Reply With QuoteI won’t be defending them this time. Special significance to the brothers because their father knew of Stephen Hawking. Didn’t know him but knew of him, who didn’t?
I wish they would just stick to making watches, they’re actually very good at it!
Pictures of the new release by Bremont has just popped up on my social media.
This one is inspired by Stephen Hawking, the bits of old furniture and meteorite keep up the tradition of including flotsam and jetsam in the watch
It’s not much of a looker but would say the back looks much better than the front.
https://www.bremont.com/collections/...SAAEgKLsPD_BwE
I won’t be defending them this time. Special significance to the brothers because their father knew of Stephen Hawking. Didn’t know him but knew of him, who didn’t?
I wish they would just stick to making watches, they’re actually very good at it!
I like it and attended the (virtual) launch event earlier this evening. I'm not certain I'll buy one as I'm cutting down the collection and already own 4 Bremont watches. It was great to see that Lucy (Stephen Hawking's daughter) was so enthusiastic in the chat room of the event. Part of the proceeds go to the Stephen Hawking Foundation.
The marketing department have definitely earned their crust with the artefacts in the watch this time around.
I used to work with a guy who has a PhD in Astro-physics and knew of Stephen Hawking while he was studying, so maybe I can claim one by association.
The coincidence that Nick & Giles' father went to the same school and University as Hawking was mentioned but not made a big deal of in the event. They were apparently separated by 3 years.Originally Posted by Danstone
"Contains pieces of his desk which was one of his most treasured possessions". But he's dead now so we've chopped it up.
What utter nobbery.
I adore Dave Brubeck's music. Would I buy a watch with bits chopped from his favourite piano? No. Wait, I'll reconsider,....... no, still no.
Surprised they didn’t make the rotor from steel off his wheelchair.
Last edited by mylofitz; 16th November 2020 at 23:06.
Nicer looking than many other Bremonts!!
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Bremont have a penchant for adding pieces of iconic tat to their watches so when I saw this flash up today I genuinely thought they would have used pieces of his wheelchair.
There’ll no doubt be a slew of parodies and mockery off the back of this, which to my mind will be entirely deserved.
I was about to become a little indignant at the destruction of what has to be quite a significant historical object, until I read the wood they’ve used is from inside one of the drawers, not the actual desktop as you might first imagine. So they bought a drawer carcass from his desk then. Laughable.
I wonder what they did with all the offcuts.
Haha me too, I was cringing whilst opening the email wondering what they’d got their hands on of his.
The thought of the first Bremont ana-digi talking watch did cross my mind.
Last edited by gcleminson; 16th November 2020 at 23:31.
I actually really like it. Though, when they mentioned the case back contained parts of Prof Stephen Hawking’s draws I must admit I was slightly disappointed to find out they were referring to the draws from his desk.
I would want a few of his retrieved brain cells within a cryogenic caseback for that price.
I’m reliably informed that the Messiah Limited Edition will be available on 24th December. Contains shards of the manger.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
WTF.
Decent enough watches but they’re heading towards Romain Jerome with this nonsense.
The watch is quite nice.
But... c'mon, the sky on the night he was born? A bit of paper cut out of a paper he wrote? Some bits chopped off a desk he sat at? A bit of a non-specific meteorite? 388 in the run because he was published in 88? This is all tenuous f**kwittery at its tackiest.
I’m trying to work out if this is a certified chronometer, if not, surely they’ve missed the mark there considering Hawkings main body of work was about space and time.
Looks pleasant enough, but the "serial number printed on a scrap of paper he used" nonsense is emblematic of the brand's penchant for grasping at literally tacked-on provenance and authenticity. Perhaps they believe their target audience nurture similar needs?
I genuinely think their watches are good, but they deserve better than this nouveau Franklin Mint style marketing.
As for "Only 388 stainless steel and black dial, 88 rose gold with black dial and 88 white gold and blue dial pieces will be made; the numbers referencing the year in which Hawking’s “Brief History of Time” was published" I don't know what to make of this. Firstly it is a very hard sentence to parse. But also, where is the 388 from? Is the 3 significant? I am hungry to understand, Bremont.
The 88 I can totally buy in to. 1988 was the year I visited Hawking's very college to discuss studying physics. He was out. But this strong temporal connection surely means I could be a Brand Ambassador? I await "the call".
Checks calendar. Shakes head. No it really isn't April 1st.
What next? A watch celebrating great British comedy, featuring parts from Trigger's broom?
David
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
Adding memorabilia to watches obviously doesn’t appeal to everyone (and this one in particular seems way over the top), but some people seem to really obsess about bashing Bremont.
For me, there’s a lot I think they get wrong, but also can see some of their watches are fantastic. I would therefore try and give a balanced opinion.
There are certain brands that I dislike and would never own, but I don’t feel the need to comment on every thread about them as I know many people like them.
But yeah, a desk draw is ridiculous.
Last edited by Ghost Chilli; 17th November 2020 at 12:58.
Can’t wait for the Des O’Connor edition when it’s released.
Last edited by oldoakknives; 17th November 2020 at 08:33.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
It's not, you can't certify a retrograde movement; so I've been told. Or at least you can't certify that retrograde movement.
The regular Bremont mass pile-on is an established and revered forum tradition. So deeply engrained into the fabric of British history, I feel that Bremont might find it worth commemorating. Perhaps a limited TZ-UK edition featuring an exquisite gammon dial, luxurious XXL-sized leather strap and a rotor in the style of an MX5 steering wheel?
I am not a Bremont fan, but I think that watch is nice looking.
Not sure it's the kind of thing that would make me part with my cash, but it's the only one of theirs I've instantly liked and would happily wear.
There will have to be some tiny parts of a representative heritage item inlaid somewhere, possibly from a letterbox with mysterious brown stains.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Second only to the regular Rolex sales thread mass pile on.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Seriously though as mentioned earlier they missed the boat not making it a chrono, and the bits of old drawer is a bit tacky.
Some of their watches do look nice, it’s just the obscure links that draw some humour.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I agree that the wood inlays are tacky, but I'll go against the grain (see what I did there?) and say I like the watch.
First of all it's a good looking watch with a nice movement and some interesting complications. Knowing Bremont the quality will be there as well.
Secondly, whatever you think of Bremont as a brand, the brothers seem genuinely passionate about the whole process of making their LE's. The fact that Hawking's children were happy to participate in the project (and in the chat accompanying yesterday's live stream) has to count for something.
I agree Bremont, like so many brands, could tone down their marketing fluff. But this definitely seems no worse way of creating some association than simply putting 'The Beatles' on the dial or stamping a little prince on the case back.
Now that Romain Jerome is no longer using old rubbish as material on watches someone needs to fill the void.
His desk had three drawers
Surely some sort of astrological watch would have been more appropriate?
Anyway, I walked past him several times during my studies, I never uttered a word. I win for the position of Brand Ambassador!
Not to mention the Easter Edition which features a fragment of the True Cross built into the rotor, a chrono seconds hand modelled on the Lance of Longinus and a complication featuring a stone which moves away from the date aperture every 36 hours...
(Disclosure: I like a lot of Bremont's watches, but some of their more tenuous marketing richly deserves to be lampooned.)
An act of a sheer wanton corporate vandalism
Gives a sense of purpose and meaning to do many lives here!
I remember as a kid once walking home and seeing the local school bullies pick on this one kid. They all pushed him about then one little rat from the pack chirped up “Save some for me” and ran in and gave the lad a punch.
Now this kid they picked on was no weakling but obviously couldn’t take on 4 or so other kids and when the little rat ran in just looked at him almost to say “If this was one on one you wouldn’t be walking right now”
Reading these Bremont bashing threads kind of reminds me of that little rat kid.
I think it's quite a nice watch, especially the midnight blue one, but it's too expensive - of course.
Bremont's marketing flim flam used to annoy me, especially their co-opting of the military, but since they've become the brand everyone likes to hate, I have a bit more sympathy towards them.
The watch industry is full of faux history and made up back stories nowadays, which drive me up the wall. Ditto the attempts to flog expensive watches by linking them to charities that receive a miniscule portion of the sale price in return (at least Bremont's charity link this time seems to have the support of the Hawking family). So, perhaps Bremont aren't very much worse than anyone else, they are just too ham-fisted in the way they go about it.
I like to picture the English brothers giggling as they plane a bit of wood off an old drawer from the skip and shoe-horn it into the case back together with a torn off scrap of paper, but sadly I suspect I might be mistaken.
Did you get him in the end?
8000,- GBP for an ETA2892 with some sort of module???
World's gone mad.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Gordon Bennett!
The ridiculousness! The price!
Cheers,
Neil.
I wasn't the kid being picked on or part of the other group either.
What did they do when you challenged them?
I like it - but its overpriced.
Not much, they were too busy scurrying off looking for their next victim.
I read this thread as a bit of poking fun, not a serious slating. If you think the brothers can't handle it, and that their millions and success aren't some compensation for a light ripping, then maybe you're taking it too seriously.
It does get a bit boring though. Harmless enough I suppose. Bremont won’t care much as these all seem to sell out. That said I don’t like Christopher Ward watches so tend to stay out of those threads.
Anyway, some nice design elements in these and a retro look I really like but I won’t buy one, mostly as I wear a Garmin everyday.
It’s not that and poking fun thing I get and have done so myself on previous threads. It’s a bit like the Rolex and Christopher Ward threads, it’s like a broken record.
Have to say, even after reading the official guff on the web site, I still don't understand what exactly they did to make a 'Hawking'.
Signature series usually have some sort of identifiable attribute that is easily associated with its namesake.
In this case, it escapes me.
Well they will be 'hawking' it to all and sundry soon enough....
Boom Boom...
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Don't forget the wood splinter from the drawer.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Are you trying to ruin their business?Don't forget the wood splinter from the drawer.
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