Alongside the new white-dialed Solo and the production-ready ALT-1WT, Bremont also launched their newest limited edition at BaselWorld this year. This new Bremont flagship is called the Victory, and in keeping with the philosophy of their hugely successful EP120 and P-51 limited editions, the Victory actually sources some of its materials from the HMS Victory. Bremont is working in a partnership with The Nations Museum of the Royal Navy to build these limited edition pieces which source both oak timber and copper from the famous 18th century ship.
The Victory is an automatic chronograph with retrograde seconds and retrograde date powered by the BE-83AR movement which features 39 jewels, a 46 hour power reserve, and is fully decorated. Measuring 43 x 17 mm, the Victory will be available in either stainless steel or rose gold and will come fitted with a PVD copper inner barrel made of copper sourced from the HMS Victory. Further details for this British designed chronograph include a case back which features a hand-etched sapphire crystal and even integrates oak from the HMS Victory that you can see after the jump.
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While we did not have the pleasure of attending Basel this year, we have tapped all of our resources to bring you an update on one of our favorite brands.
Bremont made a splash at Basel by announcing a couple of excellent-looking new watches and unfortunately being the victim of a robbery. There is very little that we know about the robbery except that the thieves made off with quite a few Bremont models and our religious sources have confirmed there is a special level of hell for those who steal watches. Returning to the news at hand, remember the Bremont ALT1-WT that we showed you in January? Click past the jump for some live photos of both the black and the blue dial production models and even a look at the new Solo.
Bremont announced yesterday that they have built upon the success of their military-only C-17 Globemaster model by creating their first World Timer, the ALT1-WT. Featuring the same super hardened Trip-Tick style case we loved on the Supermarine, this new globetrotting tool is powered by the COSC certified Bremont BE-54AE movement and buyers will have the choice of a blue, black or white dial. The BE-54AE is the same movement found in the ALT1-Z line of GMT chronographs and, in addition to its ability to track multiple timezones, allows the ALT1-WT distinct sub-dials for 30 minutes, 12 hours (total measure) and sub seconds.
World timing is handled by the chapter ring of the ALT1-WT which includes a complete timezone listing and allows the user to easily track time changes between their home timezone and any timezone they may travel too (using the GMT hand). Along with a listing of a main cities from each zone (Paris, Tokyo, New York, etc), each of the 24 cities includes a numerical timezone reference. For example, New York City is in EST-5 or, using London as 24 (GMT), NYC is numbered 19. By applying these numbers, the user will be able to quickly determine the local time of any of these cities and reference it against their own.
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Every traditional and long standing industry has its upstarts, those who forge their own path to heights and praise that is seldom achieved quickly and done in an environment that sees more brands flash and burn than it does succeed. The world of exotic cars has Pagani, Koenigsegg, and Noble who flaunt their youth at the kingdoms of speed built by Bugatti, Ferrari, and Mercedes Benz. The same comparisons, albeit with different timelines, can be drawn in fashion, sports, technology and even watchmaking.
The luxury sport watch range (conservatively $2500 – $25,000) is one of the most difficult segments within which a new brand could to attempt to build its credibility. The competition is exceeding fierce and includes perennial favorites and horological icons from Rolex, IWC, Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Hublot and even some watches from elite manufactures like Audemars Piguet. If watchmaking were more sporting, this would be the big leagues where only those willing to innovate and play at the highest possible level will garner any attention at all. One of the few young brands jostling for just some of that spotlight is the British brand Bremont which formed in 2002 under the direction of Nick and Giles English. Their appreciation for fine craftsmanship, top notch design and an understanding that this unforgiving market meant they didn’t actually have a watch to show until 2007. Bremont is a brand deeply rooted in the English brothers love and fascination for military aircraft. They quickly carved out a reputation for making high quality military inspired watches that melded Swiss technical prowess with a distinctly British flair. In 2009 Bremont released their first dive watch, the S500 Supermarine. The Supermarine is a beautiful dive watch with classic styling cues that, for only a brief a moment, mask the considerable amount of research and technology that is represented in its design and execution as Bremont’s first dive watch.
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The military-minded folks at The Bremont Watch Company have offered up a very exclusive watch for a charity auction which supports the BLESMA & RAFA. The C-17 is a limited edition Bremont chronograph that is normally only available for pilots and crew members of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster 3 military transport vehicle. Bremont has an excellent relationship with many varied military groups as they have produced other limited edition watches sold only to specific groups within the US and British Military.
A full 100% of the proceeds of the C-17 auction will go to two great British Military charities, The British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s Association (BLESMA) and The Royal Air Force Association (RAFA). The Auction will take place on the 10th of September at the annual 99 Squadron Charity Aircraft Pull at RAF Brize Norton. Both of these charities provide crucial support for vetrans and their families.
The C-17 is a specifically modified version of the Bremont ALT1-Z chronograph which measures 43mm x 16mm and is powered by Bremont’s BE-54AE modified calibre which services time, date, a chronograph with a 12 hr measure and a GMT complication. The C-17 features much of Bremont’s proprietary technology like the Trip-Tick hardend steel case, internal bi-directional rotating bezel with Roto-Click, and a sapphire crystal featuring a robust nine layer antireflective treatment. The C-17′s metal dial shows an etched globe design and its bezel lists the Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) identifiers for airports where the C-17 can land (one for each timezone). The winner of the C-17 piece will also get the rare opportunity to visit the 99 Squadron and tour the RAF Brize Norton airfield.
Bidding will start at 1000 GBP (~ $1640 USD) and bids can even be submitted via an email to Bremont. Non-limited versions of the Bremont ALT1-Z retail for over $5400 USD so the opening price is very reasonable. This is a rare opportunity to simultaneously acquire a very cool and very exclusive Bremont chronograph and support two worthwhile charities that directly impact the lives of British Vetrans. Its hard to imagine a more appealing way to buy such a beautiful watch when you consider that all of the proceeds go directly to charity.
More information can be found on Bremont’s Facebook Page.
It must be dive watch week as we are thrilled to announce that Bremont has leant us one of their massively popular S500 Supermarine dive watches. Bremont is a relatively young brand from England that has taken the luxury watch market by storm with a series of beautiful and technologically advanced sport watches . The S500 features a 43 x 16 mm three piece case which is made from heat treated stainless steel that is nine times harder than the conventional steel used in most watches. The S500 is powered by Bremont’s automatic BE-36AE movement which is chronometer certified, features a day and date display, and is protected by a built in faraday cage and a specially designed anti shock system. Expect a full review with high quality photos and an HD video segment as soon as we can pry it from our wrists.
Alongside the new white-dialed Solo and the production-ready ALT-1WT, Bremont also launched their newest limited edition at BaselWorld this year. This new Bremont flagship is called the Victory, and in keeping with the philosophy of their hugely successful EP120 and P-51 limited editions, the Victory actually sources some of its materials from the HMS Victory. Bremont is working in a partnership with The Nations Museum of the Royal Navy to build these limited edition pieces which source both oak timber and copper from the famous 18th century ship.
