Frederique Constant x Bamford Watch Department: An Explosive Collaboration
Since 2009, Bamford Watch Department (BWD) has been shaking up the watchmaking world, offering complete customisation of iconic pieces with a strong emphasis on black, revealing their unsuspected aesthetic potential. For the first time, the English company is tackling a Frederique Constant collection.
Unveiled exclusively for Dubai Watch Week, this modified Highlife Chronograph Automatic is the result of a mutual desire to step outside the comfort zone. The radical and ambitious limited edition is the result of work that goes beyond a simple exercise in style. ‘The watch is not content with an update; it breaks free, shatters the surface of tradition and emerges darker, sharper and completely reprogrammed,’ explains George Bamford.
This limited edition is restricted to 100 pieces.
Additional information
Highlights
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date at 4 o'clock, mechanical chronograph |
|---|---|
| Type of movement |
Movement
| REFERENCE | |
|---|---|
| Type of movement | |
| Power reserve (hours) | |
| Vibrations per hour | |
| Jewels |
Case
| Material | |
|---|---|
| Colour | |
| Diameter or dimensions (mm) | |
| Thickness (mm) | |
| Lug width (mm) | |
| Water-resistance (ATM) |
Dial
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Finishing | |
| Indexes |
Strap
| Material | |
|---|---|
| Colour | |
| Dimensions (mm) | |
| Buckle | |
| Buckle width | |
| Strap width (=lug width) |
Certificate
| Limited Edition |
Limited edition of (number of pieces)
| 100 |
Giftbox
| FC-BOX-BAMFORD |
When Titanium Redefines Highlife Identity
Black, the signature colour of the Bamford workshop, dominates this limited series. It is omnipresent, particularly on the 41mm diameter case.
The piece introduces a brand new crystallised titanium case. The material is heated to 1200°C and then slowly cooled, which gradually solidifies and crystallises it, giving each watch a unique look. This exploration of materials propels the Highlife into a new and raw dimension, while retaining the lightness and robustness of titanium. This process is combined with black DLC plating.
Manufacture
Swiss Made Heart: The FC-391 Calibre
The design exercise covers all aspects of the watch, with the exception of the movement. Frederique Constant has retained its Calibre FC-391, the beating heart of the Highlife Chronograph Automatic.
This automatic movement has a power reserve of 60 hours. The calibre is decorated with Côtes de Genève and remains visible, as usual, through a smoked sapphire crystal case back.
Manufacture
Absolute Monochrome Enhanced with Turquoise
The dial is radical: an absolute matte black, with no finish (no sunburst, no lines, no guilloché) to break the harmony.
This simplicity enhances readability, with Bamford using turquoise to highlight the counters and hands. These flashes of colour allow you to see the movement of the small seconds at 9 o’clock, as well as the chronograph at 3 o’clock and 6 o’clock. The central chronograph seconds hand is also finished in a striking turquoise blue.
Manufacture
One Reference, Three Versions
The Exclusive Box Set
A millennial piece by nature, the Highlife was originally designed to be versatile and multifunctional, offering a tool-free, one-click interchangeable strap. The Highlife Chronograph Automatic Bamford Special takes this concept to the extreme by providing three straps:
1. Black rubber
2. Turquoise rubber
3. Black calfskin with nubuck finish
These straps will be delivered in an exclusive box designed specifically for this limited edition, marking the very special nature of this watch.