News: The Bremont MB Savanna
For those that aren’t familiar with the company Martin-Baker, allow me to fill you in. The British aviation manufacturer was founded in 1934 by James Martin and Valentine Baker and has since become a pioneer in the field of ejection seats. To this day, Martin-Baker has saved over 7,000 lives.
So, how does Bremont fit into this story? Well, in 2007, Martin-Baker approached Bremont and asked them to make a watch. But there was a catch, the watch had to pass the same gruelling tests that each Martin-Baker ejection seat was subjected to. These tests included: live ejection testing, MFOS crashworthy testing, aircraft carrier testing, as well as extreme temperature, vibration and altitude testing—to put it simply, the watch was put through its paces until it could handle any situation a pilot may find themselves in.
Two years later, Bremont had completed its task, and the limited edition MBI was born—a watch that was only made available to pilots that had been ejected from aircrafts fitted with Martin-Baker seats. Bremont would then go on to produce the MBII, MBIII and this new MB Savanna—all of which are available for us regular folk to buy.
The new MB Savanna hasn’t changed much compared to its predecessors. Dual knurled crowns—one that adjusts the time and the other the patented Rotor-Click internal bezel—a highly legible dial and an ejector pull cord-styled second hand counterbalance, which acts as a seal of approval from Martin-Baker, all make a return. It’s even fitted with an ETA-based movement that has Bremont’s patented “floating” movement mount, a feature that helps the watch achieve its high amounts of shock resistance.
So, what has changed then? The 43mm case is now grade 5 titanium—a much stronger and lighter option than the previously used stainless steel. It also has a new colour scheme that is inspired by the desert—hence the Savanna name. The grey, beige and tan tones of the watch help to make the titanium case stand out, but at the same time, allows the watch to blend into sandy surroundings like a cheetah waiting to pounce on its prey—something I imagine would be particularly useful in a Behind Enemy Lines-type scenario.
“But why would I need a near £5,000 watch with all that shock resistance? I’m not a pilot”. Well, the truth is that the majority of us don’t need it; the same way we don’t need the levels of anti-magnetism that comes with a Milgauss, or the water-resistance of a Sea-Dweller—people buy these watches because they want to, and anyway, who doesn’t love a watch with a great story behind it.
Bremont MB Savanna
Case | Grade 5 Titanium
Dimensions | 43mm
Dial | “Savanna”
Crystal | Sapphire Crystal
Water Resistance | 100m
Movement | Calibre BE-36AE
Power Reserve | 38 Hours
Frequency | 28,800 vph
Strap | Rubber
Functions | Small Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Date, Internal Bezel
RRP | £4,595
Limited Edition | No
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