What is it about Bremont?

[nellydog]

I imagine, as with most watch brands, Bremont is responding to the market more than influencing it. I'm not ex-military, but I like that aspect of what the company does, as well as the engineering approach to case design and manufacture. Again, as with most brands, there are some models I love and some I dislike, and some design elements that are unnecessary (HEV, for example). I don't particularly wish for an in-house movement, and although I have two Rolexes, I didn't buy them for that reason. I also 'get' why they are releasing quite a few new models and upgrades, as it were, but for me, the single most important thing is getting quality control right, and judging by the number of warranty repairs I see posted, that is an area that needs some work. Yes, the customer service is very good, but to be honest, so what! It should be. A brand that has so many warranty returns - as it so appears, based on social-media anecdotes - cannot truly live up it to its tagline. Of course, I have no actual data concerning the percentage of returns nor whether there are more than comparable brands and apologise to Bremont in advance if my impression is wrong.

[nellydog]

Got logged out and missed a bit copying and pasting:

I support the brand and enjoy owning its watches - I have three. I like the marketing, the ambassadors, collaborations and the brand's social media presence, so this isn't a 'bash' at the brand, just a kind of 'wondering-out-loud' whether there is something in the impression of there being too many returns and if so, whether the company's focus should be prioritised in that direction. All just my opinion, of course.

[shedlock2000]

I sold the Kingsman cos I simply couldn’t read it


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Oh! I hadn’t thought about legibility! Was the dial too cluttered, or was it the hand contrast? Which model did you have?


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[theancientmariner]

I think the Hawking watch is beautiful - would I pay £8000 for a steel BREMONT? Nope. k

That's an interesting question. The price of Bremonts is a common point of discussion. It's interesting that they're often considered overpriced when similar offerings from other manufacturers cost the same. This Omega for instance - https://www.watches-of-switzerland.c...01/p/17331760/ - more expensive than the Hawking and yet in no way superior that I can tell?

[theancientmariner]

but for me, the single most important thing is getting quality control right, and judging by the number of warranty repairs I see posted, that is an area that needs some work. Yes, the customer service is very good, but to be honest, so what! It should be. A brand that has so many warranty returns - as it so appears, based on social-media anecdotes - cannot truly live up it to its tagline. Of course, I have no actual data concerning the percentage of returns nor whether there are more than comparable brands and apologise to Bremont in advance if my impression is wrong.

I get the impression that there are a lot of warranty returns from other brands, possibly even comparably so. What's intriguing about Bremont owners is just how open they are about their warranty returns. I wonder whether that is because the customer service is so good that they're happy to share? If you look around the watch forums there's plenty of posts about people returning watches from other brands but they seem to be a lot more discrete about it until they have a problem with the manufacturer and then it becomes more 'known'. It would be interesting to see what the percentage returns are from the various brands although you'll never really find out. The best you can hope for is something like this https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/n...rates.3276794/

[shedlock2000]

That's an interesting question. The price of Bremonts is a common point of discussion. It's interesting that they're often considered overpriced when similar offerings from other manufacturers cost the same. This Omega for instance - https://www.watches-of-switzerland.c...01/p/17331760/ - more expensive than the Hawking and yet in no way superior that I can tell?

Well, it’s lighter, prettier, better constructed, has an in-house movement that has 50 years of well-defined heritage, it has the much loved (not that I understand it) snoopy tie-in, the chronograph function, the tachometer function, a better bracelet (in that it comes with one AND it’s better), has better case dimensions, and the list goes on.


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[shedlock2000]

I get the impression that there are a lot of warranty returns from other brands, possibly even comparably so. What's intriguing about Bremont owners is just how open they are about their warranty returns. I wonder whether that is because the customer service is so good that they're happy to share? If you look around the watch forums there's plenty of posts about people returning watches from other brands but they seem to be a lot more discrete about it until they have a problem with the manufacturer and then it becomes more 'known'. It would be interesting to see what the percentage returns are from the various brands although you'll never really find out. The best you can hope for is something like this https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/n...rates.3276794/

If it’s made, then it has the potential to fail. I could care less about the warrantee issues (though I’d prefer something broke down less).

My Bremont has been through hell and has not failed once — were my ALT1 3mm smaller and 3mm lower, and to have a decent matching bracelet, I wouldn’t be looking for a new piece.

The build quality of the Bremont’s is not in question, but it is the lack of innovation that bugs me: there’s no fancy clasp, or unique complication (the trip-tick case hardly counts, because almost all cases comprise a caseback, a mid case, and a crystal and the spinning internal chapter ring has 60 years of history with Enicar etc.); there’s no unique movement to Bremont or unique design (throwing in lumps of old ship or plane is token gesturing not innovation).

To earn a reputation, they need something definitive. I’m not certain how unique the shock protection is, but it’s only fitted in some of their pieces. They’ve used non-standard materials for hairsprings and Glycydur balances etc, but nothing unique that hasn’t been used by others — that is, so have others. Their lume is not unique and their case material is debatably unique at best (and not what they claim at worst).

I love Bremont and want dearly to be a Bremont guy, but their stuff is bland at best and awkward and aesthetically imbalanced at worst. I’d love to see a 41mm case, 13mm thick, priece with a unique bezel operation, Bremont shock absorbance, a Bremont-modified ‘traveller’s’ gmt movement (there are at least 4 ways I can think of to modify the 2893-2 to make it a traveller’s gmt without employing Daniels’-like watchmaking — and I’m a diesel engineer not a watchmaker), some unique dial construction (maybe sandwich dial or composite material dial with unique properties), a unique set of lume colurs, some interesting material plots (or some such difference), some improved bezel operation, a decent matching bracelet with some micro-adjusting clasp or some unique lacking or adjusting system.

Bremont need to innovate and generate something unique to engender the reputation not hinge genuflection on a tie-in with a rock star!!


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[nellydog]

I get the impression that there are a lot of warranty returns from other brands, possibly even comparably so. What's intriguing about Bremont owners is just how open they are about their warranty returns. I wonder whether that is because the customer service is so good that they're happy to share? If you look around the watch forums there's plenty of posts about people returning watches from other brands but they seem to be a lot more discrete about it until they have a problem with the manufacturer and then it becomes more 'known'. It would be interesting to see what the percentage returns are from the various brands although you'll never really find out. The best you can hope for is something like this https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/n...rates.3276794/

I don't know what to think really. My initial impressions were formed by my own experiences (2 returns out of 3 watches); seeing several up for sale with notes about warranty repairs and people's experiences on here. I've been on different watch forums for years and of course all brands have warranty returns to some degree, but I've never had the impression that, for example, Omega and Breitling have similar, significant warranty returns. I don't want to have the impression that Bremont does, but that's what I've been left with. I like the brand and I'm not knocking it, but despite a number of really good deals around at the moment, that impression has stopped me making another purchase. I'm not at all worried about my S500 - it arrived at Henley-on-Thames yesterday - but I am worried that I might have the same situation if I get another.

[peterdo81]

I’ve had 5 Bremont watches, one had to be returned for repair under warranty.

That’s ok by me, like a car, sometimes things go wrong, im ok with that so long as it’s fixed and doesn’t happen again


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[thebounder]

My ALTZ1 was wrong “out of the box” they did make sure I received a new one though .... biggest issue is price point ... if the Hawkins was sub £5k I say yup at £7k I really can’t - as it is I wouldn’t again but a new BREMONT many bargains in after market for grabs.


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