Bamford & Sons Reimagine Rolex Milgauss For Colette Paris
If you are a luxury watch enthusiast then chances are you are familiar with the name Bamford & Sons. Based in London, this innovative company is renowned for their unique and individualized after market modifications of luxury watches, namely Rolex. In their latest bespoke creation they have re-imagined a special edition of the iconic Rolex Milgauss to be sold at the Colette boutique in Paris.
The Original
Until the re-release of the Rolex Milgauss series at Baselword last year you could be easily forgiven for not being aware of this unique watch or its rather colourful past. The Milgauss was one of the series of watches that Rolex developed in the 1950s for the new breed of professional intent on taking over the world. These ‘tool’ watches, as they were known then, were designed to do it all. That encompassed aviation, for which there was the GMT Master; mountaineering, the Explorer; diving, the Submariner and for the secretive world of science, the Milgauss.
However, sadly unlike its successful counterparts which sold in record numbers (and still do to this day) the Milgauss was destined to become the slowest seller in the Rolex line-up, and was sold for about 20 years before being removed from their catalogue.
Much like artists who only achieve fame after death the Milgauss went on to become a cult watch, then a collector’s item after its untimely demise and now mint examples fetch tens of thousands at auction. It was this rich history that prompted the revival of the model by Rolex, complete with the lightning bolt hand that was a striking (pardon the pun) hallmark feature of the original model.
The Bamford Effect
For their re-imagination of this special model designed exclusively for Collette in Paris the Milgauss has received Bamford’s trademark Black PVD treatment over the steel case. In addition the dial, available in black or white in the original form has been replaced with a rich blue dial, black seconds hand, and all white text on the case. As a result of the modifications and uniqueness of this watch you can expect to pay a price premium of several thousand dollars on top of the original Milgauss price tag.
The Final Word
Personally, I don’t like this watch at all. I think it may be the too blue dial but for whatever reason this design just does not work for me. Having said that, this is not the first bespoke Milgauss that Bamford & Sons have created and their earlier attempt with the Limited Edition Anniversary Model really looks sensational. That watch has received the same PVD treatment but Bamford has kept the dial black and mysterious. The way a watch designed for mad scientists should be.
You can see that model here.
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- Nick Orloff: Beautiful piece, regrettably a little (?) out of my price range. I’d love to...
- Olivier Muller: Thanks, BMW
Stay tuned ! - Jack: Looks like a really nice watch for the price!
I didn’t think they could make a Rolex any more expensive! I know you don’t like it Tom but I actually don’t mind this creation from Bamford. Can anyone get a watch from these guys or do you have to be famous?
Its certainly a very…unique looking watch. I checked out the one on their website, the all black model looks heaps better.
since they started producing these watches – I consider them as fakes. they are not serviced by rolex. I had some friends buying these ‘rolexes’ and they all flaked, or were not watertight. if I pay for the watch 5000 and up (or 50 for a fake one) I expect it to be and do the job every single penny I pay. but these …its just a joke
I think you raise some very good points Algis, I’ve personally also wondered what this treatment does to the long-term value of the watch. Surely Rolex enthusiasts and collectors would not consider these watches the true article and therefore they would probably only have any real value to the owner. I’m also curious to know how Rolex views these watches, will they still service them? Honor their warranties? Does anyone know?
I doubt rolex would service these, but I guess that’s up to the particular centre & to be honest, finding someone to service a rolex isn’t exactly difficult. It’s a pretty ugly dial, but with the likes of Jennifer Aniston wearing a pvd sub in all the mags, it’s hardly going to hurt their secure position.
You make some good points Felix, though I do wonder at how these modified watches will hold their value in the long-term. Don’t get me wrong, I quite like some of B&S’s designs I just wonder if the additional cost is justified.
love what they do with clothes and fabric.what they have done with watches is interesting but methinks if you want a rolex you go to rolex.
as for rolex,possibly the most over rated watch brand there is.any student of marketing must read the development of the brand,simply a stroke of genius.i am a watch fanatic and dream of buying all the great names until a friend said”why spend all that money on something that tells you how closer you are to your demise”.i never thought of it like that ,i must admit.
that said,i think the watch to aspire to is the citizen chronomaster accurate to+- 5 seconds per year. !!!now no swiss watchmaker has matched that,esoteric or not.
I just came up this article (although its been here for quite a while…)
I know these watches very well and I can only to agree with Algis. To make it all clear the process in producing these: buying second hand Rolex (3-10 years old if i remember well), painting the face and applying PVD (usually quite poorly over the bracelet) makes these worthless for any good watch fan. Non of them are serviced by Rolex as they seen as “damaged on purpose” and no warranty applied. they are not watertight. to PVD it and paint the face does not cost more than £500 (this sum is already exaggerated). feedback on these “custom rolex” is pretty poor as well. in 10 years time would you pay £10000 for a watch with a comapy’s logo on the face which went bust? the value of it once it leaves the store is equal or even less than of a fake!!! so make your own math