In March of 2021, British watchmaker Bremont announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility they called “The Wing.” In fact, this massive, 35,000 square foot space will house both their manufacturing and assembly operations. Along with this grand opening, Bremont announced the release a handful of new watches. Today, I’ll be talking about one of these (relatively) new releases: the Bremont Supermarine S302.
The Supermarine has long been one of Bremont’s most popular watches, and we’ve reviewed the S300 in the past. But many found that the large, 43mm format was a bit too big for their wrists. In response, Bremont launched the Supermarine Type 300 line, with many similar features but a smaller, 40mm diameter. The S302 is the first GMT watch in that line. Let’s take a closer look!
A Chronometer-Grade Timepiece
The Supermarine S302 utilizes a Calibre 11 1/2 BE-92AE movement, which has been modified by Bremont to achieve an ISO 3159 chronometer rating. This means it has an accuracy between -4 and +6 seconds per day, which makes it one of the more accurate mechanical movements on the market. Bremont also warranties the movement for three years, so you’ll get a repair or replacement if the accuracy is not up to standard.
My only quibble with the movement is the relatively meagre power reserve. With a reserve of about 38 hours, you’re getting about 10 percent less standby time than you will with most modern movements. An upgraded power reserve especially for this travel oriented GMT version would have been a nice touch.
A Hybrid GMT/Dive Case
The case is constructed from stainless steel, with a scratch-resistant design and a polished finish. As I mentioned, it has a diameter of 40mm, so it has a decidedly medium wrist presence. The sides curve smoothly into a set of sturdy lugs, which have a width of 20mm. At 13mm, the case is relatively thick, but much of that thickness is taken up by the bezel and it does not appear or feel thick when on the wrist.
The bezel is one of the main attractions here. It’s a hybrid GMT/dive bezel, made of slick black ceramic with tan Super-LumiNova markings at the five- and ten-minute marks. The first 20 minutes are individually demarcated, just like a traditional dive watch. The spring is a bit light, so the bezel moves more easily than you might think. Then again, with 60 clicks, you can set the dive function right down to the minute. Then again, most GMT watches have 24 or 48 clicks, so you can line up the hour markings more easily. With 60 clicks, your GMT function will be ever so slightly off, but that’s not a huge deal, since you’re not getting down-to-the-minute GMT accuracy to begin with.
The sapphire crystal is scratch-resistant, and features an anti-glare coating. It’s domed enough to distort the outer edge of the dial ever so slightly, but not enough to throw off your accuracy. The stainless steel case back has a screw-down design, which makes the watch easier to service. It’s also decorated with an embossed seaplane, the emblem of the Supermarine line. Despite the screw-down case back, you’re still looking at an exceptionally water-resistant watch. It’s rated for 300 meters, even better than most dive watches.
An All-Metal GMT Dial
The dial is all metal, with a matte black finish. The outer 24-hour index is located on a beveled inner edge, with tan Super-LumiNova numerals at the hour marks and hashes at the half-hour marks. Inside of this is another set of hashes for the 60-minute dial, with tiny hashes at each single minute mark. There are larger applied dots on the inside of this, which mark the five-minute positions. The 12 o’clock position is marked with a triangle, while the 6 and 9 o’clock positions are marked with broad bars. At the 3 o’clock position, instead of a marker, you’ll see a date window. This window is as black as the dial, with white Arabic numerals inside. The word “Bremont” is printed along the top half of the dial, with the words “Supermarine 300m-980ft” on the bottom.
As a GMT watch, the Supermarine S302 has four hands, not three. The hour and minute hands have a similar design, consisting of a tan Super-LumiNova surface with a silver outline. The only real difference is that the minute hand is longer and thinner. The second hand is a slender silver needle, with a red-outlined lume pip towards the end. The GMT hand is the longest of them all. The inner portion is mostly black, but the outer portion is a large, burnt orange outlined lume arrow that reaches to the outermost index.
Two Strap Options
As far as the strap goes, you have one of two options. First, there’s a NATO canvas strap with navy blue and khaki stripes. This is the one we have here in our images, and it’s both comfortable and easy to adjust. The other alternative is a smooth brown leather strap. And while I haven’t had the opportunity to experience it for myself, I’d be shocked if it wasn’t excellent quality.
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