Bremont Co-founders Nick and Giles English Talk to TIME²

When Bremont started, the English brothers knew that to build a commercially viable watch, they’d need a workshop in Switzerland near manufacturers and suppliers. But from day one, all design and case finishing took place in the UK. "Our long term plan is to build a movement on British shores," Giles told Time². "We’ll soon be making all full cases in the UK and our Marine Chronometer Ships Clock is already 100% built in the UK."

But how has a relatively small business set about penetrating the Swiss market? "My brother and I had long believed we could build a technically superior watch for the price point than other brands," explained Giles. "There are 400 Swiss watch brands and only a few British ones and we’ve tried to use that differential to make us stand out."

Giles is an admirer of other British watchmaking stars. "I love the Smith – Daniels partnership. Our technical director Peter Roberts taught Peter Speake-Marin and Stephen Forsey at Hackney watch school. But I’d like to see more talent brought back to the UK," said Giles.

Asked to name his favourite watches, Giles pointed to Bremont’s U2 developed for the US Army U2 Spy Plane squadron, with its aluminium case barrel. "I love the ALT1-P, the first watch we designed and also the EP120 limited edition – I think of them a bit like my little children," he added.

Next up for Bremont are 251 watches constructed with remnants of a restored P-51 Mustang, a plane called Fragile but Agile. "Judging by the current requests, I’d be surprised if any make it onto the shelves once they’re delivered in October," said Giles. See TIME²'s blog post PRE-BASEL – LIMITED EDITION P-51 to be unveiled in March.

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