For those who aren’t aware, British brand Bremont is famous for hosting regular events at their boutiques, appropriately named ‘Adventurers Club’. Adventurers Club events feature a Bremont Ambassador or partner, who share exciting tales of exploration, adventure, innovation or inspiration.
Last week I attended an Adventurers Club at the brand’s Melbourne boutique, starring a presentation from Flight Lieutenant Steve Andrews, where he shared his journey in the RAAF, and his inspirational personal ejection story.
After Flight Lieutenant Andrews finished presenting to the captivated boutique full of watch and aviation enthusiasts, I had the pleasure of hosting a Q&A session with him. We dove deeper into his ejection from a Martin-Baker seat, and how the reality compared to the expectations set during his military training, before hearing about his brave return to flying – just 8 months later. It was truly inspirational to learn of his physical recovery from multiple breaks in his neck and back, as well as the mental recovery.
He also revealed his passion for watch collecting and love for the Bremont brand, highlighting his favourite piece as being his MB1 Martin-Baker special edition. The MB1 is offered for sale only to pilots who have survived the traumatising experience of ejecting from a jet and is not available to the public. Flight Lieutenant Andrews also spoke to the importance of timekeeping and a reliable watch to a pilot in a practical sense. And it was fascinating to hear how this analog technology still plays a big part in the military.
I then welcomed Andrew Eden, the Managing Director of Martin-Baker Australia, to join the discussion (there were a few Andrew’s in the room).
With an extensive and impressive military background, Andrew also shared how he ended up running Martin-Baker in Australia, before giving a detailed explanation of the Ejection Tie Club. Mr Eden then reflected on Flight Lieutenant Andrews Martin-Baker ejection experience and shared a step-by-step explanation of the ejection process.
Andrew then revealed there was another Ejectee, Graham, in the room, who was in town to collect his Bremont MB1. Although Martin-Baker has saved over 7,600 lives with their seats, it was still incredibly rare to have multiple ejectees in the one room, and touching to listen as Graham shared his personal ejection experience from decades earlier, before receiving his MB1. It was a watch he’d been holding off buying for several years until the time was right – and I don’t think he could have timed it better.
All in all, it was a privilege to spend an evening with such inspirational gentlemen. It’s safe to say this sentiment was shared by all guests, who listened carefully throughout the evening.
If you’d like to attend an Adventurers Club evening, we suggest getting in touch with your local boutique or an authorised dealer, or make an enquiry here.