Watch Paparazzi

Actor Tom Hardy spotted wearing Bremont

When Venom hit screens in October 2018, Tom Hardy's wrist attracted attention from watch enthusiasts who recognised something far more substantive than a generic screen prop. The piece in question was the Bremont U-2/51-JET, a limited-edition pilot's watch whose material provenance places it well outside ordinary horological territory.

Bremont produced the U-2/51-JET to commemorate Lockheed's legendary U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the high-altitude spy plane that flew CIA missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War and remains in active USAF service today. The defining specification is the case construction: the Trip-Tick three-part case incorporates aluminium actually harvested from a decommissioned U-2 airframe, integrated into the central barrel section. The 43mm stainless steel case houses Bremont's BE-51AE movement — a modified ETA 2892-A2 base with Bremont's own anti-shock, anti-magnetic module — beating at 28,800 vph with a 42-hour power reserve. The dial presents a clean matte black layout with luminous Arabic numerals, a 12-hour GMT bezel, and a date window, all framed behind anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Water resistance is rated to 100 metres.

For collectors, the U-2/51-JET occupies a specific niche: it is a serious, documented piece of aviation heritage rather than a watch that merely references flying aesthetics. Bremont's relationship with the aerospace and defence community — the brand also produced watches incorporating materials from the SR-71 Blackbird and various WWII aircraft — lends the U-2 series genuine credibility among military history enthusiasts and pilot-watch collectors alike. The limited production run keeps secondary market supply tight.

Hardy's character Eddie Brock is established as a street-level investigative journalist, and the Bremont U-2/51-JET is a plausible, character-consistent choice — functional, unpretentious in silhouette, yet carrying considerable substance for anyone who knows what they are looking at. It is the kind of detail that rewards a second look.

At retail, the U-2/51-JET was listed around $5,995, placing it in accessible territory for a watch with authentic aerospace provenance. Grey-market prices have remained broadly stable, with examples trading modestly above retail given the limited nature of the edition.