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Bremont Supermarine S500 43mm Stainless Steel
Ref. S500-BK-2018-R-S
The Supermarine line was Bremont's answer to a specific problem: building a serious diver that could carry British provenance without leaning on borrowed architecture. The S500 goes further than most of the range by encasing its movement inside a soft-iron Faraday cage — protection against magnetic fields — and mounting it on a patented anti-shock system, so the calibre is isolated from both electrical interference and physical impact. The case itself uses Bremont's Trip-Tick construction, where the middle section is a separate DLC-treated barrel, harder than the steel above and below it and meaningfully more resistant to the kind of contact a working diver inflicts on a watch. At 16mm thick it is not a slim watch, but the crown sits at two o'clock rather than three, which keeps it clear of the wrist bone and makes 43mm wear closer to its stated size than the case height would suggest. The bezel insert is sapphire rather than aluminium or ceramic, which protects the Super-LumiNova graduation from scratching while adding to the overall depth of the stack — a trade Bremont clearly decided was worth making for a watch rated to 500 metres.
- Reference
- S500-BK-2018-R-S
- Brand
- Bremont
- Collection
- Supermarine
- Case size
- 43mm
- Case thickness
- 16mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA 2836
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 500m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
Learn more about Bremont
Nick and Giles English founded Bremont in 2002, four years after their father died in a plane crash that Nick survived. All three had restored and flown vintage aircraft together, and the brand that emerged is inseparable from that. The name comes from Antoine Bremont, a French farmer who sheltered the brothers after an emergency landing.
Bremont set out to rebuild British watchmaking, which had effectively ended in the twentieth century. The early watches used Swiss movements in British-designed cases, with the Trip-Tick three-part case construction and a hardened outer barrel treated to over 2000 Vickers.
The military and aviation work is real rather than thematic. Bremont holds contracts with squadrons across the RAF, the US Air Force, and other services, producing issued watches for specific units, and has made watches for Martin-Baker ejection seat survivors — tested to the ejection forces themselves.
The company has also built watches incorporating material from historical objects: oak and copper from HMS Victory, aluminium from the Wright Flyer, and steel from Bletchley Park.
The manufacturing ambition advanced with the opening of a facility in Henley and the release of the ENG300 series in 2021, the first Bremont movement designed and largely made in England. Production is in the low tens of thousands annually.
- 2002
- Nick and Giles English found Bremont.
- 2007
- The first watches ship with the Trip-Tick case.
- 2009
- The Martin-Baker collaboration begins.
- 2021
- The ENG300 becomes the first English-made Bremont calibre.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,624), Automatic Watches (1,472), Sports Watches (676), Dive Watches (481) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (262).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 500m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 43mm sits at the larger end
- 16mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Bremont Supermarine S500 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | S500-BK-2018-R-S | M25600TB-0001 | L28364529 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,450 | £3,250 | £2,550 |
| Case size | 43mm | 42mm | 43mm |
| Water resistance | 500m | 500m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Titanium bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 70 hours | 52 hours |
| This watch |
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Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 500m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £2,450, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £2,450 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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