Bremont co-founders Nick and
Giles English with friend of the
brand Tom Hardy.BRITAIN’S BEST
WATCH BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEURS
BREMONT
Headquartered at Henley-on-
Thames, South Oxfordshire,
Bremont has become a staple
on the British watch scene
since its inception in 2002.
As patriotic as they come,
the company has never been
shy about its lofty objective
to reinvigorate the nation’s
horological past. As such, all
the company’s watches are
designed and assembled
on British soil. Built around
the themes of aviation and
adventure, the models are
rugged and reliable, yet also
strikingly good-looking. It’s
little wonder this British brand
has built a worldwide cult
following.WatchPro’s Pick:
MBIII 10TH ANNIVERSARY.I
t may be hard to believe
today, but at one time
in history the epicenter
of mechanical
watchmaking was not
Switzerland. Or even
Germany for that matter.
Rather, it was Britain. In
1800, the country was
producing roughly half
of the world’s watches;
around 200,000 pieces
a year. Innovative British
watchmakers, such as
Thomas Mudge – the
inventor of the lever
escapement, which is
still the most widely used
escapement in today’s
watches – John Harrison,
Thomas Earnshaw and
many others all made
significant contributions
to the advancement of
the field. Sadly though, a
failure to adapt to changing
times and manufacturing
methods resulted in the
ultimate demise of the
industry.
The rich heritage of
British watchmaking
has not been forgotten,
however. Rather, it has
inspired a new generation
of entrepreneurs to take
up the mantle. Albeit in a
somewhat different manner
from their predecessors.
Although headquartered in
the UK, a lack of homegrown
talent and know-how means
most are forced to rely on
manufacturing partners
abroad to bring their ideas to
life. Still, there’s no question
that British watch brands
are slowly fighting their way
back onto the global stage.
Here’s our list of the 10
British watch businesses
you should know about.IT WAS REALLY THE TWO WORLD WARS THAT ROBBED BRITAIN
OF ITS HISTORICALLY LEADING ROLE IN WATCHMAKING AS
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION SHIFTED TO SWITZERLAND. BUT A
PASSIONATE BUNCH OF ENTREPRENEURS IS DETERMINED TO
KEEP DESIGNING, ASSEMBLING AND MANUFACTURING WATCHES
HERE AS TOM MULRANEY DISCOVERED IN PURSUIT OF
HOMEGROWN HOROLOGICAL TALENT.32 WATCHPRO / AUGUST 2019 /^ watchpro.com