Within the last decade, the integrated bracelet sports watch has become something of a phenomenon within the luxury watch industry. While this core design has its roots in the early 1970s, integrated bracelet watches have become incredibly popular in recent years, and many of the industry’s most famous models are now those that have integrated bracelets. Up until this point, there have been quite a few different Bremont watches that have been offered on matching metal bracelets; however, all of them have featured standard lugs that could just as easily have been fitted with a traditional watch strap. Joining the catalog for 2022 as Bremont’s first true integrated bracelet model is the Supernova, which takes the brand’s signature Trip-Tick case structure and reimagines it in a fresh new form with a bold and angular bracelet and powered by the Bremont-manufactured Caliber ENG375 movement.

The cases of the new Bremont Supernova watches are crafted from stainless steel and measure 40mm in diameter by 11.1mm thick, with an overall lug-to-lug length of 53mm. Additionally, the Supernova features Bremont’s Trip-Tick case design that offers a three-part structure, where the middle section of the case is a separate component from the upper part that contains the lugs. To adapt the Trip-Tick case to an integrated bracelet design, the case underwent nine key design revisions, which ultimately required Bremont to invest heavily in a whole range of new tooling and software development in order to achieve the desired machining techniques. While Bremont’s Trip-Tick case naturally offers a rather fluid overall structure, the case of the Supernova is deceptively complex due to its integrated bracelet design, and you really only get a full appreciation for the intricacy of the case when you catch a side view, and get to see the facets under the lugs as well as the concentric lines decorating the central barrel of the middle case. Fitted to the top of the watch is a rounded hexagonal bezel with high-polished sides and a vertically brushed top surface. Meanwhile, at 3 o’clock resides a fluted screw-down winding crown that is decorated with an enamel propeller logo and protected by crown guards that extend from the upper part of the case. Protecting the dial is a flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, while a screw-down display caseback helps provide the Bremont Supernova with 100 meters of water resistance.

Rather than featuring traditional lugs, the case of the Supernova offers a truly integrated design, and the upper surface of the watch extends from the top and bottom to connect directly into the middle links of its bracelet. With a tapered T-link structure that offers some undeniable parallels to the core aesthetic of the bracelet on the Royal Oak, the bracelet fitted to the Bremont Supernova is said to be more serviceable than traditional bracelet designs due to the use of fewer parts and fine screws for every single link. Finished with contrasting brushed surfaces and polished facets, the solid-link bracelet offers an inherently refined overall appearance, yet its large flat links and sharp angles make it anything but a delicate design. Completing the bracelet is a butterfly-style deployant clasp that is finished with the Bremont propeller emblem at the location on the bottom where the two ends meet. Given that by their very definition, integrated bracelet watches cannot be fitted with traditional watch straps, it’s highly important that the bracelets attached to them offer a decently versatile overall design, and the bracelet on the Bremont Supernova could easily be dressed either up or down to suit a wide variety of different types of occasions.

At the time of launch, the Bremont Supernova collection consists of three different models, with the only difference among the options being the style of dial fitted to the watch. Colors include Midnight Blue, Pitch Black, and Albus White, and while the Midnight Blue version features applied baton-style hour markers, both the Pitch Black and Albus White variants feature applied Arabic numeral markers. Regardless of the color or index style, all three of the different Bremont Supernova dials have their hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova, and they feature a raised center section that is framed by a perimeter of concentric lines with a sunken big date function at the 3 o’clock location. The minutes track resides on an angled rehaut that surrounds the dial, which has its five-minute interval markings finished with Super-LumiNova for maximum legibility in low-light conditions. Lastly, while the trio of centrally-mounted hands is responsible for displaying the time, a fuel gauge inspired power reserve indicator sits at the 6 o’clock location. This subdial features a small red accent on the “empty” side, complementing the matching splash of color that is present on the tip of the seconds hand.

Powering the new Bremont Supernova watches is the brand’s own ENG375 automatic movement, which is produced by Bremont from within its recently constructed, 35,000 square foot manufacturing and technology center that is located in the heart of Henley-on-Thames, England. Bremont has invested heavily in bringing watch manufacturing back to Britain, and after making its debut last year inside a limited edition model from 2021, Bremont’s ENG300 series of movements is now ready to be rolled out within the brand’s core collections of timepieces, with the Supernova being one of the first three standard-production models to receive it. As far as the technical specs of the Bremont ENG375 movement, the self-winding caliber features 22 jewels, a silicon escape wheel, and a free-sprung balance spring with variable inertia adjustment. Winding itself with a solid tungsten skeletonized rotor, the movement  runs at a frequency of 25,200vph (3.5Hz), and it offers users a power reserve of approximately 65 hours. In terms of decoration, the bridges of the ENG375 are plated in rhodium, with a central bridge finished in gold. Additionally, when looking at the Bremont ENG375 movement through the sapphire display caseback, you will notice bright red segments surrounding it within the case. These are actually part of a rubber anti-shock movement mount, which further increase the watch’s resistance to bumps and impacts. Lastly, all Bremont watches that are powered by an ENG300 series movement are tested using the brand’s H1 Timing Standard, which is directly comparable to the ISO3159:2009 Chronometer test to ensure maximum precision and reliability.

Any watch enthusiast will be the first to tell you how much of an impact a strap or bracelet can have on the overall aesthetic of a watch, and when that component is an integrated part of the watch itself, the identity of that timepiece often becomes inseparable from its bracelet. It is likely for this reason why a decent number of the industry’s most iconic watches are all integrated bracelet models (or otherwise have metal bracelets as an inherent part of their overall appearance), and there are even some people out there who feel that a watch really only feels complete when it has a metal bracelet attached to it. It’s not like every single brand needs to offer a model with an integrated bracelet, but when you see how popular this style of timepiece is among both watch enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike, it becomes clear why integrated bracelet models have become so prevalent within the industry. With an official retail price of $8,995 USD, the new Bremont Supernova is noticeably more expensive than many of the other models with the brand’s contemporary lineup. However, this is largely due to the fact that the Supernova uses one of Bremont’s own ENG300 series movements, rather than a third-party caliber like many of its other models. Additionally, both its case and integrated bracelet offer far more involved designs that what you will find fitted to the rest of the watches from the brand’s catalog, so while the new Bremont Supernova is certainly one of the company’s more premium models, the step up in price isn’t actually quite as steep as it may initially appear. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.