George Bamford: One Freaking Cool Guy!
Why are you a watch collector? What is it about these small throwbacks to the 17th century that still has people all over the world thinking they should own, collect, wear them… embody them?
The psyche of a “watch person” is unique to that individual—another reason to love this particular item worth collecting. I love seeing the look on someone’s face when they ask or are asked what’s on your wrist. My children are excited by seeing a plastic Swatch and equally excited when they get to hold my Tudor Pelagos or when they get to wear their mom’s Guess watch. It doesn’t matter the cost; intrigue comes at all prices, but it’s the sharing of joy that comes from these pieces that keeps you coming back for more…that and the dopamine hit you get when that next watch shows up, but that’s for another conversation altogether.
Writing these articles has been something new for me. I’ll eventually sort out how to be more focused or take this in a more ideal direction, but at the start of this project, I’m just enjoying that I’m getting to bounce all over on a topic that I’m really loving—watches. With that in mind, I took it upon myself to sketch out—very poorly—one of my new favorites, which is the Snoopy Crazy Hours that George Bamford designed in partnership with Franck Muller. It’s one of those watches that you just smile at when you see it, and that seems to be the theme with George Bamford and the works he creates. If you’re smiling while you look at it, you’re doing something right. Once I posted my silly piece online, George (okay, I know, George’s social media team) liked, shared, and connected with me on my Instagram account @AdamRLincoln. It’s a small gesture but one that is so meaningful when you’re trying to be a part of a community, and when one of the community leaders sends the love, you just feel so much more connected. It goes to show that a small gesture from someone can lead to an extremely large impact for the person on the receiving end.
I mentioned that Andrew McUtchen had similarly reached out to me as well, and the fact that the rock and roll watch icons are able to make these connections then the world is truly right and in good standing in my book. There are several others that have been equally kind to interact with my quirky comments or posts, and for that, I’m very appreciative because you make me feel like I’m in the family, in the community, part of the group. And that’s simply put, special to me. So thank you!
Watches are a unique way to celebrate. Simply put, you can wear who you want to be by selecting from the plethora of options that exist in this crazy watch world. And if you’re unable to find the perfect piece already in existence, you could turn to the legend, George Bamford, and ask him to make that piece you’ve been longing for, but perhaps that Monaco or Franck Muller just simply isn’t enough from the factory to state who you are or who you want to emulate on that given day.
And if perhaps a $10,000 custom Zenith isn’t quite in your price range, perhaps you’d like to take a look at the George Bamford range of GMTs, which can also easily be customized into just about any color combination you can think of, from dials to hands to straps, and you can have that unique piece for close to $1,500, a price point that is not too hefty in the vast world of watches.
George Bamford wears a lot of hats (and watches, obviously). He is the head of multiple brands that borrow conveniently from his surname, but Bamford London and the Bamford Watch Department are the two that most of you would be familiar with. He’s also pioneered his own podcast, GB Talks, and is one of the three co-hosts of the wildly entertaining About Effing Time (AET).
I am admittedly very late to the George Bamford fan club. He’s been operating for well over two decades and got his start by customizing watches that few would feel confident to change the strap on, let alone open them up, change the color of the case, new hands, and replace the dial to make it completely unique. That’s exactly what he did to the beloved Tag Heuer Monaco. Desiring something closer to the Dark Lord, and not having the access to that coveted piece, he set out to customize the more traditionally assembled watch. He’s gone from tearing down a Breitling Navitimer to becoming one of the world’s most famous watch collaborators and customizers.
George developed his interest in watches from his time living in New York. He spent time going to swap meets and finding pieces he enjoyed and started like many of us by swapping straps and reselling the wares. Of course, that was short-lived, and he’s booming now.
His brands are separated by price points, with pieces from around $500 to $1,500 coming from Bamford London. His watches are fully customizable and have names like the B347, a single push chronograph that looks like a classic with his own modern touches. The B80 is his version of a field watch, and you can certainly go with the classic styling you’d expect from a field, or you can make it bright orange and much spicier than all the other field watches you own. Of course, he also makes a highly coveted GMT that you can have in a multitude of colors and can even have one of his many Snoopy versions as well. All are available with the highly accurate Sellita movements we love from the Swiss movement.
If you are really looking to step up your game and enter the world of higher-end bespoke pieces, then you’d better head over to Bamford Watch Department and check out all you can do there. Zenith, Tag Heuer, Franck Muller, Girard Perregaux, Bulgari, and Bremont grace his site. You can buy something he’s customized or you can enter into the next level of collecting and make your watch fully modified for you. Colors, straps, engraving, stylings