Interview with Mr. Giles English CEO of Bremont watches
fiogf49gjkf0d 1. Bremont launched its first in house caliber BWC/01 few months ago Wright Flyer, please tell us more about this approach of in-house movements?
We are truly passionate about bringing watchmaking back to Britain in light of the huge history we have here. After much time and development we are thrilled to be launching our first proprietary movement which sees us manufacturing key movement parts in the UK. This has taken enormous investment and has seen us invest in machinery which hasn’t been bought ever across any industry in this country. The BWC/01 is a big step towards us achieving a movement that has been built in its entirety on British shores.
2. Does that mean that you are aiming on the long run at developing and manufacturing all of your movements in house?
For us it’s all about control so to not be reliant on the Swiss would be fantastic. Whilst we are making good progress in this direction we are still a very long way off this.
3. How do you describe the importance of the chronometers and chronographs functionality in mechanical watches?
A chronometer ensures a certain level of accuracy in a mechanical timepiece so it’s not only more practical but is a sign of great craftsmanship. A chronograph is a very useful timing function to have on a mechanical watch but it’s also something that appeals to some more aesthetically.
4. Ben Saunders has been a perfect brand ambassador for the Bremont watches, how do you describe this relationship with Ben?
It has been brilliant working with Ben over the past few years. He is an inspirational British explorer who has achieved something quite remarkable this year in completing Scott’s expedition to the South Pole and back. In advance of his trip we worked closely with Ben to ensure he had a reliable timepiece and navigational tool to help him complete the journey. The weight was crucial given they were pulling their own sleds so we created our first titanium watch for him, we used special oils for the movement to ensure it wouldn’t freeze in such extreme climate conditions and we added GMT functionality so that Ben could use it as a compass. In terms of our watches being ‘Tested beyond Endurance’ it really doesn’t get much better than this so it was fantastic for Ben to be testing the Terra Nova out in the field for us and we’re delighted to say it was a robust partner!
5. In which other activities does Ben Saunders promote the Bremont collections and in particular the Bremont iconic Terra Nova timepiece?
As a brand ambassador Ben has joined us for a number of events both in the UK for our Bremont Adventurer’s Club and internationally in China and the Middle East.
6. Bremont takes its pride by its British Label. How is this helping you to promote your brand worldwide?
There has always been a keen interest in ‘British Made’ internationally and certainly with regards to watchmaking people seem to appreciate what we are trying to do in reviving what was once a big industry for us over here. It is also a big point of difference to our Swiss competition.
7. How do you look at your recent association with the two strong British brands Jaguar cars and a British spirit brand?
It has been a real honour working with both Jaguar and Chivas on different projects and it was very interesting to see the synergies Bremont shared with each.
We have been associated with Jaguar for some time now; having built clocks for some of their concept cars, so making a watch with them was very much a natural progression. The way we look at mechanical watches is as engineered parts and the same can of course be said for Jaguar cars. Design Director Ian Callum is hugely respected in his own right and designing this watch in collaboration with him and in celebration of the remarkable Lightweight E-Type car has been an amazing experience for us.
8. What challenges did you and your brother face in establishing watch manufacturing facilities in England?
Everything involved in manufacturing watches is a challenge and continues to be so, finding the skills is key. To do this we have started our own apprenticeship scheme and also turned to other industries like Formula 1 to gain top engineering skills on a local level, this combined with a high level of investment is proving to be effective.
9. How is Bremont fairing among Watch collectors?
Bremont is increasingly becoming more of a collector’s item and we now have a number of our limited editions worth triple what we originally sold them for.
10. How do you define the target audience and market position of Bremont watches among the Swiss Labels?
We find that the demographic of our customers tends to be quite varied. This is perhaps due to the timeless nature of the watches and the fact that they are not trend driven, but also to do with the emotive nature of them. Many people really connect with certain models as a result of the stories behind them or indeed behind the brand. Our market position would really be amongst other high end pilot’s watch brands.
11. What are the key markets for the brand, and what are your future expansion plans?
The UK and US remain our biggest markets but we are rapidly expanding in China and the Middle East. We are opening a standalone store in New York in the New Year which is a big statement of intent out there to support that market and we are seeing a lot of growth in Europe.
12. In your opinion, what are the potentials of Bremont watches in the Middle East market?
I am very excited by the response we have had from the Middle Eastern market so far, there have always been strong links to the UK and I think we are genuinely offering something that is of a very high quality, exclusive and different in what is a competitive market place.
13. Will Bremont remain: A- A masculine watch brand? B- And which watch among your collection you are most proud of?
Whilst Bremont does have an offering for women it is predominantly a male watch brand which is not something we envisage changing.
After five years in development the watch of which I am the most proud would have to be the first one we ever launched, the ALT1-C range. We have also recently worked with the Wright Family on the Limited Edition Wright Flyer which is something Nick and I never dreamed would be possible so that would also be up there for me.
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