Rolls-Royce’s New Electric Plane Inspired Bremont To Create This Pilot’s Watch

Rolls-Royce may be best known in the popular imagination for its coveted four-wheeled vehicles, but it’s far from a slouch when it comes to aviation. To honour one of its inventive planes, Bremont is launching a special aviation watch ready to take to the skies.

Bremont is already Rolls-Royce’s official timing partner so the team-up was a natural one encouraged by the British marque’s newest aeronautical venture. The Spirit of Innovation is a sustainable, all-electric airplane Rolls-Royce hopes will break the speed record in its category (which currently stands at 213 mph) by exceeding 300mph sometime early next year. Bremont was intimately involved in its development, designing the cockpit and incorporating its own accurate stopwatch within. The pairing proved so potent, it inspired the ionBird chronometre.

“The countless synergies in this project really do beggar belief,” said Bremont co-founder, Nick English, in a statement. “The passion for precision engineering, British manufacturing and aviation to name but a few. It is an extraordinary privilege to be working with the wonderful Rolls-Royce team on this project. The electrification of the air is such an important milestone in these challenging climatic times, and to be playing a small part is very rewarding indeed.”

View this post on Instagram

“The world’s fastest electric plane”⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ The ionBird watch celebrates the pinnacle of engineering that is the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ and marks a new partnership between two global companies with British roots dedicated to precision engineering. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ The current electric airspeed record stands at 210 mph and @rollsroycegroup intends to go 300 mph plus with its new aircraft, ‘Spirit of Innovation’. With engines in the S.6B Supermarine, Bluebird, Thrust SSC, and many more, Rolls-Royce has an extensive history of powering world speed records throughout the 20th Century; creating the fastest all-electric aircraft will no doubt be next.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Tap our LinkInBio to see more Rolls-Royce-powered record attempts.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #avgeek #electrification #zeroemissions #bremont #bremontwatches #pilot #pilotwatch #aviation #aviationwatch

A post shared by Bremont (@bremontwatches) on

The handsome watch uses lightweight aviation-grade titanium to fashion its 43mm case, which houses a BE-93-2AV chronometre rated GMT movement. That movement sits safely cushioned against shock using  Bremont’s proprietary ‘Anti-Shock’ technology, which doesn’t add undue bulk to the silhouette. As a nod to the golden age of aviation, the dial––and its two featured time zones––are designed with vintage-inspired numerals and bronze hands fixed to the highly readable face. The rear features a custom stainless steel exhibition case back for a peek at its inner workings and the whole thing is water-resistant to 100 metres.

Customers will have the option of purchasing one with a supple nubuck strap with white topstitching (US$5,795 about RM24,122) or one with an urbane metal bracelet (US$6,395 or about RM26,620).

Bremont London


Previously published on Robb Report.

Sign up for our Newsletters

Stay up to date with our latest series