The year 2024 has been full of watch brands making surprise returns — names with a variety of back stories and marketing positions.

Breitling has acquired Universal Genève and announced a first capsule collection, and the brand Amida has been relaunched, riding a surging wave of interest in 1970s watches. The first collection by the revived Favre Leuba was introduced at Geneva Watch Days 2024, and the brand Eberjax is being brought back to life in France.

The latest announcement was made in December about the brand Breva's surprise return. Breva had a dramatic rise and fall, but in that time, the brand managed to introduce such striking models that many will remember its fleeting spark before it sputtered out.

The company was founded in 2010 by Parisian Vincent Dupontreué, an entrepreneur with experience developing his own fashion brand under his belt after working at Ermenegildo Zegna.

Dupontreué created his first brand at the age of 22 and transitioned to watches when he was 33. Vincent Dupontreué came up with the name Breva for the company he created in 2010 when on vacation on Lake Como, where he decided to name the brand after a local thermal wind. The first watch was unveiled three years later. It immediately took the industry by storm.

There's a good reason why: the Génie 01 was the first mechanical wristwatch with a barometer, altimeter, and power reserve indication. The Génie 02 with a mechanical altimeter saw the light of day a year later. The Génie 03 came in the next year with an altimeter controlled by watch mechanics. Movements housed in these revolutionary models were created by Jean-François Mojon of Chronode.

Mojon looks set to be a member of the new team promising to relaunch Breva next year. The brand will be headed by Julien Haenny, former CEO of Anonimo, who purchased Vulcain. Haenny has also worked for the MGI Luxury Group, Jaeger-LeCoultre and TechnoMarine.

 After two years leading Marketing and Communications at HYT, Julien Haenny decided on a career change to try his hand at relaunching Breva Genève.

The team members responsible for creating the watches are expected to be Edge Design (Fabrice Gonet & Olivier Leu), Aurélien Bouchet (AB Concept), and Romeo Granito from the dial maker Cadranor. Plans have been announced to develop markets in the US, Japan, Singapore, and Dubai.