I’ve been looking at the Bremont Martin Baker timepieces (MBII) I like the idea that they or at least the cases and some of the components are made in the UK. It”s great that watchmaking, has made a comeback.
Their website is very slick and gives the impression of a very upmarket watch making company. I do understand that they do not make the watch movement which I think are modified ETAs.
So If you bought and wear one what are your thoughts regarding purchase and how have they faired being worn over the years. Some pics of which one you are wearing would be great.
I have 4 bremonts, 2 x ss, 1x dlc and 1x titanium. Only marks that are obvious are the normal swirls on my titanium strap. Other than they all look nearly as new. All been worn extensively and one is now over 5yrs old. I got my mate to buy an mb2 and he has no regrets too.
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MBIIs are superb watches, I had 2, first one I sold to part fund a Rollie and regretted selling it so bought another as soon as I could, only recently sold that one to buy another Bremont (ALT-C CR) You could say I'm a fan of Bremonts :)
Been wearing my Terra Nova all day today. It has a few tiny, tiny scuffs which are to be expected of a Ti-alloy case and is no worse than you would expect from any other manufacturer. The watch gets admiring comments from lots of colleagues. IMHO, it is a quality timepiece with which I am very happy. I am sure the MBII will delight also.
Regards
Gary
I like the MBII a lot. My Terra Nova is one of my favourite recent purchases, much better than I was expecting.
Years ago I was put off the Supermarine 500 because of the feel of the bezel action, when I went to buy one. And... whilst its still not my favourite by a long way - I've had, and have a lot worse.
Im still not a fan of some of the Bremont marketing, I do however really like a few of their designs.
It's just a matter of time...
Had a P51 Mustang a while ago - loved it. Bremont customer service is very good.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I have a MB2 orange - the finish is excellent and mine is showing no marks .
The internal bezel rotated by the second crown gives a very satisfying click, the sapphire is domed and generally the watch is one of my taller ones especially if I wear my horween NATO.
My only slight criticism would be the lume is not fantastic
I'm a fan/owner of the MBII, I think they're great watches, with an interesting case design and solid build quality.
Plus you can always opt to have the barrel color changed for £150 (currently) which is nice since it changes up the watch if you get bored of the color (changed my orange one for anthracite recently, since I fancied something different)
Their CS is second to none as well, which is always a plus when it comes to service time, or should you be unlucky enough to have an issues.
I have a green MBII and a silver dial S500 Supermarine and love them both.
The only watch I've ever really regretted selling was an ALT1-C/CR which I'll probably replace one day.
Been to a couple of their events and visited the Henley HQ.
You could say I'm in the tank for the English brothers, but FWIW I don't think you'll regret purchasing an MBII if you get the chance.
Johnny.
I have four Bremont including a MB TWG, great watches, well made, and great customer service.Originally Posted by Inspector Cluedoh
We seem to be growing up.
No snide comments about Bremont yet.
OP, good luck with your quest.
I have an alt1-c/cr and really like it. I bought second hand so it is now about 8 or 9 years old (came with one of the original huge boxes not watch roll) and it shows no wear. Wears smaller than the size would suggest but it is thick so try with shirt cuffs if you plan to wear it under sleeves. Mine is a weekend watch that goes with anything. Bremont get a lot of stick for marketing and collaborations but is it much different from the zenith Range Rover / speedy Tuesday and other peculiar collaborations? Not had much need of their customer service but when I have been in their stores and when I chatted to them at salon qp they were really friendly.
Would suggest picking up used or grey market as it looks like residuals aren't great - I was pleased with what I paid used and I bought from watchfinder!
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I noticed that, would have been unheard of here 2 years ago.
I have an Alt1-P - I really like it, and I think they are great.
I believe movements are now Sellita, not ETA, but all case components and case finishing (colouring for the barrels and hardening) is done in the UK, as is all the assembly of the whole watch.
Servicing toois a UK activity, later on when that is required.
Good luck in your considerations and eventual purchase.
Dave
I've had my MBII for a few years now and wear it almost constantly. It's picked up scratches and knocks so isn't indestructible but does seem more resistant to lighter scratching so overall has maintained a reasonably nice finish. Agree with the comments on the lume, not great. That said, of the watches I have, lume quality seems inversely proportionate to the price paid generally for some reason.
If you're drawn to them already then I think you'll be pleased with your purchase.
And as someone has commented, if you ever have an issue their customer service really is first rate.
I don't own one, but the quality is excellent. I've examined an MB2 as a purchase proposition, and have never failed to be impressed by it. I've recently seen an ALT1-C, that impressed me much more than the IWC alternative, particularly the excellent casework. The value proposition is something you need to decide for yourself, but quality and design are both excellent. MB2 along with the ALT1-C are their defining models IMHO
This shouldn't be part of a decision, but the last two jewellers I went to had them sandwiched between the likes of B&R, Longines and Oris, which made me think twice
Dave
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Last edited by helidoc; 20th January 2017 at 02:34.
Strange, my Alt1-P has very good lume, and I mean very, all-night, good lume.I
It is a very early example though, so perhaps that has changed over time.
Gents,
Thanks for your interesting contribution to my thread. I have enjoyed reading them it has given me good food for thought. I like the B-U2 blue
having not considered it until it was mentioned here. It seems also that customer service is excellent and I've gleaned that the watches are well manufactured and tough. It's good to hear from people who are actually wearing them and not letting them sit in a box or leather pouch for fear of scratching them.
Regards,
Pete
aka Inspector Cluedoh
I know it's its 'gimick' so to speak, but I can't get over the ejection loop seconds hand on the MBII versions so I prefer the U-2 versions also. Either blue or black.
Just had my MB1.5 serviced for the first time since it was purchased (late-2009, from memory). There were a couple of dings on the bezel (caused by *another* Bremont ironically), but other than that, it looked pretty good for a six-plus year old watch...
Not a snide comment about Bremont but I'm surprised that the gloss hasn't gone off the Martin Baker connection.
If anything I miss my MBII more than ever actually - a dead comfortable watch too!
I know some thought the ejection seat logo a bit pretentious, but I never gave the Martin Baker thing a second thought.
Mine was a limited run (20 made) 1.5 but a very nice watch that I should never have sold.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
You're right. You should never have sold it!
Mine was a limited run (20 made) 1.5 but a very nice watch that I should never have sold.
Last edited by Broussard; 21st January 2017 at 11:25.
Don't overlook the MB3 either, they are a cracking watch and look really good on the hambleden leather NATO's.
Not much wrong with Martin Baker association. One (potential) error does not detract from all the lives saved over the years....
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I had 3 Bremonts. Only the MB II is hanging on in there.
All 3 had to go back to Bremont for different issues and so I have a different opinion on their customer service which I found lacking.
Whilst the hardened brushed steel case of the MBII does not show any scratches or swirls it can still ding if you whack it! Mine has a small mark on the bezel (God knows where from) but then desk adventures are hard on watches!
Also another weakness to be aware of is the coloured middle aluminium ring where the colour can be worn away over time if placed onto abrasive surfaces like wooden bedside tables!
I still like many of their designs and generally they are decent watches but my customer experience killed the company for me.
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Why would it?
They have one of the watches in a glass case in reception, always looks good when I walk past.
That is a real shame. My customer related experiences (which unfortunately have been a few) have been exceptional. Just hoping now I have no need to use them, unless for a service.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-37475298
7,512 lives saved.
I have an MBIII (the version with the GMT hand) with a bronze barrel. I wear it on leather and on a custom GasGasBones. Absolutely cracking watch and the short lug to lug measurement means that it works well on small wrists. I had an issue with the movement and customer service were excellent and a LOT better than dealings I had with Omega around the same time.
Slightly off-topic since it's not about the MBs... having never had any particular desire for a Bremont, I recently tried on a Supermarine S2000 in Heathrow T5 - what a lovely watch. Now seriously tempted. It's good to hear positive customer service stories here, and really interesting that the salesman in the shop had clearly met the English brothers (how often would you come across that...?).
Simon
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When I went to take my watch in with an issue, I was actually served by Giles English! Admittedly this was the boutique so you'd expect them to be involved, but he was sat down sending some emails on his phone, and when he noticed I was waiting for the assistant to get off the phone he jumped up and dealt with me. Excellent service. I was going to say "can you think of another brand where you'd get that scenario", but actually I can totally imagine Biver bumbling around a TAG shop :)
Giles and Nick are top guys and really passionate about their business. I've been to a number in their events which are always free with plenty of booze 😊 At one event I got chatting to Nick with my dad, this was just before the codebreaker launch. My dad mentioned how he loved reading about Bletchley Park...about a week later I was emailed two tickets to their black tie launch event for the codebreaker at Bletchley Park. My dad and I had a great time.
Say what you like about their marketing/movements/limited editions...IMO they show just how a brand should be run, with passion and a focus on the people buying their watches.
go on their website and ask them to post you a catalogue, what you recieve in the post is branding at its best. real quality.
A we are having a Bremont love in, they sent a rather nice multi watch case to a repeat customer out of the blue for his birthday.
A leather strap can wear the barrel - I've seen it numerous times. Also, their case hardening seems less robust than Sinn and Damasko from what I've seen of each.I had 3 Bremonts. Only the MB II is hanging on in there.
All 3 had to go back to Bremont for different issues and so I have a different opinion on their customer service which I found lacking.
Whilst the hardened brushed steel case of the MBII does not show any scratches or swirls it can still ding if you whack it! Mine has a small mark on the bezel (God knows where from) but then desk adventures are hard on watches!
Also another weakness to be aware of is the coloured middle aluminium ring where the colour can be worn away over time if placed onto abrasive surfaces like wooden bedside tables!
I still like many of their designs and generally they are decent watches but my customer experience killed the company for me.
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In terms of their contribution to the history of watchmaking, they are boxing above their weight.
They assemble parts to make a very attractive range of pieces, and their marketing department deserve 5* for the inclusion of the tiniest scraps of wood or cloth to justify the eye watering price of their limited editions.
B&R is a fair comparison to Bremont, and trading on aerospace connections has served Breitling well.
From an horological perspective, Longine and Oris offer a more credible pedigree.
Bremont is a commercial success, they are the leading British watch assembler and aspire to produce their own movement.
This will set them apart from the pack, and is good for the long term health of the British horology industry.
I've worn many Bremont's over the last 6 years and never seen any wear to the barrel.
I acquired one second hand recently from this very forum, and I've been pleasantly surprised by how often I've worn it. Easily my most worn watch of the last few months.
I think that flash of colour really adds to the appeal, and I'm a sucker for dual crowns.
Quality also seems very good, and there are some lovely design touches, like the shape of the lugs, the domed sapphire and the enamelled crowns.
It also has extremely good AR and a genuinely matte dial (unlike the SDc which I could never get to not look glossy to my eyes...)
EDIT: Just noticed from those shots that I seem to have dinged the bezel - d'oh!
Agree with this. I have the MB3 and it's a superb watch. I love the colour coded hands with just the white of the hour and minute hands showing as well as the red circle for the seconds and a red 'arrow' for the GMT. I also have the U2 blue and the dial is stunning. My other half wears the white solo 37mm, which she loves.
I've worn many Bremont's over the last 6 years and never seen any wear to the barrel.
That must mean it never happens:
http://www.thedivewatchconnection.co...it=barrel+wear
No, just said its never happened to me.
Interesting the first photo shows damage to the side of the barrel as well as the body, which may suggest its been knocked or dropped onto a hard surface.
The second photo shows an aftermarket strap fitted with straight pins. The MB comes standard with curved pins and strap ends to negate this issue.
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