At $5,999 I was immediately inclined to dismiss the Bremont MB Viper as a ridiculous effort by Bremont to try something new. Now I know it is a successfully ridiculous effort to try something new.
This is a manufacture three-handed watch that weighs in at a mere 58 grams. It is unusually thin and light for a pilot watch and it comes with a bright orange ripstop strap that you’re most likely going to want to swap out because it gets dirty easily. As for the watch itself, it comes in a delightful if polarizing hi-viz orange and features aviation-style hands that look sort of like railroad crossings. There is lume at the tip of each hand and at each hour marker.
Bremont is selling this as a custom piece made to exacting specifications and aimed at showcasing their new movement, the ENG300. This movement is specially tested for shock, moisture resistance, and temperature endurance. Basically, you’re buying a tank. As for the styling…
The unique shape of the watch originates from a special mount engineered by Bremont, designed to securely fix the ENG300 Test Instrument in place whilst being subjected to HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Testing) – a number of rigorous tests completed in the laboratory by Martin-Baker. The ENG300 movement signals the first time in 50 years that mechanical movements have been built at scale on British shores. The test instrument housed this movement within its patented anti-shock movement mount, designed to absorb impacts whilst continuing to perform faultlessly.
Doing a true review of this piece is difficult because I don’t have access to a G-force simulator. I can say that this is a very polarizing piece. At nearly $6,000 you’re paying for Bremont’s research facilities and not the watch. It’s very well built and very wearable, but, unlike Bell & Ross and similar aviation-focused brands, the Viper MB isn’t quite beefy enough for my liking. If this is the direction Bremont is going in their three-handers, however, I’m all for it. A lower-cost version of this watch is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to the doldrums of watch design these days and it’s great to see Bremont trying something new.
Again, at this price tag, I expect the watch to come with at least a crash helmet. However, if you want something extremely unique from a great brand then this fits the bill. Just please don’t test it the way Bremont did: “A zero/zero ejection test is one of the closest representations of a real live ejection. The test manikin, with watch strapped to wrist, is propelled from zero to 120ft in 2 seconds while experiencing forces of up to 15G.”
You could get hurt but the watch will be fine.
