British watchmaker Giles English spent an evening with Loring & Co. Fine Jewelers clientele in Huntsville to showcase Bremont’s latest collection, including its anniversary timepiece for Boeing.
English talked about how the wristwatch came about because pilots needed to see time accurately without digging into their pockets for a watch. He discussed how his father’s death in a 1995 plane crash motivated him and brother Nick to start Bremont. The brothers, also both pilots, studied watchmaking for five years in Switzerland before launching the British company in 2002.
During the past 10 years, Bremont has manufactured limited-edition timepieces in tribute to aircraft under the Boeing Co. umbrella. The company has worked with the military all over the world. Pilots serving from Alaska to Antarctica wear Bremont watches designed and manufactured especially for their squadrons.
Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of Orville and Wilbur Wright, contacted the brothers about creating a watch to help raise funds to restore the Wright family home in Ohio. She provided the brothers a 14-square-inch piece of muslin fabric from the lower left wing, which they incorporated into the Wright Flyer limited-edition timepiece.
Like most visitors to Huntsville, English visited NASA and found the visit especially moving because of that personal encounter with the Wright Flyer.
“As pilots, it was incredibly emotional to hold this piece of material, ” English recalls. “To have a small piece of that Wright Flyer in NASA today was just an amazing experience.”
Eleanor and Richard Loring, of Loring & Co. Fine Jewelers, hosted the Bremont event Sept. 15 at The Ledges Club House.
“We met the brothers six years ago, and they just captivated our interests. And their timepieces are beautifully made and different, ” Richard Loring says. “We’ve always tried to build our store by finding the best offerings in terms of quality and Bremont was a fit for us.”
Boeing celebrated its 100th anniversary in July, and the Bremont Boeing watch was featured at the Loring event.
The watch is made of Boeing aviation-grade Ti 6-4 titanium and has carbon fiber from the Boeing Dreamliner in its crown.
Text by Wendy Reeves
