Breitling_heroImage_large
  1. Startpage
  2. See More
  3. Case Studies
  4. Breitling

Sharp NEC Display Solutions client installation – Leisure and Museum

Breitling

A celebration of quality, precision and reliability

To mark its 140th anniversary, renowned Swiss watch manufacturer, Breitling, launched a pop-up museum in Zurich. From August 2024 until May 2025, the three-story interactive “Then & Now” museum offered visitors a fascinating journey through the remarkable history of the famous luxury brand. Celebrating Breitling’s three signature universes of Air, Land and Sea, the exhibition featured rare vintage watches and historical memorabilia. A time tunnel charted important milestones in the company’s history, alongside a mini in-house Chronométrie and a themed café. For this prestigious project, Breitling chose Sharp/NEC as an experienced technology partner for the display solutions in the museum.

Already benefiting from the Sharp/NEC GLOBAL CUSTOMER PROGRAM, Breitling is a long time user of Sharp/NEC products and solutions across its multinational network. This established partnership led to an initial discussion about the planned pop-up museum in February 2024 at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the annual trade fair for the system integration and audiovisual industry. At the time, the museum was still in its conceptual phase, but the established cooperation between the companies made Sharp/NEC a natural choice.

This successful cooperation is in no small part due to their closely aligned corporate philosophies. The precision-oriented and quality-conscious focus of Sharp/NEC complements the Breitling brand perfectly. Both companies aspire to deliver excel.

Following the design phase, Sharp/NEC was fully involved in making the museum a reality, offering advice at an early stage and contributing its technological expertise. Questions surrounding feasibility and design integration were quickly addressed. One thing was clear: the visual display element would be an integral part of the exhibition to enhance the visitor experience.

Manuel Kienzler, Corporate Sales Manager D-A-CH at Sharp/NEC, adds: “For us, this project was about far more than simply providing display solutions. Together with Breitling, we developed an innovative approach in which our technology emphasises the brand’s watchmaking artistry and brings its heritage to life.”

Breitling-2

The Challenge

Implementing a customised concept under time pressure

Breitling had a clear vision for the presentation of image and video content with top-level quality and reliability being paramount. From its comprehensive range of display solutions, Sharp/NEC curated the ideal combination of products to implement Breitling’s vision down to the very last detail.

The integration of a large LED wall made a striking feature amongst the exhibits, yet its deployment presented a challenge. The space, which had been used previously by another company, featured a fabric covered backlit advertising wall located where the LED surface was to be mounted. Despite this, the flexibility of LED technology and Sharp/NEC’s expertise ensured a seamless integration into the space available.

As the project progressed, Sharp/NEC also took on responsibility for providing the content players required for the planned display solutions. This initiative came after further consultation with Breitling and required a rapid turnaround to ensure the museum opened on time.

The Solution

Broad product range and experienced implementation partner

The existing cooperation between the two parties made for a trusting working relationship. Breitling was already impressed with Sharp/NEC products and services and knew that the provider would always be on hand to help with any problems that arose.

Instrumental in the decision to favour Sharp/NEC as a technology partner was its ability to deliver custom-fit display solutions. No other provider in the industry has such an extensive range of display solutions and projectors, coupled with expert advice on the respective technologies and a reputation for first-class service. With a single trusted partner in place, Breitling benefited from streamlined communication and superb efficiency.

Breitling-3

“Since Sharp/NEC had all the necessary equipment on hand, we didn’t have to limit ourselves in our concept for the pop-up museum,” explains Gianfranco Gentile, Global Head of Heritage at Breitling.

“This guarantee was both reassuring for us and a key factor in the success of the implementation.”

Sharp/NEC worked together with the Swiss company ESAG from its Europe-wide partner network to implement the display solutions. ESAG took over the storage, delivery and installation of the equipment and was able to draw on its extensive expertise in museum construction. Their familiarity with the specific processes in this area and their ability to react flexibly to unforeseen situations contributed significantly to the smooth running of the project.

“In addition to excellent products, the success of a project also depends on competent partners, of which ESAG is undoubtedly one,” says Manuel Kienzler.

The large LED wall was planned and installed by Sharp/NEC itself. In just two days, the central element of the museum had been installed by its own employees – proof of the team’s expertise and efficiency.

Despite some challenges and surprises along the way, the installation was completed in just two weeks. The pragmatic and timely execution made the project an all-round success.

The Result

Supplementary content perfectly presented

The centrepiece of Breitling’s pop-up museum was an impressive LED wall in a special format of 1.82 x 4.10 metres. It screened both advertising and content as part of the exhibition and at special events. The installation demonstrated how an innovative presentation can be achieved by creatively combining multiple standardised display solutions.

Breitling-4

Large Format Displays (LFD) from Sharp/NEC in various sizes from 32 to 98 inches in landscape or portrait orientation also featured on all floors of the museum. Depending on the device and application, some also featured integrated Sharp/NEC speakers. Many displays presented promotional or explanatory videos while others provided an atmospheric view of the sky behind decorative portholes in the café area, conveying a feeling of vastness. In addition, an 86-inch display in portrait mode showcased Breitling’s most iconic watch models in a larger-than-life presentation to complete the brand experience.

Gentile summarises: “We are very pleased overall. The display solutions have been heavily used and have been running for the full duration of the exhibition but we haven’t had a single malfunction. This is testament to the quality, reliability and durability of the devices.”

Since the end of the exhibition, Breitling reuses the display solutions at its three Swiss sites in Grenchen, La Chaux-de- Fonds and Zurich. This underlines the shared goal of Breitling and Sharp/NEC to use products sustainably, minimising waste and protecting the environment.