Mostly known as a customizer of watches, who’s been “officialized” by the watchmaking division of LVMH, to create unique TAG, Zenith and Bvlgari piece, Georges Bamford also recently launched his own watch brand, with specifically designed and built models. Among them is a cool-looking GMT watch, which has been already introduced in multiple editions – […]
In what could be seen as an appeal to Swiss watch collectors – or perhaps just those who prefer lighter watches – G-Shock decided to take their full-metal GMW-B5000 line to the next level. G-Shock has now introduced titanium into their lineup of square-faced design watches inspired by their historic G-Shock DW-5000C. I’ve owned mine for a month, and have plenty to say about it. Firstly, the case, band, bezel, and caseback of this model are all made of very lightweight titanium, weighing in at 110g in total (with their previous steel models weighing 167g). Producing the Full Metal line in titanium was no easy feat for G-Shock. According to Miho Nishimura of Casio’s Watch Development Department, this was not simply a matter of pouring new material into an existing mould and process. The titanium models required an entirely new mould, as well as its own dedicated assembly line, due to titanium being an unforgiving and difficult material to manufacture. G-Shock, in their pursuit of ultimate robustness, has also upgraded the crystal from mineral glass (used in the stainless steel versions) to a sapphire crystal and treated the titanium with a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating that protects the watch from…
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When browsing through high-contrast, black-coated, neon-highlighted luxury watches, it shouldn’t be too long before the name Bamford crosses your path. The origin story of the Bamford Watch Department starts with a Daytona. Taking advantage of his father’s corporation, JCB — which specialises in manufacturing equipment for construction, agriculture, waste handling, and demolition — George Bamford wanted nothing more than for his Rolex Daytona to stand out a little more. After consulting with JCB’s engineering department, George had his Daytona murdered-out in the Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, which has become one of his signatures, adorning customised Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe watches around the world. With tensions growing between watch manufacturers and Bamford’s business, given the jumble of legal grey-areas involved in customising brand-name goods, Bamford Watch Department stepped back from tinkering with Rolex and other lofty brands in 2017 – a cautious but clever move considering the Rolex lawsuit with customiser La Californienne in 2019. Instead, Bamford-enthusiast and watch industry legend Jean-Claude Biver teamed up with the workshop to produce modded pieces exclusively from LVMH brands such as TAG Heuer, Bvlgari and Zenith. These are some highlights of the journey so far. TAG Heuer Monaco Heritage By far the most fun…
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Three cheers for 55 years!
When it comes to value for the money and efficient dive watches, Seiko is not an alternative, it’s one of the definitive choices. Mixing accessible prices with superior quality and entirely in-house construction, entry-level Seiko Prospex watches are never a bad choice. And while you can choose to go classic with a Samurai or a Turtle […]
Five video stories from HODINKEE readers.
We’ve got something for everybody this week.
Presented last year, the Glashütte Original SeaQ is the first watch of a collection focussed on instrument watches – the “Spezialist” collection. Available in two different sizes and with modern or vintage-inspired style, it has since been well received by the watch community. Following the two-tone and full gold Panorama Date models earlier this year, GO […]
What it is, why it is, and why it’s one of the ultimate challenges in precision mechanics.
Following Swatch Group, Richemont and recently LVMH, it is now time for Kering, a French group specialized in luxury (fashion, jewelery and watchmaking) and one of the leaders on the market, to announce its half-year results for the year 2020. As expected, the COVID-19 crisis shows its effects on sales and profitability, yet the group also […]