The ten pages of Bremonts aren’t all in stock though are they. No.Originally Posted by theancientmariner
76 are ATO listings.
That said, you’re quite correct, the new turds are occupying the front page.
Meanwhile the MB3 orange and Savannah have been dumped into the sale section along with some others.
Given that the MB is the pick of the range IMO it’s clearance says it all about where the brand is heading.
https://www.fratellowatches.com/brem...chmaking/#gref
billionaire walks into a store and walks out with a few items. He ends up loving them so much that he offers to fund the business. This may sound like a plot in a feel-good movie, except it’s not a movie at all. It is, in fact, how the story went, according to high-profile American investor Bill Ackman.
Ackman has purchased a substantial minority stake in British watchmaker Bremont after buying several watches at its brand boutique in Mayfair London. In an interview with the Financial Times, Ackman recalls sending the founders a handwritten note that read, “I admire your company, I love watches and I would love to learn more.” The investment reportedly comes from Ackman’s personal funds rather than his hedge fund company, Pershing Square Capital Management.
In 2019, the board brought in Chris Reynolds from the company’s key shareholder’s management team to orchestrate the operations. He had the mandate to grow Bremont into one of the watch industry’s preeminent brands and engineering companies with the vision and the foundation laid by the Englishes.
Reynolds tells Fratello, “Bremont has been backed by some wonderful investors for a number of years. They believe in what the brand is about. We tend to attract people who have a similar interest in investing and the same vision for the brand as we do — an interest and a passion towards British watchmaking.”
Sticking to the vision
Reynolds continues, “We’re blessed not to be working in this private-equity-type investment environment, which could be very derailing. We’re building a legacy. We’re looking to build a heritage, luxury brand here. And this takes time. But we’ve got patient backers, and we’re patient. We want to do things right and do things in a way that ensures our clients can have their products looked after for years and years to come. We’re setting up for the future.”
The brand’s leaders are fully aware of the importance of longevity and continuity. “We’re now having original Bremont clients bringing their son or daughter for their graduation present, coming in to buy their Bremont watch. And for their entire life, Bremont has been around as a luxury watch brand, “says Reynolds. “So we’re not necessarily the new kid on the block anymore. I mean, in the world of luxury, unless you’re 200 years old, you’re pretty young in real-world terms. We’ve been around for most of the lives of most people that we’re selling to now.”
Quite delusional to say the least based on latest offerings
All these people involved taking vast amounts of money yet Bremont have been loss making since the beginning...
Wish I knew the secret as if my businesses didn't make a profit I couldn't eat!!
As someone said previously, it's not so much of an issue for a limited amount of time if you are investing in the company to grow instead if taking profit. They can keep focussing on growth as long as they have the cash by persuading investors to chase the eventual profit and keep investing. That profit has to happen sometime...if it doesn't the investors will pull the plug.
I was thinking the same. The two brothers appear to have gotten a lot out of it financially yet the company has never made any money. I find that bizarre.
I find it bizarre that a brand releases some watches this year that folk don’t like, and very quickly the conversation shifts to the companies assets, the cost of refurbishing a leased building. I think this has added a few gallons of fuel to the bremont haters fire. Not sure I’ve seen this with other brands.
I don’t like tag heur watches or Christopher ward, but never felt the need to explore how well liquidated they were or if they own their premises.
Most Bremont fans are much more dedicated owners than the average CW, Tag, Rolex owner because they have been sold the idea of watchmaking and manufacturing being brought back to the UK and they want to be a part of the journey. So when such a drastic U turn happens you can't blame them for wanting to know the details.
True, I guess that’s a fair point on the differences. I own a bremont but it’s an early one so says ‘Swiss made’ on the dial. I honestly couldn’t care less where they were made. They could make them in Bulgaria for all I care. I buy what I love the look of or really want. Being made in Henley is not part of the appeal for me. I did do the factory tour courtesy of someone on here who arranged, and that was a great day out and made me like the watch a little bit more for it. As I’ve already said I quite like the aqua terra but I don’t love it. I only spend thousands on watches I love.
The brothers and the brand were the classic underdog that many of us wanted to succeed. Along that journey we may not have all loved what they made, but for a small independent they had fantastic tie in's, be it with Martin Baker, Jaguar, Bletchley Park, Ronnie Wood, Bamford. They tried hard to impart a brand USP on their watches. They worked towards bringing production to the UK (often thanklessly in the forums). You knew if you met a Bremont owner you'd have something in common with them and most likely end up chatting with them over a drink.
The sudden about change is very jarring for existing fans and customers who are left in the cold. But for the non-WIS I don't see why you would now buy a Bremont? The only thing I can think is they are hoping customers will presume that at a price point above Longines and CW it is their next step in the watch world. But at best that is all I see Bremont being - a stepping stone with no brand connection until customers can afford a Rolex/Omega/Cartier/[insert brand here] etc.
The truth is we won't know for a few years. The June 2022 accounts show turnover of £22m, and at the end of that year the business was sold. We won't know until we see 2024 and 2025 accounts whether Bremont has increased revenues and turned a corner towards profitability thanks to the new (and frankly soulless) offerings.
you don't take a salary?
as a business owner you must know that you don't need to make a net profit to have an income and potentially a large one at that.
I've always found it odd that the owner of a business can pay themselves ''whatever'' yet have employees on ''working tax credits'', has a whiff of the Michelle Mone about it...
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
There's nothing stopping employees on low salaries becoming the owner of a business. I did.
Me too, but that's not what I was saying was it.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Seems to work well for Thames Water...
And this latest range of watches appear to be the discharged effluent in this instance...
Here's another brand which won't be impressed with Bremont doing a homage to their logo: Héron Watches
https://www.heronwatches.com/
Polestar too might be less than impressed.
Polestar don't seem to be doing too well either. Seems like an unlucky choice of logo! (to be fair, Polestars logo is nothing like Bremonts new logo)
Bremonts a new logo however is remarkably similar to the logo used by Panzera. Very strange they would opt for something so similar to another watch brand.
They look really good. Like that Caribbean Blue colour.
Those Heron watches look really nice. The caribbean blue version is a great colour too. Could do without the hipster captain on the caseback, but overall a better offering than the new Bremonts (though I don't dislike the blue dialed Terra Nova turning bezel power reserve, apart from the name).
Captain Birdseye remembrance piece?
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
let's have some perspective.
online retailers almost never have stock of every watch that they're showing online.
online retailers almost always have the products organised either showing the most recent products first or the best selling.
Banks Lyon have 6 Bremont watches in their clearance section yet 110 in their regular watches section. Not really dumping the older design watches just yet then and might suggest that Banks Lyon still have a lot of confidence in the brand.
FTFY
It is quite possible that they are hedging their bets, and believe that old stock may become more valuable, not less if Bremont demand plummets.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I was previously a big fan of the brand, had several and have one remaining that for personal reasons I'll never sell. I followed their ambitious journey to creating a fully UK manufactured movement with great anticipation, knowing that I wouldn't be a customer of the first iteration, but maybe some time later.
I'm not a fan of the rebranding, but I'm also not daft enough to think that "we" the enthusiast community are a relevant voice or profit when it comes to running their business. However, looking at the new offerings and taking a Supermarine on rubber/leather as an example - the new watch saves you about £250.
That's not a different segment. That's not a different buyer. That's the same people with the same wallets being targeted with a (subjectively) worse looking watch, constructed from (objectively) worse materials, now lacking any of the few unique selling points that they previously had (case design, big name tie-ins e.g. Martin Baker, Boeing etc).
Totally baffling to me. And their UK made movement? Now parked in a corner of the website. "Make an enquiry". How long till the flash new manufacturing facility in Henley gets sold?
It wouldn't greatly surprise me if selling off that asset formed part of the business case for the new investors buying into the company in the first place. If they wanted to keep it, and carry on developing and building British movements, they wouldn't be doing what they're doing now.
It's not an asset, it's leased.
Who owns it please? Culden Faw Estate have the land but who owns the building?
RIAC
Shows how much I know!
It will be interesting to see how the general public, as opposed to watch fanatics, perceive the brand in future. This partly depends on the inertia of previous ideas about them, and any new marketing. For instance, will they assume it’s in some way better than Oris? The Oris Aquis Date Cal 400 has an in-house movement with a five day power reserve, and is £500 cheaper than the rather similar looking Supermarine. Will the Breitling style bracelet, the higher price, and vague memories of spitfires convince them that the brand is better or more luxurious? And if so, for how long?
We'll see.
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