There's a tendency for watch people, owners and manufacturers, to take their products very seriously. George Bamford, founder of Bamford Watch Department, is an exception to this, as the newly launched Limited Edition Popeye GMT watch demonstrates.
George Bamford started his business some years ago applying a black finish to high-end Rolex watches, something that no doubt had Rolex aficionados weeping into their negronis and certainly voided the manufacturer's warranty.
Since those early days, the watch customisation service has become mainstream, with brands like Tag Heuer, Bulgari and Zenith happily allowing Bamford to customise their watches to customers' preferences with, as I've seen, very fine results. When you can have your favourite Zenith El Primero chronograph customised to your tastes, it adds to the pleasures of ownership. See my earlier feature on BWD.
But Bamford also makes its own watches, costing from £350, they offer something a little different to the mainstream. This 50-piece Limited Edition Popeye GMT watch, priced at £1500, is just launched and adds a touch of humour to the range.
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| The watch arrives, naturally, in a spinach tin |
Celebrating the 90th anniversary of Popeye, it commands a £400 premium over the other Bamford GMT watches, but given its limited nature and the collectibility of such a piece I'd say this is a fair price.
It's a mechanical watch (Swiss-made automatic Sellita movement) with a 24-hour GMT function for travellers in the form of a central hand and rotating internal bezel to allow you to track time in two time zones (although, thinking about it, you could use these functions to track three time zones). The navy and white colour scheme is a tribute to Popeye's seafaring background. The case is 40mm wide and the watch is water resistant to 100m.
I'm sorely tempted myself as I love anything that shows a bit of humour and character and this watch does just that. See Bamford Watch Department for the Limited Edition Popeye GMT watch.
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