Following the success of their first collaboration at the end of 2022, Bremont and Bamford Watch Department are back with a sequel: the Aurora. Like before, Bremont’s Supermarine watch is used as a base and a unique California sandwich dial is combined with Bamford’s well-known all-black finish. However, this time, things are significantly more luminous with both the dial and bezel featuring plenty of Super-LumiNova inspired by the dancing Aurora Borealis.
Bremont X Bamford Aurora Limited Edition - Credit Bremont
Starting with the case, the Bremont Bamford Aurora Limited Edition uses the familiar S500 Supermarine GMT as its foundation. It’s not a small watch by any means, measuring to 43mm wide and 16.5mm tall with its Trip-Tick construction entirely coated in stealthy black DLC. It features the large, protruding screw in crown at 3 o’clock, a combination of brushed and polished finishing and domed sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment. A helium escape is also added in at 9 o’clock allowing for an impressive 500 metre water resistance.
On top, the case presents a bi-coloured polished sapphire bezel with a 24-hour scale with day and night indication. As is the novelty for this particular limited edition, the bezel is generously adorned with green Super-LumiNova with the nighttime numerals glowing in the dark and the daytime backed by a luminous backdrop.
Bremont X Bamford Aurora Limited Edition - Credit Bremont
To match, the retro California-style sandwich glows unapologetically green in the dark. The stencil-like font used on the Roman and Arabic numerals is applied with Super-LumiNova as are all four central hands for the hours, minutes, seconds and GMT. The main surface of the dial is a finely grained matte black embossed with both Bremont’s and Bamford’s logos at 12 o’clock.
Housed behind the screw down, DLC decorated case back is the Bremont Modified Calibre 11 BE-93-2AV, which is ultimately an upgraded version of the well-known ETA 2893 automatic GMT movement. It has been chronometer-certified, boasts a 50-hour power reserve and is anti-magnetic. Would it have been nice to see Bremont use one of their newer in-house movements here? Yes. But then again, servicing is going to be easier in the long run.
Bremont X Bamford Aurora Limited Edition - Credit Bremont
Completing the Bremont Bamford Aurora watch is a black nubuck leather strap with well-chosen green stitching and a DLC-coated stainless steel pin buckle. The novelty is a limited edition of 500 pieces, and if the 250-piece edition from 2022 is anything to go by, this is likely going to be another popular one. It’s available to order now for £4,900.
Technical Specifications:
- Brand: Bremont x Bamford
- Model: Aurora
- Price: £4,900
- Material: Black DLC treated stainless steel
- Movement: Bremont Modified Calibre 11 BE-93-2AV, automatic winding
- Complications: Hours, minutes, seconds, GMT
- Dial: Black California sandwich dial with Super-LumiNova hands and markers
- Size: 43mm wide, 16.5mm tall
- When the reviewer would personally wear it: This is a huge watch and would look ridiculous on a wrist of my size.
- A friend we’d recommend it to first: Someone with big wrists and a love of bright lume watches.
- Best characteristics of the watch: I know it’s divisive, but I really love a California dial and the sandwich effect here is super cool, especially when there’s so much lume involved.
- The worst characteristics of the watch: I would have liked to see Bremont utilise one of their in-house movements. Since the launch of the “H1 Generation” collection of Audley, Fury and Supernova watches, we’ve barely seen them make use of their in-house manufacture.
