The UK was once the heart of watchmaking, but they the British waches have largely used Swiss movements. Now Bremont has forged ahead with a movement of their own.
Bill- this is another tremendous video by you! You are a great teacher and I appreciate your objective evaluations, especially regarding Bremont. This brand is subject to unfair treatment almost constantly. It's the new kid in the world of luxury brands, and there seems to be some snobbery by a certain crowd. Bremont definitely gets measured by a different standard than brands like IWC, Panerai, etc when it comes to things like watch movements. I am a big fan of the brand and, even though I sold my Supermarine S500 (which was outstanding to dive with at 80-100 feet), I plan to get back into owning at least one of their models at some point.
JD, Bremont makes outstanding cases, and many of their pilot watches are among the best-looking I've seen. Their problem lies in two areas 1) manufactured movement [which they now seem to have] and 2) price. Their new Longitude with an ENG376 seemed destined to offend no one but may have had the opposite effect. The $17,000 version (lowest price one) in stainless steel competes with Vacheron Constantin for less than that--$12,500 for a VC FiftySix Self-winding...or a whole batch of Rolexes and Omegas. They have the movement; a watch around £5k to £7,000 with a pilot theme would do great. They've spent a lot of money in developing the ENG300 but they won't recoup that by having over-priced watches that do not sell well. I am a Bremont fan (and former pilot); so my point is not to bash Bremont, but suggest a path that would seem to be more successful for them. Take care, Bill
Hi Bill. If it is genuine, a new British made movement will be great to see. It has been over fifty years since Smiths Instruments closed their watch making division. Timex closed their Scottish factory in the early 1980's.
Yes, Tuna, it's a good move by Bremont, and I'm glad to see it. Here's a great article on how they came to develop the movement. www.hodinkee.com/articles/up-close-and-personal-with-the-bremont-eng300 Take care, Bill
The problem is everything is in someway adaptation - i’ve heard Rolex described as a third-party movement user, and this is technically true - on the fantastic video for the new 1908 perpetual they say “ invented the oyster” the only thing he really invented was the use of the word “ oyster”
Thanks Bill I just watched a video by Robin Henry Watches he did a great job of explaining Bremont & how they went about getting this movement and the company in general.
Bremont are my local watch company (I drove passed the 'Wing' yesterday) I have an ALT1-C with the old 'in house' (ha ha) movement, and I like it. Still can't understand why some of their watches have London on the dial, when they're in Henley on Thames in Oxfordshire. I'm going to book up a tour of their tech centre and museum soon.
Good question Rog. Love the names of English villages ... like Wormly-in-the-Puddle and the like... Henley-on-Thames is a great name to put on a watch. Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci Henley is the home of the annual Royal Regatta, the Wimbledon of Rowing. So perhaps Bremont should have an oar instead of a propeller as their symbol?
You are correct, Dom. I think they spent too many resources on flash before they really started settling down for their own manufactured movement. A basic pilot's watch or chronograph with a basic ENG 300 priced under £8,000 may help right the boat. Take care, Bill
Jenaro, here's a video I did on visiting 47th Street (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vWfwABVGJfY.html ). The main watch boutiques and shops are on Madison Ave from around 45th up to 62nd; then cross over the Fifth Avenue (and then down to 47th). Most of the shops are on the right side of the street including the 3 Swatch owned Breguet, Blancpan and Harry Winston boutiques. When you get to 47th, turn right and you'll be in the middle of where watch and jewelry shops are located. Federico warned me about going there, but that's where I got both of my FP Journes... the video introduces you to the guy I got them from. Have a great time in NYC! Bill
I noticed that Javi. Like you, I've been a fan of the looks, but not the price nor movement. Maybe the new movement (and price) might take it to a place that will add some vigor to its popularity. Take care, Bill
Too bad Bremont didn't take any lesson from Tag Heuer's cal.1887 fiasco. But their build quality and design seem pretty good. I'll never pay retail for a Bremont, but would love to buy one at liquidation sale.
Xuliuk, Bremont had their own fiasco and have spend millions in their 'Wings' facility to assure that they didn't make the same mistake. TAG Heuer began making amends in a big way the minute they hired Carole Forestier- Kasapi. Tell us about the 1887 'Fiasco.' Thanks, Bill
@@watchartsci TAG purchased the intellectual properties of 6S movements from Seiko and came up with their "in-house cal.1887" but didn't reveal it until the watch community pointed it out, and got some heated criticisms (I think you had previous episodes discussing this a few years ago). Bremont last time got into trouble for using La Joux Perret movements and calling them in-house. This time, they purchased the intellectual properties from Horage and are manufacturing the movements themselves, but that's exactly what TAG was doing with cal.1887.
@@xuliuk Thanks man! I think that Bremont learned from the scolding they got from Roger Smith, and they were very cautious to indicate they did an 80% re-engineer on the K1; not a 100% new movement. They deserve credit for the investments they made in developing 'Wing.' Here's an in-depth article on the efforts by Bremont ... pretty objective, I think: www.hodinkee.com/articles/up-close-and-personal-with-the-bremont-eng300 Thanks again for the insight on the TAG 1887 fiasco. Take care, Bill
@@terrydaigle8356 As misguided collectors of fine watches, we can draw the line at plastic and silicon springs. If we don't buy, it will discourage such 'annoyances.' Take care, Bill
Maybe I missed it but can you elaborate on why you don’t like a silicone hairspring? I’ve heard you mention you don’t like it a few times but not why you don’t like it. It seems like it would be an advantage not a disadvantage.
Basically, the concept of 'High Horology' was based on non-quartz movements, returning to traditional craftsmanship ... while silicon hairsprings are an improvement, they cannot be adjusted and they're a step away from what is most interesting about watches for me.
In house and manufacture are quickly becoming marketing terms to jack up the price. There is no real world value to the watch collector to have an in house movement that does not separate itself from the pack either with otherworldly finishing or innovative craft. Especially for a brand like a Bremont.
@@watchartsci it would be an interesting and exhaustive exercise for you to prove the purity of “in houseness” for your FPJ watches. Especially for the MSRPs that these watches were being offered for originally. Not based on secondary market price which right now is hype driven. These are not Roger Smith level pieces my dear friend. Not trying to hate on FPJ seriously nice watches.
That's harsh Tim! If the quality of the ENG300 is anything like the very high quality of their cases, we can forgive the 20% they didn't re-engineer. Check out this article: www.hodinkee.com/articles/up-close-and-personal-with-the-bremont-eng300 Take care, Bill
What a ridiculous comment. I'm guessing you've never held a Bremont before and just going with the online sheep? Hell, you're probably a Rolex owner who loves watching Archie "The Pontiff" Luxury and gobbling up his insane ramblings...... Am I right? 😉
