With design and engineering ahead of her time, Concorde was a British-French turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner which halved the time of transatlantic crossings. In operation from 1976 to 2003, Concorde was shaped like a bullet to facilitate aerodynamics. Its iconic – and immediately recognisable – silhouette has been incorporated into the beautiful mechanical movement of the limited-edition Bremont Supersonic.
The Supersonic range celebrates the 50th anniversary of the sophisticated piece of British engineering that is Concorde, the aircraft that carried over 2.5 million British Airways passengers during its 27 years of service.
Bremont have a rich aviation and military heritage. The brand’s co-founders, brothers Nick and Giles English, are pilots themselves and have been keen aviation enthusiasts since they were children. Because of this, they’ve always understood the importance of accuracy and clarity in aviator’s watches. Bremont work with industry leaders and pilots to create sturdy, durable and sophisticated watches with complications suited for even the most demanding of environments.
It all started in 2002 when the brothers embarked on a journey that allowed them to ultimately create some of the world’s most respected pilot’s watches. Bremont pieces are heavily inspired by aircraft history and all things mechanical, and each model in their core range is C.O.S.C.-certified. The English brand has secured partnerships with companies at the forefront of manufacturing and transport, such as Boeing and Jaguar, and have created watches for some of the most exclusive military squadrons in the world.
Precise and reliable, while symbolising adventure and success, Bremont pieces are also timeless in design and perfect for the modern gent or lady who is passionate about heritage.
There could be no better year to launch the new Bremont Supersonic than 2019. British Airways is commemorating its 100th anniversary. Despite only being established in 1974, its inception can be traced back to 1919, when it started its life as Aircraft Transport and Travel; the carrier was responsible for the first-ever scheduled international air service from London to Paris.
2019 also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first Concorde flight. The aircraft was inaugurated in 1969 and entered service in 1976, carrying between 92 to 128 passengers and capable of reaching Mach 2.04, over twice the speed of sound.
Concorde was developed and manufactured by the British Aircraft Corporation and Sud Aviation, (which later became Aérospatiale), and twenty aircraft were built. Only Air France and British Airways purchased and flew Concordes; BA was in possession of seven of the aircraft.
British Airways Concorde made almost 50,000 flights, had a take-off speed of 250mph and a cruising speed of 1350mph. The journey from London to New York lasted around three and a half hours, instead of the normal eight in a subsonic aircraft. Concorde flew around the world in 1986, covering 28,328 miles in 29 hours and 59 minutes. The adjustable drooping nose of the planes offered better visibility during take-offs and landings but, while in normal flight, both the nose and the visor remained raised.
In 2003, Concorde had its last commercial flight from New York’s JFK International Airport to London Heathrow. There were some issues during Concorde’s 27 years of operation, like the Air France Flight 4590, a programme cost of £1.3 billion and the fact that the aircraft couldn’t fly over populated areas due to sonic boom disturbance (a by-product of supersonic flight). However, Concorde was a huge success and remains a big source of pride for Britons today.
To celebrate this grand achievement, and just in time to commemorate BA’s centenary and Concorde’s 50th anniversary, Bremont created the Supersonic range, which is limited to 500 pieces in total: 300 in stainless steel, 100 in rose gold and 100 in white gold. Parts of the proceeds will be donated to Air League Trust, an organisation that aims to help underprivileged children learn how to fly.
Those who love Concorde’s history have the opportunity to own a piece of it, as the Supersonic contains metal from the G-BOAB (more commonly known as Alpha Bravo), Heathrow’s last remaining Concorde and the third craft to join the BA fleet. Aluminium taken from the plane was added to a decorated ring that is visible through the caseback of each Supersonic piece; there is also a description of the number and registration of the aircraft, as well as its years of active service, number of flights and top speed.
Alpha Bravo first flew in 1976 from Filton to Fairford in three hours and 32 minutes and set a distance record in 1984 after covering 4,565 miles from Washington to Nice. She also flew the England squad home from France during the 1998 World Cup. Alpha Bravo was in service for 24 years and flew for the last time in 2000.
Every model in the Supersonic range has been hand-assembled by skilled watchmakers at Bremont’s workshop in Henley-on-Thames. These beautiful and unique timepieces contain Bremont’s first-ever manual wind movement and feature an 8-day power reserve. The style of the range reflects a 70s look and the Sunray Silver White metal dial represents Concorde’s custom-developed highly reflective paint.
Available in stainless steel, 18ct rose gold and 18ct white gold versions, the Supersonic is Bremont’s eighth historical limited-edition watch. The stainless-steel version comes with gorgeous blue hour and minute hands that offer a stunning contrast to the dial and symbolise the British Airways blue.
Every timepiece in the range comes with a 43mm case, water-resistance of up to 100 metres, a small-seconds complication and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The transparent caseback allows you to glimpse the sophisticated modified calibre BE-11M with integrated flat crystal.
Bremont calls the Supersonic a ‘unique mechanical tribute to an icon of aviation’ and we couldn’t agree more. This fantastic piece comes in a bespoke package that resembles the iconic shape of Concorde; owning this watch means owning an important slice of British history. Visit our Lancaster or Kendal store to learn more about this and other Bremont watches we stock.