Once the enfant terrible of the watch world, George Bamford is now basking in the status of official partner to TAG Heuer, Zenith and Bulgari. With more brands soon to join the list, we look back at the story so far
By Chris Hall

Bamford Watch Design began in 2004, operating as an unofficial customiser of predominantly Rolex watches. At first a passion project for George, it drew on production techniques used in his father?s construction company JCB, and grew by word of mouth. Specialising in black PVD-coatings and a very bold use of colour (not to mention an irreverent sense of humour), BWD was disdained by the established watch world. That all changed in 2017 when it was announced that Bamford would be working as an official design partner with Bulgari, Zenith and TAG Heuer. In 2018, TAG Heuer and Bamford released their first ground-up collaboration, a Monaco chronograph in forged carbon using BWD?s signature black and blue colour scheme.
QP: Where did you develop a fascination for design"
GB: As a kid, from the age of about six, I used to get up very early every morning ? I still get up about 4.30, 5.00am ? and I used to go down to the kitchen or my parents? sitting room and take the TV, the video, VCR or the juicer, anything, to bits and rebuild it. At the age of eight my grandfather taught me how to weld, and I learnt how to strip an engine down and rebuild it. I?m a frustrated engineer to this day, and my default position is ?why can?t I do it"? more than,...