Rob Kitto

Rob Kitto is an Australian from Rural NSW who has spent more than 20 years overseas, the majority in Switzerland where he met his Swiss wife and became fluent in French. He made the jump to a watchmaking career 17 yrs ago after spending a decade traveling the world in project and sales management roles for international and Swiss companies.

Getting back to basics, he secured a hard-won place at the Audemars Piguet ‘manufacture’ in Le Brassus in an accelerated watchmaking apprenticeship program…completing 3 years’ worth of practical and theoretical watchmaking studies in just over 18 months, becoming a qualified Horloger practicien (watchmaker practitioner). Following stints in various workshops within AP in the beautiful Vallee de Joux, Rob worked at Audemars Piguet’s separate Swiss-market affiliate by the shores of Lake Geneva for a couple of years before moving 50km along the lake to Geneva itself to manage the first Richard Mille flagship boutique in Switzerland. Several visits to RM’s Valgine manufacture in Les Breuleux to learn hands-on about the movements and construction of the famous tonneau-shaped watches helped build upon his experience at Audemars Piguet. During these years Rob also met and visited many independent watchmakers in Switzerland, most of whom became good friends over the following decade. An extensive personal network facilitated personalized visits to brand manufactures, complication workshops, watchmaking museums and of course innumerable brand boutiques in Geneva, Zurich, London, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also completed, in French, Switzerland’s unique Brevet Federal (equivalent to a bachelor’s degree) in high-end watch sales, at the Nicholas Hayek-endorsed Watch Sales Academy in Le Locle. In his spare time Rob founded WatchCONNECT, a 200-member strong networking group for people within the watchmaking industry now managed by friends in Switzerland, and also co-founded and organized a yearly dinner in Geneva connecting the independent watchmaker superstars with high-end collectors, which has grown and remains an unmissable event on the Swiss watchmaking calendar. After 5 years invested in perfecting the customer service levels expected by Richard Mille clients including personalized deliveries and events all over Europe and the Middle East, Rob and his wife decided it was time for the kids to learn English and experience the Australian beach lifestyle, so moved back to settle in sunny Perth. After three years of watch retail and wholesale management in Perth, Geneva Blue was created in early 2019 to share the watchmaking passion and culture with our friends and customers. In July 2021 Rob also co-founded RedBar WA, the local chapter of the global watch collector social group RedBar started in New York in 2007, to further engage with Perth’s watch community.

We look forward to adding you to our group of watch friends if you’re not already part of the adventure. Reach out for a chat !

Geneva Blue - A little bit of Switzerland in Western Australia.