On the wrist, the 43mm Ti-6-4 titanium Bremont Boeing 100 Limited Edition watch fits nicely and offers a bold look.
Recently, we borrowed the Bremont Boeing 100 Limited Edition watch to wear and review. The thing about this watch is – to be honest – I am not really sure that I want a watch that celebrates Boeing’s 100th anniversary. I mean, I fly a lot on business and so I appreciate everything Boeing has done to advance jet speed, safety and travel; but this doesn’t mean I would run right out and buy an almost $8,000 watch in its honor. That said, I also recognized that many watch lovers have that keen affinity for the aviation field, with many being pilots who may have a more burning desire for a Boeing celebration than me. And, of course, it is the beloved British Bremont brand, so the watch warranted a closer look.
The chronometer offers anti-shock movement and high-tech materials inside that match the high tech materials outside.
I personally love the Bremont people. Nick and Giles English and their crew are smart, fun, easy going and high-spirited – everything you would expect from the Brits. They also make a darn nice timepiece. Since its inception, the Bremont brand has grown by leaps and bounds, to the point where the brand is also intimately involved in sailing as the Official Timekeeper of the American’s Cup, and of Oracle Team USA (but that’s another story).
When it comes to aviation inspired watches, Bremont has also gone where many have never gone before – incorporating parts of the Wright Flyer plane into the Wright Flyer watch, working with Martin Baker ejection seats to have a special line of ejection-tested watches and – most recently – the relationship with the commercial aircraft giant, Boeing.
A close up look at the Boeing Brown dial shows the chronograph seconds hand and the 24 hour GMT hand in yellow and red for easy differentiation.
The new Boeing 100 Limited Edition timepiece – when it arrived to me in a Bremont brown leather pouch – was an impressive piece from the get go. The vintage looking light brown calf leather strap with softened leather rendered love at first sight. That, coupled with the dark brown dial color, referred to as Boeing Brown and inspired by a cockpit color said to be relaxing, made for a very retro yet modern feel. A super nice aviation touch on the dial is the Boeing winged logo, and on the bottom subdial the celebration of the 100 years is acknowledged with a simple “1916-2016” inscription.
The 43 mm case, which I thought might be too large, really wasn’t. That may be because it is crafted of aviation grade Ti 6-4 titanium (used in aircraft frames and engine components) — making it super light in weight. The weight and size made for a nice feel on the wrist. Additionally, this high-grade titanium is incredibly durable. In fact, truth be told, I did drop the watch onto cement from about 10 feet high at one point to test the chronometer standing. Not only did it keep on working with to-the-second precision, but also it didn’t have a ding or scratch on it.
The knurled crowns and pushers offer a rugged appeal.
The watch offers hours, minutes and seconds, as well as chronograph seconds, 30-minutes and 12-hour counters. It also has a 24 hour GMT hand, something that, as a traveler, I really love. The hands and indexes are SuperLuminova coated for easy readability at night. This is one area where I felt the watch was a little lacking – it could have used more layers of luminescence because night reading was not as well lit as one would expect. Interestingly enough, the bi-directional rotating bezel with Super-LumiNova was brighter at night than the indexes on the dial.
The anti-shock watch is powered by the modified caliber 13 BE-54AE automatic chronometer with Glucydur balance, Anachron balance spring and Nivaflex 1 mainspring. The high-tech materials in side the movement underscore the functionality of the watch.
The Bremont Boeing 100 Limited Edition features an exhibition caseback.
In typical Bremont style, the rotor is skeletonized and decorated with a Bremont engine motif, and a carbon fiber composite from the Boeing Dreamliner flying test bed aircraft ZA004, is integrated into the crown of each timepiece.
In all, the Boeing 100 is a nice package of form, function, aesthetics and aviation intrigue. I was actually happily pleased. It even garnered some comments from the crowd when I wore it to a sporting event. Only 300 pieces are being made, each retailing for $7,595 — so if you are an aviation or Bremont buff – I suggest you fly to the nearest Bremont authorized retailer to secure one of these beauties.
Made in a limited edition of 300 pieces, the Bremont Beoing 100 retails for $7,595.
