Bremont MB II (Ejection Seat!): Rough Rider (VIDEO)

This is the Bremont MB II, and trust us; it’s the one you want. The one you don’t? That would be the Bremont MB I; only survivors of actual Martin-Baker ejection seat evacuations are permitted to order that one.

We hear the full Martin-Baker experience can deduct years from your life… and inches from your total height. So let’s stick to the Bremont MB II, which packs all the panache and features of the MB I without the rocket-propelled windfall for your chiropractor.

This 43mm sports watch combines the essence of Bremont in a versatile package that suits any occasion: business suit or bathing suit. Bremont has built its name on its aviation-inspired chronometer watches, and the young firm (established 2002) has risen to prominence with meteoric speed. Recent prominence on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon brought the company’s MB series of pilot’s models into mainstream view, and the result has been a surge of collector interest in the model line.

Martin-Baker launched the first aviation ejection seats in 1947, and it has produced over 75,000 units since that seminal moment. Since 1958, the company has maintained an exclusive “tie club” for those who bear the dubious distinction of having availed themselves of the MB hardware. With only 5,800 eligible members, the tie club remains an exclusive clique. While the Bremont MB I remains the privilege of those who’ve ridden the rocket seat, the identical MB II can be enjoyed by all collectors with a taste for independent horology and admiration for aviation.

Bremont builds the MB II with subtle nods to its inspiration. The dominant aesthetic of the dial is that of the mid-century MK IX pilot’s watches that were built for the British and Australian air arms. High-contrast Arabic numerals, a black dial, and instrument-like legibility define the arm’s length impression. Upon close examination, small cues reference the Martin-Baker connection. Most notable is a seconds hand counterweight resembling a small loop of yellow and black “rip chord” of the type used to activate the seat.

Functional features of the Bremont MB II include a robust automatic movement with day/date complication, COSC-certified Swiss Chronometer precision, and stop seconds for precise synchronization to a reference time. Bremont’s MB II case architecture incorporates additional safeguards against extreme handling; the movement is mounted on shock-absorbing isolation braces, and a soft-iron Faraday Cage encloses the movement to provide shielding against magnetism.

The Bremont MB II is the rare pilot’s watch that can pull double-duty as a dive instrument; its 100m (330ft) water resistance and secure internal rotating bezel permit sub-surface use in most amateur diving activities.

Bremont prides itself on its commitment to British manufacturing, so this MB II is assembled, finished, and timed in London after the movement is constructed and COSC certified in Switzerland.

With a dial signed “London,” this Anglo-Swiss hybrid is retracing the footsteps of no less an industry titan than Rolex’s Hans Wilsdorf. Unlike Wilsdorf, the English brothers (Giles and Nick) are attempting to move as much production as possible *back* to London from Switzerland. Bremont is a watchmaker with a patriotic mission; revive London’s grand watchmaking heritage.

Ejection seats are like bulletproof vests: a necessary evil. By most accounts, using them when necessary is better than the alternative – and only the alternative. Skip the Martin-Baker Tie Club and cut to the good part with the Bremont MB II from watchuwant.com.

See this Bremont MB II and accessories in high-resolution images on www.watchuwant.com.