To celebrate the 50th anniversary of an aircraft both brilliant and beautiful, Bremont has launched its eighth historical limited edition timepiece, the Bremont Supersonic, incorporating parts of one of the most famous and iconic planes in history – Concorde. Ahead of her time in more ways than one, Concorde flew faster than a rifle bullet and halved the time of transatlantic crossings. Over 2.5 million British Airways passengers experienced flying eleven miles high at twice the speed of sound. This evocative civilian airliner completed more supersonic flying hours than the entire world’s air forces combined.
A SUPERSONIC SUCCESS STORY Concorde made the dream of supersonic travel a reality. She was a landmark in aircraft design and her incredible achievements make her a classic example of British engineering at its finest. She was cutting edge throughout her 27-year service and nothing has rivalled her since. She was more than just metal. She inspired pride and emotion – that is truly a rare thing. We are delighted to dedicate the Bremont Supersonic to this remarkable aircraft and have incorporated original aluminium from Concorde Alpha Bravo into the watch. In addition to 50 years of Concorde, 2019 will mark the centenary of British Airways. The Bremont Supersonic is our unique tribute to these two iconic names in British aviation.
Nick & Giles English, Bremont Co-Founders
A FIRST FOR BREMONT The Supersonic contains Bremont’s first ever manual wind movement which features an 8 day power reserve and has a power reserve indicator at the 12 o’clock position. The style of the timepiece is reminiscent of a 70’s look and feel with its sunburst white dial representing Concorde’s specially developed highly reflective paint. The blue hands of the Supersonic reflect British Airways blue on Concorde’s famous livery.
TIME FLIES Only 20 Concordes were built, seven of which entered service with British Airways. Concorde was the flagship of their fleet. The Bremont Supersonic will incorporate a ring of aluminium from Alpha Bravo, Heathrow’s last remaining Concorde. The silhouette of this remarkable aircraft is subtly machined into the movement’s customised base plate and G-BOAB’s attributes feature in gold around the aluminium decoration ring. Parts of the proceeds of these unique limited edition timepieces will be donated to the Air League Trust, an organisation that works to introduce under privileged children to learn how to fly. The brilliant cause is part of a wider network of charities supported by British Airways, known as Flying Start.
Registered as G-BOAB, Alpha Bravo first flew in 1976, the third Concorde delivered to British Airways. In 1984 she set an airliner distance record, covering 4,565 miles from Washington to Nice. After 24 years service, Alpha Bravo returned to Heathrow in 2000 on what became her final flight.
F LY I N G T H E F L AG The Bremont Supersonic Limited Edition is hand assembled by skilled watchmakers at Bremont’s workshop in Henley-on-Thames, England.
MADE IN ENGLAND The beautiful bespoke packaging, which has been engineered and made in England, is a subtle nod to the iconic shape of Concorde.
SUPERSONIC WHITE GOLD 100 pieces
SUPERSONIC ROSE GOLD 100 pieces
SUPERSONIC STA I N L E S S ST E E L 300 pieces
T E C H N I C A L F E AT U R E S MOVEMENT
CASE BACK
Modified calibre BE-11M 8 day manual wind movement. Glucydur balance and Anachron balance spring with Nivaflex mainspring. Rated frequency 21,600 bph. Sub seconds hand at 6 o’clock. Date window at 6 o’clock. 33 jewels, 32.4mm diameter, 4.8mm height. Decoration ring visible from the case back, constructed from aluminium used in G-BOAB.
Stainless steel, white gold or rose gold case back with integrated flat crystal. 5 stainless steel/white gold/rose gold screws with polished heads.
FUNCTIONS
DIAL Sunray Silver White metal dial, applied indexes, blue steel/ nickel/rose gold hands with Super-LumiNova®.
Hours, minutes, permanent small seconds at 6 o’clock, date at 6 o’clock. 8 day power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock.
C RYSTA L
CASE
WAT E R R E S I STA N C E
Stainless steel, white gold or rose gold in Bremont Trip-Tick® construction. Case diameter 43mm, lug width 22mm, case height 14.56mm.
Water resistant to 10 ATM/100 metres.
Anti-reflective scratch resistant sapphire crystal.
STRAP Connolly leather strap in Concorde blue/blue crocodile/brown alligator strap with pin buckle to complement case material.
THE ROCKET In the world of civil air transport, Concorde stood out. When she passed overhead, people paused to catch a glimpse of her distinctive silhouette. Carrying 100 passengers and nine crew in her narrow fuselage, she was nicknamed ‘the Rocket’ by British Airways staff. Her elegant looks were not just for show but enabled her staggering performance.
Concorde’s delta wing with its sweptback curve was adapted from military designs. To reduce drag and increase strength, a technique called sculpture milling was used to mould the wing from one solid piece of aluminium. This resulted in a wing free of welds and rivet joins. Over 5,000 hours of testing ensured Concorde’s wing could generate lift at critical low speeds as well as the supersonic speeds she reached at altitude. Unlike traditional airliner designs, Concorde’s wing was free of complicated flaps, slats or tabs. To control pitch and roll, Concorde had six ‘elevons’ on her wing’s trailing edge (a portmanteau solution to the usual ailerons and elevators). She also had no requirement for a horizontal tailplane. Balance, and the ability to keep the aircraft in trim, was cleverly managed by pumping fuel from forward to rear tanks.
A MESSAGE FROM TOMORROW The idea of supersonic travel took hold in the 1950s. By 1962, Great Britain and France signed a treaty to develop a supersonic airliner. The result was the Aérospatiale-British Aircraft Company Concorde. When she first flew in 1969, the world was watching this revolutionary development in air travel. Concorde’s advanced design pioneered new technologies, including fly-by-wire controls and state-of-the-art autopilot and avionics systems. Her prototype airframes underwent more testing than any subsonic airliner ever had, to ensure the safety of her passengers in flight.
There were many design challenges to overcome. When Concorde was built, no engine was capable of accepting airflow at supersonic speeds. A British company solved this problem with an ingenious computer system. A series of slats and doors housed within the engine’s angular intakes slowed the airflow from 1,350mph to 500mph, and all within the space of 11 feet. Highly advanced for the time, this digitised system contributed significantly to Concorde’s success. It enabled her to cruise at supersonic speed without using afterburner. Known as ‘supercruise’, this significant feat has only been repeated by the most modern of fighter jets.
A distinguishing feature was her 24-foot long needle-shaped nose. Concorde’s wing shape necessitated a high angle of attack for take off and landing. To allow pilots to see the runway, her aerodynamic nose cone was designed to ‘droop’ down by 12 degrees. During flight it was raised, and a reinforced tinted visor slid up to protect the cockpit windows at supersonic speeds.
GOING SUPERSONIC The daily roar of Concorde’s engines became a familiar sound at London’s Heathrow airport. On the take off roll, the powerful thrust of her four Rolls Royce Olympus turbojets pushed passengers back into their seats as they accelerated to Concorde’s
take off speed of 250mph. Each engine supplied 38,000lbs of thrust with afterburner, a feature usually found on military jets. Concorde remains the only civil airliner to use afterburner or reheat, gaining additional thrust by igniting unburned fuel in her exhausts.
Due to its considerable noise levels, afterburner usage was limited to take off and boosting her speed through Mach 1 and beyond. Further noise abatement was required for Concorde’s sonic boom. Breaking the sound barrier creates an explosive shock wave that can crack windows and shake buildings. Concorde would cruise at Mach 2 and it’s said that her passengers witnessed the curvature of the earth at her highest altitudes.
THE TIME MACHINE Supersonic flight subjected Concorde to extreme thermodynamic pressures that caused the airframe to heat up and stretch. The aircraft’s nose was the hottest point, reaching 127 degrees Celsius. Inside Concorde, surfaces became warm to the touch. These extreme temperatures caused the airframe to stretch up to 11 inches, a factor taken into account when developing Concorde’s special highly reflective paint and laying the cabin’s carpets. Thanks to the heat, any moisture evaporated away so unlike most aircraft, Concorde
did not suffer corrosion issues. Cruising at Mach 2, Concorde’s maximum operating ceiling was 60,000 feet. Any military pilot at similar altitudes would be wearing a space suit and oxygen mask. Concorde passengers were wearing shirtsleeves and drinking champagne. Flying at supersonic speeds across the Atlantic, you could arrive before you had even left. What her designers achieved was remarkable: a pioneering airframe operating at high altitudes and supersonic speeds, whilst still providing a commercially viable service.
A FOND FAREWELL Concorde still holds the world record for transatlantic flight, taking 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds from New York to London in 1996. She enabled civilians to break the sound barrier in comfort and style. Her pilots witnessed the sun rising in the west. Despite these achievements, she was withdrawn from service in 2003 marking the end of an era in British aviation.
Concorde’s official farewell was held at Heathrow on 24 October 2003. Loved by pilots, passengers and the public, large crowds turned out to witness her final flights and wish her a fond farewell, with millions more watching on the television news. Concorde was not merely a machine; she was a cherished source of national pride. Whilst she undoubtedly saved her passengers time, there were many who wished the flight lasted longer.
Bremont is an award-winning British luxury watch brand, manufacturing mechanical watches in Henley-on-Thames, England. Bremont is making considerable investment with its UK watch making and manufacturing and at the end of 2014 launched a new facility to manufacture case and movement components. Co-founded by brothers Nick & Giles English in 2002, Bremont has made a substantial impact on the watch industry in a very short period of time.
The brand remains true to its original principles of: aviation and military, British engineering and adventure. As well as manufacturing watches for some of the most exclusive military squadrons around the world, Bremont continues to play an influential role in revitalising the British watch industry, the birthplace of numerous timekeeping innovations still used today. The brand is now in the top handful of chronometer producers in the world.
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All images and information correct at the time of printing ŠBremont Watch Company, 2018
CO N TAC T U S Bremont Watch Company PO BOX 4741 Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire RG9 9BZ United Kingdom Tel +44 (0) 800 817 4281 Email supersonic@bremont.com www.bremont.com/supersonic