Bremont has made some rather interesting moves in recent years, and while they haven’t always panned out, they never completely abandoned the core themes that once made the brand great. When I first encountered the brand around 2012, a few things stood out as unique. The first of which were the founders, brothers Nick and Giles English, who exuded a certain kind of charisma that leaked into the brand’s overall image, and the second of which was their unique Trip Tick case structure. The case felt novel, and the execution placed an emphasis on overall build quality that was evident in the hand. With the newest MB Meteor, Bremont feels closer than ever to capturing that original tone in a modern iteration.
I won’t get into the weeds on some of the more peculiar decisions made by the brand of late, suffice to say that current CEO, the familiar Davide Cerrato (the man who brought the Black Bay to market at Tudor in 2012), has a challenge in front of him. Not an insurmountable challenge, however. The core of Bremont has always been their attention to the right details, their rugged build, and their preservation of history. The charm of the original Martin Baker remains just as compelling today as it was in 2009 when it was released. If ever there was a reset button for the brand, surely it sits here.
Earlier this year, when visiting with the brand at Watches & Wonders, the Altitude MB Meteor hit many of the right notes I expect from Bremont, and now, they’re continuing to lean into the collection with a new, yet familiar, splash of color (sorry). Like those old school references, this new MB Meteor gets an orange barrel portion of the case, tucked under the lug shoulders, highlighting the case’s unique structure. It’s a small thing, but it endears a bit of personality to the watch that has been sorely missing.
This is a seriously robust case, and it had better be. It was originally designed for pilots who had been ejected from a Martin Baker seat, an ordeal that puts quite a bit of stress on the occupant, whatever they happen to be wearing. The case comprises three parts, including a titanium bezel element, to which the crystal is affixed; a central body containing the movement; and a steel caseback. The case undergoes testing protocols developed in partnership with Martin- Baker, which include live ejection testing, extreme temperature exposure, vibration, and impact testing.
But a watch needs to be more than just really, really robust and tough. It needs some personality. This MB Meteor brings a bit of that back, and I think it’s captured the spirit of the original quite effectively. The case is 42mm in diameter, and measures a bit over 12mm in thickness, but the curved lugs do a good job of keeping the watch comfortable, while the use of titanium keeps it ultra light, it weighs just 53.29 grams.
The internal bezel remains, as does a familiar design language on the dial, which is underpinned by the MB14-AH movement, which is a base Le Joux Perret caliber, providing 68 hours of reserve. The star of the show here is this case, though. And that’s what largely accounts for the $5,300 ($5,700 on bracelet) price of admission here. So that part also hasn’t really changed, but it’s still wholly unique and different from the standard slew of divers and field watches, and for that, I give it a nod. Bremont
