The Swiss company Bomberg knows how to make a statement on the wrist, and the BB-01 Cure The BullDog model is no exception. This is the brand's first attempt at creating a wristwatch for cannabis enthusiasts, and it's an interesting design exercise mixed with the politics and trends of our time. Bomberg is not the first watchmaker to create a cannabis-themed watch, nor will it be the last, and it is interesting to see how designers tackle the challenge of combining a passion for watches with the rapidly growing international cannabis market.
The reason this theme is so important for marketers is because, in my opinion, the "watches and weed" market will be as big as the watches and alcohol or tobacco markets. For years, watchmakers have recognized that people who enjoy "the good life" also love watches. There have been dozens of successful relationships between watchmakers and alcohol or cigars, and these worlds of enthusiasm clearly intersect. Cannabis is the next logical area for such intersections of passions, and I fully expect the watch industry to embrace cannabis enthusiasts just as they have embraced alcohol and tobacco enthusiasts. However, the world is not yet fully ready for this.
From my perspective in Los Angeles, California, hemp and marijuana (both cannabis plants) are currently as controversial as Swiss cheese. Recreational marijuana is legal here, as well as in at least a dozen other U.S. states. This, however, does not reflect the broader global view of cannabis, where the plant remains illegal and stigmatized in various parts of the world. The international nature of wristwatch sales means that brands selling their products worldwide have to face often polarizing opinions about their products. I can easily imagine a watch brand releasing a watch for marijuana enthusiasts receiving as much hate as love, given the diverse attitudes towards this plant across countries.
Bomberg tackled this complex diplomatic issue with their first hemp-focused product. It completely avoids the concept of marijuana, positioning the BB-01 Cure The BullDog as a hemp and CBD-based product. Hemp contains far less THC (the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychoactive effects) than marijuana. Both hemp and marijuana contain CBD, which, unlike THC, enjoys much greater legality worldwide. The seemingly random name "Cure the BullDog" is actually just Bomberg's play on what "CBD" can mean beyond "cannabidiol". This reflects that even mentioning CBD and cannabis in some parts of the world is so taboo that Bomberg cannot simply name these watches "BB-01 Hemp" or "Cannabis".
Nonetheless, CBD is legal in many places where THC is not, and this, as I understand it, includes parts of Europe, such as Switzerland. Despite Bomberg's bold design decision to place a hemp leaf on the watch dial, inspiration from the hemp plant is much more easily accepted than the marijuana plant leaf, as also hinted by the dial's visual design.
Hemp is a valuable crop as, aside from the growing CBD oil market, hemp has long been used as a textile. The BB-01 Cure the BullDog's case is attached to a strap made of hemp fabric grown in Nevada. It looks like canvas but feels much softer. The yellow, red, and green outer stitching are colors long associated with hemp enthusiast culture.
The BB-01's dial and case are an interesting design exercise in grabbing the attention of a cannabis-friendly market. It's quite logical that people can love both watches and cannabis simultaneously. But how they want to appreciate cannabis in a wristwatch is an entirely different story. Bomberg takes a classic approach by creating a sort of novelty watch for hemp lovers. The steel case is 43 mm wide and water-resistant up to 50 meters. It is the same as other watches in the Bomberg BB-01 collection, but it features laser-engraved Indica cannabis leaves, creating a patterned effect.
Another leaf motif is the main shape on the dial, which is a complex combination of colors, skeletonization, and actual green crushed hemp leaves sprinkled with a translucent layer. The pressure to include cannabis in the watch (either literally or symbolically) is very strong. Indeed, many cannabis-themed watches that will be released will focus on the hemp/marijuana leaf, as it is one of the most recognizable hints at cannabinoid enthusiasm, so it's quite predictable that a designer would want to further link the watch with the sometimes-controversial theme of cannabis consumption.
The outer dial of the watch matches the strap colors and provides traditional watch functionality and legibility. In addition to luminescent hands, Bomberg applies luminescent material to the outline of the hemp leaf, creating a fun effect. Above the dial is a sapphire crystal with AR coating, and another glass is over the case back, revealing the Swiss-made Sellita SW200 automatic movement (which operates at 4 Hz with a power reserve of about two days).
Bomberg is only testing its strength in the world of cannabis-themed watches, releasing the BB01 Cure the BullDog in a limited edition of just 250 pieces. I have a feeling they will sell out in due time. It is more likely that next time, Bomberg or someone else, inspired by the release of such products, will go even further in the cannabis theme and ideally continue to explore creative directions for combining wristwatches with the rapidly developing global hobby. The price for the automatic Bomberg reference CT43ASS.30-1.11 BB-01 Cure the BullDog is 1,950 Swiss francs. More information can be found on the Bomberg watch website.