Bremont MBI: the watch that only pilots who have survived an ejection can buy
In the world of watchmaking, some watches are difficult to obtain because of their price, limited production or endless waiting lists. To acquire a Bremont MBI, however, the requirement is far more radical: you must have been ejected from an aircraft using a Martin-Baker ejection seat. This condition makes this British aviation watch a truly unique timepiece. Here, simply having enough money is not enough. To be eligible to order an MBI, you must belong to a club that no one really sets out to join: the Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club. Yet behind this exclusivity lies much more than a spectacular story. The Bremont MBI is the result of a technical collaboration between British watchmaker Bremont and Martin-Baker, the world-renowned specialist in ejection seats. Available exclusively to order, the watch is reportedly priced between €4,000 and €5,000, according to various unofficial sources!
Bremont MBI and Martin-Baker: when watchmaking meets military aviation
The story began in 2007, when Martin-Baker approached Bremont with an unusual request: to design a mechanical watch capable of withstanding an extremely demanding testing programme, comparable to the one its ejection seats are subjected to. The aim was therefore not simply to place the logo of an aerospace equipment manufacturer on the dial of an existing watch. The challenge was to develop a genuine aviation watch capable of enduring the extreme conditions military pilots may face. After two years of development, the Bremont MBI was launched in 2009. It became the first model in a family of Martin-Baker watches that would later include the MBII and MBIII, followed by further evolutions of the collection.
A watch reserved for pilots who have actually had to eject
This is, of course, what makes the Bremont MBI so unique. Unlike the other watches created through the collaboration between Bremont and Martin-Baker, the MBI cannot simply be purchased by anyone. It is reserved for people who have survived an aircraft ejection using a Martin-Baker ejection seat. They are eligible to join the Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club, an exclusive club made up of people whose lives have been saved by one of the British company's ejection seats. Once their membership has been confirmed and they have received their membership number, the ejectee can contact Bremont and request to purchase an MBI. One important detail: the watch is not given to them after the ejection. Martin-Baker provides new Tie Club members with a certificate, membership card, tie, pin and patch, among other items. Membership of the club then gives them the opportunity to purchase the watch. In other words, there are watches that are more expensive and produced in far smaller numbers. But very few impose such an extraordinary condition of ownership.
The red barrel, the distinctive signature of the Bremont MBI
The MBI features one element that allows enthusiasts to identify it immediately: its red aluminium central barrel. This distinctive red finish has become inseparable from the version reserved for ejectees and instantly distinguishes it from the other models in the Martin-Baker family. Each example also has a highly personal character. The watch bears its owner's Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club membership number and can be personalised with an engraving that may include their name, call sign or a date. This detail fundamentally changes the nature of the object. An MBI is not simply a watch with a reference and serial number. It is directly connected to the personal story of its owner and to an event during which a Martin-Baker ejection seat saved their life.
A watch truly designed to withstand extreme conditions
The story would already be remarkable if it ended with this exclusivity. But the horological appeal of the Bremont Martin-Baker also lies in its engineering. The MB range was subjected to a testing programme that included live ejection tests, vibration testing, extreme temperatures, altitude testing and simulations of conditions encountered on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The philosophy is perfectly aligned with Martin-Baker’s own approach: developing an object capable of continuing to function in particularly hostile environments. To protect the movement, Bremont developed an anti-shock mounting system that isolates the mechanical movement from some of the energy transmitted through the case. This is complemented by a soft-iron Faraday cage, designed to protect the movement from magnetic fields. This architecture goes far beyond the usual aesthetics of an aviation-inspired watch: here, actual aeronautical constraints directly influenced the technical development of the timepiece.
A 43 mm case and an automatic chronometer movement
The Bremont MBI features a 43 mm Trip-Tick case in hardened stainless steel, combined with its famous red barrel. Inside is the automatic BE-36AE chronometer movement, offering a stated power reserve of 38 hours. The watch also features anti-magnetic protection and an anti-shock movement mounting system. Its water resistance is rated at 10 ATM, or 100 metres, and the watch is supplied with both a calfskin leather strap and a NATO-style fabric strap. The overall philosophy remains that of a genuine tool watch: legibility, robustness and durability take precedence over spectacular horological complications.
Martin-Baker, a name inseparable from the ejection seat
To understand the significance of the MBI, it is also worth looking at the company whose name it bears. Martin-Baker is a British company specialising in aviation safety systems and is particularly renowned for its ejection seats designed for military aircraft. Bremont states that Martin-Baker supplies its ejection-seat technology to approximately 70% of the world’s air forces. The company’s history with ejection systems dates back to the early days of the jet age. Martin-Baker’s first in-flight ejection test with a human pilot took place in 1946 aboard a Gloster Meteor, an aircraft that would, several decades later, lend its name to Bremont’s new-generation MB Meteor. The watchmaking partnership between the two companies is therefore rooted in a world where mechanical resilience is far more than simply a marketing argument.
Can you buy a Bremont MBI without being a fighter pilot?
No, and that is precisely what makes this watch so unusual. More accurately, you do not actually need to be a “fighter pilot” in the strict sense: the real requirement is to have ejected from an aircraft using a Martin-Baker ejection seat and to be recognised as a member of the Martin-Baker Ejection Tie Club. Without meeting this condition, it is impossible to officially order a new MBI from Bremont. Enthusiasts who appreciate the aesthetics and philosophy of the watch do, however, have alternatives. Unlike the MBI, the Bremont MBII and MBIII have been commercially available without requiring their owners to have experienced an ejection. Today, Bremont continues this legacy with the Altitude MB Meteor family, the contemporary evolution of the Martin-Baker line. It notably retains the principles of shock resistance and anti-magnetic protection developed through this collaboration.
Bremont MBI pilot's watch: an exclusivity no waiting list can replicate!
The world of collectible watches thrives on rarity. Limited editions, references produced in just a few hundred pieces, allocations reserved for the best clients and models that are almost impossible to obtain are all an integral part of the market. The Bremont MBI plays by completely different rules. Its exclusivity is not artificially created through limited production or its price positioning. It stems directly from the story of its owner. Its red barrel and Tie Club membership number tell a story that no amount of money can buy from the manufacturer: the watch is reserved for those who have left an aircraft in flight using a Martin-Baker ejection seat and lived to tell the tale. This is undoubtedly what makes the Bremont MBI one of the most extraordinary aviation watches ever created.
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Editor: Éric Barse
Journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of the websites www.cafe-racer-only.com and www.scooter-3-roues.com, Eric Barse divides his time between his passions: motorcycles, travel, and watches. A graduate of the Saint-Cyr military academy and the 2nd RPIMA (Parachute Regiment) before pursuing a career in communications and digital media, he has a true passion for authentic watches that have accompanied his two-wheeled adventures for many years, from the Indian Ocean to Africa and Latin America!
