One of Bremont’s best known pilot’s watches is undoubtedly the “MB”, now in its latest iteration as the Altitude MB Meteor. Now led by Davide Cerrato and controlled by hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, Bremont has focused on aviator’s watch since its founding. The MB was one of its earliest models – “MB” is short for Martin-Baker, the British company that produces ejection seats, primarily for jet fighter aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-35.

The original MBI was produced exclusively for pilots who successfully ejected with a Martin-Baker ejection seat, and that spawned a line of commercially available MB models. The MB Meteor continues the collection with a redesigned case in titanium, now with a striking orange “barrel”, a knurled case middle that gets its colour from a ceramic coating.

Initial thoughts

I’ve always liked the MB series because of the ejection seat connection. Admittedly, the link is a good dose of marketing, but it’s good storytelling that makes for a cool watch. The fact that the MB models in general are robust, no-frills, and relatively affordable also add to their appeal.

The MB Meteor is the latest generation in the series. The model was already launched some months ago, but with a case “barrel” in plain colours. The new orange barrel is a standout feature, because it is the closest thing to the red barrel of the model that is available only to pilots who have ejected from a Martin-Baker seat.

Compared to the prior generation, the MB Meteor has been reworked with some improvements like a lightweight titanium case and matching bracelet, plus a better movement. But there are compromises in the evolution: the case has lost the surface hardening treatment and the movement is no longer COSC certified.

At US$5,700 the MB Meteor is a little more expensive than the preceding model, though still accessibly priced. Comparable sports or pilot’s watches can be had for less, especially from value champions like Tudor, but the ejection seat backstory arguably justifies the premium here.

Ejection qualified

Martin-Baker company runs the Ejection Tie Club, a group for pilots who successfully ejected with a Martin-Baker seat. This explains loop-shaped counterweight of the seconds hand, which is modelled on the ejection lever of the company’s ejection seats.

Counting some 6,000 members since it was established in 1957, the club formed the basis of the original watch, the MBI, which is only available to ejectees. Each MB1 is engraved with the pilot’s personal information on the back, and features a red-coated barrel that is unique to the model.

A more low-key iteration of the MB Meteor…

With a black coated “barrel”

The MBI evolved into the MBII, a commercially available model essentially identical to the ejectee edition. The Altitude MB Meteor follows the MBII, and is the latest iteration of the model.

The MB Meteor retains the same overall look and feel, preserving the Trip-Tick case construction that creates the distinctive “barrel” with a knurled surface. It still has two crowns, one for winding and setting, and the second crown at two o’clock for the inner rotating bezel. The barrel is coated with a ceramic-polymer composite, resulting in the orange surface.

But now the case is entirely titanium, instead of steel with an anodised aluminium barrel. While the material is an upgrade in terms of lightness, the steel case employed in the earlier generation was surfaced hardened, making it more scratch resistant than usual.

The design has also been reworked for more compact dimensions. The case is now 42 mm wide, compared to 43 mm before, and a little thinner thanks to the La Joux-Perret G100 inside that replaces the ETA 2824 of before.

Also new is the matching titanium bracelet with a double-fold clasp

The MB Meteor is powered by the BB14-AH, which is a La Joux-Perret G100 dressed up with a rotor open worked in a propeller motif. It’s a workhorse calibre that is equivalent to the ETA movements common in this price segment, but stands out for its longer-than-average, 68-hour power reserve.

That said, the earlier generation was COSC certified, which was a nice thing to have, even if it is not actually a substantive indicator of quality or timekeeping.

Key facts and price

Bremont Altitude MB Meteor Orange Barrel
Ref.

Diameter: 42 mm
Height: 12.23 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: BB14-AH
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and date
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,000 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 68 hours

Strap: Titanium bracelet, leather, or fabric NATO-style

Limited edition: No
Availability: From Bremont and retailers
Price: US$5,700 before taxes

For more, visit Bremont.com.