BREMONT
The speaker at our October meeting was Giles English, one of the founders of The Bremont Watch Company based in Henley on Thames. The meeting got off to an inauspicious start as Giles' presentation was on an Apple computer and there was no suitable connector to our projector. Normally panic sets in at this point but Giles was in no way perturbed. A fascinating story needs no visual aids. Giles and his brother Nick were brought up amidst engineering stuff as their father Euan's workshop contained clocks, models, old cars and old aeroplanes. In March 1995 Nick and their father were practising for an air display in a 1942 WWII Harvard aircraft which unfortunately crashed, killing their father and seriously injuring Nick. Giles was waiting take off clearance when he was told of the crash. Fortunately, his brother survived notwithstanding the fact that he had broken over 30 bones.
The tragedy did not deter the brothers as in the late 1990's they were flying across northern France in their 1930's biplane when they had to make an emergency landing on to a farmer's field. The farmer's name was Antione Bremont. In 2002 the brothers set up Bremont in Biel-Bienne, Switzerland. Five years later the first Bremont mechanical watch was launched.
Today Bremont is located in Henley in a purpose built barn with retail outlets in London and Hong Kong. Their watches are designed, finished and assembled in Henley with some core components made in Switzerland. Increasingly components are now being made in the UK at Silverstone. They have engineering partnerships with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Boeing. They employ 70 people and are training watchmakers themselves. The plan is to make more and more in the UK.
Setting up a new watch company amid very strong competition is not for the feint hearted. However, there is no other high quality English watch company making hand finished watches in any quantity. Bremont has reached annual production of 8000 pieces.
In 12 years Bremont has created a very distinct luxury brand with some very original models all with the COSC Swiss chronometer grade certification. There are models made in partnership with Jaguar, Norton, Martin Baker, Bletchley Park, the Royal Navy, HMS Victory, the US Airforce amongst others. Numerous celebrities feature in their marketing material. Some of their limited edition prestige models have incorporated some very imaginative elements, for example, a piece of a Spitfire, fabric from the very first aeroplane flown by the Wright Brothers and copper and oak from HMS Victory.
Bremont represents the top end of English watchmaking in the branded luxury sector distinguished not only by a commitment to quality but some very original marketing. There are many quality watches for buyers to choose from but Bremont has established a very distinct niche which clearly appeals to individuals wanting a mechanical watch rooted in the history of domestic engineering tradition.
Richard Snelling gave the vote of thanks for a wonderful insight into an amazing journey. The audience was enthralled.
Martin Gatto