In Depth Review: The Bremont Broadsword

Earlier this year Bremont introduced a new family of 3 watches, dubbed collectively as The Ministry of Defense Collection. The watches represent the first official licensing agreement between the British Ministry of Defense (MoD), and the Henley-on-Thames based brand. Each watch purposed for one of the three branches of the British Armed Forces: the Argonaut inspired by the Royal Navy; the Arrow by the Royal Air Force; and the Broadsword by the Royal Army. We went hands on with the most basic of the three, the Broadsword, to test its effectiveness in decidedly more civilian duties. 

Taking inspiration from the so-called “Dirty Dozen” watches used during the second World War (more on those later), the Broadsword is a service ready field watch that happens to be well suited for everyday use. These qualities apply to many of the watches coming out of Bremont these days. Before we go further on the Broadsword, let’s take a brief overview of the brand for some context. 

About Bremont

Giles and Nick English, founders of Bremont

The South Oxfordshire based brand was started by brothers Giles and Nick English in 2002, who endeavored to build a pilot’s watch to suit their tastes as avid pilots themselves. A goal of Bremont from the onset was to house as much of the manufacturing in the UK as possible, tapping into England’s rich heritage of mechanical watch and clock making. 

In a relatively short period of time, Bremont has managed to forge a reputation for building bespoke watches for military and combat personnel the world over. A cornerstone of these efforts was partnering with British ejection seat manufacturer Martin Baker, who requested a watch that could withstand the forces subjected to ejection seat occupants. The resulting watch, the MBI, was introduced in 2009 and was then, as it is now, available only to pilots who have been ejected in a Martin Baker seat. The three-piece Trip-Tick case, which features a distinct red barrel and is nigh indestructible, has become a staple of the brand. 

The first time I met Nick English, at Baselworld in 2012, he made a point by throwing an MBI watch I was inspecting to the floor – not dropping, throwing – and with a smile on his face, he picked it up to reveal the watch still dutifully ticking away, none the worse for wear.

Today, Bremont boasts no less than 16 collections across genres with a focus on dive, field, and pilot’s watches. Each are assembled at the brand’s watchmaking facilities located in Henley on the Thames river in southern England. Giles and Nick are still active pilots and full time brand evangelists, taking a hands on role in establishing the Bremont ethos in new markets. 

The Ministry of Defense Collection

The Ministry of Defense collection occupies new territory in the Bremont stable, with unique cases and dial designs that set them apart at a glance from the more established models like the MB and Supermarine watches. While you won’t find the brand’s Trip-Tick cases here (they’ve opted for a new, 2-piece construction instead), you will notice familiarity in the design, such as the milled grooves in the case wall, and the elongated lug with deep polished chamfers. 

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the MoD watches are their broad, sterile bezels. It gives the watches a smaller appearance than their measurements would suggest, giving the 40mm Broadsword the dial of a size you’d expect to see on a 38mm watch. While not distracting in and of itself, the bezel space is noticeable, and lends a robust feeling to the watch, imagining the movement set within thick walls, well protected from outside forces. 

Alongside the Broadsword, the MoD collection houses the Arrow and the Argonaut. The former a monopusher chronograph for the RAF, the latter a diver with internal rotating bezel aimed at members of the Royal Navy. Each get the HMAF (Her Majesty’s Armed Forces) label under the Bremont signature at 12 o’clock, signifying the official signing of the United Kingdom’s Armed Forces Covenant with Bremont. 

Each of the MoD watches draw on historical design cues, but the Broadsword has a significant historical tie in with watches commissioned by the MoD, and produced for the British forces during the ‘40s and ‘50s.

The “Dirty Dozen”

All 12 of the “Dirty Dozen” watches – image credit: A Collected Man

The so called Dirty Dozen are a collection of 12 watches that were built for British forces during the second World War, as requested directly by the Ministry of Defense. The 12 brands that would take up the request were: Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex. The “Dirty Dozen” moniker is borrowed from a movie by the same name released in the ‘60s, which portrays the adventures of 12 soldiers during WWII. 

The actual watches all feature the same mandated qualities, which include chronometer grade movements, waterproof and shockproof cases, black dials, and steel cases. Each are identifiable from the broad arrow on the dial and caseback, along with the caseback markings identifying them as government property. 

Today, these watches are favorites of military watch collectors for their relative accessibility (compared to the likes of a 5517 or Tornek-Rayville, at least). Each brand produced varying numbers of their watches, with Omega and Record, and Cyma taking the largest chunks at between 20,000 and 25,000 each. The rarest of the lot is the Grana, with fewer than 5,000 examples known to exist. 

The watches have a simple charm to them, sized between 35 and 38mm, making them modest by today’s standards. They also share a common design language (by design), with Arabic numerals representing each hour along with luminous plots and hands, and a small seconds sub dial at 6 o’clock. The broad arrow and brand name occupy the top half of the dial. These are the traits Bremont used to build the Broadsword, and while you won’t find a broad arrow anywhere on the dial or caseback (these watches were not commissioned by the MoD, afterall), the rest is present and accounted for. 

The Broadsword

Taken in the context of the above, the Broadsword is a modern approximation of what you’d expect from a MoD commissioned timepiece. These qualities, unsurprisingly, make it a fitting and practical watch for everyday civilian use as well. That means it wears easily, presents only useful information in a legible manner, and can withstand any manner of physical activity you feel comfortable subjecting it to. 

The case measures 40mm in diameter and around 13mm in thickness. Thanks to the lug curvature the watch sits on the wrists comfortably, but there’s enough heft to be felt. From a top down view, the lug length looks unreasonably large, but this is thanks to the steep beveled edge. A view of the profile gives a more accurate representation of the dimension found in the lugs, which lend to an architectural quality to the case as a whole. The actual top of the lug, which has a brushed finish, is quite short. 

The bezel, as stated above, is large and creates a smaller dial space than you’d expect on a 40mm watch. It’s not distracting from the dial as it, too, is brushed, funneling the focal point to the minute and hour markers along the dial’s edge. This seems to keep attention on the space that matters, making it easier to lock on to the time at a glance. Unlike the Dirty Dozen watches the Broadsword is based on, there is a date present on this dial, which adds another level of practicality for daily use, however I’d argue the design would be more effective without it. 

The dial contains minute markers and Arabic hour numerals running the full perimeter, which lume plots present every 5 minutes. The hands are straightforward and thick, filled with lume in their entirety. It’s a lot to take in, but taken as a whole, it’s remarkably simple and effective. That may be an obvious observation, but these small details must be executed with proper weight, spacing, and scale. Many brands struggle to get these details right, and it’s worth calling out when done properly. 

The khaki green sailcloth strap works both on a visual level in color, texture and thickness, as well as on a comfort level as it conforms easily to the wrist. Straps of this nature are generally stiff and require a fair bit of breaking in, but the Broadsword feels readily wearable out of the box. 

Inside the Broadsword beats the BE-95-2AV automatic movement, which is chronometer grade modified ETA 2836 base caliber. The crown is screw down, but winding and setting are performed without issue. There is no exhibition caseback on the Broadsword, which opts instead for an engraving of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces Heraldic Badges.

Who’s It For?

The Bremont Broadsword is a comfortable, practical watch with historic roots thanks to a direct tie in to the British Ministry of Defense. There’s a rugged appeal here that will work for those with more than a few pairs of well worn boots laying around the house, but don’t expect this watch to fit the bill for anything more formal than a family reunion. This is a perfect 3rd or 4th watch to add to your rotation when the mood strikes or beater duty calls. Priced at $3,445 it’s an attractive addition alongside a more formal option and a diver or two. That’s not to say this isn’t a perfectly capable daily wearer, just don’t expect it to fit into every area of your wardrobe. 

Competition

The Broadsword offers an attractive package at this price point, but there’s a few other watches worth consideration both above and below the $3,500 mark. You’ll also find that a good dive watch possess many of the same qualities prizes in the Bremont, and that a watch like Tudor’s latest Black Bay P01 may fit the bill, albeit in a more controversial package. If you’re not looking to spend more than $500, Hamilton has a fantastic alternative in their Khaki Field watch. Finally, the standard bearer in this category, the Rolex Explorer which will cost closer to $7,000 but will work as viable single watch option.