Despite its recent reputation for whimsical, cartoon character dialled watches, at the heart of Bamford Watch Department (BWD) and Bamford London is a serious commitment to cool and accessible watches. This is due to the fact that the literal beating heart of BWD is George Bamford, a man with a passion for all things mechanical; especially watches and cars. It is the perfect marriage of Bamford’s great loves then that the Bamford London LR100 is launched to combine a new watch design and the styling by the team behind one of the coolest SUVs ever made, the Defender.

I am a Land Rover fan and have been for as long as I can remember. I drive the family tractor-esque Discovery Sport, but I have always loved the Defender. Since it was launched, it has stayed loyal to its roots in a way that only a handful of other iconic designs have done over the years. The Rolex Submariner, Fender Strat and Porsche 911 are other examples. It was with trepidation that people awaited the news of the new Defender, once it was announced that the original was being retired. Any fears that it would be anything less than awesome, were allayed when the first pictures emerged of the new beast. In fact, don’t just take my word for it – read what George thinks about it here.

The opportunity to work with Land Rover’s design team on a watch was a no-brainer for Bamford. “It was amazing to be able to create tis fixed lug field watch, inspired by the new Defender, which itself was inspired by and is the continuation of the original Land Rover. I call this new design ‘modern rugged luxury’, which is exactly what the new take on the iconic Defender is. This watch case is unique too and will only be used for Land Rover models.” A hint, hopefully, of more exciting LR projects to follow.

The LR100 has all the utilitarian looks of the decades-old Defender, but with the refinements that are now part and parcel (shelf) of the new model. The 40mm case is in grey titanium, that is as light as it is hard wearing, and is fashioned in one piece with fixed strap bars and smoot bezel. The design is elegant, but it’s also clearly a rugged as any watch you could find and looks almost bombproof. A perfect pairing then with its collaborative brother.

The watch houses a grey dial with cut outs that allow the luminous surface below to glow in round hours with elongated quarters; the overall effect looking like a steering wheel. Of course, it wouldn’t be one of George’s creations without a splash of the signature Bamford Blue, which is there on the dial for the “LR100” and “100m” text. The engine is a Sellita SW200-1b with a ruthenium anthracite finish.

In 2022, all eyes are on the climate crisis, which Jaguar Land Rover is taking very seriously. There will be an all-electric Range Rover by 2024 with more to follow and earlier this year the group committed to operationally reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46% by 2030 and cut vehicle emissions by 54%. In line with this pledge to the environment, the LR100 comes on straps that are a made from sustainable materials. There are three corn-derived sustainable PU leather options in black, light tan and dark tan. A sportier and waterproof option is navy is fabricated from woven, recycled nylon called Cordoba.

Available in a limited edition of 100 pieces, this is a watch for fans of contemporary sports watches and Land Rover lovers alike. But, as usual, be quick. These will shift quicker than the V8 Carpathian Edition Defender!

Tech Specs

Model: Bamford London LR100
Movement: Sellita SW200-1b, 41-hour power reserve, ruthenium anthracite finish
Functions: Hours, minute and sweep centre seconds
Case: 40mm titanium with fixed strap bars
Dial: Grey with lume cut-outs
Strap: Black, light and dark tan in PU Leather and Navy Cordoba
Availability: Limited Edition of 100 pieces priced at £1,350 from Bamford London