Now available for purchase by mere mortals comes the Bremont ALT1-B2 watch, a civilian version of a timepiece originally developed with and for the B2 Squadron.

Unsurprisingly Bremont had some very positive reactions when details and images of the Bremont B2 were unveiled last year, and its unattainable status left many fans wanting. The new Bremont ALT1-B2 GMT keeps almost all of the features of its military forerunner - it maintains its stealthy appearance, it is equally commanding and dare I say it ... is every bit as sexy as its predecessor too.

Only live wrist shots will tell the full story of this impressive watch, a black metal dial and DLC coated case combo will still throw up subtleties, fine detailing and textures which are undetectable under the sterility of a studio shot. Closer inspection reveals multiple indications, minute markers, 24-hour scale and stencil-esque hour markers - all have been darkened to their most basic, yet all are entirely readable. It is no mean feat to create such usable indications from barely-there elements but Bremont accomplish the task with aplomb.

In comparison to the original watch a few details have been left out, the large B which aligned at the 2 o'clock to form the B2 "branding", the almost undetectable and therefore entirely appropriate replication of a stealth bomber and the quirky red "6" at 3 o'clock - the new dial is bereft of these anomalies but - the new piece has all the characteristics which make Bremont brilliant, silky smooth operation of the “Roto-Click” rotating inner bezel which uses four ball-bearings and is operated using the crown at 8 o’clock, the brand’s registered Trip-Tick case construction and "Tested Beyond Endurance" boot camp verification of build quality.

Founded in 2002 by brothers Nick and Giles English, the company and the men behind the success of Bremont have a heritage of historic aircraft and a love of all things mechanical. The brand have a refreshing enthusiasm and a totally unstuffy attitude to the industry. They have a particularly keen eye for marketing - their recent ad campaign was the antithesis of the glossy and characterless features we have become accustomed to of late, and they have developed some rather ingenious product placement - their MBI, which is available only to those individuals who have survived being catapulted from a Martin Baker ejection seat has to be one of the best examples ... ever.

The new Bremont ALT1-B2 GMT is powered by the COSC certified, modified BE‐54E movement, comes cased-up in 43mm DLC coated steel and has a choice of leather or NATO styled strap.

I merely skim the surface of this unique watchmaking company – more information at the official Bremont website.

And our Bremont archives starring Ronnie Wood, Lord Nelson and some “wonderfully over-engineered” stuff - read-on here