Today, I'm going outside of my $1000 price cap to review the Bremont
Solo-37, which sells for about $3995. Can I still call myself The Time
Bum and write about a watch four times costlier than my than my usual
self-imposed limit? Of course I can. After all, it's my blog, and I can
do whatever I want (remember that JLC Reverso?). Also, I write because I
love watches, not because I love a particular price point, so when I
get my hands on a watch as cool as this one, you better believe I'm
going to tell you about it. Finally, I stayed true to my moniker by
bumming it off of its owner, the generous Paul Hubbard of WatchOtaku.com.
Bremont is an independent watchmaker
based in Henley on Thames, England. Founded by brothers Nick and Giles
English in 2002, the company creates hand-built timepieces with modified
Swiss movements, and many parts are now made in their manufacturing
facility in Silverstone. The watches are COSC-certified chronometers,
which means they must maintain accuracy within -4 to +6 seconds per day.
They carry a 3-year warranty.
The Solo line comes in three sizes:
43mm, 37mm, and a diminutive 32mm. I am not a big guy, so I find I am
increasingly drawn to mid-size watches so the 37mm hit the spot. Bremont
offers it in black or white dials with silver or rose gold accents, and
a brushed or rose gold bezel. This one is a Solo-30/SI-RG with a
brushed stainless case and bezel, rose gold hands and markers, and a red
circle on the second hand. The
Solo-37 may be a modest size, but it is by no means delicate. It has
sapphire crystals (slightly domed and anti-reflective coated up front,
flat in the rear) and water resistance up to 100m. Even more impressive,
the brushed stainless steel is hardened by a three-part process of
carbon, heat, electrons, and presumably magic, to yield a claimed 2000Hv
or about nine times the hardness of untreated stainless steel.
Like most of the Bremont line, the Solo is aviation-inspired. Its
navigator's triangle, sword hands, and luminous squares behind the
Arabic numerals recall the post-war RAF-issued W10 and 6B watches made
by Smiths and IWC, among others. Even so, one would hardly call the Solo
an homage piece as it brims with its own distinctive elements and a level of finish those earlier, more utilitarian pieces often lacked. The
metal dial is silvery white with just a hint of warmth that complements
the rose gold hands and the applied, brushed markers. Interestingly,
the navigator's "umlaut" and SuperLuminova markers reside on the angled
chapter index, freeing space on the dial. Long markers at 6 and 9
o'clock balance the date window.
Lovely
as the dial may be, I think the case steals the show. Measuring 37mm
wide, 43mm long, and 12.5mm thick, with 20mm lugs, it fits neatly on my
6.5" wrist but still conveys the stout, purposeful presence of a tool
watch. Bremont calls the case construction "Trip-Tick," a 3-part design
consisting of (1) an upper section from lug-to-lug encompassing (2) a
separate central barrel fitted with (3) a display case back secured by
five screws. You
can best appreciate the case in profile. The upper part is a bridge,
chamfered along the inside edge to form a dramatic arch terminating in
tall, rounded lugs. Inside the arch is the barrel with two narrow
channels cut across the sides to form three distinct bands. A coin-edged
crown bears the Bremont propeller logo on its enameled head.
Inside
the Solo-37 beats a modified Calibre 11 1/2" BE-36AE (ETA 2836)
automatic chronometer, with 25 jewels, 28.8k bph, and 38hr power
reserve. It is nicely decorated and features a very pretty sculpted and
molded and skeletonized rotor. It also features a Glucydur (beryllium
and copper) balance, Anachron (cobalt, nickel, and chromium) balance spring, and Nivaflex 1 (iron, nickel, chrome, cobalt, and beryllium.) mainspring. They
offer the advantages of high strength and stability for improved
accuracy, and they also make it sound as if your watch was made in
Middle Earth. I'll leave it to your judgment as to whether that latter
point is a positive or negative, but high accuracy is always welcome,
and ETA only uses these exotic alloys in their top-shelf movements.
Bremont
offers an optional bracelet, but this watch arrived on a padded black
leather strap and a signed buckle. It has curved ends to match the
contours of the head, and beige stitching that complements the rose gold
on the dial. The only downside is that it is short, just 110/70mm,
which is about 10mm shorter than most. I wore it on the second to last
adjustment hole, leaving just a nub of a tail. This is not a common
experience for me. I would think anyone with a larger wrist would want
to swap a different strap right away, and that is a real shame given its
quality and appearance.
Examining
all the elements, I was struck by how many Depression-era influences
are apparent in this design. The case is straight up streamline moderne. The dial may be a military layout, but the applied gold numerals would be right at home on a vintage dress watch. Even
its deceptively simple typeface and stylized propeller have a hint of
Art Deco flair (notice the small lobes of the B and R, and the short bar
on the E). Still, with all these retro cues, you would never mistake it
for a vintage watch. It looks thoroughly contemporary but rooted in
tradition, which is a quite a feat for a relatively young company to
pull off.
So the Solo-37 is a nice watch, but is it a good value? Absolutely. The Bremont gives you a COSC-certified
movement, hardened steel case, and dashing good looks in a compact
package. Now, how long can I convince Paul to let me keep it...
Pro: Top quality, gorgeous case.
Con: Short strap.
Sum: An absolute gem in a sensible size. I love it.
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