Horological Meandering

Vetnov
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Bremont

This is Tony our long haired blonde dachshund wearing a Bremont ALT1-ZT. You might notice he looks nervous. He’s not a big fan of attention. It makes him worry. As far as the watch goes I got it in London on our 25th anniversary trip. I wanted something to remember the trip and getting a watch with London at the bottom of the chronograph hours sub dial at 6 served that purpose. I have had it for 3 years and I like it more and more as time passes. A few watch details:
43mm x 16mm case
Caliber BE-54AE which is a modified version of the ETA 7754 (probably just a customized rotor). The 7754 is is a base Valjoux 7750 with an independently adjustable GMT hand that does not affect the jewel count or thickness of the movement. The movement is chronometer certified. The 7754 was introduced in 2003 and according to caliber corner the official ETA website lists it as unavailable as of 2/27/20. Another source states the 7754 is still available and part of the ETA Mecaline catalog. Grail Watch Reference lists the 7754 production period as 2003-current.
The case is hardened stainless steel (I couldn’t find out whether it’s 316L or 904L) which makes it more corrosion and scratch resistant. Bremont claims the hardening process makes their cases about 7 times harder than the stainless steel usually used in other watch cases.

The things Tony and I like about this watch is it is very comfortable. It wears more like my 41mm Black Bay chrono. The hardened steel case is for real. Tony has worn this one a lot in the last 3 years and there aren’t any scratches on it. The leather strap it comes on is very durable also. He’s pretty hard on his watches which is why he can’t wear the pricier ones. The watch is incredibly accurate. I have kept it running for approximately 4 weeks and it has maybe gained 30 seconds when comparing it to a reference time. I don’t have a timing machine so my assessment is subjective. Lastly it is a good looking tough watch in my opinion that is fun to wear.


The things Tony and I dislike about the watch are that it’s very thick. It’s not going to be worn with a suit or any formal wear. The case should have a solid back instead of a display back. The movement is too small in relation to the case. The last one is primarily Tony’s problem. He feels like it’s a bit on the heavy side, and it tires out his little wiener dog leg.


So in summary I really like this watch, and I’m glad I got it before the regime change. I understand they were losing tons of money partly due to trying the develop a manufacture movement and attempting to manufacture tools and components on site. They would have gone out of business if things stayed the way they were. Unfortunately the new watches are a bit uninspiring, I don’t see chronometer certified on the dial and they are still pretty expensive. Although they say they are going to use the trip tick case and hardened steel on some models, I haven’t seen it on any of the models they have presented so far (please correct me if I am wrong on any of this). They abandoned trying to create a manufacture movement and making tools and parts themselves. I understand the necessity but the obvious cost cutting measures might lead to a perceived loss of quality and confidence in their new line of watches. I read an interesting thought from an editorial piece by a guy who definitely did not like the rebrand and new models. In his opinion it’s much easier to revive a brand that had been gone for 20+ years as opposed to living under the shadow of the previous brand and its models that are right there for comparison by their fans. I am not a diehard fan of Bremont, I just like the watch I have and I find their story interesting. It will be interesting to see if they are able get traction with their new models and gain a new fanbase (I say new because I wouldn’t buy any of their new models right now and I imagine). Good Luck Bremont