Latest Review
I think it’s possible that when it’s all said and done, no brand will have had a more consequential 2024 than Bremont. I can imagine a watch environment three or four or five years out into the future where this brand is fundamentally changed (even from how we see it now, after what most would agree is a tumultuous recent period), and we can pinpoint the start of that change in 2024. Specifically, at Watches & Wonders 2024, when the brand unveiled its new look, and the watch world, almost in unison, shook their heads.
We wrote about Bremont’s big rebrand when it happened, after getting a look at the watches themselves. It’s the single article we’ve published this year that I find myself being asked about over and over again. The Bremont rebrand comes up at local watch meetups, in Instagram group chats, and even in conversations with enthusiasts at our Windup events this year. People still have strong opinions about Bremont’s new direction. Predictably, something else has happened: more people are seeing these watches in person, and public opinion is shifting accordingly.
I stand by my original assessment, which is mostly just total confusion and a desire to wait and see what happens next. I thought the new Supermarine references I saw were quite unremarkable, but the Terra Nova references, particularly the simple time only model, had some promise. I still like the way this looks in the wrist shot I took in the Bremont booth at Watches & Wonders, even if the idea behind the watch and its marketing push feels a little half baked.
Talking to enthusiasts over these last several months, I get the sense that there’s some healthy curiosity about the Terra Nova, and anecdotally I’ve heard from a number of people who have seen the watch in person at this point and did not turn into stone. Like almost every watch, it’s better in person. So it was with some interest that I noted the brand’s recent announcement of the Terra Nova 40.5 Date in Caramel. The new limited edition takes a platform that already feels vintage inspired in certain key areas and dials it up to 11.
Watches that are purely vintage inspired are typically not really my speed, but I think Bremont deserves at least a little credit here for leaning into the things that make the Terra Nova interesting. When the watch was unveiled, much was written about the somewhat idiosyncratic dial, with large Arabic numerals that looks like they could have been pulled from a pocket watch, and a more contemporary case design. With this Caramel edition, Bremont has gone full faux-tropical. It’s still a little idiosyncratic, but the dial, at least, feels a little more coherent to me.
I also just have a weakness for brown watches, which could be why I find myself drawn to this particular Terra Nova. Brown is an underused color, in my opinion, but offers enthusiasts a great deal of versatility, particularly if they’re prone to attire that tends to consist of more earthy tones. It’s hard not to read the Terra Nova Caramel as anything other than a watch with a very surface level vintage influence, but if you’re able to see it simply as the brown option, I think it might be easier to get behind.
Like other Terra Nova 40.5 Dates, this one is made from a 904L stainless steel case measuring, you guessed it, 40.5mm across. It runs on a modified Sellita SW200-1 caliber with 38 hours of power reserve, with the date wheel (not color matched, unfortunately) at the 3:00 position. It has 100 meters of water resistance, but notably does not have a screw down crown. This release is a limited run of 100 pieces.
It’s been about seven months since Bremont changed the face of their brand, and the jury, I think, is still very much out. As time passes, though, it becomes easier to see where a watch like the Terra Nova fits in. As an all purpose tool and field-style watch, it offers a slightly different aesthetic than some of their obvious competitors. The problem, I think, might be the price point. I’m not usually one to gripe about retail pricing, but this watch retails for $3,650, which, if you’re cross shopping with comparable Hamiltons, feels like a significant expense. Bremont
