Visit the Bamford watch department website, and you won’t see any mention of the new Bamford B347 watches. Visit Bamfordlondon.com, and you will. I begin this review by mentioning this point because the Bamford brand, as many know it, is in (and has been in) a state of flux. What was initially a high-end Rolex custom watch manufacturer is now its own brand with original products. Instead of merging the custom watch business with the original watch production business, Mr. George Bamford decided to separate them, likely for a respectable reason. These are not Bamford's first watches with his own brand unrelated to another brand, but they are among the most impressive to date. Let's take a look at the Bamford B347 watches and discover what these interesting chronographs are all about.
To better understand the watches, you need to know a little about the man. George Bamford is a passionate collector of Rolex watches and other timepieces. He is also highly artistic and has spent much of his professional life in creative fields. However, only relatively recently has the Bamford name become “standalone” on watch dials, as he embarked on an intriguing path to creating his own wristwatch brand.
In a vacuum, the various elements of the B347 watches may not make much sense. These are watches that did not exist before - and yet, what goals do they pursue? Before us are sports watches in a retro style, 41 mm wide in a modern forged carbon case with an entirely new movement that works much like an old movement. Only those who collect watches in the same spirit as Bamford will truly understand the interest and uniqueness of this set of details. Furthermore, the Bamford B347 is available in two styles: the black-and-white “Reverse Panda” dial shown in the photo, as well as a similar model known as the B347 Bamford Aqua Blue with a slightly different dial design. Together they make up the first B347 watches, but I don't think they will be the last.
Then, there is the question of price, which is actually quite reasonable, despite being luxury watches. Although Bamford's works are known for their boldness, artistry, playfulness, sharpness, and freshness, his watches can hardly be called good value for money. It seems the situation is changing, as the cost of this interesting mechanical creation is just under 3,000 USD. Again, it's not a bargain, but I think the surprisingly affordable price will appeal to many collectors who previously thought they couldn't afford, say, Bamford-customized Rolex or TAG Heuer watches.
The Bamford B347 watches are thematically similar to some modified watches that Bamford has released in the past. The common theme is to take something classic and then redesign it in contemporary colors and/or materials. A frequent manifestation of this theme is to take classic sports chronograph watches and then make them in bold wild colors and perhaps from interesting materials that would never have been available in “vintage times”. Forged carbon as a case material is an excellent example. For making forged carbon, carbon threads are first compressed and then baked into a machinable block. This block is then processed into a watch case. Is it better than steel?
No, forged carbon is not better than steel, per se, but it is slightly lighter and perhaps much more interesting to the eye, given the organic marbling and texture of forged carbon and other modern materials like it. The inner case and case back on the B347 model are indeed steel. This is where water resistance of 100 meters is provided. The forged carbon outer case is intentionally reminiscent of some popular past Zenith watches, which Bamford has been known to admire (he even made some new vintage-style watches on order for Zenith).
The B347 case is 41.5 mm wide and 14.5 mm thick. The watch cannot be called large, but it looks bolder considering the colors and overall thickness of the case. The watch is quite comfortable paired with a 22 mm wide rubber strap. Above the dial is a flat sapphire crystal with AR coating, and the dial itself is a love letter to vintage chronographs intended for timing automotive or other racing events. The dial has a clean symmetrical two-register chronograph layout with the ability to measure up to 30 minutes. Above the 6 o'clock mark on the dial is a date window. A thematic tachymeter scale is located around the dial periphery, which for most intents is simply a design element helping the B347 stay on theme with what Mr. Bamford was aiming for.
The B347 does many things that vintage chronographs did not do, especially when it comes to details. Things like applied hour markers are not entirely new, but it's true that perhaps not many vintage chronographs had such elements. Essentially, I view the B347 as a “vintage chronograph watch that never existed,” but one that Bamford would have liked to have. For him, developing the B347 was more of a “discovery” than an invention.
From the perspective of watch enthusiasts, perhaps the most interesting part of the B347 is the movement inside them. It features a modern automatic-winding chronograph but with a monopusher mechanism. This means that instead of the more common two-button chronograph scheme, this movement uses just one button that cyclically starts, stops, and resets the stopwatch readings.
Modern monopusher chronographs are rarely found outside the niche of high-end watches, which extol traditional forms of craftsmanship. Therefore, having such a chronograph as part of a movement with a frequency of 4 Hz and a 62-hour power reserve, developed today, is somewhat exotic. However, this is exactly what this special automatic monopusher movement from Sellita is. The Swiss company is a direct competitor to ETA, but in recent years it has released many products that ETA does not have. Monopusher chronographs are technically inferior to two-button chronographs because the latter allows for pausing the time count (which cannot be done with a monopusher mechanism). Considering this, some purists (like Mr. Bamford) love the simplicity of one button on the case, and some collectors also like that on the modern market, monopusher chronographs are rarer (and therefore have a more quirky character) than more standard two-button chronographs.
In any case, I can't recall other competitors in this or adjacent price ranges offering automatic winding and a monopusher chronograph - all in a modern mechanical watch case. This means that Bamford has thought a lot about distinguishing itself from others while also deciding to partner with a major Swiss movement manufacturer to ensure owning the B347 would be painless. I mention this because I would have had much more doubt about the reliability of such a niche movement if it were produced by a smaller company. The SW510 is based on the SW500, which is Sellita's imitation of the ETA Valjoux 7750.
Watches with a “panda” dial, or in this case, a “reverse panda” (considering the black dial with white sub-dials), are almost always attractive and fashionably versatile. The sports chronograph dial combined with the forged carbon case and convenient automatic monopusher chronograph movement gives the B347 a unique “flavor” in the crowded market. Perhaps these watches are not for everyday wear for some, but they are a great continuation of the Bamford London brand and the kind of watch that I know George Bamford would love to wear himself. The price of the Bamford London B347 Automatic Monopusher Chronograph is £2,083.33. Learn more or order at Bamford London.
Essential information:
>Brand: Bamford
>Model: B347 Automatic Monopusher Chronograph (B347 “Reverse Panda” as reviewed)
>Price:£2,083.33
>Size: 41.5 mm in width, 14.5 mm in thickness.
>When reader would personally wear it: A fun sporty chronograph for everyday wear when it matches your outfit, or anytime when socializing with watch-loving friends.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: A fan of vintage-style sports watches with a penchant for fashionable colors and materials.
>Best characteristic of the watch: Excellent development for the Bamford London brand, very much like what George Bamford would want to see on his wrist. The forged carbon case turned out beautifully, the movement is unique and interesting, and the packaging is impressive for the money. Good price.
>Worst characteristic of the watch: The overall design elements are somewhat derivative - even though these are “thematic watches”. The reason for the design or use of the monopusher chronograph is not well articulated in marketing documents or on the website - meaning those unfamiliar with George's personality and tastes may not know what to make of these interesting and niche modern watches.