Bremont, originally established by brothers Giles and Nick English, has been on a mission to rekindle the once prolific British watch industry since it first set up in Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire, in 2002. Like its founders, it has always embodied the spirit of adventure, turning out handsome yet tough-as-boots timepieces inspired by those worn by military men, pilots and explorers.

Last year, as part of a shiny new brand revamp, it unveiled a benchmark model in its new catalogue, which combines the no-nonsense rugged field watch – made values with a fresh design face, including a new brand logo and aesthetic – the Terra Nova. Reinterpreting the design codes of Edwardian pocket watches, it showed the brand’s knack for bringing a fresh face to traditional designs. And its latest addition to the line – a trio of bronze Terra Novas – does much the same.

While retaining the warmth and elegance of the material that’s made it a favourite among wearers who find steel too stark and gold too gaudy, this new triumvirate has been cast from a specially formulated cupro-aluminium bronze alloy, which has considerable benefits over bog-standard bronze, being naturally hypoallergenic and both harder and more resistant to scuffs and scrapes. It’s also lighter than traditional bronze and stainless steel, making it score highly for comfort even after a long day on the wrist. 

The first in the lineup is the cleanest in design and the closest to the kind of fuss-free field watch worn by the servicemen of yesteryear. Its dial clocks in at 40.5mm, which will partner perfectly with most wrists and comes with the option of a green-and-black Nato-style strap to underpin that Forces feel. Inside the handsome bronze case is a Swiss-made self-winding Sellita movement, which packs in 38 hours of ticking time when fully wound. The gradient green dial has a date window and bright Super-LumiNova numerals to make reading the time even in the murkiest light an easy feat. 

The second iteration – limited to 100 pieces – is also 40.5mm and has similar styling cues but has the added bonus of a power reserve indicator so you know just how much juice there is left in the movement. Its rich caramel dial plays perfectly against the warm glint of the all-bronze bracelet (or the soft tan of its optional leather strap) and rose gold-plated hands.

And if you really want to keep tabs on the time, there’s the chronograph edition with its built-in stopwatch which can be used to track motor races, military movements or, more likely, to make sure your pasta simmering on the stove turns out al dente. It also sports a bi-directional bezel for navigation, should you wish to test your triangulation skills. A touch larger 42.5mm, and with a self-powered movement that will keep ticking over for 56 hours, its the model with the most wrist presence.

And if you had any doubt about their performance in the field, Bremont had former Royal Marine and adventurer Aldo Kane put the new watches through their paces in the unforgiving Arabian Desert – and all passed muster. So, whichever model earns a place on your wrist, they’re hard evidence that bagging bronze is far from third rate.

Terra Nova bronze collection from £3,250; bremont.com