Although I have not made many postings in my life and never before on this forum, I decided to create this entry so I could share my experience of entering the world of Horology as a newbie.
For many months I have been considering the purchase of a luxury watch. Especially after many boardroom meetings where my fellow attendees would fight over the chance to pour me a glass of sparkling Pierrer water so they could show off their pride and joy.
My initial problem was that of choice, with £3,500 GBP, I was lucky to be in a position where I could choose from a wide range of brands and models. I knew from the start that I did not want a watch made by the more popular brands, the ones that are often faked and sold from suit cases or by men wearing dodgy trench coats in the height of summer. I also did not want to look like a salesman and therefore, Breitling, Omega, Tag Heuer and Rolex were all disqualified.
The next problem I had was that I had no particular leaning to the style of watch I liked, dive, aviator, military and classical dress were all appealing. So I decided to look at all styles and over the period of many evenings I created the shortlist below.
- Bell & Ross BR 03 51 GMT Titanium
Bremont ALT1-Z/LG/07
Eberhard & Co Chrono 4 White Dial (EB-003)
Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro S Carbon Fibre & Titanium (GM-014)
Graham Chronofighter R.A.C Black Fighter (GR-113)
Linde Werdelin Two Timer (LI-009)
Raymond Weils Nabucco (RW-409)
My first piece of advice is to never buy a watch until you have tried it on. I was amazed to see how different these watches looked up close and when worn on the wrist.
Immediately, I was able to exclude…
- Bell & Ross - although a very well engineered and surprisingly light weight watch, I found it difficult to justify paying so much money for a rubber strap.
Graham Chronofighter R.A.C – ruled out after a number of negative postings which commented on the history of the company and how quickly the watch depreciates in value.
Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro S – nothing wrong with this watch, I loved the simplicity of the design but strangely I also saw this as its downfall. Would I grow bored with it over time?
Linde Werdelin Two Timer – do not know what to say…the watch case and metal bracelet dominate the small watch face. It actually felt more like a manacle than a watch.
So three watches remained in the running
- Eberhard & Co Chrono 4 – a very pretty and delicate watch but even though the case size is 40 mm it looked tiny on my wrist.
Raymond Weils Nabucco – never been a fan of the RW brand but I was interested in seeing this watch in the flesh and I was not disappointed. It has a real “bling” factor. I felt like a big kid when it was placed it on my arm, there was now way anyone would fail to notice it. With a 46mm x 15.6mm case and manufactured from a mixture of carbon fiber and stainless steel, it made a very bold statement. It was not for me though and I was concerned by how much the price varied. For example, Jura Watches are selling it for nearly £1,000 GBP more than Selfridges, London.
So the watch that stole my heart…the Bremont ALT1-Z. The style, size and weight of the watch are just perfect and I like the blend of modern and retro design. There are three choices of dial, cream, black and grey. I choose grey because the contrast of the cream with the dark strap was too much and I did not want a black dial.
Unfortunately the following images below do not do the watch justice.
I have worn the watch for a couple of days now and I believe I made the right decision. The only negative point is the metal security clasp which can dig into your wrist on occasion.
The history of the company is well worth the read and they recently won the best emerging British luxury brand for 2008.
My finally piece of advice…haggle! With the current credit crunch and the drop in VAT retailers are keen on doing deals, I managed a 10% reduction.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
The Bremont story is indeed very interesting. My local Jeweller is an AD for them and when not trying to get me into a GMTII they are constantly "persuading" me that the Bremont is for me. To be honest I'm tending towards the ALT1-P ( in the style of the Mosquito fuel gauge) but at over £3300 it seems a little steep - good to know you can manage to get discounts though.
Anyhow very nice watch -
Hi Horo and welcome to the forum :)
Nice first post. You certainly chose wisely if you ask me. That Bremont is to my mind a very good design combining a classical look with readability and modern details.
If you don't get on with the clasp you could throw it on a NATO, then you'll fit in well with the rest of the nutters on here :D
Cheers,
Mabuse
Nice watch, welcome! I like a lot of things about the Bremonts, unfortunately the price puts me off.
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Pretty good 1st post - welcome!
I've handled a few of the Bremonts and am impressed with their quality and attention to detail; I'm confident I'll be having one someday.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Welcome :lol: and thanks for doing a review as your first post. I like the fact that your choices for a watch were very individual and not the run of the mill.
Not seen a Bremont in the flesh but believe they are well made, you'll be joining the likes of Jeremy Clarkson and Bear Grylls!!
Thank you all for making me feel so welcome. I did post the same entry on another forum because I was not sure how it would be received but by far this has been the more active forum and therefore more inviting :P
I looked forward to reading and commenting on many other reviews.
In the meantime any advice on how best to look after my watch and when/where to service it would be greatly received.
Regards
Don't!Originally Posted by Horo
Welcome to the forum - a nice start, certainly! But I've found that more can go wrong that go right when a watch gets opened! If it's starting to look a bit mucky, warm water and an old tooth brush is fine. As long as the movement is running within about 6 secs a day, let it be. As long as you'd not being very hard on it, it shouldn't need a service for a good five years.
:D
Hi, Welcome to the forum. Good to get a perspective on the Bremont brand. I've yet to see one "in the flesh"; however from what you have said in your review, I won't be dissapointed.
As a fellow Bremont owner I welcome you to the forum.....Great choice. 8)
I have had my ALT1-Z for nearly a year now and I am really pleased with it. As it does everything that I want it to, is reliable and robust.
The AR makes the dial so clear. Almost as though the glass isn't there. Also it looks as new as when I bought it.
Don't know if you know but he light grey ALT1-Z was worn by Charlie Boorman on the "Long Way Down". Ewan Mcgregor had a silver ALT1-C.
They survived the punishing motorcycle trip which is being shown again on BBC2 at the moment.
anyway wear it well....
Martin
Martin, Could we have a few more pics of the whole watch please (so much better quality than the Bremont web-site).
Ok Dave, here you go...
Hope they are what you were looking for. I also posted a review at the start of this year on the ALt1-z, have a look.
Martin
Martin,
Many thanks for the stunning photographs. I didn't appreciate how much detail had been incorporated into the case design. There's a AD in Grimsby, about half-an-hours drive from me, so I'm planning to pay him a visit during the Xmas break to try one out for size. My wife and I's celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary next year, so it's a watch for me and a diamond ring for the lady!
I also note that there may be more than one Bremont in your collection (the pictures a gave a tantilising glimpse of two other watches). Subjects of future reviews maybe?
Once again, thanks for taking the trouble to post the pics.
Best regards,
The limited edition EP120 watch has to be my favourite Bremont watch to date but unfortunately it is currently out of my price range. It is named after the Spitfire Mk Vb EP120, a proven aircraft with over six confirmed kills. Some of the aircrafts original parts which were saved during restoration are integrated into Bremont's dial and movement.
More images available on;
http://flickr.com/photos/noodlefish/...57604170332370
John,
The EP120 will be a very interesting watch and is based on the cockpit clock in the aircraft in question.
Opinion is divided on the watch itself, personally I love it. I have handled the prototype watch and really like the black DLC finish, very stealth looking. The watch sold out along time ago and there is now a waiting list.
How are you getting on with your ALT1-Z?
Martin
I am really enjoying being the owner of a Bremont, it has generated a lot of conversation among my friends and colleagues.
Yesterday (13th December) I happened to catch Saturday Kitchen on the BBC and saw Charley Boorman wearing his dark grey ALT1-Z
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...en_13_12_2008/
My only negative point is the strap, I just can't find a comfortable fit. My wrist seems to swell during the day so either the watch strap is to tight or to loose. I guess the strap will stretch over time.
I number of my friends wear their watch like a bracelet, really loose, so the watch moves up and down on their arm.
Glad to hear that,
Yep, the watch strap does take sometime to mould itself to your wrist.
Give it some time and the leather becomes more comfortable as you wear it.
I have recently started a new job and get comments all the time....
Martin
that a real nice looking watch.....I never looked at a Bremont after reading this review
Lovely review.
I recently visited the local AD for Bremont and was really pleasantly surprised at the quality and execution of their designs-for instance the movement of the inner bezel was sooo smooth and the crown and pushers likewise, creating a real feel of worthiness.
The strap deployment however was difficult and really tight.
Overall the Alt-Z is one on the collection list.
Andy
very nice watch.
I, too had an AltiZ, I likied it a lot and would consider another, but it would have to be second hand...they are not worth the new price.
Beautiful watches. A Bremont is def on my want list.
Nice.
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