Bremont’s Terra Nova jump hour is back. This time its dial is steel, and it boasts two of London’s hottest names as its ambassadors. Last year, a jump hour from Bremont would have been on precisely no one’s bingo card. A jump hour in a field watch…? Even less so. However, when it debuted in two versions – bronze, with a central time-telling component, and steel, with black dial enamel, the apertures at nine o’clock – it was immediately the talk of Watches & Wonders. It is certainly a bold design. The Terra Nova case, first unveiled in 2024, was a massive gear shift for a brand that was previously renowned for its pilot and dive watches.

However, it wasn’t a completely left-field move. With its geometric, cushion-shaped case, low profile and shortened lugs, it was inspired by military pocket watches from the early 20th century, continuing the spirit of derring-do that has been Bremont’s vibe since it began.

By launching a jump hour, Bremont certainly met the current moment. Not a new complication – the first clock to have it was from 1656 and it has resurfaced in wrist watch form throughout horological history from the 1920s to the 1980s – it has become popular in recent years for reasons that might go beyond the sheer novelty of it.

‘Why it’s particularly popular now? You know, it might be a generational thing,’ says global head of watches at Bonhams, Jonathan Darracott. ‘It might be that people [buying now] are used to looking at digital watches more than they are at analogue watches. It’s something that appeals to people and it doesn’t offend.’

Popular they may be, but they don’t usually find themselves in field watches. Jump hours (montres à guichet) are usually associated with more dressy styles; ones in elegant precious metal cases that would look more at home at the Met Gala rather than in a mess hall.

To give Bremont its due, this may be a field watch, but the new steel-dial version could more than stand up to a dinner suit, especially on the bracelet that was specifically designed to complement the retro military aesthetic of the watch. There is also a lovely chocolate-box stitch leather strap to give it a more “daytime” look.

At the centre of the luminescent brushed steel dial are the apertures for hours and minutes and, unusually for this type of watch, a small sweep seconds that has been designed to look like a compass, as a nod to Bremont’s involvement in exploration. Powering it is a movement that was created exclusively for the brand by renowned movement manufacturer Sellita and, in good news for those who missed out on the previous iterations, this isn’t limited. A stylish new design deserves two equally sartorially savvy ambassadors.

To coincide with the launch, Bremont has announced that Kouadio Amany, master of modern tailoring and senior designer at Ozwald Boateng, and Tomos Parry, London restaurant-scene darling, will be its faces. Considering the magic these two perform in their respective fields, it seems appropriate. Because the name of this collection is Alchemy.

From £4,200; bremont.com