Photographs by Ed Rhee
I’m unsure why a collab between Girard-Perregaux and Bamford surprises me, but it surely does. Bamford, in a method or one other, has been concerned with tons of manufacturers, from customization to collabs. And are available to consider it, certainly one of my favourite Bamford collabs was with GP — in actual fact, it’s in all probability my favourite GP. I have to be somewhat off immediately. Perhaps it’s how classic this launch was. I see Bamford as a extra fashionable model, even in its collabs, so the brand new Girard-Perregaux x Bamford Deep Diver wasn’t one thing I anticipated. And neither was the 15k price ticket.
The Deep Diver is a part of GP’s “Legacy Editions,” which has to this point solely included the Casquette. Contemplating I’ve by no means heard of this subset of fashions and also you received’t discover a strategy to navigate to the Legacy Editions on the model’s web site, this appears to be a brand new class for the model and will properly counsel future reissues. Whereas that Casquette was based mostly on a 1976 mannequin, the Deep Diver relies on a 1971 mannequin of the Girard-Perregaux Gyromatic, reference 9108 (seen above on the left in a press picture from GP). That mannequin got here on a bracelet and was geared up with the Gyromotic winding system, a bidirectional winding mechanism with (on the time) enhanced effectivity. The brand new watch ditch that outdated tech for a contemporary (but nonetheless decades-old) in-house motion, however retains nearly every part else the identical.
The issue with the Deep Diver is that it seems much more sturdy than it truly feels. The grade 5 titanium case is 40.3mm with a lug-to-lug of 38mm, and measures 13.91mm thick. None of that’s insufferable, however the type of the case means you’re feeling each single millimeter on the wrist. This can be a chunky watch, although, due to the titanium, not as heavy because it could possibly be. However robustness isn’t nearly how a watch wears, it’s about how every element capabilities, too, and sadly, the setting motion on the crown is a bit flimsy, as is the texture when adjusting the interior bezel.
These points apart, the watch is enjoyable. It comes with two quick-release straps that shift it from reserved (blue) to daring (orange) in seconds. It has a sapphire crystal and 200m water resistance, so that you by no means have to fret about it. The polished 14-sided bezel provides a pleasant distinction to the engaging sunray brushing on the midcase. It’s an undeniably engaging vintage-inspired watch. I don’t suppose anybody would or ought to deny that.
Whereas I don’t actually love inside bezels, this one could be very properly accomplished. The alignment of not simply the numbers however the colour blocks between the bezel and the dial makes it appear as if it’s one factor, not two. The date body is as properly accomplished as doable at 3 o’clock. The large, funky arms give it an added degree of quirk and are crammed with green-glowing lume, which glows adequately. Bamford all the time does one factor I like with most of its collabs: it hides its personal title. Right here, the Bamford title is in an orange simply barely brighter than the bottom orange of the dial. The model’s involvement isn’t boisterous, and I feel that’s the easiest way for these kind of watches.
Underneath a trident-emblazoned caseback is the model’s in-house automated GP03300. This motion is the model’s go-to for three-hand date watches. You’ll discover it in each assortment however the Bridges lineup. You possibly can’t see it right here, but it surely’s a properly completed motion with striping and perlage that gives 46 hours of energy at 28,800 vph. There’s part of me that needs GP had gone arduous and used a period-correct NOS motion, which could have helped justify the value.
I don’t wish to harp a lot on value. It’s a really subjective factor, and one particular person’s fortune is one other particular person’s pocket change. The watch is enjoyable, it wears properly sufficient, and it’s obtained that plain retro vibe that the model was going for. However as a lot as I just like the watch, it doesn’t exist in a silo the place you may’t evaluate it or its pricing to different watches. Even throughout the context of GP, it’s arduous to grasp the 15k price ticket. Perhaps if it got here on a bracelet like the unique, but it surely’s only a rubber strap! I can get a 38mm Laureato for beneath 15k, or a super-cool Casquette 2.0 for lower than 1/3 the value of the Deep Diver! On its deserves, this new watch is a hit, but it surely’s a tricky tablet to swallow once you get hit with the value. The Girard Perregaux x Bamford Deep Diver is priced at $15,100 USD and restricted to 350 items (thank god). For extra info, please go to the Girard-Perregaux and Bamford web sites.
