Bremont is honored to announce the unveiling of the Limited Edition Bremont Wright Flyer. This new timepiece will feature some of the original fabric used on the 1903 Wright Flyer aircraft. Just as significantly, it showcases Bremont’s first ever in-house movement, the automatic calibre BWC/01, designed and developed in Britain. Many of its constituent parts have also been crafted at the company’s workshops in Henleyon-Thames. The 25 jewel, 33.4mm movement features a 50+ hour power reserve, Glucydur balance and a hairspring adjusted via a micro-metric screw. Utterly reliable and extremely robust, the BWC/01 is elegant and beautifully finished, with a central hour and minute hand and a running seconds hand at 9 o’clock.

This unique project was only made possible by the Wright family’s passion for Bremont’s aviation heritage. According to family member Amanda Wright Lane: “Our partnership with Bremont on the Limited Edition Wright Flyer watch is a natural fit. Bremont’s dedication to historical themes, particularly in aviation, demonstrated by their iconic limited edition watches, all incorporating genuine historic artefacts, caught our attention immediately. As a top quality watchmaker, the brand is a perfect fit for the Wright brothers’ legacy. The wing cloth from the 1903 Wright Flyer is considered almost priceless by some, but we felt Bremont’s passion for aviation heritage made them a suitable choice for this rare use of the cloth." A small piece of this historical cloth has been inlaid and incorporated to the center of the watch's oscillating weight.

According to Nick English, Co-Founder of Bremont, "the Bremont Wright Flyer is a stunning way to launch our brand in international markets and is sure to become one of the most valuable watches ever made. Giles and I still cannot believe that it’s happened. Holding the original and invaluable muslin used to cover the 1903 Wright Flyer is incredibly emotive. The Wright family has been wonderful to work with and it was inspiring to see their passion for the project. Does the creation of a special aviation-inspired watch really get any better than this? Probably not. The combination of this amazing material and our new BWC/01 movement has resulted in a truly mind-blowing timepiece.” Proceeds from the limited edition line will help to restore the Wright Family home in Dayton, Ohio to its former glory.

The morning of 17 December, 1903 dawned grey and cold. A strong north-easterly wind buffeted icy puddles amongst the dunes. But by 10:30 the Flyer was positioned on its launching rail with the engine running. John T. Daniels, a local man who assisted the brothers, recalled the moment before take off: “After a while they shook hands, and we couldn’t help notice how they held on to each other’s hand, sort o’like they hated to let go; like two folks parting who weren’t sure they’d ever see each other again.” At 10:35, Orville released the restraining wire. The flying machine travelled along the rail with Wilbur running alongside to hold the wing steady. As it launched into the air, Daniels fired the camera and captured that iconic moment. The Flyer lurched up and down as Orville desperately attempted to counteract the pitching movement. A downward pitch ended the flight, but he touched down safely after travelling 120 feet in 12 seconds. That winter’s day on a windswept beach at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, history was made. And the aeronautical age had begun.

This ultra special limited edition is available in three different models and in very limited quantities. The stainless steel reference is limited to 300 pieces and is fitted with a black dial with Arabic numerals, a running seconds subdial at 9 o'clock and bespoke Bremont vintage 'ecru' superluminova. The 18k rose gold is limited to a 100 pieces featuring a white dial with the same configuration and layout as the stainless steel model, while the 18K white gold model is only available in a limited series of 50 pieces, also with a white dial as the rose gold reference. All three watches are fitted with a 43 mm highly polished case, a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, a display case back and an alligator strap with pin buckle—black for the stainless steel model and brown with contrast stitching for the precious metal references.

Sticker Price TBD. For more info on Bremont click here.