The Bremont x Bamford 'Aurora' Supermarine Brings A Bit Of California To The British Isles (Live Pics)

February 22, 2024

Straight from the mind of the master of blacked-out watches, Bremont has released a new collaboration with Bamford they call the Aurora. A new version of the S502 Supermarine "Jet," the watch takes the black stainless steel overbuilt and super water resistant case and tweaks it with a bold pop of neon green color and a California sandwich dial. We got to go hands-on with a pre-production unit so there may be minor tweaks to the final product, but this is what we've got. At its base, the watch is the same 43mm by 16.5mm (super) thick case with a screw-down crown at two o'clock with a sloping crown guard, 500m of water resistance, an automatic helium escape valve, and a "caller" independent GMT hand. Inside is the modified Calibre 11 1/2''' BE-932AV (based on the ETA 2893-2), with hacking seconds and 50 hours of power reserve. But from a visual standpoint, the watch comes off wildly different than the "tactical" description Bremont used for past Jet black models. Gone is the date window. Instead, you get a bright neon-green Super-LumiNova sandwich dial, with a matte black top layer with raised, polished surrounds outside the cutouts that reveal that green lume. It's a California dial, which for those not in the know means the top has Roman numerals and the bottom has Arabic numerals. The sword hands, GMT tip, and the second hand (with stripped aviation-inspired tips) are all in matching green. The GMT bezel as well has C you guessed it C green lume. There's no chance this is tactical anymore, but it sure is striking. One other little touch present on the S502, the "London" text at six o'clock on the dial, stands out even more than usual in green and for some reason this time it strikes me as extra funny on a California dial. All around, it's an eye-catching release, limited to 500 pieces, and available from both Bremont retailers and Bamford starting today, for $5,450.? What We Think Did I mention this watch has green lume? I did? Well, pardon me. But just look at how great this new Supermarine looks lights up in the dark. Yes, the S502 still is a thick boy at 16.5mm. It's actually one of the few times recently that I've put on a watch and thought "is this actually too thick?" Maybe, maybe not. Your mileage may vary. At least it's not for nothing, with the 500m of water resistance and that automatic helium escape valve. But the ETA-based caliber still leaves a lot to be desired, and I can't wait to see Bremont update these watches to a "flyer" or "true" GMT, especially for the price. While people will often be all for removing date windows on a dial C and here it certainly cleans up the dial C I'm wondering if people will miss it on a travel watch like this. The rest of the watch is actually pretty charming. I love the sandwich dial C being able to take a look at a dial up close and see that depth is a lot of fun. The rest of the finishing is up to normal Bremont snuff, but let's be honest, this is a watch that's all about viiiibeeesss. And a not-insignificant part of me wants to see how cool this watch would look diving. Take a look at a few more images below and let me know what you think in the comments. The Basics Brand: Bremont x BamfordModel: Aurora SupermarineReference Number: S502Diameter: 43mmThickness: 16.5mmCase Material: Jet black treated stainless steelDial Color: Matte black sandwich dialIndexes: California dial layoutLume: Luminous sandwich dial recessed layer with recessed Green Super-LumiNova?Water Resistance: 500mStrap/Bracelet: Black Nubuck leather with green stitching, Jet black treated pin buckle; 22mm lug-width The Movement Caliber: Modified Calibre 11 1/2''' BE-932AV (base ETA 2893-2)Functions: Hours, minutes, hacking-seconds, and central independently-set GMTPower Reserve: 50 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 28,800 bphJewels: 25Chronometer Certified: Yes, rated to ISO 3159 standardAdditional Details: Glucydur balance wheel; Anachron balance spring; Nivaflex mainspring; domed anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal; 51mm lug-to-lug Pricing & Availability Price: $5,450Availability: NowLimited Edition: Yes, 500 piecesFor more, click here. Shop this story The Hodinkee Shop is expecting a small allocation of this piece with delivery in April. Please out to [email protected] if you are interested.The Hodinkee Shop is an authorized retailer of Bremont. To view our collection, click here.