Bremont to unveil victorious tribute to England’s naval past
YOU think you have a brand pegged, and then it spins on its heel and does something completely unexpected. In the case of Bremont, a company that has fast become Britain’s leading producer of luxury watches, the proposition has been pretty simple: super-tough, sweetly-designed modern chronographs that reflect the aviation passion of the brand’s founders, brothers Nick and Giles English, with a welcome dash of English understatement. Tool watches, but among the most elegant, charismatic tool watches on the market.
So the announcement this year of a high-luxury, classical piece incorporating engravings, gold and – can it be, really? – wood was something of a surprise. But as it turns out, the reasons for this are really pure Bremont.
Launching this June, the Bremont Victory is a limited edition watch celebrating the greatest ship in the history of the British navy, HMS Victory.
“Giles and I are ambassadors for the Royal Navy Historic Flight, which keeps the old Fleet air Arm in the air,” explains Nick English. “We heard that HMS Victory was having a major restoration and was being stripped right back, and we managed to get some original wood from it.”
The wood is incorporated into the watch’s caseback, which also features an engraving in the crystal of Nelson’s seal, and a stunning, anchor-shaped gold rotor. The dial, meanwhile, is a classical affair recalling old pocket watches, with retrograde seconds and date. The engraving of the word “Victory” on the case is pure elegance.
A true collectors’ item of great style and provenance, its assembly and many of its decorative features are being carried out in England. It’ll be launched aboard HMS Victory in July.
www.bremont.com
Timothy Barber