Segreto di Lario is not limited to a mechanical exercise. As expressed by its distinctive power-reserve complication, it evokes the particular feeling of the last twenty-four hours spent on the shores of Lake Como — that moment when one does not want to leave, when time seems suspended.

This poetry, echoing the melancholy of travel, overlays the scientific precision of atmospheric complications. Breva now presents itself as a Geneva maison with an Italian breath, embracing an exclusive luxury imaginary where elegance is as important as technical performance.

The finishes are in keeping with the great Swiss watchmaking tradition: Côtes de Genève, circular satin finishing, polished chamfers.

Breva’s new life is not a simple repetition of the first. It aims to be more realistic in its industrial ambitions while remaining faithful to its original identity: measuring the natural world through mechanical watchmaking. Thanks to the complementary skills of Julien Haenny and Gabriella Sinicco, the support of strong partners such as Chronode, and a coherent international distribution strategy, the warm wind of Lake Como is rising once again.