The LVMH-owned brand has given its seal of approval to Bamford Watch Department, allowing it to sell customised versions of its watches which remain covered by the manufacturer’s full warranty. QP went down to Bamford’s Mayfair townhouse to learn more.

By James Buttery

After 14 years of bringing his own neon-flecked aesthetic to Rolex watches and almost certainly incurring the displeasure of said Swiss watch giant (although Rolex would never officially confirm such a position), George Bamford has, in his own words, had enough.
Instead of basing the fortunes of his business on a brand that remains at best unresponsive to his efforts, Bamford Watch Department (BWD) has now entered into an official partnership with Zenith, to apply his own style to the watches coming out of Le Locle.
Bamford customers will be able to formulate their own designs based on four Zenith watches (to begin with): the Pilot Type 20 Chronograph, the Heritage 146 Chronograph, the El Primero Chronograph and, perhaps surprisingly, the Cronometro Tipo CP2, using an online configuration tool. This will make it possible to create unique pieces with Bamford guaranteeing at least five points of difference to the next closest design. For now at least, the new Zenith Defy is off-limits to BWD. 
Limited runs of Bamford?s own creation – including reworked dials and DLC-treated cases – will also be available. We?ve already had a sneak peek of around 40 of these forthcoming designs an...