Bremont Ties Its Watchmaking Revival to That Most British of F1 Dynasties

The intersection of a rural English road and Sheephouse Lane is the last place one should find a glitzy manufacturing facility. But that’s exactly where Bremont built its new 35,000-square-foot headquarters for designing, machining, and hand-­assembling its watches. They call it the Wing.

This story originally appeared in Volume 19 of Road & Track.

The facility is a line in the sand drawn by Bremont, a company that broadcasts its Britishness as a core value but, until the Wing’s construction, sourced many of its watch components from beyond England’s shores. Now Bremont aims to revive British watchmaking—and British industry—from the front lines by making its watches, and as many of their parts as possible, in-house.

That effort includes a new watch for the 2023 Formula 1 season called the WR-45. This three-­register chronograph, designed in conjunction with British F1 stalwart Williams Racing, is limited to just 244 pieces (the number of Williams’s F1 podiums). Each is shipped alongside a wheel nut from a historic Williams F1 car.

For many watch lovers, where and how a timepiece is built is everything. Britain is home to the bulk of F1’s teams and suppliers, so it’s doubly satisfying for fans to don a watch that’s as British as Nigel Mansell’s mustache.

A car-lover’s community for ultimate access & unrivaled experiences.JOIN NOW Hearst Owned

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car