The comeback of ladies’ classics is an aesthetic preference, one that is partly driven by an economic climate that calls for real-life accessibility and practicality. But that does not mean boring. The new ladies’ Bremont Solo-32, introduced at Baselworld in March, is a new-generation classic that demonstrates how far the genre has come in recent years. It is a real-life (i.e., affordable) classic collection for ladies with a quality caliber and finish. In other words, a great, reliable day watch that is neither dull nor over-decorated, with a movement that is not an afterthought.
There are times when I love the decorative elements that make ladies’ watches so different from men’s – the gemsetting, inverse rotors, feather marquetry, singing birds and prowling panthers. But right now, I’m loving the return to classics and appreciating the beauty of clean dials, elegant Roman numerals, slim cases, and the knowledge that the movements inside are mechanical – the same as or at least on par with some of the best calibers used in men’s classic watches – and the cases are made to last.
Essentially, the Bremont Solo-32 is a smaller version of a men’s model. It is a 32mm-sized rendition of Bremont’s core men’s model, the 43mm Solo, which you can read about here. Bremont, founded by two pilots, was originally an aviator watch company and still makes 20% of its timepieces for the military. The Solo, inspired by classic pilot’s watches from the 1940s, is the most classic of the brand’s collections, with a clean, highly legible dial, a date window at 3 o’clock, and a chronometer movement.
The Bremont Solo-32 AJ and Bremont Solo-32 LC, which represent the brand’s first ladies’ watches, look similar to the men’s – the case, lugs, black-capped crown, bezel, black-or-white dial options and chapter ring on the flange are very similar, except that everything is scaled down. The case is 32mm, compared to the men’s 37mm and 43mm models. The thickness is 9.65mm compared to the men’s 13.5mm. There are also other refinements. The leaf-shaped hands are narrower, and the date window is at 6 o’clock instead of 3 o’clock. The Arabic numerals are larger than those on the men’s, and there are fewer of them (only at 3, 9 and 12). There is also a Roman numeral option for the ladies’ model, which is a great addition. The Bremont Solo-32 also comes with several strap options, but the straps do not have the top-stitching that is signature to the men’s, and the result is that the ladies’ watch looks more classic and less sporty – even though it is as tough as a Bremont sports watch.
Like the men’s, the Bremont Solo-32 is built to last. It has the same three-part Trip-Tick case made of specially hardened steel with a DLC middle. The hardening treatment, a technique used in the aerospace industry, gives the watch case extreme hardness, toughness, and high impact-fatigue resistance. Also like the men’s Solo, the ladies’ has a crystal with nine layers of anti-reflective coating applied to both sides of the glass. That means the dial is always clearly visible, with no reflective distractions. This is a feature once thought to be important only for sports watches, but why not have it in a ladies’ day watch?
Finally, just like the men’s, the Bremont Solo-32 contains a chronometer-rated movement. It’s a smaller caliber, the automatic BE-10AE with a 40-hour power reserve, a Glucydur balance wheel, Anachron balance spring and a Nivaflex mainspring. The Bremont Solo-32 is available with various strap options, including black, burgundy, and white python-patterned. The dial is either black with polished nickel hands and indexes, or white metal with blued steel hands and nickel indexes. It is water resistant to 100 meters.
True to its heritage as an aviator brand, they named the Bremont Solo-32 AJ after pilot Amy Johnson, who flew her DH-60 Gypsy Moth from England to Australia in 1930. The Bremont Solo-32 LC, with classic Roman numerals compared to the Arabic font on the AJ, is named after Lettice Curtis, a female pilot of the Second World War, who flew military combat aircraft with the Air Transport Auxiliary.
I think women are less interested in associations with fighter pilots and historical references than men are, but what they are interested in is the performance of the watch they reserve for daily wear. So if the associations imply durability, that’s what counts. The Bremont Solo-32 is built tough, with a quality movement and features that are classic but not boring. The strap options give it a fashion element without being overly decorative. The seconds hand, rare in a ladies watch but necessary for a chronometer rating, is a stand-out feature and will help with accurate setting. This is a very good package of quality elements for the price of $4,095.
The brand also just introduced an America’s Cup edition for ladies, the AC I 32, which uses the same movement, the Caliber BE-10AE automatic. Unlike the men’s America’s Cup models, it is not a chronograph or a countdown timer, but a dress watch, distinguished from the Bremont Solo-32 by the “America’s Cup” on the dial and the embossed outline of the America’s Cup trophy on the opaline dial. It is a limited edition of 535 pieces and priced at $3,895. bremont.com
