Watches and Wonders 2025: Bremont breathes new life into classic pilot timepiece with Altitude Collection
Apr 15, 2025
British watchmaker Bremont releases the new Altitude Collection, a revamp of its iconic MB watches
Since its inception in 2002, Bremont has leaned into utilitarian aviation instruments for inspiration. With a full range of timepieces created to suit the needs of pilots, the brand refines the signature MB collection that first launched in 2007 and reintroduces it as the Altitude Collection at this year’s Watches and Wonders.
First created in collaboration with Martin-Baker, a company that specialised in manufacturing ejection seats for fighter pilots, Bremont wanted to make a timepiece that would withstand the same abuse as these seats.
As a result, Bremont created the Trip Trick case, which is constructed in three parts and designed to withstand shock and impact. For the new Altitude Collection, the Trip Trick case composition has been further refined and re-engineered to be slimmer, stronger, and more ergonomic.
This new collection includes the Chronograph GMT, the MB Meteor, and the Altitude 39 Date.
The MB Meteor is named after the first British jet fighter and owns some of the same design details as the original MB watch. The red lollipop-shaped second hand is anchored with a loop that mimics the pull tab of the ejection seats. What also remains from the original MB are the twin crowns on either side of the date aperture at 3 o’clock. The BB14 calibre with a power reserve of 68 hours is housed inside a 42 mm titanium case.
Measuring 3 mm smaller and with just a single crown, the Altitude 39 Date will likely be better suited to most wrists. While the piece also features the lollipop second hand, it's in a noticeably more muted shade of white. The piece represents a more stripped-down version of the MB in stainless steel.
Key instruments for pilots, chronographs and GMTs, are complications that often find their way to pilot watches. Pilots rely on both the accuracy and legibility of these functions; hence, the 42 mm diameter seems fitting for the Altitude Chronograph GMT.
Inside the stainless steel case is the BC781-AC automatic movement with a 62-hour power reserve propelling the time, small seconds, date, chronograph and GMT functions. Beneath the glass box sapphire crystal face are the subdials at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock. The second hand has a red arrow in place of the rounded tip of the other two timepieces.
Each piece is fitted with alloy bracelets that can be interchanged with nato or leather straps.
