Last week, Bremont — the British brand in the midst of what could conservatively be called one of the most dramatic about faces we’ve seen from a watch brand in recent memory — dropped their first novelties of the year, a trio of bronze field watches in their Terra Nova collection. Bremont first introduced the Terra Nova collection at Watches and Wonders last year alongside a new brand identity, all of which was greeted by a decidedly mixed reaction from critics and fans alike.

Now, almost a year on from the collection’s initial launch, Bemont has taken each of the three core models in the Terra Nova lineup — the aptly named Date, Power Reserve, and Chronograph — and given them the full bronze treatment, along with new horizontal gradient dial colors; green for the Date and Chronograph, caramel brown (which we first saw on a limited edition steel Terra Nova Date late last year) for the Power Reserve.

Bronze has long been a tool in Bremont’s quiver — both in full bronze configurations or as an accent on watches like the S302 — but here, the brand has opted to step up their materials game by using “Cupro-Aluminium Bronze,” a high-tech alloy that adds silicon and aluminum into the mix. Bronze is typically made up of a blend of about ~90% copper and ~10% tin, and I can’t speak to how much of that has been substituted for silicon and aluminum, but I can tell you that Cupro-Aluminum Bronze boasts several advantages over more traditional blends. Namely, it is both lighter and more resistant to damage while also theoretically promising a more even patina over time.

Besides the new case and color treatments, these new Terra Novas are primarily an aesthetic evolution of the same watches we were introduced to last year, which does beg the question, what are we meant to make of these? I’ve only had the opportunity to go hands-on with the steel Terra Nova very briefly since it came out, and they didn’t leave me with an overwhelming impression. Despite the contentious discourse that surrounded them, they’re certainly not bad watches, but they do feel, to me, a little generic. Which is a bummer because for a long time, Bremont has stood out to me as a brand with an obvious identity.

I should say at this point that I hold a huge amount of affection for Bremont. Despite some missteps over the years, the brand has consistently released compelling watches with a unique design language and serious technical bona fides. Whether or not the watches have spoken to you, Bremont has been a brand with a distinct voice and an exciting perspective, something that can be hard to find as you start to move upmarket, and the risks get harder to tolerate for financial backers, especially when young brands have to compete with 100-year old giants in the space.

When Bremont took on nearly £50 million of investment in early 2023, it was clear that changes were looming, and it took about a year for us to get a sense of what that would look like. The first, and clearest, corporate change came when Bremont brought in Davide Cerrato to take the yoke of the company and the subsequent exit of founders Nick and Giles English from their day-to-day roles at the brand.

The change has not necessarily been a smooth one for Bremont, and it’s been downright jarring for many longtime fans of the brand. But the reality is, the stakes are higher now, and Bremont has found itself in a precarious position as they transition to a new era. To that end, I can understand why a mandate to make a play for broad appeal makes sense, even if that means sacrificing some of the brand’s hard-built character. The problem here is that by aiming for the middle, the new Bremont seems to have missed the mark, at least among their core group of enthusiast supporters.

I genuinely want nothing but the best for Bremont. It’s a brand I love and one I desperately want to see succeed. It’s entirely possible that, despite my apprehension around these watches, they are the first steps in the right direction. I think the instinct to focus on Bremont’s connection to adventure is a good one, and though I will personally miss the Trip-Tick case and some of the other hallmarks of the brand, I am excited to see how the brand evolves in the next few years. For now, the Terra Nova Bronze Collection is, if nothing else, an interesting step toward new horizons, which I think may be the point.

The Terra Nova Bronze Collection is available now with prices ranging from $3,750 for the Date on a fabric strap and reaching as high as $6,550 for the Chronograph on a bracelet. Bremont