Originally launched in 2019 as part of its Armed Forces collection, the Bremont Broadsword is the brand’s contemporary take on a classic military field watch, which pays tribute to the original “Dirty Dozen” timepieces that were issued by the British Ministry of Defense during the 1940s. As the most simple and straightforward offering from Bremont’s Armed Forces lineup, all Broadsword watches follow a traditional, three-handed, time-and-date layout, with a date window at 3 o’clock and their seconds displayed by a small subdial at the 6 o’clock location. In the years since making its initial debut, the Broadsword has been produced in several different variations, including a number of different dial colors and models with both stainless steel and bronze cases. The latest new release to join the brand’s lineup for 2023 is the Bremont Broadsword Recon, which is a limited-edition version of its utilitarian field watch that embraces a vintage-leaning colorway and features a sandwich-style dial.
Similar to the inaugural model from 2019, the case of the new Bremont Broadsword Recon is crafted from stainless steel and measures 40mm in diameter by 12.5mm-thick, with 20mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 47mm. Additionally, rather than featuring the brand’s signature Trip-Tick case, the Broadsword features a more traditional single-piece middle case design. Just like other Broadsword models, the Recon features a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment above its dial, while the reverse side of its case gets fitted with a solid screw-down caseback that features an engraving of the Armed Forces heraldic badges. In terms of its external features, the new Bremont Broadsword Recon is largely identical to its predecessors, and just like previous editions of the Broadsword, the large signed winding crown at the 3 o’clock location screws down to help create 100 meters of water resistance.
Arguably the single most defining feature of the new limited edition Bremont Broadsword Recon is its dial. Just like other Broadsword models, the Recon dial offers a layout inspired by the original “Dirty Dozen” watches, and it features Arabic numeral hour markers with the running seconds displayed by a register at the 6 o’clock location. However, as the Broadsword is intended to be a contemporary take on this classic design, it features a number of modernizations and differences, with arguably the most significant among them being the addition of a date window at the 3 o’clock location.
While it still offers the same core design and layout as previous editions of the Broadsword, the dial fitted to the Recon features a vintage-inspired colorway and a layered sandwich-style construction. Bremont first dabbled with sandwich dials on its collaboration piece with Bamford, and now brings back this layered approach for its latest limited edition. On the Broadsword Recon, the upper dial surface that contains the cutouts for the numerals is matte black with tan-colored printing, while the luminous layer that sits below it is finished with vintage-colored Super-LumiNova that matches the dial text. Additionally, the hands follow a similar colorway with a matte black finish and vintage colored lume, and although the Super-LumiNova used throughout the watch appears to be a sandy brown color in the light, it glows green in the dark to offer greater legibility.
Powering the new Bremont Broadsword Recon is the brand’s Caliber BE-95-2AV automatic movement, which is a modified version of the popular ETA 2824 or Sellita SW200 design that can be found throughout countless watches these days. As such, it offers the familiar specs of running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours, and it is an appropriate choice for a no-frills field watch (especially one that hides its movement behind a solid caseback). While there are certainly less expensive timepieces that are powered by movements with this same core architecture, it’s important to note that the Bremont Cal. BE-95-2AV is chronometer-rated to ISO 3159 standards, and it is therefore guaranteed to keep time to within the designated standards of -4/+6 seconds per day.
Fitted to the lugs of the Bremont Broadsword Recon is a 20mm NATO strap made from black and tan striped canvas with stainless steel hardware. The strap matches the vintage-inspired colorway of the watch to create a casual and cohesive overall aesthetic that is slightly reminiscent of the colors found on the Omega Seamaster that was made for the most recent James Bond film, No Time To Die. Additionally, the Recon also comes with an additional complementary two-piece strap, and buyers have the choice of getting their second strap in either black rubber or dark brown leather, with both options completed by brushed stainless steel pin buckles.
Despite their differences, all of the various Bremont Broadsword models are priced fairly similarly, with only a few hundred dollars separating the least and most expensive options. Consequently, despite being produced as a limited edition of 200 pieces, the new Bremont Broadsword Recon is accompanied by an official retail price of $3,695 USD, which places it right between the standard-production stainless steel models and their slightly more expensive bronze counterparts. Compared to other Bremont Broadsword watches, the new limited edition Recon feels appropriately priced, although the Broadsword collection itself does feel a bit expensive compared to other Bremont models that offer more features and the brand’s signature Trip-Tick case for only a small additional premium. That said, as someone who is a big fan of sandwich dials, I think the new Recon is easily among the best-looking versions of the Broadsword, and it will be interesting to see if this detail will start to make its way into other models from the brand’s catalog. For more information on the Bremont Broadsword Recon, please visit the brand’s website.
