Round-UpAesthetics Meet Hydrokinetics: The Top Watches From Bremont’s Supermarine Line

Bremont is reputed for producing beautifully crafted, robust timepieces, inspired by the principles of aviation, military, British engineering, and adventure. Headquartered at Henley-on-Thames, England, the British luxury brand was co-founded by brothers Nick English and Giles English in 2002. The brand qualifies among the top chronometer producers in the world with their COSC-certified timepieces, and they currently manufacture watches for exclusive military squadrons across the globe. Bremont have broadly named their collections after the three forces of nature: air (Altitude), land (Armed Forces) and sea (Supermarine). The demarcations, however, are not rigid. Their Supermarine (S line) of dive watches, for instance, was designed after an eponymous—now defunct—British aircraft manufacturer that the English brothers were passionate about. Supermarine, thus, fulfils the requirements of typical aviation tool (pilot) watches, and entice for their clarity in design. Here we take a closer look at the top watches from the Bremont Supermarine range.

The Supermarine line consists of S300 and S500 collections. The names directly indicate the water resistance rating of the watches. Bremont S300, S301 and S302 feature 40mm cases, while the S500 and S501, and S502 have slightly larger case sizes, each measuring 43mm. All the brand’s watches feature the patented three-part Bremont ‘Trip-Tick’ case, compirsing a hardened steel bezel with sapphire crystal; a central body in titanium, perhaps with DLC treatment, which is a middle barrel that encases movements equipped with a Glucydur balance, Anacron balance spring with Nivaflex 1 mainspring; and finally, a steel and crystal caseback.

Supermarine Type 300

The Bremont Supermarine Type 300 (alias S300) range fulfils the void for professional dive watches with smaller case sizes. Type 300 was named after the eponymous prototypes for the Spitfire aircraft by the defunct aviation company called Supermarine. An outline of the plane is engraved on the caseback. Commenting on the S300 series Bremont co-counder, Nick English had said, “A robust dive watch that is also wearable size-wise was the driving force behind the design and build of S300. The range is so delightful to wear and beautifully engineered. The ceramic bezel looks terrific. It’s a wonderful addition to the Bremont stable.” As the name ‘S300’ indicates, the collection’s watches are designed to provide up to 300m of water resistance.

The S300 versions feature either a nautical, striped NATO canvas strap, a vintage leather Sahara strap with a pin buckle or a steel bracelet

₹3,53,000

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Cradled within are dials with a sunburst finish, and Super-LumiNova-coated hour markers and satined nickel hands indicating the hours, minutes, and sweeping seconds

₹3,85,000

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As the name ‘S300’ indicates, the collection’s watches are designed to provide up to 300m of water resistance

₹3,95,500

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The COSC-certified chronometer movements are housed in steel cases sized at a width of 40mm and 13mm in thickness, topped by laser-engraved unidirectional-rotating bezels in ceramic, with applied Super-LumiNova. These come attached to domed, antireflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Cradled within are deep cobalt blue, black or white dials with a sunburst finish, and Super-LumiNova-coated hour markers and satined nickel hands indicating the hours, minutes, sweeping seconds, with a stop-seconds function. The Type 300, 301 and 302 watches are powered by the 11.5″ self-winding BE-92AE calibre—originally an ETA 2892 movement that Bremont modified and rechristened to make their own. Comprising a decorated rotor, 21 jewels, Glucydur balance and Anacron balance spring with a Nivaflex 1 mainspring, the movement beats at 28,800vph and offers a 38-hour power reserve. The S300 watches can have either nautical, striped NATO canvas strap, vintage leather Sahara strap with a pin buckle or stainless steel bracelet.

Supermarine Type 500

The S500 was Bremont’s first-ever designed marine watch. Nicknamed ‘amphibious watch’, this robust mechanical dive watch features a practical design but is beautifully engineered and rooted to the brand’s strong aviation heritage. Several new versions were introduced in 2018, including the vintage looking S501, modelled after the S301 launched in 2017. All S500 iterations promise up to 500m of water resistance.

The case—measuring 43mm in diameter, 16mm in height and inbuilt with soft iron, anti-magnetic Faraday cage—is spacious enough to accommodate the 11.5″ BE-36AE automatic chronometer movement. Like the BE-92AE calibre that powers the S300 series, the S500’s movement also beats at 28,800vph, provides 38 hours of power reserve, is inbuilt with an antishock movement mount. Slight modifications, compared to the S300, are the increased number of jewels to 25 and the decorated rotor that is also skeletonised. Nestled within the case, the cobalt blue dial features Super-LumiNova-coated indexes and hands, sealed off by double-antireflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.  The S500 iterations feature integrated rubber straps or steel bracelets.

Supermarine Type 502 Jet

Inspired by high-risk military night operations, Bremont innovated this stealthy-looking black beauty S502; a robust and tactical timepiece with black DLC treatment, GMT and date functions, and impressive water resistance up to 500m. The 40mm steel case features an automatic helium escape valve and crown protector, along with black ceramic bezel showcasing vintage lumed markers. Super-LumiNova-applied timekeeping elements on the matt black dial consists of indexes and polished nickel-plated hour, minute and second hands with blue emission, and nickel-plated central GMT hand with orange tip with green emission.

Bremont innovated this stealthy-looking black beauty, the S502, inspired by high-risk night-time military operations

The S500 robust and tactical timepiece features black DLC treatment, GMT and date functions, and impressive water resistance up to 500m

Bremont Supermarine

₹4,81,000

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The modified BE-93-2AV chronometer movement offers a 42-hour power reserve. An engraving of the iconic Supermarine Seaplane on the caseback ties the watch to the brand’s aviation-inspired heritage. The S502 Jet features a black rubber or vintage leather strap with cream-hued side stitch.

Supermarine Chrono

With a thickness of just 15.87mm, the sleek 43mm case of Supermarine Chrono is unlike your bulky sports chronograph. The Chrono version uses the La Joux Perret 7754 certified chronometer chronograph movement with GMT functionality, appealing to both global explorers and style seekers alike. The brave Jason Fox—a former UK Special Forces, TV Personality, and Adventurer—is the current Bremont brand ambassador for Supermarine Chrono. Controlling the tri-compax setup of running seconds, 30 minutes, and 12 hours, are the screw-down crown and two pushers. A date aperture sits between four and five o’clock, while the hands and indices are Super-LumiNova-applied. This is seen through the domed antireflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, while the five stainless steel screws with polished heads protect the caseback.

Bremont Supermarine Chrono Shop The Collection

Powering the watch is the modified calibre BE-54AE automatic chronometer, measuring 13.25″ with Bremont-moulded and skeletonised decorated rotor, 25 jewels, beating at 28,800vph with 42 hours of reserve power reserve. Compared to the S300 and S500 versions, the Chrono offers a reduced 200m water resistance. The choice offered is that of an integrated steel bracelet or a ribbed rubber strap.