Gunmakers to watchmakers; Livery visit to the Bremont factory, 1 March 2023
Gunmakers absorbed by the past and present of Bremont
On 1 March, Gunmakers were warmly welcomed to “The Wing” in Henley-on-Thames, Bremont’s state of the art 35,000 sq ft manufacturing and technology facility. With synergy between gunmaking and watchmaking, the introduction was followed by some lively questions and answers, after which there was a fascinating guided tour of the facility. The Machining Room featured machinery which worked to tolerances of 2 microns (a human hair is around 70 microns thick), with the testing and assembly workshops also demonstrating impressive precision. As well as seeing the past and the present, the group were also given a glimpse of Bremont’s future watchmaking vision. After a thoroughly immersive three hours, the onsite boutique allowed the visitors to try on some of the beautiful timepieces produced by the company. No trip would be complete without the opportunity for Liverymen to socialise and so the next call was to a local hostelry for refreshment and reflection. The proceeds from the very modest tour charge benefitted two charities – both Bremont’s Jon Egging Trust and the Gunmakers’ Company Charitable Trust.
