The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor, The Comback of the Martin-Baker Concept and Trip-Tick Case

In the past two years, many things have changed at Bremont, one of the most important watch brands active on British soil. First, the founding brothers, Nick and Giles English, are not actively part of the company anymore. Second, there’s a new owner – American investor Bill Ackman – and a new CEO – industry veteran Davide Cerrato. Finally, there’s a new visual identity (new logo), a new product strategy and some new collections, including the Terra Nova range and the renewed Supermarine dive watch. Change is something difficult to manage, and there were indeed a lot of reforms to digest. But this year, Bremont wants to reassure its fan base, those who cherished pilot’s watches, the Martin-Baker connection, military roots and the classic Trip-Tick case construction. That’s the goal of the new Bremont Altitude collection, and in particular, the MB Meteor model. 

Context

Bremont, despite being a relatively young brand founded in 2002, has made a name for itself with its pilots’ and military watches – Brothers Nick and Giles English, founders of the brand, were serious airplane enthusiasts, flying vintage aircraft like a 1930s biplane and a 1942 WWII Harvard aircraft themselves. This gave an initial boost of credibility to the brand, which was only reinforced by the connection with Martin-Baker, the British-based world-leader aircraft ejector seat design and manufacturer, which challenged Bremont to develop a pilot’s watch capable of withstanding the extreme forces of its seat testing programme. The answer to this request was the Bremont MB (for Martin-Baker), a watch featuring the brand’s Trip-Tick case construction with its signature three-part design in which the top and bottom sandwich a knurled central barrel. Inside this capsule, a rubberised, anti-shock movement mount and anti-magnetic inner ring provided superior protection for the movement.

In addition, the Bremont Martin-Baker MBI model was reserved exclusively for those who have experienced the reality of ejecting from an aircraft – as it still is. This certainly gave the initial collection a great boost of visibility and a cult status due to its almost inaccessibility – money was not an object, only the background of the pilot opened the door to this watch. Civilian counterparts made it to the collection, and the MBII and MBIII quickly became enduring favourites in the Bremont line-up, distinguished by their dual crowns, Trip-Tick case design, bi-directional Roto-Click inner bezel and seconds hand counterbalanced with a looped feature inspired by the pull-handle of an ejector seat. These became staple models in the collection and fans’ favourites… The brand’s icon, if you allow me to use this word (which I tend to avoid as much as possible).

In 2023, Bill Ackman and other investors took over Bremont, which was in a relatively difficult financial position. These new owners also appointed a new CEO, Davide Cerrato (who worked previously for Panerai, Tudor, Montblanc and HYT), with plans to boost sales, increase visibility, redefine production, create new collections and attract new customers. The first step was a new visual identity, with a new (and slightly controversial among old fans) logo, and a redefinition of the collections around 3 pillars: pilot’s watches, dive watches and adventure watches. The latter was the first to be presented, in the name of Terra Nova. Entirely new, not built around existing models or design codes, not using the Trip-Tick case. The collection was probably not fully understood by the old fan base, who saw it as too strong a change compared to the existing range. But Cerrato wanted to address the comments and announced that there will be a return to the roots in this video. The answer is here, with the Bremont Altitude collection.

The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor

As our editor Rebecca explained in her introductory article, “Some watches have been to the Moon and back, others have accompanied missions to the abyss, but Bremont is the only brand that can boast having its watches undergo the same trials as a Martin-Baker ejector seat.” The Bremont MB, now part of a full collection aptly named Altitude, is the direct descendant of these survival pilot’s watches. And everything that made sense back in the days of the MBI, MBII and MBIII has been kept. However, some notable changes, specifically regarding the design and ergonomics, have been applied in order to give the rather large, slightly uncomfortable old models some better daily capacities.

Because of its configuration with two crowns and the presence of a Roto-Click inner bezel, we wanted the MB Meteor to be the watch to explain the Altitude collection, as it is the most important model, and the one that creates the bridge between the past and the future. And let’s start with something of high importance regarding Bremont’s background – something I was truly eager to see, as I was somehow told by Cerrato about its comeback, without having seen the watches yet… The Trip-Tick case is back! And it’s better than ever before.

The flagship model in the collection, the Altitude MB Meteor, takes its name from the Gloster Meteor, Britain’s very first jet fighter, and the aircraft used for Martin-Baker’s original live ejection test in 1946. Yes, the new Wayfinder logo of Bremont is present on the dial, and not the old winged logo, but it’s been reduced in size. But it’s important to note that, even if there’s a classic Trip-Tick case construction, some major efforts have been made on the sides of material, design, and ergonomics. The overall shape, even though recognisable, has far more curves and a softer flow than before, as the original design has been gently refined with a much slimmer profile and a reduced lug-to-lug distance. Look at the side of the case and you’ll see a gentle convex line running from one lug to another, balanced by a concave thin bezel and a box-shaped sapphire crystal that visually enhances the overall thickness of the case.

Let’s talk dimensions. The old MBII or MBIII were quite bulky, with a 43mm diameter, a 14.5mm thickness and a lug-to-lug above 50mm. The new Bremont Altitude MB Meteor shrinks everything to now more wearable dimensions, with a 42mm diameter, a 12.23mm thickness and a 49.3mm length. In addition, the lugs are more curved and offer a better fit around the wrist. I’m not saying it’s a compact watch, but one that retains the original boldness, yet with far more comfort. In addition, the case is now entirely made of grade 2 titanium, including the central barrel with a black DLC coating. The old anodised aluminium-made container with a sharp knurled pattern has been updated with a much softer, yet still visually identifiable, diamond-like pattern. The watch head is now 53 grams, making it pleasantly light.

The fully satin-brushed surface of the case is a no-brainer in the context of a military-inspired pilot’s watch. The right side of this Altitude MB Meteor retains the classic twin-crown architecture, the lower one acting on the Roto-Click inner bezel. Again, the knurled pattern has been softened to make it more pleasant to use, but the crowns have been made larger – maybe a bit too large to my taste, if I must be fair. The back is also made of titanium, with a sapphire crystal, and the watch retains the 100m water-resistance of old MB models. Overall, the new Altitude MB looks both highly familiar and novel, with less of an edgy shape. It’s more curved, more modern and potentially has less of a rugged, gear-like shape. I do appreciate the new design, though.

Refinement and familiar design are the two key words for the dial. The inner bezel’s Roto-Click technology has also been redefined, ensuring a precise action with the satisfying click familiar to MB owners. This 60-minute flange frames a rigorous, legible and classic MB-style dial, with its fair share of updates too. Available either in silver or in black, the dials now have a discreet vertically-brushed surface, adding to the instrument’s style and lowering reflections. While using the same font as before, the hour Arabic numerals are now applied, with a stencilled style, and a black outline with inserts of high-grade Super-LumiNova. A bit more refined than before, but again, keeping the old spirit alive. These numerals are paired with small square markers, also filled with lume. Other signature MB elements have been retained; the lollipop seconds hand counterbalanced by a looped ejection pull handle in white and black stripes, an identical dashed pattern around the date window, propeller-shaped blackened hands with large luminous inserts and a red triangle echoing the danger warning that appears on all ejector seats.

Inside the case, the movement has been updated. Old MBII models were powered by a Sellita SW200. The new Altitude MB Meteor relies on the Calibre BB14-AH, using as a base the La Joux-Perret G100. Finished in gunmetal grey with Geneva stripes, this movement runs at 4Hz and stores a comfortable power reserve of 68 hours. Two things to mention: the movement is suspended within a flexible rubber mount to absorb shocks and minimise impacts, and a soft iron ring around the movement brings protection against magnetic fields. The movement is, however, not chronometer-certified anymore.

Finally, to match the case, a brand new grade 2 titanium bracelet has been developed, with a brushed finish and short links. The bracelet is flexible, and its lightness adds to the overall comfort of the watch. It is closed by a concealed folding clasp and features a quick-release system. The Bremont Altitude MB Meteor is also available, like the rest of the models in the Altitude collection, with a textured leather strap or a NATO strap made by Julien Faure in France.

Availability & Price

The new Bremont Altitude MB Meteor is now available from the brand’s website and authorised retailers, alongside the rest of the collection that includes a more compact, fixed-bezel 39mm time-and-date model and a 42mm chronograph GMT, both made in 904L stainless steel. The titanium-clad Altitude MB Meteor on a titanium bracelet retails for EUR 5,950 or GBP 4,950, and the versions on leather or NATO straps come at EUR 5,500 or GBP 4,600. Not cheap considering the outsourced movement, but in line with the previous generation of steel MB watches, while feeling more high-end than before.

For more details, please visit bremont.com.