When arguably the most prominent British watch brand describes a new launch as the “most significant in the company’s history” you tend to take notice. Because what we’re being presented with here isn’t just a launch – instead it’s an event.
For the first time, Bremont is introducing its own in-house movements to a core collection of 40mm watches: the on-point size of the moment. After the new ENG300 movement series was seen for the first time in the Longitude limited edition last year, this family of new movements is now making a full-time entry to the range in three core models: the Supernova, the Audley and the Fury; all with their own unique character and complications.
The Bremont H1 Generation Collection - Image credit Bremont.
Bremont has invested heavily in the production of these new movements at the company’s state-of-the-art facility in Henley-on-Thames, and as a consequence, this is the first time in 50 years that a family of proprietary movements will be built on this scale within the British Isles.
So for Bremont, as well as the British watchmaking industry as a whole, this is an important new chapter. The ENG300 movement series will be assembled in the same building where the watches themselves are crafted, making this a truly in-house operation. That enables an entirely joined-up process that allows a holistic approach to quality control, just like many of the big Swiss brands.
As a result, all Bremont watches powered by an ENG300 series movement are rigorously tested using Bremont’s H1 Timing Standard, which is directly comparable to the international ISO3159:2009 Chronometer test. That in itself is a hallmark of quality.
But perhaps the ultimate testimony to this new movement’s strength and durability is the extreme – and somewhat apt – method of testing selected by Bremont. The movement was placed in a development case and then fired out of an ejector seat supplied by the Bremont’s well-known partner: Martin-Baker. Bremont feels confident enough in the outcome to offer a five-year guarantee on each of these H1 generation watches.
The Bremont ENG300 Movement - Image credit Bremont.
Here’s what Bremont co-founder Giles English had to say: “This is the most significant launch for us as a business because we have finally been able to scale up our production to be able to introduce the ENG300 movements in core watch collections and invested in our own chronometer testing. It represents a massive step forward for us.”
But what of the actual watches? Here’s where it gets really interesting. The flagship Supernova features Bremont’s first integrated bracelet design, which was three years in the making. The overall look, with a brushed and polished finish, is pleasingly solid: the whole watch seems almost as if it has been carved out of a single block of steel. The dials come in blue, black, and white: with the black looking to be the stand-out colour, judging from the photos. The blue is the only one that has markers while the other two sport Arabic numerals.
The Bremont Supernova - Image credit Bremont.
The Fury, by contrast, draws inspiration from the genre that Bremont is most famous for: the pilots’ watch. A number of planes have been called the Fury from the 1930s onwards, but this watch has a thoroughly contemporary look, despite its classic three-hand format. Like its stablemates, there’s an exhibition case back to see the new movement at work.
The Bremont Fury - Image credit Bremont.
Finally, there’s the Audley. This is a classic dress watch, available in rose gold or stainless steel, complete with a chocolate brown crocodile strap. It’s the most elegant watch of the trio, but the Supernova seems the most striking: almost Royal Oak-like in the way it presents.
The Bremont Audley - Image credit Bremont.
Not surprisingly it’s got the highest price tag too at just under £8000 (with the exception of the rose gold Audley, which sells for a shade less than £15000). The other watches provide the entry point, at just under £6000.
Exciting times ahead for Bremont, in other words. I can’t wait to get my hands on them and find out more.
