Has BREMONT's branding gamble crashed and burned?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 24 кві 2024
- At Watches and Wonders 2024, British watchmaker BREMONT unveiled a whole new brand identity and a more "affordable" series of watches - the Terra Nova series. But will this change of direction save BREMONT from its financial woes?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
HOW YOU CAN HELP THE CHANNEL
Please help the channel to grow by making sure you're subscribed, give this video a thumbs up and if you're feeling generous then you can donate a couple of £ of $ towards the costs of production, travel and gear using this link buymeacoffee.com/escapement24 (preferred method) or with the Superthanks button above.
Please also remember to subscribe for more content like this and follow me on instagram / escapement24
#bremont #bremontterranova #bremontlogo #watches #watchesandwonders #watchreviews #newwatches #newwatchreleases #escapement24 - Навчання та стиль
Had no idea they changed the logo. New stuff looks like a premium Fossil watch line.
The moment they lied about an “inhouse” movement, Bremont has burnt their name.
Yup!
Agree with all your points. I've never really been a fan of Bremont, charging OMEGA money without the heritage or quality. I'd pitch a Christopher Ward C63 Sealander against a lot of these any day. I also hate that new logo and font.
From distinguished to dull in one fell sweep. Davide is likely behind the times in this age of rapid prototyping which enabled massive microbrand proliferation and variety. He might have surrounded himself with yes men otherwise any of us could have forewarned of such an outcome. Big money and rushed deadlines also probably didn't help. In the words of RJ fratello "i think the new logo's a mistake". Nico leonard blocked by Davide for sharing thoughts similar to yours. Id assign blame for bremont's downfall as 70% Davide 30% big money.
Edit: p.s. Davide ruined montblanc's logo (remember poop emoji?) And HYt went into receivership for a period, when DC was ceo
-a bremont owner
Absolutely right on all points. I'd be interested to know whether Nick and Giles agreed with the new direction or pushed back and were overruled. I don't see any of their design language and subtle touches in the new Terra Nova models or in the new branding. As an outsider looking in, I suspect that design, engineering and marketing were probably their strengths, much more so than P&L oversight, which ultimately has led to the need for the US investment and hiring of DC.
If my theory on that is right, then it's a shame they didn't realise this earlier and play to their strengths by hiring a like-minded CEO several years ago that they could've worked with and who could've brought the business in to profitability without needing outside investment and a total loss of control.
They had a bit of character and a unique case construction. Which the new branding and watches have thrown out the window. Baffling to me
Well done Simon. Despite the well deserved opinion that the previous models were expensive, perhaps “overpriced” , handling them did give a feeling that this was a very solid , well made and interesting product. They have barely lowered the prices on these.. some of which look like hodgepodge items on Ali Express. Not a shred of imagination or ingenuity. I actually hope they fail. I detest money grabbing and that’s what they are clearly hoping for.
So you look forward to somebody losing their job because the senior management are failing? That says a lot about you!
I rather like the Terra Nova. It's not the most original watch but is a wearable size, fashionable shape and has some nice touches.
As for the the logo, I don't rate the new one and didn't rate the old one.
I do agree about the font though.
@@JamesAlexander14I don’t want them to fail either however they’ve abandoned their “made in England” goals and it’s likely most the new models are private label made.
I bought a Bremont in 2009, and well and truly drank the cool aid. I’ve been to the Wing, I’ve met the brothers, it’s all incredible. The constant new ltd editions, and ever rising price point has troubled me. Now this, well they look bloody awful. If you want a Bremont now is the time to grab used bargains, as they tank even harder than ever on the used market. Shame as they do build a solid, different and good product, or did. I could have bought a Rolex GMT or Sub at the same time or an Omega that I loved, I know where my money would have been safer. Now my Bremont barely sees daylight and I’d not sell it as weirdly sentimentally connected to it. However, do I regret not buying that Explorer 2 or GMT, yeah I do. The new direction of Bremont is not something that really interests me, and do wonder what the brothers think behind closed doors. DC seems to be leading the quest for money down the garden path, and well unless they can use a compass dial they may never find their way back……
I really like the Bremont brand, eighteen months ago I toured their factory and was impressed by what they have achieved. I also really liked the new range with their new movement. However, I completely agree with your points, the new logo and font are horrible, and I don't find these new models appealing. I think they should have considered a sub-brand like Tudor is to Rolex, while keeping their old models going. As it is, they are going to deter people like me who are waiting for the premium bonds to come up and buy a proper Bremont.
Honest take on where Bremont went with their W&W releases. Great video! Well done!
Cheers Adam! 🙏👍
Pretty much spot on with my thoughts. I have the S302 in the NTTD colourway and a Broadsword, both cracking watches. Yes the branding is clumsy but sadly the biggest loss is the british made element and I feel like the brand is watering down what made it special to me, and everyone else. I wish them luck as I would hate to see them go.
I live near Bremont in Henley……it’s amusing to chat to some of the staff. They’re not awfully happy about their future jobs.
I'd love to have an off the record chat with some of the staff to find out the view from the inside. Though I do hope their jobs aren't at risk and the company can work through this
@@Escapement24 Your video was spot on btw. The staff; assembly staff, administrators et cetera, as everyone probably realises, get no say in design or have any input. However, if/when things go miserably wrong they will be searching for new jobs.
It's good you stated Henley. For the benefit of non-British guys, it's just over 40 MILES from the 'London' that their watches are badged with.
Great video. From a consumer perspective, I think the issue with the brand has been the high cost for their relatively generic pieces. It’s almost as if they saw themselves in exalted terms while the rest of us were non-plussed by their designs and turned off by their prices. As a result, I’ve heard more than a few people ask “Who is this brand for?” Most answers were something along the lines of “People with enough cash to burn solely in support of British watchmaking.” Agree or disagree with that statement, but the truth is they artificially narrowed the market for their watches rather than going for a broad appeal first and then releasing unique/expensive pieces. CW is a great example of how to slowly build a brand reputation and raise price tiers. This rebrand seems, and probably is, an act of desperation. At this point, they have little choice but to ride it out.
P.S. Constructive criticism: Adobe audio enhance is a great tool, but you are getting some audio artifacts from it. Always use the minimum effective dose, usually this is 20-60% if the audio is recorded reasonably well. If you didn’t use that tool, please ignore my idiotic suggestion.
Keep up the great work!
Completely agree!
Appreciate the feedback on the audio - I do use Adobe enhancer as the echo in the room I record in is dreadful (and there's little I can do to deaden it in such a large space unfortunately!). I'll play with the settings more for future recordings and try to find the sweet spot 👍
@@Escapement24Thank you for not taking offense. I’m in Premiere daily and know the enhanced audio sound by heart. In the essential sound panel, if you use a little bit of “Reduce Reverb” you won’t have to lean on “Enhance Speech” as much. Sorry, this was probably a conversation for DM’s.
Also might be trying the plug-in clear from super tone or the app hush audio (for Mac) both used even by some voice over people to remove room and ambient noise, without artifacts.
I think your analysis is spot on. The fonts have gone from elegant, to chunky? Childlike? I guess it definitely looks cheaper, but when the trend is towards premiumisation, it’s a very odd decision. This industry is built on the story, and this brand had a rich and consistent story. Brand stretch for me would have the the airboat, so its nautical lines could exist. Sports divers on this theme would have given them a good opportunity at a large part of the market. The last 20 years of brand recognition have been discarded, and the new logo? How many minutes did that take. If ever a brand needed David Taylor’s approach, this is it.
Interesting perspective. I like the Bremont brand, but have never quite warmed to their products due to price for value.
I am a Bremont fan owning several of their watches. I'm aware that a lot of watch fans have neve liked them. However one thing that is clear is that no one like the new branding.
I think the brand is dead. I completely agree, they have lost the elegance of the logo and branding.
They also seem to have abandoned what many fans liked about their story. The whole narrative of trying to bring back watch manufacturing to the UK one step at a time really struck a chord with many fans. Their recent watch cases were completely made in house and the rotors too. All that is gone. They're now just a generic brand made on contract in an anonymous factory in Switzerland.
Spot on. With the new Supermarine, they've dropped the Trip Tick case, are using a completely bought in movement and are not having them chronometer certified all to make them cheaper, but are selling them at the same price point.
One has to ask why David Cerrato moves around so much.
why not? a new challenge, perhaps? what more was there to be done at Tudor, anyway? yet another boring iteration of the same BB58?
@@johndoe-ep7qk and also HYT.
Bremont already had an entry lineup, the pretty good HMAF range which did away with the TripTick cases in exchange for a lower price point. Why they didnt simply develop and expand that line is bewildering to me. Surely there were cost savings that could have been made to further reduce the price of entry,such as dropping the chronometer rated movements and instead using a multi-position adjusted ETA or equivalent off the shelf movement?
There seems to be some backpedaling by Bremont in regard to the legacy lines with the implication being that the TripTick cases will remain and perhaps the propeller logo too on the aviation models. Hmmm. Surely the point of an entry level watch is for it to be an aspirational piece; a gateway to the higher level models. If my assumption is correct, then running a different logo for those entry levels would seem to be entirely the wrong thing to do. Those aspirational buyers WANT the same 'upper tier' logo on their entry level watch... think Porsche Boxster.
This whole unfortunate episode reeks of haste, panic, ego and not a little desperation.
Tell me again why I would pick any of these new models over a similarly, or lesser, priced watch from Hamilton, Oris or Longines?
100% agree Phil. The more affordable/entry level pieces should be just that - a gateway in to the brand that makes you aspire to owning a higher range model.
Never my favourite brand but always rooted for them. Sadly I don't know how they can make an elegant reverse from this now even if they want to.
I couldn’t agree more. Was gutted by their new logo. It’s like something from and Ali Express Brand!
I own a Bremont Broadsword HMAF edition and am now concerned about loosing a ton of money when I go to sell it. I like the MBs and the Supermarine also, defiantly my taste in a watch. But these new pieces with their faces full of font make me want to divest entirely. In my opinion a HUGE misstep, or in aviation parlance definitely in a full on stall, hopefully they can correct the stall and pull out of it!
I swear I didn’t read any comments before I posted mine. Now on reading them the first comment mentions Ali Express. Not a good look for what was a truly sold brand!
Love Bremont's Audley Mayfair model and with the H1 movement "Made in England" were moving in the right direction. But now all marked "London". Not for me although do also have their ALT-1.
Logo looks like clipart from MS paint. Sad to see a respected brand shoot itself in both feet.
I'm sure volume will improve, but Bremont is now a middle-tier brand competing in a bloodbath at this price. Chocks away!
Solid assessment and sadly, likely to prove very true. I’m ex RAF and we all loved Bremont…as was. Robust, easy to read, and a great Military vibe but it felt like they ran out of ideas and that their product couldn’t drive their impatience to realise their dream. I loved my MB2 with “ London” on it rather than “Swiss made”. But suddenly after producing their most beautiful pilot watch - the Alt1-C Griffin - it all became about limited editions, sponsorship and rising prices. No one will pay the money they want as these are not ‘moment’ watches like a Rolex. You buy new and you know you will lose big-time when you try and sell or, worse still, trade. The new designs are ripe for Chinese Cloning. In fact the logo looks Chinese all ready. All that hard work and heritage lost. I will still buy used and I will cherish my Alt1-ZT in P51 colours…but suspect the brand will be subsumed very soon. Let’s hope Zero West are watching and learning
Yup, looks like they chewed through every unit in U.K. defence to keep themselves afloat. Not cool.
I think they could do with broadening their appeal and the military vibe might be too narrow. It's good to support British businesses but I would feel a bit pretentious about wearing some of their models and the slightly jingoistic branding. Like putting on a regimental tie that I'd never been a member of.
I think if you lose the financial control of your company to outside investors who have expectations of profitability and who bring in a hot shot to make the design and marketing decisions, you have effectively lost control.
The word panic entered my mind right away. I think the English brothers took the "fake it til you make it" to the extreme, especially with that F1 style HQ. Back to the panic. There must be tremendous pressure on both the founders and new CEO who certainly doesn't want a major failure to tarnish his legacy. I remember liking a few of their watches when they first came out, but I considered them overpriced. I wish them luck, hopefully they can turn things around.
A former colleague of mine advised on one of many, many rounds of VC financing that got tipped into the deep black hole of Bremont. I remember him showing me some of the designs - as a watch lover it was difficult to get very excited. The pricing was always absurd - the sorts of City boys they kept trying to seduce would have always rather have got a Submariner or a Royal Oak etc - it was such an odd niche market they were chansing. The brothers ran it as a vanity project by the end, the stupid new building, the fantasy "in-house" movement - the economics were always a disaster. You can tell that by the time of the deal there was precious equity left in the business. Have the new owners saved it? Not bloody likely.
Interesting...and explains why the English brothers now have only a minority shareholding left
Great vid and about right. I bought an Alt1 P2 few years back and it’s great, have been to The Wing too and it’s a good visit like what they’re trying to achieve. Trouble is the pricing is £1500 approx more than most Tudor watches, I have the BB41 and quality is better imho. I think they have had a mare with the re brand too. Hopefully they sort it out soon 👍
agree with your points. they've had some interesting designs here and there, but their pricing was likely part of their problem. there was way too much competition and they were charging more than double for those from comparative brands. however, their new line now seems to be a bit generic. not terrible, though
Reminds me of Chris Bangle destroying the BMW 5 series back in 2016.
Former Bremont wasn’t on the top of my list (I am not British 😉) but I liked the vibe and the vetting by The Grey NATO community was enough to establish real street cred.
I feel for the Bremont staff and brand aficionados.
Good video and very valid and on point opinions there. Totally agree with the new logo and designs missing the mark. I hope they don’t drop the old lines. Even though they were priced a bit high for what you got, the character was really there. I also just picked up the Bamford Aurora supermarine and love it, but really hope it wasn’t one of the last hits of Bremont’s early era.
Congrats on picking up the Bamford Aurora! I like what George has done with a lot of the collabs he's partnered on and I've got a Bamford Monaco 👍
I've been a fan of Bremont, and wanted them to do well, but the new branding and watch collections are horrible and a huge step in the wrong direction.
In my experience, companies like this who lose money year after year are caused by executives sucking them dry with luxury properties, cars, jets, trips, and so forth.
If you follow his Instagram Nick English does appear to spend a lot of time in Malibu 🤔
I love the old logo and font.
Very interesting video Simon,I didn't know much about Bremont,have checked a few of their watches out but nothing appealed to me plus the prices seemed quite steep.
Thanks Joe, I've always felt the same but let's hope that they can recover from this mis-step and go on to better things
I own a Bremont Hawking steel watch....very happy with ir
My brother Simon always dropping gems 👏 I’m not a fan of the new direction of the company, we shall see what the future holds for them. To be honest I was never a fan of the look of their watches, but now they look like Spinnaker watches 😂 but a lot more expensive!
Thanks Miguel 🙏🙏 I think you've hit the nail on the head with your take on the new models....though I think I prefer some of the Spinnakers 😂
@@Escapement24 😂
Great vid. I didn't realise Ackman was involved or the dire profit situation.
Thanks bud 🙏 Since making this vid a couple of people in the know have reached out to tell me that the situation is more dire than I thought 😲
@@Escapement24 Yikes. I did the tour only a few months back. Didn't realise..
I'd expect prices of their older pieces to drop significantly now.
Great vid. I give DC 3 months in that position.. Max.
Hamilton feeling for Longines prices... Having said that Tudor changed their logo at some point. I see French micro-brands doing better for half the price....Should Britain give up with horology? 😉
One of their biggest fans who has a smallish YT channel had previously bought many of their limited editions inc the Longitude at ~£20k said he couldn't "guarantee his further patronage" having seen their new direction....oh dear! I bought the £6k H1 Fury...which is a gorgeous quality watch & super-accurate too, losing under 1 sec per day but I'd never have bought one at their aforementioned list price - I got mine from an authorised dealer in the winter sales for just over half that, which is about the right price imho. You're right about the logo too.
Their watches are two thirds more expensive than they should be. Sadly like Rolex and Omega they are desperate for the custom of people who aren't that interested in watches but are into brand names.
Agree the numeral fonts are too big and chunky/clumsy. The icon on the Bremont logo is a disaster.... mixing really fine lines and chunky lines on one element means the thing has to be huge to be printed/executed cleanly... It would be much better to just keep the Bremont font on it's own.
It will be interesting to see what happens here. Having been to the factory and met a number of their people, I've always liked the vibe, style, attitude and energy of the company. I own a pretty huge watch collection, which includes a couple of Bremonts. (an S3 and 500) on the back of that appreciation. (Let's face it, any of us who own 50 watches or more tend to buy into the vibe and attitude of a company as much as anything else). I would say that their finish does need to be personally handled to be appreciated. Personally, I'm holding a good thought for them...
I hope they can work through this situation and turn it around - I'm sure no one would want them to fail, especially when there are jobs and livelihoods at stake.
I think you nailed it. I should be their target market but I choose IWC & Omega. Too much hubris and 'cultural approration' with no real provenance. Buy an AVI-8 and save some money if this is your sort of thing.
I think Bremont went big. so their price of watches need to cover the stores they open around the world, and cover other costs such as marketing etc. For me buying into a relatively new brand, aesthetically needs to be appealing, something different from mainstream. A limited number is also appealing. So micro and independents like Czapek, Ming, Kurono, MB&F for instance have gained a following. I get that people like to walk into a store and try on the watch (I do), but like most products nowadays, online shopping is here to stay.
The very reason why I don't buy Baume & Mercier is because their watches are only available online. I wouldn't buy a luxury product without holding it in my hand, trying it on, seeing it from close and having a proper chat with a professional sales person in store first.
All we want was Martin Baker at $3,000 and $2,500 Army forces, at retail prices, thats it
Absolutely agree, especially your comments about the new aesthetic. I hate the new dials, they look cluttered and clumsy, and the new logo is generic and tacky. I have a couple of Bremonts, but no way will I look to buy another like this (not that I would because apparently theyve scrapped the ladies' line of watches as well).
Regarding the lack of profits in the business, how much of this do you think is due to reinvestment? I've been to the Wing as well, and yes it's a beautiful building, and we were proudly shown all the new specialised robots and equipment they had bought for machining the parts for the cases and movements. Is it just overinvestment that has caused the loss of profit? Or is there more to it than that?
Regarding over-investment, you'd have to see their balance sheet to get the answer (which will be publicly available). If they have invested to this level 5-6 years ago it obviously hasn't delivered a sufficient return as subsequent years' accounts show deepening losses
This was an extremely thoughtful critique. Well done.
Thanks so much 🙏🙏
Yup spot on. And we’ll done. Refreshing to hear someone say it how it is. I wish others had the back bone to do the same.
@@axn9868 appreciate the kind words 🙏🙏 Sometimes you have to call things out for what they are (and I don't get paid by brands!)
Bremont have definitely lost their way, and I fear for them!
I used to really like Bremont, and even purchased the blacked out ALT1-B chrono (as it was reduced by 2k in WoS Jan sale quite a few years back). Whilst I always thought they were a little pricey, they were very cool when they just used to focus purely on the aviation and military marketplace. Over the years they've increased their product line significantly which has devalued their brand - far too many models with too many different iterations! This strategy hasn't worked, and now they appear to be looking at the Christopher Ward business model for inspiration - but CW has some far cooler watches for less money. The pièce de résistance with the new rebrand was to use a logo virtually identical to Stone Island... whoever approved that clearly has no fing clue! Wearing a Stone Island watch clearly sends a totally different msg, if you know what I mean 🤣🤣
I often hear/read about how Swiss watches take over 2, sometimes 5 years from inception to release. I’m interested to learn how much DC actually played a role in the design of these new watches considering he had only joined last May.
I think a lot of the bigger Swiss brands are slower to develop new models, but DC talked about this concept after taking the role at Bremont as though it was his strategy and I've heard that it was rushed through - which may explain the incohesion in the designs
@@Escapement24 i guess it’s safe to say that the rushed job kinda shows then 😅
Great vid, shame they have got it so wrong. I have always described them as an expensive Christopher Ward.
Inevitable that there will be comparisons with CW who appear to have been very shrewd with their price point, probably have careful control of costs and a range with wider appeal.
They had a genuinely bulletproof and unique design in the triptych case that was established, well-known (well, relatively), and could be perfectly marketed / re-positioned for the outdoors / adventure market. And they didn’t use it. It’s totally baffling and so disappointing, as my MB2 is a fantastic watch. Mind you, the minute Bremont put money into F1 they were punching well above their weight and were going to start bleeding serious cash. Like James Hunt’s benefactor in the movie Rush, suddenly the money was all gone and so will Bremont be in a short matter of time.
Let's hope this isn't the beginning of the end for Bremont but I fear you may be right
Opposing thought, I like the terra nova line. I am an owner of a Bremont watch, the MB III and always found their propeller logo rather silly, same as putting stupid cloth and wood pieces in watches. I am sure the new watches sell, they seem to be more mass market appealing and less opportunistic, quirky watch collector like me compatible. 😂
The MBs are cool (I particularly like that Savannah one) albeit at 43mm a touch too large for my tiny wrists. The new TN line might well have some mass market appeal, though the masses only tend to buy one watch. I think Bremont's focus should be on the likes of us with an incurable watch addiction, who might buy and collect several pieces from their preferred brand.
Bremont are great looking but not great value. The marketing without heritage cannot compete with Breitling and Tudor. CW did a great job competing with Tag Heuer, Longinrs and Oris at lower prices.
Bremont putting together some sort of British fantastical hallucination for years meanwhile CW got on with making good watches that people want. Whether or not they're Swiss-made or whatever CW can be a point of pride for British people.
Bremont have gone from a brand I wanted to one I wouldn’t consider. That logo and the Terra Nova both look like poor microbrand efforts.
Interesting, synopsis. I would tend to agree that the product is probably cheaper to create and the margin higher.
On point in all points sire! You earned my sympathy and subscription.
Not sure I need the sympathy (other than for the fact that the wine ran out 😂) but I'm very grateful for your sub! 🙏🙏🙏
Great video. Why would you purchase one in the first place? get a zero west...
I feel the same way about Breitling, the new logo kills it for me. I won't buy one of their watches without the wings logo on the dial
I'm a big fan of Bremont (and have reviewed several of their pieces. I'm pissed about these changes. New logo aside (which is generic, unnecessary and awful) the dropping of the signature design characteristics, and making the brand much more American-centric is just utter horse $hit. They fired the original staff .. got rid of the CNC machines that were used to create various parts .. halted the ENG movement development and all to roll out a buch of boring, soulless and lack-lustre pieces that, if they were the first effor by a new micro brand I'd say they "weren't too bad" .. but for Bremont this is a HUGE step backwards.
I had a lot of excitement and faith in Davide when he was appointed as CEO, given his record at Tudor. But with these new pieces this absolutely destroyed my investment in the brand. I shall always keep and treasure the pieces I have .. but I am lost for words on what has happened and where this will all go.
Hope you're happy Bill Ackman .. you destroyed a brand you had said you were a 'fan' of. NEVER trust a hedge-funder ... those people are the harbingers of doom.
Interesting to compare these now with Vertex, who relaunched with distinctive luminous hour markers, and who can draw on a dirty dozen / family owned narrative.
Indeed. Haven't yet had the chance to get hands on with any Vertex pieces but I've never heard a bad word spoken about them. Smaller "boutique" brand than Bremont I guess but genuine heritage.
What's up with the random wine glass?
I’m inclined to agree. Clunky and smacks of reinvention. I have the limited edition 747 Chronometer and love its styling.
Really interestingly argued. 👍
Thanks buddy 🙏🙏
I don’t mind the new logo
But why put the logo and Bremont on the dial
Also I agree. Way to high a price for these pieces
Weird ethos on the rebrand
Good analysis
🙏
I had such high hopes for bremont. They were too expensive and some of the designs were unimaginative but they had a,bit ion and deserve credit for trying to make a new home grown brand in the uk, which has very few of those these days.
But this new branding feels incredibly corporate and I worry they’ve just ejected every original idea they’ve had just to chase a profit.
Taste is subject , beauty is often not just skin deep and with Bremont I’m not so sure I like the new 11:56 or understand where the beauty is in the movements either ……. Personally I think Bremont should have tried to go into the Breitling stable - partner up with a Breitling and use them as a way of furthering that start up brand image - the way they’ve gone now seems costly and not necessarily with the best designs
Very good video discussion. Well done.
Thank you 🙏🙏 Hope I earned your sub!
@@Escapement24 yes, i had already subbed
This is the Norqain Porblem: You need to jusitfy that price with more than marketing, or people will spend elsewhere.
I liked the Terra Nova though it was nice looking watch, really liked the lume!
To me, I can’t find any value in their watches when CW is doing what they’re doing. Especially now with Bermont’s logo change. They should’ve done a different logo accent for each model line. For example, the air models would still have the propeller but on the land models you’d do a subtle mountain range and on the sea models do some waves or something. I can’t think of any other company that would have that logo format for each model line.
That's what they will be doing, at least for the pilot watches, those will still have the propeller in the logo (or get a new propeller).
I was looking for a new watch 3 years ago and got an MBII at half price. It's a nice watch with a good back story but I still felt it was expensive. The new watch fonts are horrible and are overpriced
I'm really not too keen on the shake up. The logo feels uninspired, and the new models range from busy to bland. It all just makes me hold my older S300 a little bit tighter. I hope the company can take a step back and reevaluate.
But maybe I'm wrong? Time will tell.
I can't disagree with any of that and likewise I hope they can find a way to reverse gears, though it will be very hard to do without admitting that they might've got it wrong
@Escapement24 I'm in a pretty active Bremont group, and allegedly Bremont is blocking anyone who is negative about the changes... so I'm not holding my breath.
That's me blacklisted then....let's hope they don't send Jason Fox to bump me off 😬
To take on a point you made they want to stress about being a English watch company, The problem with this is that’s going to be very very expensive one of the biggest problems with anything English is it’s not Germany . changing the logo was clearly a mistake, it’s not gone down well and those field watches - one of them is very cluttered as you say. they basically look like watches from Hamilton of which they would sell a tremendous amount, except Hamilton would not clutter the dial.
I also think that writing "London" on the dials of those field watches is a bit class-less. They should have the confidence that by now consumers are aware that they're a British brand and rise above having to do things like this.
Could not agree more with your observations regarding this brand. As you rightly point out about Rolex, and the wider luxury market, evolution is the watchword. The definition of evolution as it pertains to 'progression" is the process of developing or moving gradually towards a more advanced state. Bremont's new identity has been anything but gradual and should be a case study on what not to do. So... gradual - fail; advanced state - fail; Bremont - fail.
‘watchword’. Nice 😉
It seems the English brothers went too much into debt and had no choice other than sell the brand. My understanding is they are not running the company anymore and had no input in the design of the new collections or rebranding. They seem to be on the board as founders, which means just for PR purpose.
I too am not liking the new logo, but I guess if you are no longer in love with just the aviation and motoring side of things and are delving into the field watch category, then a propellor seems to be no use at all. Anyway, field watches should be cheap and cheerful as the military would never waste cash on expensive watches!
Ever comment I’ve heard about this rebrand sounds like “ screeching….BANG/Crash….spinning hubcap “
My first impression of the new font reminds me of something from Breitling
That's an insult to Breitling 😂
@@Escapement24 I’m not wrong though. The font is like a thicker version of it…
Yes in a word, needed a revamp but not like this
Great video.
🙏🙏🙏
Spot on!
changing a logo is such a big step you have to think about over and over. non less than the name itself. and the old logo was nice. looked like watch hands. great fitting. but I find some kind of star on my bubble gum, my toilet paper, my mobile cover, my jacket,… a total loss of identity. in my pov.
but the logo at least fits the new models. both are really meh. now we are between 3 and 5k, but I still find no reason to get a bremont instead of a longines or tudor for example, that have similar price points.
this is not going to work I’m afraid…
There’s always a way out.
Bremont’s higher priced offering can continue the original logo. Perhaps they can make the logo for their terranova series just that. Agree with key points.
I think however the market is hyper saturated. I mean who thinks yeah I’m gonna buy a BREMONT over an omega ? Nobody. Unless you fancy weird shit. 😅💀
I think there's been some rumblings in the last few days that they will indeed keep the old propeller logo for their upper tier products...though IMO this isn't an ideal solution either
I’m so pleased you qualified where Shanghai is…..it will help Americans no doubt…..
🙈😂
Too many limited editions, too many different models. Re naming Eta and other movements to make them sound ‘in house’.
They had some nice looking models with nice branding. Should have stuck with that.
The new logo is a total loss…
Two small criticisms, one piece of praise.
Agree with another comment to lose the wine glass - it looks staged/stilted/unnatural and you can tell a sip is coming and it’s distracting.
Without wanting to be the speech police, pausing after every ‘but’, ‘and’ or other conjunction…is quite…how shall I put it…difficult to listen to. The cadence interruption, like the wine sip, becomes something you begin to expect and wait for - even as annoying as it is - and is another distraction. It sounds similar to the way Americans write headlines with each word starting with a capital. It disrupts the rhythm.
On a plus point, and this is a far harder to get right, is the analysis, backing of one’s viewpoint and having an interesting set of talking points and observations to begin with. Really enjoyed the content (earlier points aside) so will check out the rest of your content now too!
I've never taken issue with their use of ETA and Selitta movements. I have a Solo that I picked up for a too good to pass up price. The movement is nicely finished and the time keeping is Rolex territory. The watch is well finished overall. It is certainly worth everything I paid for it, and more.
Now... not a fan of the new efforts. The Terra Nova's do look "off". Way too much going on across the dial. Also not a fan of the new logo. Given that their multi-gazillion dollar new HQ is in the shape of a wing, it seems an odd choice to ditch the wing from the logo. I guite liked it. The new logo is too derivative. I don't see it gaining traction.
I'm with you...some nice designs within the established collections, if perhaps a little overpriced IMO at RRP. I think they've made some odd choices with the new branding and the Terra Nova watches look like they were designed by committee - a clash of visual ideas that don't come together well
I will stick to Tudor thanks. The SuperOcean Ltd Edition was a nice looking watch but this change of logo + identity looks like a Bremont + Hamilton crashed and they made a cut n shut.
I’ll be honest I never really jelled with the brand, the in-house debacle didn’t look good on them either. Wish them good luck on the new direction and all but still not my cup of tea.
Do Stone Island know about the logo?
They agreed to lend it to them 😂
Went into AD in major southerncity, no sight of new models, no training not even any publicity material, some models may (may?) come in at some stage in the summer..........shitshow, meanwhile old models are being discounted, should be offering them 30% on the pound. 😂
As for the branding, Stone Island should sue, also fauxtina overload, also it should be possible to make a compass rose out of a four bladed propellor? So it could be seen as an evolution not an extinction in graphic terms, these aren't in house, they're a Doxa job, third party assembled I bet.
What a shame,those busy dials,loved the thick ,solid lume but thier just to big for that dial,wouldn't a 2,500 Bremont be lovely and a few bob on top for a chrono,sure they'd sell bucket loads,10 k Bremont v 10 k Omega ? I know what I'd buy .
The new logo is ok. A compass is an inherently attractive design. But there are two problems with it. The first is that it is not as good as their original. That one stood out for its beauty and originality. The second is that the new logo is somewhat generic. A good example of adding some interest to a compass logo is by Nordost the American company that makes loudspeaker cables. Oh well, at least they did not use Comic Sans.
Nick & Giles built brand IP, then cashed out. Like Ben Clymer did. Prognosis for each company is now... ehh.
It really does feel like that. And I did wonder after making the video whether Ackman installed DC as CEO to build confidence in the brand and increase its valuation further with a view to selling it on again
How are they cashing out exactly? They didn't sell the business, they didn't IPO, AFAIK.
@@threethrushes But they don't own Bremont anymore, isn't it?
Good content but the wine glass is as cool as the new Bremont dial. Lose it.
Beer instead? 😉
@@Escapement24 Excellent idea. Could I respectfully suggest a glass of Thornbridge Jaipur.
Sounds like an IPA...if so that's right up my street 👍
@@Escapement24 Just as England brews fine IPA, it was once a leader in watch movements. Is it the time for a British movement manufacturer to equip these native brands?
…the “no wine” brigade ? Great relevant watch remarks boys…
From painful experience , the watches are worth sweet FA used . £4995 to £1600 in 30 months. Offer from a Bremont dealer . Unbelievable.
Hmmm...sorry to hear that
2.5k? that's Longines territory. Why would I buy a glorified microbrand watch for that price? Looking at Bremont watches, I would say 1k should be their limit :)
I totally agree. If you’re going to drop in a SW or ETA the watch better be special……….tumble weed
At least at £5K/$7K anyway