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Bremont Terra Nova 42.5mm Chronograph Mens Watch Black
Ref. TN42-CHR-SS-BK-L-S
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Stepping up in Bremont's range
The Terra Nova collection grew out of Bremont's decision to look beyond aviation — the marque's home territory — and revisit the military field watches that soldiers and explorers carried in the early twentieth century. Those instruments had to be read fast, wound with cold or gloved hands, and survive conditions that would destroy something built for ceremony. The cushion case and oversized crown are both direct answers to that brief, the crown large enough that it never needs to be hunted for, the case shape giving the watch a solidity that sits differently on the wrist than a round tool watch of the same diameter. The black anthracite dial uses chunky three-dimensional Super-LumiNova numerals that work as much by touch as by sight in darkness, and a broken railroad minute track that reads like a period instrument rather than a modern one. The bidirectional bezel carries a polished black ceramic insert and turns with enough resistance to be trustworthy. On the wrist, 106 grams over a 48.8mm lug span gives it a planted, deliberate feel without being unwieldy — this is the sort of watch that registers as properly serious without demanding attention. The caseback is engraved with a charted world map and the words Terra Nova, which adds something worth examining when the strap comes off. The BE-50AV runs for 56 hours unwound, long enough to survive a weekend without the wrist it lives on.
- Reference
- TN42-CHR-SS-BK-L-S
- Brand
- Bremont
- Collection
- Terra Nova
- Case size
- 42.5mm
- Case thickness
- 14.8mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Cushion
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- BE-50AV
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 48.8mm
- Power reserve
- 56 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 7 collections
This watch appears in the Bremont Terra Nova range (7), Stainless Steel Watches (2,652), Back in Stock (2,038), Automatic Watches (1,503), Chronograph Watches (990), Leather Strap Watches (844) and Tonneau & Cushion Watches (105).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 48.8mm lug-to-lug keeps the 42.5mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 14.8mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Bremont Terra Nova alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | TN42-CHR-SS-BK-L-S | L38211536 | 130983 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,950 | £5,000 | £5,400 |
| Case size | 42.5mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Titanium bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 56 hours | 68 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 56 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
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.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 48.8mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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