I was fortunate to spend some time last night with the team from Bremont to preview their new Supermarine 2000 dive watch with a group of collectors from Timezone. On hand was Nick English, Mike Pearson and Serena Leckie; three nicer, more passionate and enthusiastic folks you couldn't hope to meet.
This was an intimate affair, which gave the attendees ample opportunity to examine the watches up close and pick Nick's brains over a glass of vino. Trust me, I did just this (paw watches, pick brains and drink wine). It was also a chance to catch up with friends and put faces to names, which is always one of my favorite parts of any gathering of this type (hey, Ed!).
But I digress...
The Bremont story is well-known, but the short of it is that the company was named after a French farmer -- and former pilot -- in whose field the English brothers were forced to land, and who helped get them back in the air. Given their Anglo origins, the Gallic authorities would have frowned upon this breech of sovereignty, so Nick and Gilles were fortunate indeed, to find such an accommodating host. And so, when the time came to settle on a name, Bremont was chosen. Of course, as Nick put it, naming a British watch company "English" was a bit "naff". Works for me, particularly because the end result was a tightly-focused watch company that has been designing quality tool watches for 10 years now (Bremont was founded in 2002, but didn't release their first watch until 2007).
Fast-forward to now, and Bremont is an established player in the luxury watch field with reputation for reliable, tough timepieces with an aviation theme. Indeed, even their dive series is named after a plane -- in this case, a British seaplane called the Supermarine. The first watch to bear the Supermarine name was the Supermarine 500, which, as its name attests, is rated to a burly 500M. The newest addition goes all the way down to 2000M, though as with all Bremont timepieces, this is a conservative estimate; their motto, "tested beyond endurance" is no idle boast. Like the Martin Baker series, the Supermarines also feature a rubberized movement holder that absorbs shocks, in addition to a Faraday cage to protect from magnetic fields. Naturally, the trademark Trip-Tick 3-piece case is crafted from hardened steel. Basically, this watch is one tough hombre, and is more than up to the task of bath time with the kids and farting around in the pool and at the beach, which is pretty much the worst it would see from my quarter. However, for those with less idyllic lifestyles, the Supermarine 2000 is ready to take its lumps beneath the waves.
A familiar lament, which will soon be levied here, is my lack of a proper camera, which makes recording events such as these somewhat difficult. Still, a picture goes a long way, so here goes nothing (if anyone else wants to post up some shots, please feel free to do so):
Nick speaking to the group:
A table full of Bremonts:
A new, ladies version of the Solo:
The guest of honor:
Yes, that's a seaplane on the back:
The classic Bremont profile:
The brilliant P-51 limited edition:
Love that rotor:
The flat-out flabbergasting Victory:
Yes, that's wood and copper from the HMS Victory:
As you can see, it was a great time, and yes, I will be adding a Bremont to the collection before long (probably a Martin Baker). In the meantime, I'll leave you with this: a new piece in the vein of the P-51 and Victory is coming down the pike, and knowing Bremont, it will be as jaw-dropping their previous LEs.
You've been warned.
Regards,
Adam
PS - I have to post this last pic:
(sorry, Nick, but you look so dashing...)
- craniotes