OPINION: Is Bremont back on track?

Talking to Davide Cerrato in Henley-on-Thames with this week’s stealthy new release in hand, the mood is buoyant for the year ahead.

Bremont’s first half of the 2025 financial year met expectations, with strong performances from the Altitude series and MB Meteor, as the brand is working its way back to its core audience, supported by refurbished boutiques in Mayfair and New York. 

Retail expansion is progressing, with significant traction in the US and plans for Europe, Japan, and Asia as Bremont realigns. Davide Cerrato shares intimate secrets and honest plans to leverage its British DNA, and the takeaway is that Cerrato expects the brand’s presence at Watches and Wonders to boost its global reach and critical mass. This time, the industry veteran might be right.

At The Wing in Henley-on-Thames a couple of weeks ago, I was part of a small press group brought in for a preview of a big stack of releases, presented by a fizzing Davide Cerrato and his team. With criticism quietening down last year on the release of the safe-harbour Altitude range, the dapper Italian is on the right track and has closed the first half of the fiscal year on budget. 

This is a far cry from the big red numbers flashing only a couple of years ago, and Davide is relentlessly positive as he hands me the new dark version of the 38mm Terranova Jumping Hour, complete with litigious Darth Vader jokes (yes, also on my part). This new release offers a very different take on the otherwise dressy trend of jump-hour and guichet watches: a stealthy DLC iteration on a base of 904L steel, a material Rolex once touted as a precious metal.

The new 38mm Terranova Jumping Hour is only a small part of what appears to be a strong deck of cards for Watches & Wonders, and Davide shows his hand in Henley as I ask him about the brand’s results from 2025. “We just closed our first half of the fiscal year, and we are on budget, which I think is a big achievement,” Cerrato said. “And, as I told you, the jumping hour is really performing well, as is the new MB Meteor.” 

Expanding on the collection and the choices made in 2025, Davide makes it clear that Bremont has very clear winners in its collection, offering its retailers a broad range, as we segue to brick-and-mortar retail. “We have just refurbished the Mayfair boutique and the Madison Avenue boutique in New York,” Cerrato told me. “There is a lot of good energy, excitement, a lot of support from Bill Ackman, and we are moving towards Watches & Wonders with a lot of confidence.”

Davide Cerrato’s last point was made clear with what can only be described as a big surprise that will be shared in the Palexpo booth in April, for now a secret, but in my view offering game-changing potential. In a talk I had with Cerrato last summer, the Altitude collection seems to have set Bremont on a clearer path, and judging by the on-budget figures, it has reached both die-hard collectors and a new target audience. 

“I think now it is clear that we are sharing and preserving the key elements of the DNA of the brand,” Davide told me. “10 days ago, we had a big presentation to the UK retailers here of the upcoming novelties, and the reaction was uniformly excited and positive. People see that we are walking the walk, the plan is working, and I think everyone feels that there is more positive energy around the brand.”

There is also a continuous plan to expand retail, first mentioned by Davide Cerrato in 2025 and now seemingly on track. “We have a lot of traction with interest from retailers, and we have a very ambitious plan of openings, and we are ahead of the plan.” 

Davide Cerrato also expanded on plans for a geographic extension in Europe and beyond “We are opening new markets,” says Cerrato.” We are very active in Italy, where we have an agent and by Watches & Wonders at the latest, we should start to open points of sale.” 

According to Davide, there is also strong interest from Germany, France, and Spain, and retail meetings are already scheduled for Watches & Wonders. “I’m very confident that we can be present in Europe, altogether the biggest market in the world,” he told me. “Even if the economic situation is still challenging, it is a market where you need to be.” 

According to Davide Cerrato, Japan is the stepping stone for Bremont, and a partner is already in place. “We have found a big retail partner and have an ambitious plan there. We should start by mid February at the latest, and between now and W&W, we also have ongoing discussions in both South America and Asia.”

My last question might come across as rhetorical, knowing Davide Cerrato’s enthusiastic nature, and that is whether 2026 is the year Bremont reasserts its position as the biggest British watch brand. “Definitely, yes. I think a full year of the Altitude collection has been a powerful showing of our DNA, as the very inception of the brand was building an indestructible pilot’s watch,” he said. “That is still living and beating in our brand ethos, and our new product line debuting at Watches & Wonders will allow us to extend the testing approach to even more extreme boundaries.” 

To me, after a resurgent 2025, Davide Cerrato’s optimism has merit, and this week’s release of the stealth-chic Jumping Hour only underlines it.

The Bremont Terra Nova 38 Jumping Hour Stealth Black

Going back to the debut version of a blacked-out DLC jump hour in my hand, and feelings are mixed. But to me, that is why the design works. Sure, marrying a Bremont tool watch aesthetic in ominous black with the dainty display apertures of a Tank à Guichets will raise hackles. And yes, it does come across as Darth Vader’s timepiece, should the character be cast in a steampunk sci-fi. There, I said it, not Bremont, so Lucasfilm, please forgive me. You would think the small windows of time would make a tool watch hard to read, but the crisp white print contrasts nicely, and the hours and Wayfinder logo beneath the central rotating propeller seconds feature generous Super-LumiNova. With a popping green emission, this will no doubt make it a great conversation starter after dark, and another detail that sets it apart in the growing array of guichet-like watches.  

The Terra Nova 38 Jumping Hour Stealth Black is not a pilot’s watch, or a diver, and it somehow all gels. The 38mm size is near-perfect for me, and the collection’s 904L single-link bracelet is simple yet very comfortable. Cerrato and his team at The Wing have managed to source a much blacker (sorry) DLC than what we’re used to seeing, and with the polished, broad beveling, it comes across as sharp as a ceramic case, with added weight. 

For an extra quirky touch, it can be specified with an all-black Bund strap, which makes it less Vader-ish and leans harder into a retro vibe. The fact that we are used to seeing jumping-hour watches in precious metals and in thin, small cases just adds to the charm, as does the BC634 movement. This features an instantaneous hour-jump and is developed specifically with Sellita for the Terranova Jumping Hour collection. It boasts 29 Jewels, a Glucydur balance wheel, and technical features such as an Anachron balance spring and a Nivaflex mainspring. It beats at 28,800 bph (4Hz) with a solid 56-hour power reserve and is available from Bremont and its retail partners this week.