Bremont this week unveiled the latest additions to its growing Armed Forces collection, rolling out three new bronze-cased variations of its Broadsword watch. The Broadsword Bronze models, which use the original steel Broadsword as their design foundation and pair the trendy metal with three distinct dial colors, are the British watchmaker’s first step into bronze watchmaking.
The original Broadsword (below) was produced as Bremont’s contemporary take on the World War I-era “Dirty Dozen” watches, a series of timepieces commissioned for the British Army during the war and subsequently produced by 12 different brands. The Broadsword design influence plays into the larger narrative around the brand’s Armed Forces collection, which is positioned as an ode to Bremont’s British military inspirations and to the men and women in service. Since its founding in 2002, Bremont has even worked to create formal ties with the British military, forming an official partnership with U.K.’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) to produce the Armed Forces collection in 2019.
With the sturdy Broadsword Bronze models, Bremont has presented an interesting riff on the historical field-watch configuration. While bronze is certainly one of the trendier materials in watchmaking these days, Bremont is being intentional in its use here, citing “the material’s history within the military world, having been used extensively in naval engineering due to its high corrosion resistance to salt water.” The three dial colorways available are “Tobacco,” which is a deep brown, “Sotek,” a shade of blue, and “Slate,” a shade of gray.
Housed in a 40-mm, brushed bronze case, the watch comes with a formidable utilitarian look, featuring thick and slightly faceted lugs on its top and bottom, while a large, onion-style screw-down crown is found on its right side. The domed sapphire crystal is secured via a brushed-finish bezel, with the model taking particular note of many collectors’ desire for that finishing over the less-desirable polished finishing sometimes seen on field watch models. Overall, the case presents the watch with a solid look that many enthusiasts prefer in field watches, and the brand backs up the look with a useful 100-meter water-resistance rating.
Underneath the crystal, we find the “Dirty Dozen”-inspired dial, with a curved outer minute ring punctuated at each hour with a dot, and deeper within, printed Arabic numerals for the hours, only broken up at 3 o’clock with a small date window. The final prominent feature seen on the dial is the small seconds subdial towards the bottom of the dial. Bronze hands are used both for this subdial and for the vintage-inspired handset for the hours and minutes.
Inside the new Broadsword Bronze is Bremont’s BE-95-2AV automatic movement, which is chronometer-certified by COSC and carries a 38-hour power reserve. The caliber is protected behind a solid steel caseback stamped with the U.K.’s three military branch emblems and featuring the script, “Approved by Her Majesty’s Armed Forces” in reference to the ongoing partnership between the brand and the military.
The Broadsword Bronze models are each available now directly through Bremont, retailing in the U.S. for $3,775. To learn more, visit Bremont’s website, here.
Just read where Apple is selling more of their smart watches than the Swiss watch industry, combined, is selling theirs. Is this any wonder when a brand like Bremont puts an almost $4,000 price tag on a three hand, date watch? The price gouging continues, and won’t abate as these arrogant and greedy idiots continue their stupidity that will hopefully end in their demise. I’m under no illusion though that by the time that happens they won’t care because they’ll have made their pots of gold. The ones who’ll be hurt are those that like watches for the craft they are and what they represent.