IN CONVERSATION: Customisation and creativity with George Bamford
As an independent watchmaker, George Bamford has carved out quite a unique niche for himself.
He first made a name for himself with his customised watches, which he initially adapted using DLC coatings. He has gone on to collaborate with leading brands including TAG Heuer, Zenith and Bulgari, as well as artists, designers and stores like Mr Porter. Plus, he has also launched six models under the Bamford London name.
The Bamford approach has undoubtedly ruffled feathers since its inception, but it’s also been ahead of the trend when it comes to personalised luxury, the popularity of which has exploded in recent years. We spoke to Bamford about connection, creativity, and the importance of building community.
Watch Insider: What makes Bamford Watch Department stand out from the crowd in the watch industry?
George Bamford: We’ve always prided ourselves on our personalisation and our understanding of what can be customised in a watch. We work alongside other watch brands and look at collaborating with them. As a business, we really have pushed design and creativity above all else. We always think that we are quicker to market, and we feel that being first is key.
WI: Why do you think the Bamford London brand and your designs have resonated with watch fans?
GB: It’s because we listen, we look at the watch industry, and we sit there as massive fans of the watch world, as well as working inside the watch industry. The other thing is I don’t think we’re constrained with the same issues as larger brands within the watch industry. We have the freedom to be creative. I think this hopefully comes across to our customers. We always say “Our customers can get on without us, but we can’t get on without them.” I feel that we really strive to be closer to our customers to understand and fulfil their expectations.
We have had the opportunity to connect with them on collaborations. These are watches we want to see in the world of watches. If you think of the Bamford G-Shock, and the BWD x Girard Perregaux Deep Diver, we’ve gone into watch brands and done things that we would love to see, and hopefully that has resonated with our customers, and I think it has. It’s also had a positive reaction with the watch brands’ customers.
Another example was the BWD x Tag Heuer Carbon Fibre Monaco – this was something that we wanted to see, and it’s something that we couldn’t do ourselves and so that was a really great watch to see come to fruition. The BWD x Tag Heuer Aqua Racer, and the BWD x Girard Perregaux Ghost are also watches that we loved, and the were luck to have the opportunity to create versions with the watch brands.
WI: What do watch fans/collectors want that the traditional watch brands aren’t providing?
GB: I think there’s something so special about limited edition pieces, and I think that we all want to own something unique. We also love the idea of packaging, and that’s something that we really pride ourselves on, the full 360 experience of the product. I think it is about looking at pieces that will become true collector’s pieces for the future. If you look at some of the pieces that have stood the test of time, it’s been the collaborations, and that makes me smile. I’m so thankful to people that collect our watches.
WI: How important has social media been to your success?
GB: It’s been a major part of our collaborations, and continues to be from user-generated content. I just love it when I see people posting about the watches that we’ve done from past to present, and also it allows us to connect with customers instantly. I think that’s one of the great things about social media—it sparks an instant connection, and I think social media has given us that conversation with our customers and with the watch community, and we’ve loved every minute of it so far.
WI: Are you conscious of the importance of building a “community” of fans? How do you go about achieving this?
GB: Yes, definitely. Building the community and building a relationship with them is something that we are really proud of, and you can see this on our social media from our ‘You Rock’ figurines that we send out. But it’s also the connection with the community and fans of the brand and that’s something that we’ve done on a regular basis since we started.
WI: What does the future of the watch industry look like to you?
GB: Such a great question. I think the watch industry is really focusing on customer choice and personal preference, and I see that happening a lot more. And I think personalisation is going to be key in this so I can see a lot more of that happening. The conversations that we’re having with great brands centre on this and it will be excellent for us as a brand.
