In less than two decades British watchmaker Bremont has become iconic in its own time.
While Switzerland reigns supreme as the home of exquisite horology, two brothers
with a taste for adventure and the aptly-titled surname English are singlehandedly
reviving luxury English timepieces. After all, Rolex watches used to be assembled in
England.
From their headquarters in Henley-on-Thames, the quintessentially
English town world-famous for its annual regatta, Bremont is making
the case for British watchmaking. Although the Bremont name is
derived from a fortuitous encounter between the brothers and a French
farmer called Antoine Bremont (they crashed landed in his field), Giles
is quick to clarify that the link between Antoine Bremont and Bremont
watches is in name only
Bremont has made its name crafting bespoke watches for elite
military units and personnel across the globe. “It’s a middle ground of
creating a luxury timepiece that you could wear in the board room or
Mount Everest,” says Giles of the company ethos. The MBI watch,
created in partnership with British aviation company Martin Baker,
was one of their first timepieces to capture the imagination of the watch
world. Unveiled in 2007, the MBI is put through the same rigorous
testing and extreme G forces as Martin Baker’s fighter ejection seats.
In a marketing master stroke, an MBI may only be purchased by pilots
who’ve themselves ejected from an aircraft via a Martin Baker seat,
making ownership of the watch among the most exclusive in the world
As brand fatigue scares watch
enthusiasts away from conspicuous
logos, Bremont slides neatly into
the inconspicuous luxury category.
A conversation starter, the timepieces
are aesthetically unpretentious yet
distinguishable for those in the know.
They’re also highly versatile; the dive
watch I’m lent from the S500 range looks
just as stylish decked with jeans and a
biker jacket as it is dressed up with cufflinks. Commemorating
British aircraft manufacturer Supermarine, it’s also one of the brand’s
more entry level pieces, starting at $6,100. Coincidentally,Mr English
himself is wearing a similar model during our Zoom call
In less than 18 months, the brand will
celebrate 20 years since its founding, and the
brothers are focussing on their goals for the
coming decades. In particular, increasing
Bremont’s vertical integration (some
components are currently manufactured
outside the UK) and local expertise.
Bremont watches are available at www.bremont.com,
Bremont boutiques and authorised retailers
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