BREMONT

[Koubilaihan]

Με Breitling δεν τον έχω πετύχει Θοδωρή, πιστεύω θα το αναγνώριζα, αλλά είμαι σίγουρος ότι έχω δει επεισόδιο που φόραγε καραquartz, με μόνο ψηφιακές ενδείξεις πάνω, χωρίς δείκτες.

[eisenberg]

Στα περυσινα επεισοδια αν τα εβλεπες αποκλειεται να μην το ειχες δει...ξεκινησε με το κιτρινο(φοβερο) και συνεχισε με το μαυρο της φωτο(ή μηπως μπλε? )

[snapper]

Στα περυσινα επεισοδια αν τα εβλεπες αποκλειεται να μην το ειχες δει...ξεκινησε με το κιτρινο(φοβερο) και συνεχισε με το μαυρο της φωτο(ή μηπως μπλε? )

Οντως φιλε Θοδωρη(Koubilaihan).... ετσι ειναι...

[snapper]

Και με την ευκαιρια....

... ....http://www.bear-grylls.wbs.cz/Bearova-vybava.html.....

[eisenberg]

Ωραιος ο Δημητρης

[marios_ch]

Ωραίες οι φώτο....!!!!

[Megalos]

πολυ ωραια φωτο

[antonis_ch]

Τελειο!

[ZIKOS]

Παντως εγω εαν εριχνα ενα αεροπλανο δεν θα ηθελα να το θυμομουν καθε φορα που κοιταω την ωρα
Σαν να βγαλουν ενα ρολοι για αυτους που γλυτωσαν απο το Σαμινα(η απο αλλες καταστροφες)
Σε λιγο οι εταιριες θα βγαλουν και ειδικη εκδοση για αυτους που ειδαν το dvd της Τζουλιας
Θα το βγαλουν Δ.Κ.Τ.1(Δεν Καταλαβαινω Τιποτα!!!)

[marios_ch]

BREMONT - A pilot's perspective.

A love of all things mechanical and a desire to produce excellently crafted pilot's watches led to the creation of Bremont by two brothers, Nick and Giles English. The brothers have had a passion for flying historic aircraft from a very early age. As a pilot myself I can fully understand their desire to strive for perfection, not through simulation in a workshop, but through real situations and by doing so build timepieces of enduring functional quality.



Euan English
It was their father, Euan, who brought about the brothers' interest in engineering. A former RAF pilot, a very skilled aviator and a Cambridge graduate, he had an extensive workshop in which he indulged his passion for the restoration of all things mechanical. He gave both brothers the most valuable thing that any father can give his offspring, his time. By doing so he passed on his knowledge, wisdom and desire to achieve. He was, in effect, investing his time for their futures. Euan was also a watch collector. His watches were not of any great value other than the stories behind each of them. As an aviator I have my stories as well.

Unfortunately Euan met an untimely death in 1995 as a result of a flying accident in which Nick also sustained multiple injuries.

A turning point
The time following the crash was difficult for the English family, however, it put the lives of Nick and Giles into perspective. Their father had achieved a great deal in his short lifetime, and, as corporate financiers, the brothers believed that they could achieve and create greater things other than just material wealth.

This sad incident was the catalyst out of which Bremont was born.

What’s in a name?
Time is an English invention, or more specifically the measurement of time accurately for nautical navigation.

As a great seafaring nation the need for precise navigation was essential for trade and the future wealth of the country. While latitude can be measured with the sun or stars, longitude is a little more difficult and requires accurate time measurement. And so, out of a competition held by the British government in 1759, came about the first ships chronometer, invented by Yorkshire carpenter John Harrison.

Up until 100 years ago Britain led the world in watch development. Rekindling this watch making prowess was not going to be easy for Nick and Giles. With the dominance of Swiss watch making and the strong sense of history that their brands embody, correct branding was going to be essential.

A rare encounter
Flying a second world war German biplane across France in worsening weather conditions, prior to the arrival of GPS, for even the most experienced pilot, is not a good combination. Nick and Giles were on a rescue mission to retrieve a friend who had been grounded due to poor weather. The same fate was about to meet them.

As they descended to stay below the cloud so did their fuel reserves to the point where the only option was to land. Their low flying had alerted the local police and as they landed they could see blue flashing lights getting ever closer.

Unknown to them at the time, French bureaucracy would probably not have allowed them to take off again and the aircraft would have had to have been taken apart and transported by road. However, the land owner rushed out and assisted them in hiding the aircraft in his barn away from the local police.

Due to the weather they spent the next couple days with this former Second World War pilot. He had a workshop similar to their fathers, likewise he had a passion for all things mechanical. The time was spent chatting and drinking good wine from his cellar. His name was, Antoine Bremont.

In some ways he was the embodiment of their father. So the Bremont name was born.

Committed values
It will, therefore, come as no great surprise to find that the brand has a distinct British aeronautical theme. In watch terms they have been around a very short period of time. However, in five years of production they have not been swayed by fashion but, they have stayed true to their founding principles of Individuality, Precision and Durability.

The ambassadorial role
Many watch makers use celebrities as ambassadors for their watches. This to me provides a very tenuous link between the watch and its wearer. Bremont are different. They choose understated people who do extraordinary things as their Ambassadors. They take themselves and their watches to the extremes of endurance.



Bremont MB I and MB II -exceeding your capabilities.
The acquisition of a timepiece is often a considered investment. The reasons for it can be many and varied. It could be because of the exquisite craftsmanship or its purely aesthetic appeal, or perhaps to celebrate or acknowledge a significant event in one's life such as an anniversary or birthday. For me the Bremont MB II represents all of these and more.



Proper preparation prevents poor performance
Flight training in the Royal Air Force is world renowned and I have been lucky enough to have experienced it first hand. You were always thoroughly prepared for every conceivable eventuality. This meant not just sitting in a classroom watching videos and listening to lectures but experiencing the extremes that you might face.

One part of my training that even after 26 years is still fresh in my mind, was the week I spent at RAF North Luffenham, now closed, for my aviation medicine training. Two aspects are particularly memorable, the explosive decompression from 10 to 30 thousand feet and the Martin Baker ejection seat training.







Beer, beans and courage
The day before our decompression chamber run we were advised to refrain from consuming beer, beans and curry. This was like a red rag to a bull of course for ten naive officers. It was seen as a challenge. That night we consumed vast quantities of curry all washed down with copious amounts of beer. This was all topped off the next morning with a full english and, yes, you’ve guessed it - beans!

Listen to the brief
This was perhaps a wake up call for all of us. In aviation you stick to the brief. An explosive decompression from 10 to 30 thousand feet in a matter of seconds causes all the gases in the body to expand, very rapidly. This creates great discomfort and pain as said gases escape from the body. The resulting atmosphere was far from pleasant.

We each had the opportunity to remove our oxygen masks. The hilarity soon passed as the effects of Hypoxia set in. Simple tasks became impossible. Your mind disappeared into a euphoric world, oblivious to what was truly happening and these were controlled conditions. Sense and sensibility soon returned with a quick blast of 100% oxygen.

Lesson learnt
Your mind becomes focused when your life could depend upon your knowledge of a piece of equipment. Consequently the Martin Baker lectures were listened to intently. We were led through every aspect of the seat from the preparation of your personal equipment prior to taking your seat, strapping in, bracing and operating the seat right through the full sequence of parachute deployment. Even then things were not over. Your seat pan was also your survival pack with a dinghy that had to be lowered carefully and your oxygen mask removed. Then it was thinking about the landing, water or land or perhaps in trees? Would I be dragged through the water or along the ground by the wind? All this and more in a matter of a few seconds. Later in the course we were attached to a fast patrol boat simulating being dragged though the water while still attached to a parachute, no stone left unturned.

The latter part of this day was spent practising strapping into an actual seat, unarmed of course, going through the sequence of events over and over again until it was second nature. At the same time the “what if’s” were considered so that we were prepared for every eventuality. The next day we were going to do it for real.

The day of reckoning
It looked a bit Heath Robinson. A fifty foot near vertical gantry with two rails and a Martin Baker seat at the bottom beckoned. We drew straws to see what order we were going in, thankfully I wasn’t first. One after the other we strapped into the seat, scrutinized by the rig operators as we did so. Then it was time to pull the handle, a yellow and black loop at the front of the seat pan between your legs. The initial pull took up the slack in the cable, followed by a finite delay before the cartridge fired and the seat hurtled up the rails. The finite delay felt like an eternity. One or two of my colleagues relaxed at this stage, only to be greeted with a small dose of whiplash. Once again lesson learnt.

We had been truly prepared for the extremes that military aviation could throw at us.

Bremont and Martin Baker I
Initially I thought that this was an unusual collaboration. However, two quintessentially English companies relentlessly pursuing perfection whose products are capable of operating in the most hostile environments, what could be more perfect?



Saving lives around the world
Martin Baker are the world's ejection seat pioneers, manufacturing 75% of the seats in the worlds military aircraft. During their history their seats have saved over 7300 lives belonging to 93 Air Forces from around the world.

Modern military jet aircraft are capable of over 500mph at low level, yet can also operate at altitude in excess of 30,000ft where the outside air temperature can be as low as -65 degrees celsius. Therefore for an ejection seat to perform 100% on demand requires the most rigorous of testing. For this collaboration to work Bremont watches were going to have to be as capable.

Tested beyond endurance
Operating an ejector seat is a split second decision, and in someways a reflex action. One that will save your life. To eject is not done lightly. The human body and seat will experience extremes of g, temperature, atmospheric pressure and wind blast. Hence the need for rigorous and continuous testing. For a watch to come up to the mark it must be capable of undergoing the same punishing treatment. Treatment that the average watch would find difficult to endure.

A modern military fast jet is multi-million pound investment each aircraft having a working life of many decades. Consequently equipment in the aircraft must be capable of lasting as long and still perform 100% on demand.



One means by which Martin Baker simulate the punishment that an ejection seat has to endure during its lifetime is to subject it to the equivalent of 30 year's worth of flying vibration. The watch would have to do the same. This required some radical thinking from Bremont. The result was their patented anti-shock movement mount. Predictably the watch came through unscathed unlike the seat test dummy it was attached to.



Links with the past
The watch's English connection goes further with the use of a Faraday cage to protect the watches precision engineering. It uses a steel ring to direct damaging electric and magnetic fields through the ring rather than through the mechanism. The inventor, Michael Faraday (1791 - 1867) was an English physicist and chemist who has numerous inventions and discoveries to his name.



The Faraday cage is also used throughout aviation to protect delicate electronic equipment from such things as as the effects of a lightning strike. I have had 3 in 11 years so it does happen. At several million volts it can destroy electronic systems, burn holes through aircraft's skins or weld separate pieces of metal together, undesirable consequences for any watch mechanism.

Having confidence in your capabilities
In some ways it was ironic that on this particular day I was on a low-level navigation flight, using basic navigation techniques with compass heading and time being the two key ingredients. However, at 360 Kts (400mph) and 250 feet above the ground, the world passes by extremely quickly. We had just turned the Jet Provost down a valley. As I completed my post turn checks something caught my eye. Instinctively I knew what it was. As I screamed, “pull up!" I braced in the seat and grasped the yellow and black handle.

I had made the decision in that split second that if my pilot didn’t point the aircraft skyward I was going to pull.

Thankfully for me he didn’t question my command and pulled up hard. As the g forced me into the seat I relaxed my grasp.

Not much room for manoeuvre
When flying at low level all military aircraft listen out on a common radio frequency. My colleague, I think not believing me, transmitted, “That was close”. The reply came back “Your damn right it was!” I was milliseconds away from putting all that practical experience to use as another aircraft headed towards us the opposite way down the valley. The closing speed, 800mph!

Simple but effective
The Bremont MB II is subdued and understated. It is a watch that wouldn’t look out of place at the most formal of occasions or at the top of the Himalayas with either the calf-skin leather or NATO military nylon strap to suit the setting.



A black dial with white numerals, the hands and numerals are coated with SuperLumiNova C1. This format is very reminiscent of early flight instruments used in older military aircraft, simple and effective. I found the watch to be substantial in the hand in terms of its feel, quality and construction, however, it also felt right when on the wrist.

It's in the detail
It is the simple detailing that makes it stand out from the crowd for me. The knurled barrel is offered in a choice of three colours, orange, green or anthracite, very reminiscent of aviation equipment. It has a purpose and a function.



Two knurled crowns are placed at the 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock. The crown at the 2 o’clock position is used to adjust the time. It has the distinctive Bremont propeller logo. While the 4 o’clock crown operates Bremont's patented inner bi-directional rotating Roto-Clik bezel. This crown is also embellished with a roundel, once again echoing the aviation connection. The roundel, in differing formats, has been used to adorn many military aircraft. This, perhaps, is a subconscious tribute to their father and his time in the RAF.

Taking centre stage, either side of the watch face centre, is the distinctive Bremont logo and below it that of Martin Baker, a worthy partnership.

Finally consider that yellow and black handle, miniaturized and replicated, placed at the end of the second hand. Its location deliberate or ironic if you bear in mind the fractions of a second it takes for a full ejection sequence. For myself, a reminder of a split second decision in my life when if I had to pull the handle, I would have done so with complete confidence in my own and my seat's ability to perform.



With the Bremont MB I + II, your confidence in its capabilities and durability is assured through its real world testing. Just as mine was on that memorable day!

Summary
It is not simply its 30 g force tolerance or its 100m water depth capability which impresses. Nor is it the steel case manufactured in a factory producing jet engine turbine blades, bombarded with electrons to increase hardness. It is much much more than the sum of its component parts.

It has been rigorously prepared for the extremes of life.

http://www.escapement.uk.com/articles/b ... ctive.html