Bremont

Bremont Watch Company is a luxury, aviation-themed British watchmaker based in England. They have begun to move production from Switzerland to Henley-on-Thames.

History

Brothers Nick and Giles English spawned Bremont from a joint lifetime passion of engineering and aviation. The core company principles are Durability, Precision, Aviation and Mechanics. Thanks to the early influence of their father, Dr Euan English, the brothers were fortunate to inherit a wealth of practical mechanical experience, ranging from clock assembly to airplane and yacht construction. This foundation was consolidated with active flying experience, often flying at historical air displays, cementing a knowledgeable appreciation for historical mechanics.

Dramatically, it was the regretful death of their father on 4 March 1995, during training for an air show in their WWII Harvard, that spurred the brothers to commercially materialise their adoration for watches. Unable to recover from an inverted spin, Euan died instantly and Nick was left with over 30 broken bones. Following recovery, the two decided to honour the memory of their father and utilise the impetus that had been created.

Building on their existing family aviation business, they sought to create a quintessentially British brand that incorporated the highest quality mechanical movements, built to precise and durable parameters. The immensely resilient timepieces are inspired by a range of historical narratives, from 1940’s aircraft to more specific collaborations such as Bletchley Park and HMS Victory. Indeed, there is a very keen awareness of the rich British historical rooting in Horology, from Harrison and Graham to more recently George Daniels and Peter Roberts. Indeed, this British revival at Bremont is materialised in partnership with other iconic companies like Jaguar Cars and Martin-Baker. The result is a portfolio of watches that are as much at home in the boardroom as they are in the field.

This original outlook was evident even in the name. Following an emergency landing in France in the late 1990s that Nick and Giles were taken in by a gracious farmer who let them stay the night. They relished a visit to his workshop where they appreciated his old wall clocks and engine parts before bidding farewell to the old wartime pilot. His name was Antione Bremont.

Technology and Design

Bremont practices several unique manufacturing techniques, helping produce watches to designs of specifications and quality that are unmatched in their price bracket. Over-engineering is very much part of the brand ethos, helping produce watches that are ready for whatever environment they may be thrown in. All models care Chronology Certified and offered with a three year warranty.[1]

• Trip Tick ® Case design. This consists of three parts: a hardened steel bezel containing the sapphire crystal, the central body consisting of a treated steel or aluminium barrel, the steel or crystal case back. This technique ensures durability and aesthetic variation.
• B-EBE2000® Watch Case Treatment. The Metal is heat-treated and diffused with carbon and then bombarded with electrons resulting in increased hardness and scratch resistance. Placed at the Vickers scale at 2000, this is approximately 9 times harder than traditional watch stainless steel.
• Bremont Sapphire Watch Crystals. These are convex and with a Mohs hardness rating of 9. The nine layers of anti-reflective coatings significantly aide the legibility of the watch. Reflections are therefore less than 0.5%.
• Roto-Click®. Available on more recent ranges like the MB, this inner rotating bezel is controlled by an outer-crown at 8H or 4H. It has a beautifully engineered ball-locking system containing a number of ball-bearings that position the bezel accurately for greater legibility.
• ‘Anti-Shock’ Movement Mount' . Mechanical movements are inherently less robust than quartz, thus a rubberized mount has been developed to protect the movements in the inner case.
• Anti-Magnetic Faraday Cage. A number of the Bremont range has been developed to withstand the injurious effects of magnetism on the watch movement. By encasing the movement in a soft-iron cage, the potentially harmful magnetic fields are diverted around the mechanism.

Movements

Bremont is an etablisseur, using ebauche movements from Swiss manufacturers with modifications ranging from mild decorating to major overhauls. It is said that they source their movements from La Joux-Perret, though all have an ETA base. Note that Bremont often uses the same name for movements with somewhat different complications or configurations, though they are consistent in naming base calibres.

• BE-36AE - Automatic chronometer (ETA 2836-2)
• BE-50AE - Automatic chronograph (ETA 7750)
• BE-53AE - Automatic chronograph (ETA 7753)
• BE-54AE - Automatic chronograph (ETA 7754)
• BE-83AR - Automatic chronograph (limited editions)

Collections

Bremont has core range of models and limited editions. The majority of the core range are directly inspired and/or styled from classic aviation. Core Range [2]

• ALT1- Available in the Classic, Black, World Timer, Zulu and Pilot. These chronographs have a variety of dial colours and complications.
• Supermarine- Bremont’s diver’s watch. Available in a 500 or 2000 metre depth and a variety of bezel and dial colors.
• MB- Named after the Martin-Baker ejection seat company that it was built in collaboration with. While the Red barrel is only available to those who have experienced ejection, the MBII is available in orange and green.
• U-2- Testing at 100,000 feet and -40 degree C. This model was designed and tested exclusively by the elite U-2 Spy Plane Squadron in Beale, USA. Available in three different variations
• SOLO- inspired by the classic pilot’s watches of the 1940s, this refined model offers unrivalled clarity. Available in three colour variations.
• SOLO 37- at 37mm case version of the SOLO for a smaller wrist but with the same mechanical construction as the SOLO.
• BC-F1-Inspired by some of the original wartime flying instruments. 39mm case. Available in three variations.
• BC-S2-Similarly inspired by some of the early wartime instruments. 43mm case. Available in three variations.

Limited Editions

• Codebreaker (2013)[3]
• Victory (2012)[4]
• P-51 (2011) - Following on the EP120 Limited Edition, Bremont released the Limited Edition P-51, a chronograph chronometer built with original parts from the famous 1944 Mustang WWII aircraft P-51K-10 (serial number 44-12016).
• U-2 Limited Edition (2011) - A special edition version of the U-2, using the BE-36AE movement.
• B-1 Marine Clock (2011) -
• Supermarine Descent (2010) - Following on the Supermarine 500, Bremont released the Limited Edition ‘Supermarine Descent’, an all black DLC coated marine watch with the BE-36AE movement.
• ALT1-Z Limited Edition (2009) - Bremont produced a special ALT1-Z only available to US Navy Test Pilot School personnel and used the BE-54AE chronograph movement.
• Norton (2009) - Bremont worked with motorcycle brand Norton to produce a limited edition chronograph. 200 Bremont Norton watches were be made, incorporating styling elements of Norton motorbikes and using the BE-50AE movement.
• EP120 (2008) - Named after the famous 1942 Spitfire Mk V aircraft, and featuring a black DLC treated steel and titanium case and COSC certified skelitised movement. It has a modified BE-53AE Automatic Chronometer movement with 24 hour UTC function and 30 minute Chrono ‘Time of Trip’ dial, which is an original Spitfire part.

Awards

Since its founding, Bremont has received a multitude of awards in various fields [5]. HSBC Global Connections, overall winner, 2013; UK Retail Jewellery Awards, double winner, 2013; Luxury Briefing Awards, ‘Breakthrough Brand’, 2012; UK Jewellery Awards, ‘Watch Brand of the Year Award’, 2011.

External links

• Official website
• The Bremont Story