REVIEW: Hands On With The Bremont Terra Nova 40.5 Turning Bezel Power Reserve

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From the Arctic to the Everyday: The New Terra Nova Evolution

During Watches and Wonders earlier this year, Bremont released numerous timepieces for its Terra Nova collection, with various colour schemes and strap options. This Terra Nova collection can be seen as the brand’s redirection, as in early 2023, the company announced a change of leadership with Davide Cerrato taking over the reins.

But let’s take a step back and look at what Bremont was as a watch brand before this new, modern direction took over. As a watchmaker, Bremont has a relatively short history compared to some of the other luxury watch manufacturers; however, in this short span of time, they have already created some memorable timepieces. The story in which the brand was found is also quite the tale!

Bremont was founded in 2002 by British brothers Nick and Giles English. The brothers were drawn to watchmaking and to ultimately created a watch brand through their inspiration for aviation and shared passion for mechanical engineering. The company’s origins have deep-rooted ties to the world of aviation, even though it was tragic family even that created the beginning of the brand.

The story goes that Nick and Giles’s father was an avid pilot and also engineer. One day, they tragically got into a plane crash, which ended with the father sadly passing away while Nick was very badly injured. This personal incident played a major influence on Bremont’s core identity. The name Bremont itself comes from a French farmer, Antoine Bremont, who helped the brothers when they had an emergency landing in France during a flying trip.

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^{The new Terra Nova 40.5 Turning Bezel Power Reserve with steel bracelet. Image ref: Bremontwatches Instagram.}

Bremont has been well known for its aviation-inspired timepieces, referencing the British military and its historical connection to aviation. Some of the more notable collections from Bremont include the ALT1, a collection focus on aviation, the Supermarine, a dive watch collection with aviation inspiration and the Martin Baker line, which was created in collaboration with Martin Baker, the company which makes ejection seats for fighter jets.

Bremont’s Terra Nova timepiece is also notable. The brand introduced it in 2014 when it first released the Terra Nova Limited Edition, designed for polar explorer Ben Saunders for his 1,800-mile Antarctic expedition. At the time, this model was part of Bremont’s Supermarine collection and was created to be a specialised GMT dive watch.

More specifically, the first Terra Nova timepiece paid homage to the great British explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott, who led Antarctic expeditions in the early 20th century. The watch was named after the “Terra Nova”, the ship that took Scott to Antarctica! The Terra Nova timepiece pays tribute to human endurance, exploration, and the British pioneering spirit.

When Davide Cerrato joined the brand in 2023, it marked a significant shift for Bremont. The brand decided to give him the reigns because he was well-known in the industry and had made a considerable impact in roles he had undertaken for other major watch manufacturers. At Tudor, Davide Cerrato was instrumental in reviving the brand’s Heritage line, including the iconic Black Bay model. At Montblanc, he helped to enhance the watch division, focusing more on the luxury sports watches side.

Davide Cerrato has a talent for blending luxury with heritage, and in the case of the latest Terra Nova models released this year, this is precisely what we have seen. The previous models of the Terra Nova featured a vastly different design from the model I have for review, and frankly, I’m pretty happy with this design change! Cerrato’s leadership has seen the Terra Nova go from a pure sports piece to a more refined luxury timepiece made for the outdoors. One thing I will say about this watch off the bat, however, is that the name can be improved. I understand that the name is done to showcase the watch’s features upfront; however, for a timepiece made for the outdoors, I feel Bremont could have done better (Terra Nova Explorer, perhaps?)

Initial Impressions:

This is the first Bremont that I’ve worn for review, and when It was first given to me by the Watch Advice team, it stood out almost immediately thanks to the colour combination. Without getting too early into the nitty-gritty details of the watch, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the steel case, the brown leather band and that gradient blue dial all worked together.

I’ve seen pictures of the watch online; I even wrote the initial release for these models when they were released for Watches & Wonders. Even then, I loved the blue look, whether it was on a steel bracelet or the leather strap. However, when I wore the watch in person, I found that it was vastly different from the generic press photos you see online—in a good way! And this was down to the minute details, along with the exemplary polished finishing seen on the case and bezel.

Cushion-Style Case Design:

The Bremont Terra Nova 40.5 Turning Bezel Power Reserve comes with a 40.5mm x 11.91mm thick 904L steel case that measures 47mm long lug-to-lug distance. The case, as mentioned previously has a cushion-style design which is where its almost like a rounded square design. On the Terra Nova, this can be seen from the case angling slightly upwards at 6 o’clock and downwards from 12 o’clock. Then we have the angled lugs, which work well to give a better fit on the wrist.

Even though the case diameter measures 40.5mm in size, I personally think it wears slightly larger. This can be down to perception of how the watch looks, however. The 22mm wide lug distance and the 11.91mm thickness of the case can make the watch seem larger than it is; however, on my slim wrists, I didn’t find any issues with wearability (more on that later!)

The case comes with a satin polished finishing, which gives the watch a new luxury appearance. I say new here, because the previous versions of the Terra Nova didn’t have this much shine and appeal. The look that this new Terra Nova is going for is a luxury sports piece, made for outdoor adventures. Its designed to be an all-rounder, one that can be comfortably worn to the office just as it can be worn going on a hike.

The large crown is adorned with Bremont’s brand new “Wayfinder” logo, which they state “is a design that builds upon Bremont’s founding propeller identity, overlaying the marks of a nautical compass and weaving in elements of Bremont’s home nation’s Union Flag. Our commitment to creating fine mechanical watches is also conveyed through a sense of movement and rotation. The Wayfinder is our guiding beacon, built to explore the world.”

One of the stand-out features of the Terra Nova 40.5 Turning Bezel Power Reserve (TBPR for short) is the steel bezel. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of steel bezels. I would much rather opt for a bezel with a ceramic insert. However, I do understand the design thought behind using a steel bezel. Firstly and probably the most obvious is that the steel is polished as well, which matches the finish of the case beautifully, further enhancing the “luxury” side of this adventure-made timepiece.

Secondly, having a steel bezel gives it that perception of durability. When you turn the bezel, the clicks feel solid. However, it does require a bit of force to turn, which I think is fine, especially if you are moving about in tight spaces; the last thing you need is the bezel to turn accidentally if you are using the bezel for its intended purpose. And what exactly is the purpose of the bezel? For starters, we have the four cardinal points (north, south, east and west) and a 360-degree scale for directional reference.

Gradient Dial Design:

One of my favourite things about the Terra Nova 40.5 TBPR is the dial and how Bremont has executed it to let the right elements stand out. The Terra Nova 40.5 TBPR is offered in two dial colour choices: the blue that we have for review or an anthracite-coloured dial.

Personally, I’m a big fan of the blue dial. I feel like this is the stand-out piece, not only due to the contrasts between the dial and its elements but also how effective the gradient finish is on the blue dial. This gradient finish is also different from contemporary gradient watch dials. Instead of a circular gradient finish, we get essentially three “vertical stripes” where, for this timepiece, the middle is a royal blue colour, and the outer two transition from midnight blue to a black gradient finish. This gradient finish has been really well executed for the blue dial; however, the anthracite variant is not as prominent due to the anthracite colour being too close in colour to the outer gradient parts of the dial.

Bremont has given this new Terra Nova collection large 3D vintage Super-LumiNova block Arabic numerals for the hour indices, which works well, especially considering legibility. The blue dial gets white indices, which is where the previously mentioned contrasting effect comes in. The white numerals stand out beautifully against the black and blue gradient dial. Not only that, the dial is “block” that is made up of Super-LumiNova, which means that it has a stunning green luminous glow at night/low light conditions.

I also like how Bremont has removed the 3 o’clock hour indices to make way for the date window. They’ve also gone a step further to integrate the date window with the hour indices, so it all blends in nicely. I mention this because for the blue dial, instead of colour-matching the date wheel to the dial, Bremont has opted to keep it white, which matches the white block hour indices. However, for the anthracite dial variant of the Terra Nova 40.5 TBPR, Bremont has colour-matched the date wheel to the dial, as a white date wheel wouldn’t work here and would ruin the aesthetics of the timepiece.

My only complaints about the dial is the power reserve indicator and the constant seconds counter. While the power-reserve indicator positioned well to provide a “balanced” look, and the touch of red adds additional colour to the dial while also being functional, the “Terra Nova London” wording needs to be addressed. I personally think just having Terra Nova would have been fine, as the Bremont is not based in London anymore, so having this location inscription on the dial doesn’t make much sense here.

Secondly, the constant seconds sub-dial could have been executed in a way that made the size of the sub-counter smaller. This seconds counter feels too oversized and disproportionate. If Bremont could have reduced the size of the sub-dial slightly, it could’ve given way to seeing more of the 8 and 10 o’clock hour indices, rounding off an otherwise aesthetically pleasing dial.

Movement:

The engine operating inside the Terra Nova 40.5 TBPR is the Bremont Calibre BE-79AL automatic movement. This is a modified version of the Sellita SW279 movement which comes with the power-reserve indicator, date feature at 3 o’clock and the constant seconds sub-counter.

Bremont states that the movement uses a Glucydur Balance wheel. Glucydur is an alloy made of copper and beryllium. The name itself, Glucydur, is derived from an old interation, beryllium, and “due” for durability. The use of a Glucydur balance in a movement is because it is highly resistant to temperature changes and magnetic fields.

The watch operates at a high-frequency of 28,800 VpH, or 4Hz, which means that it has a high level of accuracy and moves very smoothly around the dial. This high frequency rate can come with a drawback, which is the lower power reserve. As a high-frequency movement requires more energy to operate, the drawback is the drain in total power-reserve, which for the Terra Nova 40.5 TBPR is 38 hours in total.

While I do feel the power reserve needs to be bigger by modern-day standards, it’s certainly not a hindrance, especially if this is a piece you want to wear daily. I have quite a few models in my collection where the power reserve swings around the 40-50 hour mark, and some of these are my daily watches, so I never find that I have to wind them unless I take them off for the weekend. And even then, is this really a big issue? Given that, it will take about 1-2 minutes to get the watch up and running again!

How It Wears:

The wrist presence of the Terra Nova 40.5 TBPR with its blue dial is undeniable. I’ve always been a big fan of the blue and white colour combination, and Bremont has executed that beautifully well on this timepiece—to the point that it stands out from some distance!

The curved lugs also go a long way to help provide a better fit on the wrist. Bremont offers the Terra Nova 40.5 TBPR in three strap choices: a steel bracelet, a brown leather strap or a black and grey striped NATO strap. At the same time, I can’t comment on how the bracelet and NATO strap wear. I can say that I was more than happy with the leather strap, not only for how it fits on the wrist but also how the brown colour compliments the watch’s overall look. It also gives it that outdoorsy, adventure-type appearance. Meanwhile, the steel bracelet suits day-to-day life, office wear, and the NATO for the full outdoor experience!

The oversized crown was also relatively easy to operate. It has been designed to be used with gloves on; as Bremont states, “the oversized crown combines functionality and crafted elegance, directly referencing field watches from an era where gloved hands needed to operate the crown accurately.“

With the brown leather strap, this is certainly a timepiece that’s made for functionality and is also an everyday wear timepiece. The watch’s dial has an aesthetic look that fits with most attires; however, the leather strap gives comfortable wear so that it can be used every day.

Final Thoughts:

The Bremont Terra Nova 40.5 Turning Bezel Power Reserve has been reimagined under the creative influence of new CEO Davide Cerrato, marking an exciting new chapter in the brand’s history. If we put Bremont’s change of hands aside and look at purely the timepieces, I can see it certainly as an evolution in the right direction. It will, of course, take some time for watch enthusiasts and collectors to be fully on board, especially with the creative direction of the timepieces. It’s like the old quote by Arnold Bennet: “Any change, even if it’s for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomfort”.

Looking at the previous Terra Nova design and comparing it to this new generation, I dare say that these new models are much more wearable timepieces whilst still retaining that side of functionality. While the previous Terra Nova models were designed as a tribute to extreme exploration, the 2024 models take the adventure-ready features of Bremont and combine them with Davide Cerrato’s refined aesthetic approach, making them a more everyday timepiece that’s targeted at a larger audience.

However, this isn’t to say that the timepiece doesn’t have its drawbacks. While the dial is beautifully designed, certain elements, such as the inscriptions and the oversized seconds counter, can be altered to provide an even better-looking dial. The movement can also be improved. If Bremont were to offer in-house movements for the Terra Nova collection, it would go a long way in cementing the watches a place in the world of horology and even become an icon for the brand! In saying that, these “upgrades” are all for future iterations of the Terra Nova. The Terra Nova 40.5 Turning Bezel Power Reserve has laid the foundation for Bremont. They can now start to push the boundaries of British watchmaking and continue to create watches that are functional in the wilderness as they are elegant in daily wear.

Reference: Terra Nova 40.5 Turning Bezel Power Reserve

Specifications

• Case dimensions: 40.5mm diameter, 11.91mm thickness
• Case lug-to-lug distance: 47mm
• Case material: 904L Steel two-piece cushion case
• Dial: Vertical gradient blue dial with white accents
• Bezel: 904L Steel bezel with cardinal points and 360-degree scale.
• Crystal: Domed anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.
• Water resistance: 100 meters/ 10ATM
• Movement: Modified Calibre 11 1/2’’’ BE-79AL 31 Jewels
• Movement Frequency: 4Hz / 28,800bph
• Power reserve: 38 hours
• Bracelet/Strap: Smooth brown leather strap enhanced with boxed stitching in a shade of cream.

Australian Retail Pricing: AU $6,250

Availability: Available now at Bremont boutiques, authorised retailers and online at au.bremont.com