Bremont Debuts Endurance, Updates Dive and Pilot Watches

Bremont founders Giles and Nick English this week reprised last year’s watch debut event by showing their 2018 debuts at a London townhouse. You may recall that Bremont last year initiated this debut method, veering away from the more traditional watch company debut routines at Baselworld or Geneva. And once again, Bremont again has plenty of newness to display.

Highlights of the ten-model debut include a Limited Edition Supermarine model called Endurance, which Bremont has developed with British explorer Ben Saunders. The watch, an orange-tinged GMT with date, will be made in a limited run of 300 pieces on a NATO strap with an optional titanium bracelet version available at a slightly higher price. Saunders tested the watch on his trans-Antarctic solo expedition last November. Bremont has also unveiled new core pieces within its Supermarine diving collection, its ALT1-C line and the fairly new AIRCO collection, and will add a sexy new black U-2/51-JET to its always in-demand U-2 range.

Endurance

Taking a request from explorer Saunders, Bremont developed this new limited edition with a clear sapphire caseback, which differs from previous Supermarine models. Bremont then designed a new caseback robust enough to enable the watch to still reach depths of 500 meters and still be able to function in the difficult conditions found, for example, at the South Pole. As a result, the 300 owners of this 43mm titanium-cased GMT can spy the firm’s ETA-based Caliber BE-93-2AE automatic COSC-rated chronometer and enjoy its skeletonized decorated rotor. Bremont also includes an automatic helium escape valve, a bi-directional rotating compass bezel and a practical crown protector. Bremont modernized the applied indexes here and has placed the case onto an orange NATO strap (though the buyer can opt for a pricier version with a titanium bracelet upon request). The watch arrives with a second strap, made of rubber. Price: $6,395.

U-2

The 43mm U-2/51-JET takes design cues from a military project commissioned by the RAF’s 100 Squadron and their Hawk T1 Jet aircraft. The timepiece represents a new, much stealthier, look for the collection. In addition to the newly blackened steel case with black barrel, the new watch offers no more day window, no more marks around the inner bezel, and no dial text other than ‘Bremont.’ In addition, its dial lume is the same vintage ‘51’ lume originally found on the Bremont Limited Edition P-51. That lume also lights a new feature: a triangle at 12. Turning the watch over reveals an exhibition case back showing the automatic movement through tinted black smoked glass. Price: $5,395.

Supermarine

Drawing on the popularity of last year’s decidedly vintage-styled Supermarine S301, Bremont’s newest S500 and S501 dive models are three millimeters larger in diameter (43mm versus 40mm). The S501 again offers a black dial with ceramic rotating bezel, but now shows off its chronometer-rated automatic movement through a clear sapphire caseback—a first for this range. The two new S500 models retain the solid decorated caseback, but the blue-dialed S500/BL no longer has a solid 20-minute marker on its sapphire bezel and the day/date window returns, transported from the original Supermarine. The black-dialed S500/BK deletes the day window and displays no Arabic numerals. Prices: $4,495 (S500BL and S500BK) and $4,775 (S501BK).

AIRCO and ALT-1C

A new addition to the AIRCO collection, which debuted last year, includes the introduction of a new model called Mach 3. Named after the Aircraft Manufacturing Company Limited, one of the first British military aircraft manufacturers, the AIRCO also had a vintage feel upon its arrival last year. This year’s 40mm Mach3 extends that sensation with a dial of RAF blue, while two-white dialed variants –each with a different dial layout–offer a red seconds hand. Price: $3,895.

The two new ALT-1C designs retain the collection’s dual-eyed chronograph dial but break from the core range with new applied indexes replacing Arabic numerals, creating a more contemporary look. The white-dialed model will appeal particularly to those who enjoy panda dials and both models now are accented with an internal black rail bezel. These new ALT1-C/BL and ALT1-C/WH-BK models again utilize he Valjoux 7750-based chronometer chronograph movement, which will be more visible through the enlarged exhibition caseback. Price: $6,495.

We’ll have more to say about the 2018 Bremont debuts following the brand’s first New York townhouse watch debut event next week, where we’ll be able to see and wear all the models discussed here.