< PreviousAs Breitling relaunches the Chronomat collection, CEO Georges Kern wonders whether the watch industry is about to change forever W ORDS ANDREW NA G Y Searching for Meaning G eorges Kern has a theory. A thought or two on what the world will look like post-Covid-19, and the Breitling CEO is quite excited about it all. To Kern, excessive luxury is about to become a thing of the past. It’s just a thought, of course, a voice amongst many. But the more he talks, the more it makes sense. You just don’t expect to hear it coming from the man at the helm of a high watchmaking house. Right now, Kern has Breitling operating on a skeleton inhouse staff. These are the men and women carrying out essential works and preparing for life after the glob- al reboot. His own day revolves around video conferences and occasional forays into the office – for the CEO, a presence is often necessary, especially, some might argue, in the current climate. But life is changing, and Kern firmly believes that it might never be the same again. “I think after Covid-19, things that were excessive just won’t be acceptable anymore,” he says. “The world will slow down. Things will be uncertain, at least for a time. People will want something to hold on to in a world that feels shaky and unpredictable. They’ll want craftsman- ship, analogue products, like mechanical watches, more than ever. There will be a renaissance,” he says, rolling the ‘r’ for all it’s worth. If you took all of this at face value, it could easily risk just sounding like a new spin on why you should (still) buy a super expensive mechanical watch. But that would be to miss the point. This is not about excess for the diamond-en- crusted sake of it, rather a laser focus on quality, and why the dedication needed to get there matters more now than ever. So it’s the perfect time, you might say, to relaunch the Chronomat, a watch that helped bring mechanical watchmaking out of the quartz crisis in 1984. And although Kern is quick to point out that the collec- tion was two years in the making, and its timing is just coincidence, you can’t deny that the distinct Rouleaux bracelet just seems symbolic of a moment when we need to refocus on what’s important. “Behaviours will change. Attitudes will change. And if you really want the truth,” says Kern, shifting back towards his Corona theory, “I think some watch brands that were once thought of as cool will have to question their approach, too.” You can certainly never accuse Kern of being the type of CEO to shy away from “We will see millions of newly unem- ployed in the coming months,” says Kern. “And you will see that unemployment, in many cases, leading to poverty. This will have a huge impact on the subconscious of our customers who will not look to- wards excessive luxury, but to sustainable brands. People will want brands that they can relate to… they’ll want brands that are meaningful and that have purpose.” This is no jump on a market trend. In fact you only have to see the sense of sustainability Kern imbued at IWC – certified carbon neutral since 2007 – to appreciate a long-held dedication to shaping the industry in a more planet-friendly model. “The world is changing and brands have to adapt,” says Kern. “What was a cool brand 10 years ago, could suddenly become an embarrassing brand today. And what might have been unusual before – say like being vegan – has suddenly become cool.” You certainly can’t argue with the strides that Breitling has made already. From shunning the traditional watch associations – it has coupled itself to surfing as opposed to F1 or golf – to its support of the Ocean Conservancy and the brand’s Econyl Nato straps made out of recycled ocean plastic. Sustainability is a Breitling buzzword, but the methodology is very much deeds not words. “In the second half of the year, we will introduce another sustainable initiative,” says Kern, justifiably proud. Elsewhere, the entire customer experience has changed, with the aim of attracting a new base of younger, more dynamic watch lovers. Nowhere is the shift seen greater than from the confines of the Breitling boutique. “For us it was about framing the bou- tique in an entirely different way. How do we talk to the customer, what music do we play in our boutiques, what do they smell like, what do the staff wear? Breitling boutiques have bars, pool tables, motorbikes. People tell us that they’d like to move in.” “Customers will not look towards excessive luxury, but to sustainable brands that are meaningful and have purpose.” laying down the gauntlet. The 55-year- old has a reputation for emboldening brands with a philosophy that can resonate beyond the excellence of product, and he’s proven a bombastic influence on the watch industry for almost two decades. After 17 years at Richemont Group – and a youngest ever CEO accolade for his time helm- ing IWC Schaff- hausen – Kern made the leap to an independ- ent in 2017. He trimmed the product line and offered focus, shifting Breitling from stoic success to sustainability and a zeitgeisty cool. It was hard yards from the fussy rigidity of the industry, and while it took time to digest (“It was a very intrinsic, stomach-feeding type of process”), it’s a move that Kern feels will help Breitling resonate more than ever in a post-lockdown world. 40 SUMMER 2020 @ G Q M I D D L E E A S T Copy Of GQME_017_40_41_ADV_Breitling_11280122.indd 4030/04/2020 14:58:05GQ Partnership But while a shift in brand aesthetic is one thing, quality needs to remain at the heart of the operation. Which is why relaunch- ing an icon like the Chronomat plays such a huge role in establish- ing its new mar- ket position. “The Chrono- mat influenced the industry for 20 years,” says Kern. “But, of course, with time it became diluted with lots of prod- ucts that looked rather similar, so it lost a little bit of its identity. But its name and some of the design el- ements are abso- lutely iconic. So, we decided to go back to the codes of the 1980s – in a modern way – and relaunch.” But reworking a classic can be fraught with dan- ger. And just as Kern had to be sensitive when it came to the heritage of Breitling when he took over, he would have to tread with equal care when it came to the new Chronomat. “It’s just so recognisable, even from a distance,” he says, referencing the rounded Rouleaux bracelet. “We worked hard for two years, then took it around the world. We showed it to collectors, experts, journalists… and when the prototype came out, everybody loved it.” You could argue that watches like this aren’t just timepieces, they put down markers of reassurance. Not simply nos- talgia in an uncertain time, although that surely plays a part, but anchors that Kern thinks people are lacking right now. And while the Chronomat collection might hog the deadlines this month, the Superocean Heritage ’57 capsule collection offers these anchors, while also enforcing Breitling’s updated cool aesthetic. “This was a product I just loved,” says Kern. “A watch of the 1950s, but we’re not about dusty vintage – this is Modern Retro. So, with this watch, we talk about the very origins of surfing, driving a cool pick-up truck with your board in the back, all soundtracked to music like the Beach Boys. I just love this image.” It’s true, a nostalgic image can be easy to love. But heritage, iconic watches and Modern Retro aside, Kern is under no illusions on the role that tech plays. Now more than ever. In April, Breitling held its first ever webcast to present the Spring Novelties. A way to reach the masses under lockdown and tease them with what the brand will do next. It’s a crucial move, but not one that Kern thinks will ever replace the need for that real-world touch. “We have to be flexible, of course,” he says, as our chat comes to a close. “And yes, you will have technology and pro- gress. But at the end of the day, people will still come to a boutique to hold and feel a watch before they buy it. They will look at it, inspect it, enjoy the 360-degree brand story. This process will never die. The key, I believe, is to do it all with meaning.” ■ Redesigning an icon The Chronomat is a rugged sporty timepiece that helped the mechanical watch industry through the darkest hours of the quartz crisis, and with its distinct Rouleaux bracelet (right) it’s quite rightly revered. So, cometh the hour, cometh the Chronomat, and the relaunch just happens to be at a time when we could all do with a little joy. The new collection retains the Rouleaux bracelet (as well as other options, above) the classic butterfly clasp and the sense that you can wear it anywhere and look great. Powered by Breitling’s caliber 01 movement, whether you’re aiming for the red gold infused B01 42, the special edition collab with Bentley, or the limited edition tribute to Breitling’s 1983 Frecce Tricolori watch – the one that inspired the original Chronomats – it’s hard to argue that it’s about to introduce itself to a new generation in style. THE CHRONOMAT COLLECTION Copy Of GQME_017_40_41_ADV_Breitling_11280122.indd 4130/04/2020 14:58:15 Culture ZEITGEIST LIFE FRAGMENTED The Silk Line of Identity (2020) 42 SUMMER 2020 @ G Q M I D D L E E A S T GQME_017_42_47_NOW_Zeitgeist_11272316.indd 4230/04/2020 15:39:26Enter the space of Hazem Harb, where recollection oscillates between the relics and the nebulous future of Palestine W ORDS RAND AL HADETHI Reframing Memories While political agendas have long-since inured diaspora to disbandment, Palestinian artist Hazem Harb attempts to reclaim the nostalgic narrative by framing historical fragments with some hope. THROUGH PAINTINGS, collages, sculptures and art installations, the 40-year-old transfers Palestinian archives into new evocations of culture that breathe in the past, present, and future. On occasion, he satirically plasters the Palestinian eye with the Western view. Having experienced the Palestinian war himself, the opportunity to study in Italy allowed Harb to reconcile his roots. As such, his artwork changes with time but remains heartfelt and symmetrical to themes of war and trauma. Now living between Rome and Dubai, Harb, with uncommon skill, narrates the turmoil of the dispersed citizen. But he isn’t here to dictate the political discourse; it’s all simply part of his panorama of sentimental debris. GQME_017_42_47_NOW_Zeitgeist_11272316.indd 4330/04/2020 15:39:55Geometric shapes and architecture occupy plenty of your pieces. Is there a favourite building or space that takes you back to a particular memory? The legacy of European ar- chitecture has loomed large in my mind since my years spent studying art in Rome. However, my work looks beyond the aesthetics to the social mechanisms that interrelate with architectural forms; this is always within the context of Pal- estine. Rather than focusing on physical form, I delve into the way that humans engage with the built environment and how these spaces can be co-opted for Culture ZEITGEIST various agendas. In Invisible Scenes and Concrete of the Future for example, I ex- plore the ways in which architecture can become embedded within colonial pro- cesses and a product of political agendas. Are you more influenced by artists or the human experiences sur- rounding you? My formative years were very much influenced by the work of other artists as I honed my technical skills in Italy, but I came to the point where I was developing my own practice and understanding the ways in which I engage with art. I found I was deep- ly impacted by human narratives and this led to my artistic explorations of individual and collective memory. Collective narratives were once framed neatly as ‘history’, but through my work I seek to expose the superficiality of framing that ultimately comes from mass media and hegemonic powers. How would you describe your style? I belong to contemporary and concep- tual arts, where my focus falls upon the concept. I work with mixed and multiple media and these are selected based upon what best fits and relays the concept. GQME_017_42_47_NOW_Zeitgeist_11272316.indd 4430/04/2020 15:41:57NEW NOSTALGIA The Place is Mine Series #7 (2018) My work is primarily concerned with the historical past of my country and its place in the current day. The use of col- lage allows me to construct a discourse that did not previously exist or was at least hidden. I imbed old photography and archival objects within my works, often rare pieces of the past that I cut and insert into conceptual composi- tions. Both the result and the approach relay a hidden story, the use of genuine historical sources summoning the past to the present – a solution proposed to reaffirm and re-establish the cultural and physical existence of my people. You have a meticulous approach in creating portraits, an ability to showcase a past interrupted by the present while remaining timeless. How did you develop this unique style? My work is in constant dialogue between the past and present, the local and global, but rather than dwelling within the realm of nostalgia it seeks to reframe and reassert lesser known real- ities. I am always referring to my own Palestinian identity, which I find doesn’t always resonate with media portrayals, a notion which many may relate to. So I take a research-driven approach, moving beyond stereotypes and the limitations of verbal language and photojournal- ism to create a physical representation of multi-faceted social issues. My art interrogates the nuances and prob- lems surrounding shifting borders, displacement and diaspora – topics which I believe resonate with all people in the contemporary moment. Your collages of diaspora require substantial research. How do you get your hands on the material? Over the years I’ve amassed a large ar- chive of images as well as video @GQMIDDLEEA S T SUMMER 2020 45 GQME_017_42_47_NOW_Zeitgeist_11272316.indd 4530/04/2020 15:42:07“Although my art centres around the Palestinian case, I’m always trying THE HIDDEN REALITY Above: The Place is Mine Series #4 (2018) Opposite, top to bottom: Map of Land Series #01 (2019), Map of Land Series #04 (2019) Culture ZEITGEIST ory, between speed and forgetting. In existential mathematics that experience takes the form of two basic equations: The degree of slowness is directly pro- portional to the intensity of memory; the degree of speed is directly propor- tional to the intensity of forgetting. And a growing interest in memory has begun to occupy the art world and society as such over the past three decades. Sev- eral books have been published dealing with the weakening of memory in our era. One example is the anthropologist EXHIBITION IMA GER Y: SUPPLIED IMA GER Y OF NICHOLAS HL OBO AND HIS S TUDIO: P AUL WETHERELL and visual documents. I’ve discovered these items through various sources in- cluding vintage markets, antique stores, donations from private collections, auctions and online platforms. Several of my pieces also include archival images that actually date back to the 1920s, these were acquired through the Library of Congress. Your work speaks to anyone who feels displaced from their home- land. But do you have art that dis- cusses a personal story – and have you ever created something using your personal archives? Although my art centres around the Palestinian case, I am always trying to communicate through a universal human language which connects our collective experi- ences. To do this I avoid zoning-in on my personal or familial experiences specifically as this limits my dialogue to just one very specific perspective. I like to maintain objective distance so that I can draw connections between what has happened or is happening in Palestine and other societies – the Kurd- ish and Armenian cases are two notable examples. That being said, as with everyone, my personal circumstances and sur- roundings have inevitably impacted my perspectives and ideas about the world; my own family archives formed my first encounters with this type of material. Did studying in Italy influence your style or the portrayal of your Pal- estinian culture? I studied in Rome and lived in the city from 2005. It was a pivotal experience for me as an artist, living in the space and engaging with this culturally-loaded climate had an immeasurable impact upon both my artistic and human personalities. While Italy did not push me to deviate from my cultural identity as a Palestinian, it helped me to understand who I am from a fresh perspective. Do you feel a sense of responsibility towards your Palestinian heritage? Palestine lies at the core of my work and remains the basis for each of my artistic interrogations. As such it’s impossible not to feel a responsibility. There is a secret bond between slowness and mem- Paul Connerton’s book How Modernity Forgets, in which he highlights the very particular way that the notion actually occurs, “associated with processes that separate social life from locality and from human dimensions: superhuman speed, megacities that are so enormous as to be unmemorable”. If you look back at your very first piece and your latest, how has your work changed? An artist lives many human experiences, many of which come to light in one’s practice. At the start was Gaza, Palestine, where I practiced my passion for art during my childhood in the early nineties. On the formation of my artistic identity, there were years of extensive technical practice; drawing and painting in both Palestine and Italy. This later evolved into a conceptual way of thinking and synthesising these skills. Today, my work continues to evolve and reinvent itself. While I’ve stepped away from painting as a single medium for the moment and I continue to draw upon my technical skills while incorporating other modes of working, my focus falls upon humanitarian issues. Art is my mode from which to communicate to a wider audience. You utilise different art techniques in most of your work, but a lot is handwork. Would you consider more of a digital approach in the future? As a visual artist I adapt my approach to the medium which I feel best represents that concept I’m explor- ing at that time. In the past this has been through drawing, paint- ing, video art, and instal- lation with a recent focus on collage. My practice, however, tends to include the human touch. Most recently for my current exhibition, Contempo- rary Heritage at Tabari Artspace, I produced two pieces that were inspired by 1930s archival imagery. Through a painstaking etching process, which took place over six months, and involved a vast amount of precision, I mapped out the social realities of Palestine both real and imagined. The etchings have been 3-D printed and fixed on to a light-box, illuminating a glimpse into collective resistance. What motivates you to focus on your current aesthetic choice? Well, as an artist and a Palestinian whose work reflects upon social and historical factors with a universal reach, especial- ly in our moment of mass migration and unrest, I feel an immense sense of responsibility. I hold on to this feeling when producing works – the idea that my art can speak to many different people on a global scale is truly a source of much motivation. ■ to communicate through a universal language which connects our collective experiences.” GQME_017_42_47_NOW_Zeitgeist_11272316.indd 4630/04/2020 15:42:34@GQMIDDLEEA S T SUMMER 2020 47 GQME_017_42_47_NOW_Zeitgeist_11272316.indd 4730/04/2020 15:42:4948 SUMMER 2020 @ G Q M I D D L E E A S T Digital Instagram... ACCESS THE GQ LIFESTYLE Hit follow on @gqmiddleeast to gain instant and exclu- sive entry to the GQ universe. From never- before-seen images of Mo Salah, to an Instagram Live direct from the home of Lebanese superstar Ragheb Alama, you’ll find it here. Twitter... GET YOUR TWITTER HIT Stay connected with us on Twitter @gqmiddleeast for the latest stories, shoots and thoughts from the team. YouTube... WATCH GQ COME TO LIFE Subscribe to GQ Middle East on YouTube for exclusive videos of our cover stars, interviews, brand new shows and more. Right now, we’re inviting you into the homes of our summer issue cover stars, giving you unfiltered access as they navigate life under lockdown. Follow GQ Middle East on social media and online for your daily dose of everything that matters Right Now On... Online... DISCOVER DAILY READS TO BEAT THE LOCKDOWN Visit gqmiddleeast.com for a daily fix of style, culture, sport and more. Drop in for the latest news...then stick around for exclusive long-read stories. Explore the Archive: From swimming with Rami Malek to behind-the-scenes with Maluma, become a YouTube subscriber and binge the hits. GQME_017_48_Copy Of Digital House Ad Editorial_11282239.indd 4830/04/2020 15:47:24ILL US TRA TION: MICHAEL HOEWELER IMA GES: GETTY D o you know what made me finally go through with dying my hair? Ego. I could give you all this rubbish about being inspired by a style moment, but when it came down to it, beyond all the would-I- wouldn’t-I, the tipping point came when a friend suggested I didn’t have the courage to go through with it. But what started out as a simple going blonde job morphed into something else altogether along the way, a radical move that felt like it could actually define who I was as a person. Full disclosure: this wasn’t the first time I had played with my hair tone. At 16, I dyed my brunette locks a shade of petrol black (radical, I know). Now I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I do have a hazy recollection of trying to get the money back on that Schwarzkopf purchase – my outrage taken out in full on the poor person behind the pharmacy counter. This time, however, reputation was at stake. You see, despite working for one of the more maximalist and colour-rich men’s magazines out there, I’ve spent the longest time wearing head-to-toe black. It got to the point where I became worried that my own style didn’t truly reflect the work I was so proud to create. This was an opportunity to set the record straight. Never mind blonde, I would dye my hair pink! It was time to practice what I preached (or should that be bleached?). And if I didn’t like it? Well it was ok, we were on lockdown… I could hide. Thankfully, there was no shortage of visual inspiration when it came to pulling off a new hue. From Frank Ocean to Zayn Malik, Jaden Smith to innumer- able anime films, more than a few have nailed the look. This is about attitude, too. Best advice? Channel your inner punk. Kurt Kobain’s pink hair, circa-1992 was – and still is – such a style moment. While I wasn’t quite aiming for grunge, he remains my biggest fashion icon. Now, let’s be very clear, I’m no expert in salon-level hair colouring. I came into this an amateur and executed it at home. Happily, I had virtual company. A hair- stylist friend hopped on Zoom and guided me through the entire procedure, from buying the product (you need to nail the right quantity of oxidizer and bleach, and to select your hue of colour meticulously) to executing each step. Make no mistake, this is a long, drawn-out, multi-step process. Of course, if an expert had bleached my hair, it would have come out a uniform, salon-quality pink. I get that. But these are testing times, and so my colour ended up a mélange of pink, orange and blonde. Not exactly what I was expecting, but I kind of liked it. The accidental colour spillage looked so rad, and for a fleeting moment I felt like Cobain himself. I then got to sit with my hair colour like it was a new couch, taking my time to get accustomed to it, in- spect it from all angles and see how it flows in my life. It would have taken supreme confidence to go straight to the office with such a wild change in my appearance. But now I got to control my own hair PR. Will I keep the colour? Well, it’s grow- ing on me. Ultimately, I think it comes down to this: to experiment with your appearance is to experiment with your personality. It challenges your ideas of who you are and how you present yourself to the world. It’s what I love about fashion, it’s what I love about grooming, and it’s what I love about my punkish, perfectly imperfect, pink-orange-blonde hair. ■ DIARY Style “It was time to practise what I preached. If I didn’t like it then I could just hide.” 3 JADEN SMITH If in doubt, be a triple threat like Jayden. Buzzcut, pink hair, pink eyebrows. Boom! 1 ZAYN MALIK Zayn knows that easing yourself into a new colour can be clutch. Dye smart not hard, people. Dying your hair has always been a big move, but for GQ’s Fashion Editor, Keanoush Zargham, this was about reputation Pink Ambition LIFE’S A BLEACH Call it coincidence, but the guys that embrace hair dye just happen to be the most stylish on the planet 2 LIL YACHTY Looking to make a statement? Allow Lil Yachty to educate you on the value of going all- in when it comes to colour. @GQMIDDLEEA S T SUMMER 2020 49 GQME_017_49_NOW_STYLE_Pink Hair_11282302.indd 4930/04/2020 15:48:38Next >