Independents

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I think I may have seen the same article.

An interview with Davide Cerrato on Hodinkee. I didn’t really understand it - “what does it mean to be English?” At the very essence of every watch manufacture/business an understanding of the term “business” is fundamental to the success of the company. That means an understanding of who you are, what you are going to produce and the market volume for your product. Bremont was selling a generational family story, a quirky name based on the story and a connection to the aviation industry. It happened to involve an English family which manufactured in England. This was always likely to lead to a relatively small market for the product in the early stages.
I’ve spoken with watchmakers who make as little as 4 watches a year right up to the larger independents who make a couple of thousand. Each of them have been successful because they have right sized their organization for the sales volume they can sustain and then expand as brand recognition grows. The key question to answer is “what is the sustainable competitive advantage of my product”.
I just don’t see that with Bremont. To say “I can produce an inexpensive Tourbillon which shows my watchmaking prowess” looks like a non-starter to me. If I wanted an inexpensive Tourbillon I could purchase a TAG Heuer Chronograph Tourbillon and still have $10,000 left in my pocket. When a watch commentator such as Ariel Adams lists the plus points of your product as “legibility” then I would suggest this is problematic.
I guess the good news is that with over 8 billion people on the planet there maybe 30 people who will want one of these but saying you’ll assemble to order doesn’t inspire confidence in your own product.