A version of this story first appeared in Revolution Magazine USA, Issue 74

At Watches and Wonders 2024, Bremont did a thing: it completely rebranded. Forget any of the other exciting watches or surprising releases, this was easily the most passion-driven topic of the show.

“Passion” is one word for it. The British watchmaker will never be uncontroversial, and opinions on it get heated, to say the least. This year marked Bremont joining Watches and Wonders for the first time, and still freshly appointed CEO Davide Cerrato introduced the first collections fully produced under his direction. It was the moment to make a splash, and Bremont did a cannonball.

The approach was three-pronged: the brand introduced a new compass rose-style logo called the Wayfinder; it launched a new field watch-inspired collection in the Terra Nova; and it announced the Supermarine dive watch collection with a complete design overhaul. Also, one of the Terra Nova models was the brand’s first tourbillon. It’s a lot of change to take in for those who have followed Bremont over the years.

The overall message is that Bremont is evolving beyond the aviation-focused identity it was built on, introducing a more rounded, if familiar, approach to tool watch styles: that of air, land and sea families. The propeller “Heritage Logo” will be retained for the Altitude pilot’s watch collection. This direction seems straightforward enough, and the watches themselves can hardly be seen as offensive.

And yet… This is Bremont, a brand that elicits opinions and emotions that are more extreme than nearly any other in the industry. Intense criticism has always been met by dedicated fans, and it can be hard to see above the fray. But this time, the major shift in strategy and image seemed to rankle even longtime supporters. Comment sections on the likes of Instagram blew up.

The new Bremont

Call it a moment of serenity, but when seeing the brand’s new collections at Watches and Wonders, I felt I was able to evaluate them in something like a vacuum. All branding and context aside, the new collections were solid, good-looking tool watches. I’d wear the hell out of them. It doesn’t bother me that they’re designed for a broader appeal that might draw in new customers, but that was somewhat at the expense of the brand’s established DNA.

Take the new Supermarine dive watch, for example; it was comfortable and enjoyable on the wrist. On paper, it should be a crowd-pleaser: it hits a popular sizing “sweet spot” with a 40mm diameter. Even more laudable is that it’s designed to be slim, with a rather reasonable 12mm thickness. In many ways, it’s a traditional dive watch with highly wearable proportions and a rugged build. Oh, and that case: it’s made from 904L stainless steel. You know, like Rolex famously uses.

As products, Bremont did a good job on each. That should be all that matters, right? If only it were that simple. Those who bought into the brand previously were committed in a way that fans or customers of other watchmakers aren’t. They’re a special breed that’s seen the brand through controversies and come to its defense.

Respect to Bremont for the agility and willingness to take a big swing. But some of those diehard fans and owners are feeling slightly left in the cold. The new logo, the new collections’ designs: they seem to dilute the core personality of Bremont that their customers have stood behind. It’s subjective, but that’s how many tend to see it, at least.

Here’s what I see. Brands introduce new models and collections all the time. They take chances, and that’s often better than being timid, overly conservative and boring. If the products don’t prove successful, they try again, return to their archives, and they continue to evolve. The difference when Bremont does it, however, is that the reactions are uncommonly knee-jerk and impassioned.

Beyond the branding

For Bremont’s champions, the branding about-face complicates things. It seems disjointed, and if we’re going to accept it or reconcile it, it needs to feel somehow connected to the brand’s previous identity — and not like two companies under one roof.

I, however, see Bremont’s identity beginning to transcend its branding. Let me explain. While some brands thrive on controversy, Bremont flies dangerously close to the sun with regularity. Its evolution has been an absolute saga, a rollercoaster, a story of resilience, and a seemingly inexhaustible subject of the most passionate opinions in all of watchdom. This makes the brand unlike any other — and, to me, completely fascinating.

The missteps, the fallout, and the grit to go on and keep expanding … it’s become part of the brand’s personality in my eyes. It’s no small brand, but I find myself rooting for Bremont like an underdog: watching it stumble and get back up again is downright endearing. It happens to have also made a lot of cool watches along the way and doggedly followed up on its mission to produce watches at scale on British soil.

To me, this is the Bremont that inspires admiration. Even more than its interesting aviation and military connections, it’s the brand’s own journey that I see imbued in its watches, and its latest move is part of it. There’s a contrarianism, a self- confidence to wearing a Bremont that all the adventure-themed marketing in the world can’t devise.

Learn more on Bremont’s website here