As usual British watchmaker Bremont is busy over the summer months. A few years ago the brand came out with what they dubbed as “one of the more intricate and complicated military watches ever produced”, alongside a watch which was named by Forbes as “The Coolest Watch of 2012,”. Recently, the brand opened their very first retail outlet.
A History of Bremont
Bremont was founded by two brothers, Nick and Giles English. Both shared a passion for engineering and aviation passed down by their father, Dr Euan English. Their father was a PhD student from the Aeronautical Engineering Department at Cambridge University. He passed away in a tragic aeroplane accident on March 4, 1995. The aeroplane crash left Nick with over thirty broken bones. The two brothers’ lives were changed forever that day. After the tragic loss, they decided life was too short not to follow their passion. While still running the family’s aviation business, Nick and Giles created their watch company. They combined their engineering experience with a love of aviation to form a truly unique product.
During the late 90s, the brothers were flying through France in their 1930s biplane. After being forced to land due to harsh weather, the two men were invited to stay with the farmer whose field they had landed in. He helped them avoid the French authorities and hid their plane in his barn. While waiting out the storm, the farmer shared his experiences in the war as a pilot. The man, who was also a passionate engineer, had taken to repairing old clocks. The brothers were inspired by the farmer, who was still wearing his father’s wristwatch. His name was Antoine Bremont. Later as a homage to him and his hospitality, Nick and Giles adopted his name for their watch business.
Launching of the World Timer Watch
The Bremont World Timer ALT1-WT was launched over the summer on the civilian market. It was released to both pilots and travellers from all over the globe. As the brand’s website states, the watch has “a very complex, highly finished dial and a Roto-Click bezel”. The brand also boasts the watch can show UTC time through the adjustable 24-hour hand. The watch will be available in either one of three colours: black, white, or blue for the dial variations.
Opening of Bremont’s First Retail Shop
The design of such a watch is indeed a great feat. One which would surely be enough for any company to proudly talk display as the accomplishment of their summer. However, Bremont did not stop there. The British watchmaker also opened its very first retail store. The one thousand square foot unit is located at 29 South Audley Street in Mayfair in London. The store features a vintage-looking bar made of aluminium, which serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
The Coolest Watch of 2012
As Forbes describes another Summer creation of Bremont, the Bremont Victory Watch is called one of the “year’s handsomest timepieces.” Forbes goes on to say, “With its inset dials and balancing retrograde seconds and date hands, the limited edition watch conveys an elegant heritage feel within a crisp, modern design. But you ain’t seen nothing yet: It’s the reverse of the case that puts the Victory over the top as the coolest watch of 2012.” That is because the case back is actually made from pieces of original wood from the timbers of the HMS Victory, the flagship of Horatio Nelson at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.
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