Founded by aviator brothers, Nick & Giles English, Bremont began its story in 2002 and is still considered a relative newcomer in the watch industry. The British based company is renowned for commemorating iconic aircraft from a bygone era and collaborating with prestigious car manufacturers and companies that share its British roots. Because of their aviation background, the brothers began creating chronometer certified pilot's watches that were remarkably robust, incorporating the company’s Trip Tick case construction into each design, which comprises three separate segments to the watch for enhancing robustness. Pilots, sailors and explorers have now come to love the watch brand whose catalogue has expanded to accommodate a myriad of different collectors and wearers.
After a tragic and fateful flight that took the life of their father in 1995, Nick and Giles decided to follow their passion in creating a watch brand that united meticulous craftsmanship, uncompromising reliability and military aviation features. When their own flight was taken over by an unexpected storm whilst flying over France once evening, the brothers sought the help of Antoine Bremont, a farmer, veteran pilot and watch enthusiast. Together, the company Bremont was formed, distilling the essence of the family’s RAF heritage and crafting timepieces to an excellent standard.
Over the years, Bremont has collaborated with companies like Middlesex based manufacturer of aircraft ejection seats, Martin Baker. The MBI and MBII series are designed with a specific user in mind, Martin Baker seat ejectees. Only pilots who had ejected from Martin Baker seats were able to own the MBI watch which marked the first in the brand’s series. The timepieces were tested beyond endurance to ensure they could withstand freezing conditions, free-falling, simulated aircraft crashes and endure military jet seat ejections, of course. The MBI has a signature red barrel whilst other siblings later manufactured for the MBII series boast green, orange and anthracite colours.
Having consulted with many pilots of specific aircraft over the last two decades, Bremont has created watches with details that are specific to individual squadrons or a particular aircrew. The company’s limited editions entomb historical artefacts into their designs like the 240-piece limited edition Bremont Codebreaker imbued with segments of punch cards and wood taken from Bletchley Park’s Hut 6, and pieces of famous WWII fighter aircraft found inside the P-51 and EP120 limited edition watches, not to mention the Bremont Victory in 2012, which incorporated fragments of oak and copper into its case. Steering away from aviation editions, the Bremont Hawking pays tribute to theoretical physicist professor Stephen Hawking with original pieces of wood taken from an antique desk and a stunning meteorite and hand decorated caseback.
Back to aviation and the Bremont ALT1-WT World Timer was developed specifically for the needs of C-17 Globemaster transport jet crews and was commissioned in 2010. Used by the United States Air Force, the crew onboard could not only keep track of different time zone but could adjust the time zones easily. The Bremont Supermarine made an impact when it was first launched, paying homage to the legendary Supermarine Spitfire. The Supermarine S500 is, as its namesake suggests, resistant to 500 meters and provided divers with a sleek and sturdy design for underwater exploration. Later the S2000 was released, water resistant to 2000 meters and endowed with a bigger, sturdier case, but similar to the S5000 came equipped with a helium escape valve.
Some of the manufacturing techniques used by Bremont have set its timepieces apart from competitors on the market. For example, its convex sapphire crystals are scratch resistant and maximise visibility, but have also been treated with layer upon layer of anti reflective technology. The skilful engineering of components crafted from materials like Glucydur, an antimagnetic alloy also make Bremont watches highly collectable timepieces. Because of this technology, along with a special shock absorbing rubberized mount and a Faraday cage, the movement of every Bremont watch can resist the damaging effects of extreme temperature rises and pressure drops, magnetism and heavy impact.
What is not such a well known fact is that Bremont began manufacturing and assembling all its parts in Bienne, Switzerland but moved to Henley On Thames in 2013. Reconnecting to the Bremont brothers’ English roots, an interesting back story will always remain the most desirable element to Bremont’s rich heritage in manufacturer, a brand associated with outstanding creativity and innovation.
