The first B.R.M watch, born at the back of a barn in the French Vexin and machined on the house's first CNC lathe.
The maison
The B.R.M manufacture was founded in 1986 by the hands of Bernard Richards. It designs, machines and assembles its chronographs in Magny-en-Vexin, one hour from Paris — and not in the Vallée de Joux.
French manufacture
It is in the Parc naturel régional du Vexin français, near Paris, that B.R.M watches come to life. Between rolling roads and emblematic sites of French history, the environment also offers the driving routes appreciated by enthusiasts of fine mechanics. It is in this setting that the brand has drawn its inspiration.
The manufacture is family-owned. It has its own machining centre, which allows it to move swiftly from concept to creation: localised production, technical autonomy, and the freedom to innovate without depending on anyone.
Everything is done under one roof. Design, machining, skeletonisation, assembly and quality control take place within metres of one another. When the component is machined next to the workbench, it can be reworked, modified or remade.
B.R.M Chronographes
Between Bernard Richards and watchmaking, it all began when he was just fourteen years old. His parents, jewellers by profession, expanded their field of expression to watches and founded a high-end brand, Richards Zeger. Embarked on this family adventure, he attended in turn schools of watchmaking, micromechanics and jewellery.
With the benefit of experience, he founded the B.R.M manufacture in 1986 and embarked upon the production of clocks and watches, as well as pens and lighters for prestigious international luxury houses.
A passionate enthusiast of horology and motorsport, Bernard Richards could not find on the market the timepiece that corresponded to his vision of a mechanical watch. In 2003, he produced the first sketches of what would become the first B.R.M Chronographes watch.
It would be called GP-44. It was born at the back of a barn in the Vexin français, machined on the house's first numerically controlled lathe.
Our ambition has always been to stand apart by creating unique, colourful and audacious pieces.Bernard RichardsFounder of B.R.M Chronographes
Since 2003
Nine pieces, each of which brought about a shift in the workshop.
The first B.R.M watch, born at the back of a barn in the French Vexin and machined on the house's first CNC lathe.
The GP-44 is joined by the V6 and V12, still the brand's best-sellers today.
The first watch with a floating movement, mounted on three carbon triangles.
The first watch on the market equipped with seven crystals, offering a view of the six faces of the case.
The world's lightest automatic chronograph: case in Makrolon®, caseback in Fortal® HR, under 50 grammes.
SA for Shock Absorber: the first watch whose movement is suspended by three semi-recumbent shock absorbers.
Inspired by the brake discs of racing cars. Its titanium case is in itself a machining challenge.
FF for Full-Floating: conceived to defy the laws of gravity, it embodies the very essence of weightlessness.
An entire nautical range, born from a passion for sailing and sea exploration.
Scroll the timeline to the right →
Watchmaking artistry
B.R.M is the only French manufacture to master every stage of the creation of its timepieces in its entirety.
The manufacture has a fleet of fourteen CNC machines capable of machining up to eleven axes: machining is carried out from solid, to within a hundredth of a millimetre.
Each element is cut separately, which allows different materials and superalloys to be assembled on a single watch. This construction, borrowed from luxury motor cars, permits unique treatment of each piece, from its manufacture to its finish.
Each skeletonised movement is conceived and skeletonised by hand by the workshop teams, whether it is a Swiss Made calibre or a movement manufactured in-house. Material is removed until only what works remains.
The casing ring is mounted on shock absorbers — the technology Shock Absorbers — and the movement is suspended within the case. That is why the dial is openworked: there is nothing to hide.
Each watch is assembled piece by piece at the workbench, inspected, then numbered. It leaves the atelier with a three-year warranty, in addition to the statutory guarantee of conformity.
Materials
Cases and dials. Durable, lightweight, resistant to shocks and corrosion.
Cases, crowns, lugs, screws, casebacks, buckles. Stainless, lightweight, ductile, ideal for everyday wear.
Cases. Transparent, it reveals the heart of the watch; lightweight and resistant at once.
Cases, pushers, lugs, screws, casebacks, buckles. A coating that opens up a multitude of colours and finishes.
Surface treatment: a palette of vibrant and enduring shades.
Finishes
B.R.M is the only manufacture in the world to offer an unlimited choice of finishes and personalisations.
Surface and deep engraving, carried out in the atelier.
Dials are printed individually, on UV printing machines installed at the manufacture.
Epoxy lacquer applied by hand then cured in an oven, on the case, crown or pushers.
State label
A traditional craft
The B.R.M manufacture has been awarded the « Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant » distinction by the Institut National des Métiers d'Art and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. This state label, granted following rigorous assessment, recognises the excellence of a French artisanal craft.
Engine-turning, gem-setting, hand-applied lacquer: the craft relies on artisans — engraver-finisher, turner-miller, dedicated watchmaker — who shape the components by hand.
It will be an opportunity for our manufacture to raise even higher the « France made » that I have placed on our watches for years.Bernard RichardsFounder of B.R.M Chronographes
B.R.M
One movement, five playgrounds.
The manufacture
The movement is visible, the workshop may be visited, the watch bears a number. This is the only promise we make.
View the watchesOn the oscillating weight or the sapphire case-back.
Tracked shipment, in France and internationally.
In addition to the statutory warranty of conformity.
