Typically known for their race car aesthetic themed watches, French BRM (Bernard Richard Manufacture) has recently announced a new collection of watches that are meant to pay tribute to historic bomber planes. These new “Bombers” watches are pretty swanky – with a unique look that does feel plane inspired and celebrates the colorfulness of the unique brand.

The Bombers watches (that forced plurality is going to get annoying. Is each just a “Bomber?”) are playful and fun. They comment on the pop culture and the art historically found on military bomber planes and other flying fortresses. Each of the Bombers’ dials are decorated with graphics that resemble nose and fuselage art, as well as military markers and emblems.

For once, I see very well done propeller style hands. The large hands are used for the hour and minute hands, while more traditional aviator-style hands are used for the chronograph subdials. Legibility is very high here – which I very much appreciate. According to BRM, the style of the watch case and dial are heavily taken from aircraft such as the Spitfire, P-51 Mustang, and the Mitsubishi Zero. Come to think of it, are any of those bomber planes versus fighters? It doesn’t really matter in the end – you get the idea.

The 45mm wide case is a work of art. I love the rivets on the case that hearken to bodies of older aircraft. Not since the famous Tiffany & Co. Streamerica have I seen rivets that look this nice on a watch. The steel case is brushed and in some models offered in black PVD. The rivets however are polished to standout nicely. You then have the hinged articulating lugs for comfort (and style). Over the dial is a sapphire crystal, and the case is water resistant to 100 meters.

You can see that BRM developed a new parachute style logo to go with this collection. The logo is right on the dial with the Bombers name. Rarely is the model name of a watch located on the dial. The dials again are a mix of instrument, art, and plane aesthetics. You can see elements like a compass in there, as well as features taken from traditional aircraft cockpit gauges. BRM did a nice job with the dials, especially given that there is a healthy variety. There are even more dial versions than shown in this article. Doesn’t something about the look remind you of classic baseball art styles?

The super-sized crown and chronograph pushers are part of the charm. They are meant to look like plane noses or lights. The crowns have decorative cabochons that come in a few styles as well. On the rear of the watch is another area that has various art styles. Inside the BRM Bombers watches are Swiss ETA Valjoux 7753 automatic chronograph movements. I really like these pieces for their style, casual yet sophisticated appearance, and theme. Available starting in July 2012, the BRM Bombers collection will be 5,400 Euros in brushed steel or 5,850 Euros in black PVD.