The highest-end watch currently in the Bremont model catalog is this tourbillon version of the still-new-for-2024 Terra Nova collection. There is no specific reason for the tourbillon watch to exist except to help promote the Bremont Terra Nova family in the high-end space and for Bremont’s creative team to have a little bit of fun. That said, the Bremont Terra Nova Dual-Time Tourbillon is not early as high-priced as some other tourbillon-based mechanical watches on the market. The watch will be assembled to order and is part of a limited edition of just 30 pieces. Let’s take a look at the prototype version of the Terra Nova Dual-Time Tourbillon and see what it is all about.
The final versions of the Terra Nova Tourbillon will have some changes, including a less darkly colored rear sapphire caseback window (which on this piece was a bit too dark to really appreciate the manually-wound mechanical movement inside of it). The core concept combined the rough dial aesthetic of the Geosphere watch that Bremont CEO Davide Cerrato originally conceived for Montblanc when he worked there. That is where the turning globe as 24-hour GMT hand concept came from — and on this Terra Nova Dual-Time Tourbillon piece, you can read the second time zone indication on the dial. Below it is the large open window for the tourbillon, which looks pretty nice under its traditional-style securing bridge.
The easiest thing to complain about in the Terra Nova Dual-Time Tourbillon design is the large amount of conspicuous text printed around the periphery of the tourbillon window. Rather than find elsewhere on the dial to mention the brand and its location (Bremont, London), this is where such information is printed. Below that is additional text that says “Tourbillon Dual Time,” as though you might forget what you are looking at on the dial. I respect that Bremont wanted to experiment with a different way of putting the company name on the dial, but this outcome wasn’t as classy as the rest of the watch face composition.
In addition to the attractive-looking tourbillon mechanism, my favorite parts of the dial are the hour markers and overall legibility, which is quite good given how busy the dial actually is. Despite the artistic globe and exposed movement regulation organ, you can still read the hour markers and hands with relative ease. I also like the dark colors, including the black case and the mixture of black and gray colors on much of the dial. The sunray textured gray dial is also a nice touch.
The Terra Nova case for this Dual-Time Tourbillon watch is produced from titanium and DLC-coated in a near-black dark-gray color. Over the dial is a domed AR-coated sapphire crystal and the case is water resistant to 100 meters. The Terra Nova Dual-Time Tourbillon watch case is 42.5mm wide with a roughly 49mm long lug-to-lug distance. Bremont didn’t print the case thickness but as you can see it is probably around 14mm or so thick. The case uses 22mm wide lugs, and the supplied quick-release (no tools necessary to remove it) black nubuck leather strap is comfortable and reasonably stylish.
What movement did Bremont use for this tourbillon timepiece? According to the brand, it worked with the French watchmaker Olivier Mory, who produced this movement with its tourbillon module at his Swiss watchmaking workshop. The movement’s final assembly, however, takes place at Bremont’s facility outside of London. The movement is known as the Bremont caliber 9130, and it is rather nice. The dual-time system can also be used as a handy day/night indicator when synchronized with the local time, and the tourbillon adds flair to an otherwise practical mechanism. The movement operates at 3Hz with about 100 hours of power reserve (a power reserve indicator dial on the movement side would have been a nice feature) and is claimed to have a near-chronometer performance spec of -3/+7 seconds a day.
Merely acting as a branding and marketing tool, the Bremont Terra Nova Dual-Time Tourbillon watch justifies itself given some of the new audiences it could reach. The model might be a bit strange for traditional fans of the Bremont brand to wrap their minds around, but it is actually a relatively decent watch that works well and is comfortable to wear. It is also a nice story that the movements are assembled by the Bremont watchmaking team at the London-area facility. Bremont will produce 30 pieces of this limited-edition model; price for the Terra Nova Dual-Time Tourbillon watch is £27,500.00 GBP. Learn more at the Bremont website.
