# TV presenter Ben Shephard



## Penn Wooding (Dec 21, 2012)

I saw an interview not long ago with Ben Shepherd who is a TV presenter over here in the UK. I had noticed that he was wearing Bremont watches.


Anyway, in the interview he was talking about the watch he was wearing which by all accounts is rare and is only ever offered to people who have ejected from an aeroplane. Apparently a friend of his for some reason had to eject from a military aircraft. He didn't want the watch so offered it to Ben. The two guys who own the company saw him wearing the watch on television but were perfectly okay with how he obtained it.


I wonder if they would have been as accommodating if it was somebody who wasn't so well-known?


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## Eleuthera (Apr 17, 2015)

Penn Wooding said:


> I saw an interview not long ago with Ben Shepherd who is a TV presenter over here in the UK. I had noticed that he was wearing Bremont watches.
> 
> Anyway, in the interview he was talking about the watch he was wearing which by all accounts is rare and is only ever offered to people who have ejected from an aeroplane. Apparently a friend of his for some reason had to eject from a military aircraft. He didn't want the watch so offered it to Ben. The two guys who own the company saw him wearing the watch on television but were perfectly okay with how he obtained it.
> 
> I wonder if they would have been as accommodating if it was somebody who wasn't so well-known?


Hi Penn.

Very doubtful if they would be as accommodating mate.

However I'm going to try and convince Blancpain that I was a member of Jacques Cousteau's scuba team and my air tank packed in and had to resurface very quickly.

Who knows a Vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms may come my way.;-)


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## Penn Wooding (Dec 21, 2012)

Actually, I found the interview on YouTube, although it was on a separate website when I saw it.


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## john.6 (May 28, 2014)

I don't see why it would be any of their business, if it was Ben Shepard's friends property he could do as he pleased with it.


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## Penn Wooding (Dec 21, 2012)

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I suppose they could refuse to send you a watch if you could provide proof that you had ejected using one of those Martin Baker seats. However, once you've bought the watch then it's yours and you can sell it or give it to whomever you please.


To be honest, I think it's just a big gimmick only selling these watches to people who have ejected from a military aircraft. I don't think it's really a privilege because you still got to pay £3000 at the end of the day to get the watch. If they gave you the watch for free then that would be a different matter.


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## clarken (Nov 30, 2013)

That's tough on a military salary


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Spyvito (Jul 15, 2014)

Penn Wooding said:


> I don't think it's really a privilege because you still got to pay £3000 at the end of the day to get the watch. If they gave you the watch for free then that would be a different matter.


In fact I have an old squadron mate who ejected from an RF-4 and he was very familiar with the MB1 as a member of the tie club. Even though he retired as a full colonel he said he couldn't afford this "rich guy's" watch.


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## Spyvito (Jul 15, 2014)

john.6 said:


> I don't see why it would be any of their business, if it was Ben Shepard's friends property he could do as he pleased with it.


In my opinion the guy is a touch douchy. It is similar, but not the same, as wearing a military award you haven't earned. I've got over 1000 hours sitting in a MB seat but never ejected and I wouldn't think of wearing an MB1. Most aviators I know would say the same.


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## samanator (Mar 8, 2008)

In most cases none of these guys could probably tell the difference between a MB1 or MBII. My color blind brother could not determine if the barrel was orange or red and the dial and hand variances are very subtle. The better story would be if this person bought it for the veteran pilot, like Jimmy Fallon did for his wife's father. Wearing it without earning it does put this person in the douchy column IMO.


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## Spyvito (Jul 15, 2014)

That is one of the reasons I am happy to have the green barrel on mine.


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## LordBrettSinclair (Sep 22, 2015)

I've several friends who've bought Bremont project watches. You get a pretty good deal on price (after all, you're effectively buying in bulk in watch terms, 30 pieces and upwards) but they come with conditions. 

Can't remember precise details, but if you sell it within 'X' years (I think it was 3) Bremont will not honour the warranty.

Not sure if the MB club watch has same caveats, but mere mortals getting a good deal on a Bremont for their squadron or whatever are locked into that deal. I can see their point, TBH, else project watches would simply become a great way to bulk buy and offload minty grey-market Bremonts!

Edit - I agree wearing such a piece reserved for special achievements, without attaining that achievement, is bad form (translate to American - 'douchey' ha ha ha).


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