When brothers Nick and Giles English sketched out the initial plan to found Bremont in 2002, their mission was to help reinvigorate the British watch industry by both assembling timepieces on home soil and making as many components as possible in the UK.
Nineteen years later and they look well on the way to achieving those ambitions, following the inauguration of Bremont's new manufacturing and technology facility called The Wing, which officially launched this week via a live-streamed reveal that attracted more than 700 viewers.
Situated on a two acre site at the edge of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire, the 35,000 square-foot building is a state-of-the-art , eco-efficient and fully integrated “manufacture”.
That means vast windows for plenty of natural light, high-tech air filtration systems, an impressive reception area and space for everything from a boutique to a British watchmaking museum – plus, of course, offices and an events space (with all-important bar area). It's almost enough to make the Swiss feel envious.
The two-storey grass-roofed building took three-and-a-half years to complete due to lockdown hold-ups but is now up and running, with the fully equipped CNC machine shop and watch assembly area already producing finished pieces.
Local architect Spratley & Partners designed The Wing using virtual reality software, taking inspiration for the biplane-like “wing” shape from Bremont's own focus on aviation and adventure.
The streamed unveiling included a drone trip around the entire building, which will be open for real-life tours once the pandemic is past. These will cost £25, with all proceeds going to the children's charity the Jon Egging Trust, which was set up by the widow of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, a Red Arrows display pilot who died after his plane crashed during the 2011 Bournemouth Air Show.
While launching The Wing, the English brothers also announced a new collaboration with the F1 team and Bremont “technical partner” Williams Racing – and unveiled three new watches.
The first is the £5,395 Supermarine Chrono Blue diver's chronograph with a GMT function and 200 metres water resistance. It's being promoted by new Bremont ambassador Jason Fox, the former Royal Marine Commando and SBS operative turned TV personality and mental health advocate.
The second watch, the Supermarine S302 (from £3,295), also features a GMT function and gets a vintage look from the buff-coloured SuperLuminova first used by Bremont on its P-51 Mustang watch of 2011. The S302 will be worn by ultra runner Nick Butler later this year when he attempts to complete two marathons per day in the UK over the course of 100 days.
The final new piece is a fresh iteration of the Argonaut diver from the entry-level HM Armed Forces collection. Called the Argonaut Azure, it combines the regular model's 42mm hardened-steel case, rotating inner bezel and three-hand chronometer movement with a new-look deep blue dial. It costs £2,795 on a leather strap, £3,195 on a bracelet.
They're available now online, but if you're minded to buy one, why not wait until lockdown eases, head down to Henley and make a day of it?
Bremont’s new Jaguar E-Type watch is perfect for petrolheads
The Bremont RFU 150 is perfect for rugby fans (and watch nuts, too)
Bremont’s new watch contains pieces of Stephen Hawking’s desk
