Bamford of London specialise in custom modded prestige watches and if you like something different the TAG Aquaracer with orange details on the dial and bezel stands out from the TAG crowd.

You get the Bamford logo on the black dial, plus orange-edged hands, a little orange arrow on the bezel and a little orange track of flecks running around the outside of the chapter ring. There’s also a titanium case plus strap combo, which justifies the price premium. The Bamford is a partnership arrangement with TAG so it comes in a branded orange box too.

All in it’s £3250 which is a big ticket price for an Aquaracer, although the TAG RRP is about 2500 for the steel case, silicon strap cooking model. I’m not a fan of the Aquaracer because it doesn’t offer anything special for the price imho. There are better spec indie brand watches that offer 300m depth rating, chrono features and a date window for about £1000-£1500.

OK, I know what you’re thinking, the Aquaracer will hold its value better than an indie watch like a Baltic, Zelos, or many more, which is true up to a point. But try selling an Aquaracer at an independent watch dealership for cash; you will be shocked at how little you are offered. That’s because the TAG Aqua is a slow seller, it isn’t seen as being as collectable/desirable as a Carrera, Autavia or Monaco, more of an entry level Swiss watch. That isn’t fair because a Hamilton Khaki or Tissot Powermatic 80 is an entry level Swiss watch at about 500-700 quid.

The good news for anyone buying this Bamford edition is that the Aquaracer IS far, far cheaper than the build-a-bear Zenith and TAG Monaco editions that Bamford currently offer. By about 5-7K in some cases. As far as customised watches go, the Bamford Aquaracer is something of a bargain, and you get plenty of extra details for your 750 quid premium.

Buy the Bamford Aquaracer because you love the orange and black dial design and titanium lightness, not because you feel it’s a prestige investment. There are no brand new investment watches below 5 grand, there is no way you can turn a 3K watch into a £1200 quick profit by flipping it.