Bremont, the British luxury watchmaker and graduate of the Walpole Brands of Tomorrow mentoriship programme, has announced a £48.4m investment by renowned investor Bill Ackman, as well as an increased investment by longstanding lead investor Hellcat LP as a part of the transaction. This follows Bremont’s most successful year to date, with a 28% revenue increase on last year, and provides substantial resources to enable Bremont to significantly expand the company across multiple channels.
"Nick and I are thrilled that Bill has moved from collector to investor, joining our long-standing shareholder, Hellcat, as partners in Bremont," says Bremont Co-Founder, Giles English. "This new capital will enable us to invest in marketing, distribution, and talent. This is not just a boost for Bremont, but also for Britain. The British watch industry is the birthplace of some of the most important timekeeping innovations, including the perpetual calendar, and we are delighted to continue our country’s history of manufacturing and innovation through the global growth of Bremont.”
"I have long admired Bremont’s handsomely-designed, technologically-sophisticated and rugged watches, and the brand’s storied aviation and military history," commented investor Bill Ackman. "The UK’s rich horological past laid the foundation for Nick and Giles to found and grow Bremont into one of the watch industry’s preeminent brands and engineering companies. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to become a shareholder of Bremont at a fulcrum point in the company’s evolution, and to see it take its rightful position as a global leader in watchmaking."
The closing of this new investment comes 18 months after Bremont opened its purpose built, 35,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing and technology centre, The Wing, in Henley-On-Thames in Oxfordshiore. This new facility has enabled Bremont to become the first business in over 50 years to manufacture mechanical movements at scale on British shores.
"We have been founder-led since inception and have built Bremont with the help of an extremely talented team over the last 20 years," said Nick English, Bremont Co-Founder. "Over the last four years we have flourished under the leadership of Managing Director Chris Reynolds, who we are delighted to announce will now take on the role of Chief Operating Officer to support and enable the addition of a new CEO, who can build upon the team, brand, and business we have created together, enabling Bremont to become one of the top global watch companies in the industry."
Bremont has retained the services of leading executive recruitment firm Egon Zehnder to assist in its search for a new CEO.
"Bremont has built a state-of-the art business, from our outstanding product design, development and engineering, to our global marketing, wholesale, and retail operations," said Chris Reynolds, Bremont Managing Director. "This investment will allow us to scale our operations, accelerate innovation, and enhance our in-house capabilities, talent development, and recruitment."
