The de havilland Dh-88 Comet – the aircraft that captured the world’s imagination with its record-breaking flight to Australia in 1934 – is the inspiration behind one of the year’s most-anticipated watch launches, Bremont’s 2016 limited-edition Dh-88 chronometer
It is the stuff of aviation legend. Fighting exhaustion and mechanical challenges, while barely stopping for more than three days, two men in their pioneering British racing aircraft won the incredible 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia. C.W.A Scott and Tom Campbell Black, who had met only recently at the Royal Aero Club bar and had quickly become firm friends, reached Melbourne in an outstanding time of two days and 23 hours.
Utterly exhausted but jubilant, they were greeted by an expectant public, eager press and good wishes flooding in from all corners of the world, not least of which came in the form of a cable from the King of England himself: ‘The Queen and I warmly congratulate you both on your wonderful feat,” wrote King George V. “We are very glad we saw you at Mildenhall before setting out on your great adventure, and trust that you are not unduly tired after the strain of the past three days’. It was a tremendous engineering achievement that was to secure the Comet’s rightful place in aviation history
To commemorate this feat, and to raise funds for the Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden Aerodrome, which is now home to the Comet, Bremont has introduced the ‘Limited edition Bremont Dh- 88’ chronometer, a special timepiece which has been handcrafted in a style reminiscent of the 1930s era. Unveiled at a suitably glamorous 1930s-themed launch party, complete with swing band and air show, the 282 stainless-steel and 82 rose-gold cases house the Be-54ae chronometer rated chronograph movement with GMT functionality. Constructed ensuring the durability and precision Bremont is renowned for, the timepieces also incorporate original spruce plywood from the undercarriage assembly of this winning aircraft.
“That golden age of aviation is a period we have always loved,” says Nick English, co-founder of Bremont, who along with his brother, Giles, pilots de havilland aircrafts and has a strong affinity with the Comet. “We were inspired by the great races of that time, and the Comet, a true feat of engineering, is one of the most famous historic racing aircraft out there. The fact it’s still flying is amazing.”
Only five Comets were ever manufactured and today Grosvenor House (pictured below) is the only remaining airworthy example, thanks to the care of the Shuttleworth collection. Abandoned after the War, it was given to the collection in 1965 and made its first flight post-restoration in 1987. Developed solely for the air race, the Comet’s undercarriage proved to be a weak point under sustained use, and after a failure in 2002 the collection undertook approved modifications to strengthen it. The plywood used in the Bremont 2016 Limited edition is taken from the original structure removed during this process.
“The Shuttleworth Trust is a unique museum with over 40 flying aircraft with some of the only flying examples of their type in the world,” explains Giles English. “It was founded by Dorothy Shuttleworth in 1944 in memory of her son who died in a flying accident, and was set up as a charity to keep these amazing aircraft flying. Both Nick and I, through our father, have always had close personal connections to the Trust and we are pleased to be supporting it with a percentage of all proceeds from the sales of the Dh-88 watches going to the charity.”
It appears we have much to thank those magnificent men of their flying machines for.
For more details of the Dh-88 watch, visit Bremont
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