It’s that time of year again where luxury watch exhibitions inundate us with new releases; Watches and Wonders is just around the corner and tomorrow it’s the 2022 Bremont Townhouse, an event which sees the Henley on Thames manufacturer showcase their novelties for the year. In a glimpse of what’s to come, Bremont have announced the launch of the Bremont Supermarine WR-22 Chronograph designed in celebration of their partnership with Williams Racing.
Last year, just in time for the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship in Bahrain, Bremont announced they were the Official Timing and Watch Partner for the Williams Formula One motor racing team. Despite the announcement, there was no watch to follow and so the release of the Bremont Supermarine WR-22 Chronograph is something we’ve been expecting for some time. What we didn’t expect however was the launch of three new watches, the aforementioned being one and a special Bremont Williams Racing Box set making up the second and third – but more on that later. The British watch manufacturer have also announced, with the release of these watches, that both Bremont and Williams will come together and bring their manufacturing and technical abilities together into one realisation, creating watch and car parts at Bremont’s facility, The Wing. It’s a first for both industries and is a showstopping display on how two differing British manufacturers can come together to share their knowledge and expertise.
Bremont Co-Founder Giles English comments, “Everyone at Bremont is incredibly proud to be working with Williams Racing, a team with an incredible history and such a poignant name in sport. The links between our two industries are considerable and as Official Timing Partner our relationship will be beneficial on many levels. Over the years we have seen a substantial crossover between the manufacturing skills in F1™ and watchmaking, we have employed several individuals from the F1™ industry to date. Complex machining to very high tolerances requires a significant investment in machinery and technical skillset, any extra support from the Williams technical team will undoubtedly be hugely valuable to our business. We’re excited to be working with such a renowned British technology business and look forward to seeing where we can take the partnership.”
The Bremont Supermarine WR-22 Chronograph perfectly embodies the new partnership between Bremont and Williams with a design proudly wearing the colour and codes of the racing team. The panda dial is immediately sporty with a crisp white backdrop, a bold red chronograph seconds hand and black snailed counters. Contrasting instantly against all this is electric blue accents on the small seconds counter at 9 o’clock and the 12 hour counter at 6 o’clock to match the livery of the drivers. For easy legibility, the dial also boasts black PVD hour and minute hands filled with blue emission Superluminova.
The case of the Bremont Supermarine WR-22 Chronograph follows closely in the footsteps of the Bremont S302 launched last year with a 43mm stainless steel architecture engineered using the brand’s Trip-Tick construction and a scratch resistant PVD treated case middle. On top, the case delivers a bi-directional rotating bezel with a ceramic insert adorned with a tachymeter scale perfectly suited to the racetrack. The downward lugs allow the imposing diameter and the 15.8mm height to sit gracefully on the wrist helped by a choice of a stainless steel bracelet or a black nubuck leather strap. The chronograph also enjoys sapphire crystal glass, a screw down crown, two screw down chronograph pushers and a water resistance of 200 metres.
Turn the Bremont Supermarine WR-22 Chronograph over and you can admire the modified Calibre 13 ¼’’’ BE-53AE automatic winding movement through the sapphire crystal case back. The chronometer-rated calibre has been fitted with a custom-decorated rotor inscribed with the Williams Racing logo and unique openwork detailing to evoke the shape of a car tyres’ rim. The movement features a Glucydur balance wheel, an Anachron balance spring, and a Nivaflex mainspring as well as a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and a 42 hour power reserve.
In addition to the Bremont Supermarine WR-22 Chronograph watch, the British watch manufacturer have also launched 45 limited edition box sets which include two watches and a racing experience. The two watches include a FW44 Chrono and FW44 Classic, the former is essentially a black PVD version of the WR-22 Chronograph above with all the same spec, case size and movement. The latter is a 40mm time-only watch with a satin-finished steel case, blue nubuck leather strap, a 200 metre water resistance, sapphire crystal glass and a dark ‘Oxford Blue’ dial. The centrepiece continues to maintain the racing team’s livery with a red seconds hand and a subtle yellow 60 minute marker. Powering the Bremont FW44 Classic is the BE-92AV chronometer-rated automatic winding movement with a 38 hour power reserve.
With the purchase of each Bremont Williams Racing Box Set, you’ll also get a once in a lifetime ‘Race Day’ experience hosted at Grove, the home of Williams Racing. You’ll be taken on a guided tour of the race team HQ and the Williams Racing museum to learn all about the team’s history. After that, you’ll be able to see the ‘Mission Control’ room where the UK based technical team review Grand Prix race metrics live and liaise with the team on location at each race venue, supporting the drivers and pit crew. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a must for any Williams or Bremont fan.
You can shop both the Bremont Supermarine WR-22 Chronograph and the limited-edition Bremont Williams Racing Box Set on the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, you can contact the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
