London you would think was in a security panic but as I remembered from when there were other terrorist alerts in the 90’s people were just going about there normal day and generally getting on with life. I walked out of South Kensington Tube station on a really wet night to be confronted by a Lamborghini Garage filled with their exotic fore.

As I walked down from the tube past rows of white façade Georgian town houses sheltering under the trees on the old squares I marvelled at just how swish London has become. Seeing lines of parked cars I noticed the brands, Porsche after Maseratti after Mercedes and just on the street!!

Turning right onto the fabled road a Marquee covering a shop entrance came in to vision as well as a very large themed window all sweaters and tennis rackets, Ralph Lauren Home always the topical retailer - I passed on towards the Watch Gallery.

This is definitely the right place for the launch of such a well made a classic range of timepieces.

Arriving outside I took a few shots and stepped in out of the rain to be checked on the list and then handed a very nice glass of champagne. I pushed up against the shop window to keep out of the rain and to see the full Bremont range. I had not seen them all together and it was quite a shock at just how many of these great watches Bremont have manufactured and the quality of choices they have made in the dial styling and configuration of the designs.

The shop was full people chatting and having a good time, nice suites and pretty dresses all very smart but I was a man on a mission to get to see the watches. I clocked Nick and signalled I would be over later, the poor guy was surrounded by people asking him questions ???  It was after all the press launch!

So to the watches, the first cabinet held the watches, grey dial, black dial, (the Grey dial watch that is going to the Top Gun fighter school in the ) and a cream dial version that I hadn’t seen all backed with cool shots of vintage fighter aircraft. I was getting excited as I was beginning to see just how powerful a whole range of exotic beautiful watches can be…..

I moved on to the auto window were the BC-F1 watches were displayed, great looking autos with that ‘aircraft fuel gauge’ date window, all with the same case finish and design. 4 dial colours, salmon, grey, black and silver, all with a display back, sapphire AR double coated crystal with decorated chronometer movement. COSC certified. This seems to be their ‘drivers watch’ and I have to say that as an auto it is very stylish and clean.

But wait, there are other autos here too…..the BC-S1 range with centre seconds track on the dial also with a lollipop seconds hand two tone detailing on the dials, black and green, silver and faun a twist on the classic pilot watch. The autos will be available in 43mm at the end of the Summer.

This has been a lot of work but the common thread of design and colours that goes through the range means that although there are a large number of these watches, they have all been made different enough that they stand out alone.

Popping downstairs to the ‘champagne bar’ I looked for a little space, it was heating up and my trusty rain coat was a little warm I grabbed a glass of water from the pretty waitress and was introduced to Liam from The Watch Gallery, a cool guy very in to his horology, he likes vintage too and we talked military as he admired the Submariner 5508 I was wearing.

I saw over his shoulder the two register chronographs that I hadn’t seen yet and Liam asked if I would like the doors open to take some shots so I pulled out my camera and started snapping away at what are some of the nicest new watch models I have seen in a very long time.

This was the 2 register 1-C range and wow are they classy, silver scored dials with a blue glow, cream dial dark brown registers ‘Panda’ eye and a contrasting grey - black dial version, all metal dials with scored bevelled registers which are a winner for me.

I moved back upstairs and passed a Plasma screen showing some of my own Bremont pictures woven in to 35mm footage of vintage planes, which looked pretty cool I have to say. A quick chat with Nick and Giles who were both ‘top guys’ real people who are very pleased that people like what they like and then on to the last cabinet to see ALT1-P range, the most complex of their watches.

My impressions of these watches is at first site, they look complicated but after a better look the clever and very considered details punch out. The nickel hands with full length lume catch the light at an angle but straight on they are matte which creates that bit of separation that all great chronographs have …. With the help of the dial printing and subtle case finishing these are the parts that make a complicated watch legible which in turn allows you to be confident in reading what you need to see more easily.

I haven’t seen that level of complication and subtlety since I bought my 1969 Zenith El Primero one of ‘the’ great watches.





I think this is a triumph by Bremont and my hat is off to Nick and Giles as this isn’t just clever design but simply some true nods in the direction of historical aviation instrument development encased in ultra modern manufacturing techniques. Old and young together!

I needed some air and another glass of ‘juice’ so I popped outside where I was introduced to Ken Kessler, watch writer for QP Magazine, Times etc. A Bonkers watch man with a great mustache and a warm disposition, we talked Rolex and traded some stories that I couldn’t possibly repeat but a very nice man indeed. He in turn introduced me to one of owners of Dent Watches a good bloke and friend of the Bremont boys I was now feeling a little less like a fish out of water. Or would have been if there wasn’t a hurricane blowing through West Kensington at the time.

I made my farewells, I had my shots, I met some nice people and got to look over the Bremont watches in the company of other enthusiasts. A perfect night out for me really!

I would like to thank The Watch Gallery being so hospitable and to Bremont for inviting me on such an amazingly wind and rain swept evening.

Below are some other shots from the evening and feel free to make a comment at the bottom, cheers!