BREMONT//JAGUAR: THE STORY SO FAR

The Bremont//Jaguar partnership first began a decade ago, when Jaguar enlisted Bremont to create a bespoke in-car clock for the XJ75 Platinum Concept Car. The Jaguar XJ Platinum concept helped celebrate Jaguar’s 75th Anniversary, with the collaboration highlighting the demand for customisation in the luxury car market.  

Such was the success of the first project, Jaguar once again commissioned Bremont to create another in-car clock, this time for the C-X75 Concept Supercar. The unique removable clock was mounted in a turbine-inspired holder in the centre console, the car’s acceleration and braking forces were harnessed to keep the mechanism wound.

Bremont inspired another key element of the interior design of the supercar with the interior door release handles being mounted in the base of the seat, in the same position as a fighter jet ejector lever. This was of course a nod to Bremont’s partnership with British ejection seat technology experts Martin-Baker.

The stunning concept car later made it into the Bond Hall-of-Fame, featuring in Spectre (2015). The car can be seen careering through the streets of Rome, driven by Bond’s nemesis Mr. Hinx, shortly before 007 rather un-ceremonially blasts it with a flamethrower, a crying shame…

THE ROYAL TOUCH

A year later, Jaguar commissioned Bremont to create car clocks for the Queen’s fleet of Jaguar cars, as well as a pocket watch for Prince Philip as part of the jubilee celebrations, a huge honour.

THE LIGHTWEIGHT E-TYPE

 

Design Director of Jaguar at the time, Ian Callum, explained the reason for choosing Bremont for the collaboration, “Bremont was the obvious choice as a partner because, like Jaguar, it is a quintessentially British brand… We didn’t want a watch that was too obvious in terms of design, but something which captured the spirit of the Lightweight in a subtle yet relevant way and I think Bremont has certainly achieved that goal.” 

 

A series of six limited edition wristwatches were created to match the six exclusive Lightweight E-type cars.

 

Each watch carries the engine and chassis number of the car it is paired with, and drawing inspiration directly from the car, the 43mm watch features a black dial based on the look of a Lightweight RPM gauge and featuring a subtle ‘red zone’ quadrant. 

 

 

Turning the watch over revealed a further reference to the car in the form of the automatic winding rotor, which takes the form of an exquisite miniaturisation of an alloy-spoked Lightweight steering wheel, complete with authentic wooden rim.

 

 

Bremont co-founder, Giles English gave further insight into the level of attention to detail “Creating the watch proved to be a fascinating project, as we were given access to the Jaguar archives in order, for example, to ascertain the exact font for the numerals used on the dial of the original rev counters. We even added the original Dunlop tyre tread from the car, to the crown."

 

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Lightweight E-type watches and a call for a more accessible version of the limited edition watch, Bremont launched two new Jaguar watches a year later, based on the road version of the Lightweight E-type, the car that none other than Enzo Ferrari described as “the most beautiful production car in the world”. 

 

The MKI and MKII watches were revealed to the world for the first time at Baselworld in March of 2015 and fully cemented the two brands long term relationship.

 

In working to capture the E-Type’s essence in a wristwatch, Jaguar’s Director of Design Ian Callum and the creative team at Bremont homed-in on another of its signature features - the dashboard. A nod to the iconic Jaguar speedometer and ‘rev-counter’ is clear within the dial, also bringing a measured yet eye catching splash of colour to the MKI and MKII watches. 

 

2015

BREMONT FOUNDERS COMPETE IN THE MINI MIGLIA

Later that year, Nick and Giles English joined stars including Supermodel David Gandy and Chef and TV Presenter James Martin at the starting line of the Mini Miglia race in Scotland, a tribute to Mille Miglia ‘The world’s most beautiful race…’

The brothers wound their way through 100 miles of the finest roads Scotland has to offer. The incredible scenery and winding roads of the Scottish Highlands providing the perfect backdrop for the iconic selection of heritage Jaguars.

ON THE ROAD... AN AMERICAN ADVENTURE

2 years later, Nick took his restored vintage Jaguar E-Type across the pond as him and Giles went on a rather epic US road trip.

 Nick recalls of the journey…

“The Jaguar E-Type Series 2 had been restored by my father 35 years previously, and so whilst tidy, it was certainly no garage queen! You almost wear the car. Her interior with the large wooden steering wheel, the worn leather seats and the vintage dials, is quite a tight fit. You begin to realise just how large modern cars have become. I really fell in love with the E-Type as we drove from one side of the US to the other.

We did New York where the brakes seized on my car due to the temperatures, the Appalachians where we ran into wild bears, the Nascar Circuit in Charlotte where we nipped around with the race pace car, Memphis where the clutch needed rebuilding, and we even manged to drive through Joshua Tree and Yosemite National Parks followed by Death Valley at 40 degrees Celsius”

In 1963, a legend was born. The Lightweight E-type racer was always a breed apart. Just 18 cars were intended to go into production. That year, two Lightweight E-types led the field in the GT4 class, but it was number 23, in Old English White, with its bold red and blue stripes, that was to cross the finish line first. 

54 years later, the car’s, now iconic, traits are brought to life through the Bremont MKII chronograph, a true homage to a piece of racing history. The MKII features new hands and a red stitched ‘racing’ leather strap, akin to the red racing stripes which adorned the car and the vintage embroidered branding details. 

NEARLY A DECADE ON FROM THE START OF THE BREMONT/JAGUAR JOURNEY, BREMONT LAUNCHES THE D-TYPE

The Jaguar D-type won the Le Mans 24 Hours race three times between 1955 and 1957 and to celebrate this British racing icon Bremont designed a mechanical chronograph that transports the wearer back to this golden era of motorsport. The blue dialled timepiece is inspired by pantones of the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar race team and was limited to only 300 pieces (as the D-type was classified as a 300 bhp car). The large exhibition sapphire case back shows the beautifully finished mechanical movement and intricate Jaguar steering wheel inspired rotor. The watch crown has the original Dunlop tyre tread etched into it and the heritage Jaguar logo finished beautifully in enamel on its end.

Ian Callum, the then Design Director for Jaguar said “The Bremont D-Type chronograph is inspired by one of the most dramatic and beautiful sports cars in history… As exciting today as it was in the 1950s, its story continues to be told and this iconic car deserves a timepiece to match. The Limited Edition watch perfectly captures the D-Type’s mechanical beauty and subtly nods to the cars’ performance – a true driver’s companion”.