Partners Group Plans Breitling-Branded Brickell Condo Tower

A Swiss investment and private equity firm plans a Breitling condo tower in Brickell, The Real Deal has learned, adding to a packed pipeline of branded residences that’s set to test how much Miami’s market can absorb.

South Florida is considered the branded capital of the Western Hemisphere and second in the world to Dubai. The tri-county region’s projects included established residential labels, as well as car brands and brands making their first residential foray ever such as Frida Kahlo Wynwood Residences.

Partners Group, in partnership with Empira Group, plans the $220 million B Residences that will rise 70 stories and consist of more than 300 units, as well as a 45,000-square-foot, two-level private B Social Club for residents, rooftop pools, a private gym and other amenities, according to a Partners news release. The project is planned for an over 1-acre site at an undisclosed location in the Brickell Financial District.

Renderings of B Residences (Arquitectonica)

Construction is expected to start in late 2028, and completion is targeted for 2031, the release says. Empira’s Miami team will lead development of B Residences along with Breitling.

Designed by Arquitectonica, the flagship tower will include penthouses with double-height living spaces and private pools. Renderings show floor-to-ceiling glass and a gold-colored building frame.

The project comes as Breitling is expanding into real estate. In New York, it plans to open its first standalone social club, B Social New York, in a four-story industrial loft-style building in Williamsburg, according to the release. It will include dining, lounges, bars and co-working spaces.

Empira, based in Zug, Switzerland, has been ramping up its Miami real estate development activity over the past half decade, coinciding with the city’s growth due to an influx of residents and companies. In Brickell, Empira is developing the 26-story, 310-unit Perrin apartment tower.

It established its North America headquarters at 200 South Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami in early 2024. Later that year, Partners, also based in Zug, acquired Empira, which has continued to operate under its name.

Lahcen Knapp founded Empira in 2014 and is chairman of the board, while Marcus Bartenstein is the CEO.

Partners also is the parent company of Breitling, significantly increasing its stake in 2022 to become the Swiss watchmaker’s largest shareholder, according to a Partners news release at the time. Georges Kern is CEO of Breitling.

Partners, which is traded on the Swiss stock exchange, has more than $185 billion in assets under management globally, focusing on real estate, as well as infrastructure, private equity, private credit and other opportunities. It lists its main presence in the Americas in Colorado.

Partners was founded in 1996 by Urs Wietlisbach, Marcel Erni and Alfred Gantner, who all sit on the board of directors, its website shows. David Layton is the CEO.

As of last fall, Miami had 48 completed branded condo projects and another 55 planned, according to Savills, though the pipeline since then has increased. Planned projects include Elle Residences in Edgewater, Palm Tree Residences Miami and Anantara Hotels & Resorts, which “White Lotus” fans will recognize as it was featured in the show’s third season. Also, Faena is expanding from Miami Beach to the Miami River with the planned Faena Residences.

The proliferation of brands has led to questions of whether all projects will succeed. Some industry players are now saying the way to differentiate a project is to skip the brand, while others raising questions about brands not rooted in real estate.

Vlad Doronin’s OKO Group and Oak Row Equities, led by Erik Rutter and David Weitz, also plan a branded residential project in Brickell, as part of their larger redevelopment of a nearly 4.3-acre bayfront site they purchased for a record $520 million in December.

In its release, Partners expressed confidence in its project, pointing to “Swiss quality standards” in describing the amenities and Breitling’s “signature modern-retro style” in describing the B Social Club.

B Residences “is a highly differentiated branded residences strategy,” Gantner said in the release, pointing to Breitling’s “bold spirit” that “will translate more than a century of Swiss mechanical precision, knowhow, and heritage into the built environment.”