An Unexpected Move from Bremont with the Terra Nova Jumping Hour models

Since Bremont changed hands in 2023, concerns arose that the rugged, aviation-themed watches of the British brand, founded by the English brothers, would disappear under Davide Cerrato’s management. Now that the dust has settled and Bremont has reinstated its iconic Trip-Tick case with its MB (Martin-Baker) Altitude models, the brand appears to be back on track. However, nobody, in their wildest projections, could have imagined the release of these two Terra Nova Jumping Hour models. Marking a radically new direction for the robust Terra Nova field watch collection, the latest models feature a surprising jumping hours complication. Interpreted in two different styles and case sizes, these models make a bold design statement.  

Having expressed our surprise that Bremont would feature a sophisticated jumping hours complication in its field watch collection, it’s fair to say that jumping hours are enjoying a renaissance in watchmaking today. Popularised in the 1920s and 1930s, the heyday of the Art Deco period, the beauty of a jumping hours complication lies in its simple digital appearance, which belies a complex movement. With the current appreciation for all things Art Deco, Bremont’s jumping hours models shared the limelight at Watches & Wonders 2025 with Cartier’s revisited Tank à Guichets, a streamlined Art Deco watch with a protective cover over the dial.

Upholding the external design traits of the vintage field watch-inspired Terra Nova collection, both models come in cushion-shaped cases with short lugs and oversized crowns. The 38mm Terra Nova Bronze edition harks back to early 20^th-century trench watches with shrapnel guards or metal grilles to protect the dial. In contrast, the larger 40.5mm steel Terra Nova has an off-centred jumping hours and minutes display set against a black background.

Both Terra Nova watches share the newly developed calibre BC634 made for Bremont by Sellita. This customised jumping hours movement (protected for two years) has a high torque, ensuring the jump to the next numeral occurs in less than 1/10th of a second. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph, the new movement is fitted with a Glucydur balance wheel, a Nivaflex mainspring, an Anachron balance spring and delivers a robust 56-hour power reserve – the base being a Sellita SW300.

Impossible to miss, the Terra Nova Jumping Hour Bronze editions – available with a bronze bracelet or brown leather strap – stand out with their bronze cases and bronze shield-style dial with three apertures. The cupro-aluminium case has a 38mm diameter and a thin height of 9.1mm. Both the case and dial cover are vertically brushed with polished bevels. Fitted with a PVD bronze-coloured steel caseback, it might come as a surprise to discover that the water-resistance rating is limited to 30m.

The linear alignment of the display, typical of montre à guichet (watch with apertures) timepieces, reveals the jumping hours in a trapezium-shaped window at noon, followed by a running seconds in the circular aperture at the centre with the brand’s new Wayfinder compass logo in the background. The minutes are featured beneath the seconds. All three displays have a refined golden frame and are protected by sapphire crystal windows with white backgrounds and brown numerals. Like other Terra Nova models, the inscriptions are plentiful, featuring references to the brand, the collection name, the complication, the movement, and London, all displayed on the front.

Thanks to the quick-release system, both the 3-link bronze bracelet and the brown leather strap with cream box stitching are interchangeable and limited to 100 pieces each.

With its glossy black lacquered dial, eccentric layout and interesting track design, the larger Terra Nova Jumping Hours exudes a sleek and refined Art Deco spirit. Presented in a 40.5mm cushion-shaped stainless steel case with a low profile of 10.15mm, the case is decorated with satin-brushed finishes and a brightly polished bezel. Like all Terra Novas, the large push-in crown features the new Wayfinder compass rose logo, and the caseback is sealed and decorated with a map of the globe. Unlike the bronze edition, the steel models have a reassuring 100m water-resistance.

Moving from left to right, the trapezium-shaped aperture for the jumping hours is featured on the dial at 9 o’clock with the minutes window positioned next to it. Distinctive and yet highly visible, the contiguous windows are outlined in silver and display white numerals against a black background. The silver-printed peripheral seconds track is composed of broken railway-style tracks clustered in formations of three and separated by circles and triangles at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. With its regulator-style layout, the central seconds hand is entirely covered in green-emission Super-LumiNova, matching the lume applied to the triangular markers and jumping hour numerals. Available with a quick-release steel bracelet or a black gradient leather strap, this model is not limited.

The Terra Nova in bronze, paired with a bronze bracelet, retails for EUR 5,900. The Terra Nova bronze model with a leather strap is priced at EUR 5,450; both are limited editions of 100 pieces. The Terra Nova in steel, on a steel bracelet, has a retail price of EUR 4,500; on a leather strap, it is EUR 4,200. More information at bremont.com.