- Seiko and Bamford join forces to bring back an 80s-inspired timepiece.
- With indexes and hands inspired by the 1980s SKX, this joint project celebrates both the Japanese brand’s history and the British customizer’s creative mind.
- The translucent light blue dial is in the signature baby blue colour of George Bamford and is framed by a black bezel with orange accents.
Longtime watch enthusiasts and Time+Tide readers are likely familiar with George Bamford and his watch-focused ventures Bamford Watch Department and Bamford London. One of the pioneers in the customised timepiece business, Bamford Watch Department’s business focuses on collaborations with other brands, while Bamford’s original designs are done under the Bamford London label.
There have been a number of accessible Bamford and Bamford co-branded timepieces, including G-Shocks and Bamford London’s Mayfair watch, but this latest collaboration with Bamford Watch Department and Seiko may be the most affordable mechanical offering yet from the mind of George Bamford. Starting with the iconic 1980s SKX case shape, George Bamford has taken his creative eye and penchant for bright colours (particularly light blue) to create this new collaborative edition.
The Seiko 5 ref. SBSA315 measures 42.5mm in diameter, 13.4mm thick, and 46mm lug-to-lug, and features a transparent blue dial, inspired by the idea of finding one’s personal paradise, calling on picturesque beaches and calm bodies of water. The day and date disks are visible underneath, and the day disk is lumed, signifying the action beneath the calm surface. The hands, indices, and bezel pip insert are also lumed, all of which glow a bright blue.
The orange 15-minute marking on the bezel, orange accents on the dial, and orange outline for the minute hand are also lumed in orange Lumibrite, making the watch quite the nocturnal light show. The orange minutes and seconds hand, dial accents, and 15-minute markings on the bezel are tied together with a black nylon strap with blue and orange accents (the orange section also glows under a black light, which is quite the fun party trick!) The dial features the Bamford logo towards six o’clock in orange, with “automatic” written below in blue, both of which are done in Lumibrite as well. The case back features a blue semi-transparent caseback to match the dial, with the Bamford Watch Department logo in the centre. The case back is engraved with “Limited Edition” and the series number out of 2025 pieces.
Inside is the 4R36 movement, a 24 jewel automatic calibre with manual winding, hacking seconds, and a day/date display. The stainless steel case offers 100 meters of water resistance and provides 4,800 A/m of magnetic resistance to the movement. The nylon strap measures 22mm wide, and the watch weighs 93g in total. Also true to Bamford form, the packaging was also considered, as the watch comes in a zipper closure presentation box reminiscent of packaging used in the 1980s, fully clad with Seiko 5 and Bamford logos.
Closing thoughts
Leave it to George Bamford to come up with a super cool Seiko 5 model. While there is all this talk about oceans and paradise, the retro influence of a specific automotive racing livery is ever apparent to me, too… I would say this is a successful case of taking what is old and making it new again. Whether you’re idea of paradise is a soothing beachfront overlooking a calm ocean or chucking some petrol-fueled mayhem through a corner, the retro-futuristic vibe has been thoroughly achieved with this timepiece.
Seiko 5 Sports Bamford Limited Edition SBSA315 pricing and availability
This Seiko 5 x Bamford collab is limited to 2025 pieces and is available as of October 2025. Price: US$460