Chivas Regal and the Bremont Watch Company recently partnered to design the latest Chivas 12 limited edition gift tin alongside 12 collector ‘Chivalry’ watches to celebrate excellence and precision in luxury. We caught up with Giles English, one of Bremont’s Co-Founders, to find out more.
LM: Why did Bremont partner with Chivas Whisky? What synergies do both brands share?
LM: Please tell our readers about ‘Chivas 12 Made for Gentlemen by Bremont’.
GE: The Chivas 12 ‘Made for Gentlemen’ by Bremont is the third in a series of annual collaborations between Chivas Regal 12 and modern British craftsmen. Year one celebrated the handcrafted brogue by Tim Little and Chivas paid homage to Savile Row tailoring with a limited edition by Patrick Grant in 2013. Chivas and Bremont are very well matched based on our shared values of luxury British craftsmanship, quality and style and we have a similar target audience of the Modern Gentleman. Due to our long standing relationship the partnership came very naturally and this was a great opportunity for both brands to build on our already strong relationship to collaborate on a unique product.
LM: The auction of the 12 limited edition ‘Chivalry’ watches will start on 22 October. What is the reserve price for the timepieces and how much do you expect them to raise?
GE: We have made 12 of the watches in total. 10 will be auctioned in different markets across the globe and two will be kept – one in the Bremont museum and one in Chivas’ distillery museum. A reserve hasn’t been set yet, but I think it will be somewhere around the 6.5k mark. We’d like them to go considerably higher than that because of their rarity and because 100% of their revenue is going to chosen local charities. The first watch to be auctioned – watch 12 of 12 proceeds will go to The Prince’s Trust.
LM: The proceeds will be donated to the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme. Why was this particular charity chosen?
GE: This charity was chosen due to historical relations between Chivas and the Prince’s Trust.
LM: How long will Chivas be available at your in-store bars?
GE: Due to our ongoing relationship, Chivas has been available in all Bremont boutiques across the globe, not just in Britain for years and will continue to be offered to our customers for the foreseeable future. When anyone comes in to look at or buy a watch we offer them a dram of Chivas which really adds to the unique luxury experience we aim for in our boutiques.
LM: And Giles, what can we expect next from Bremont?
GE: We plan to carry on building on our existing luxury partnerships. Building a manufacturing base in the UK is something that is very important to us and obviously we will hopefully continue to grow the brand globally.
LM: How do you see the luxury watch sector developing in 2015?
GE: I think 2015 will be a hard year for many brands with the slowdown in Asia, but we’re lucky we’re not dependent on that as a key market. I think the UK and the US will stay relatively strong and I see there being more pressure on luxury brands to develop and innovate.
GE: The UK and the US are currently our largest markets. We are currently growing in Europe in a big way – France and Ben/Lux. We really manage all of our own distribution which is driven by Bremont’s success as a brand in different markets.
LM: Which of your timepieces have been a personal highlight since you founded the business in 2002?
GE: I would have to say our original prototype has been a personal highlight for me overall. However, on a technical level, it has to be our Wright Flyer watch which incorporates original material from the 1903 Wright Flyer aircraft and showcases Bremont’s first ever proprietary movement, the BWC/01, designed and developed in Britain. The watch will raise money for The Wright Foundation which will go towards the ongoing restoration of Wilbur and Orville’s family home.