One (of eight) In a Million: Bamford Rolex Milgauss Sonar-Green

• • The Bamford Rolex Milgauss Sonar-Green is a full custom Rolex, one of only 8, and virtually unobtainable.

• • Everyone’s got a “Rolex,” but the owner of this Bamford Milgauss will never see another one.

• • “Murdered-Out,” this watch elevates the iconic Milgauss profile from “Rolex” to “Rock Star.”

• • Still under the 2-year Bamford mechanical warranty; PVD coat is warranted for life by Bamford

• • Priced at over $20,000 USD new, our Bamford Milgauss is available for $15,995 with all factory accessories.

George Bamford and Steve Saleen have a great deal in common. Both take the already awesome – Rolex watches and muscle cars, respectively – and add impact, tailoring, and exclusivity. Both serve an upscale clientele that prefers the reliability of a proven standard… but also craves the curb appeal and cachet that only full-custom can deliver.

Buckle-up: the Rolex Milgauss customized by The Bamford Watch Department is a  full-throttle experience that elevates Rolex to the realm of extreme rarity. As one of only eight manufactured, this is about as close as collectors can get to a bespoke Rolex.

Bamford, which has been doing business in London, England since 2004, is the crown jewel of the J.C. Bamford Excavators Limited empire. A multi-billion dollar British equivalent of America’s Caterpillar Inc., JCB is the engineering and scientific muscle behind founding family scion George’s luxury watch custom shop. Every step of the design, engineering, and production of a Bamford custom is backed by the brainpower and finances of a corporate parent closer in size to Rolex itself than any competing luxury watch customizer.

The dream of a custom Rolex trades on combining the appeal and quality of an industry icon with the exclusivity of a one-off. Bamford delivers the goods with commissioned pieces uniques and production runs that rarely exceed 25 units. This Milgauss Sonar-Green is one of only eight; rest assured, you’ll never see one of the other seven in person.

Black has been a signature of the Bamford house since its 2004 inception. George, who was 24 at the time, found the standard Rolex experience appealing but clone-prone. When everyone in your office, club, and family has the same watch, part of the luxury timepiece experience dissolves in the mix. But when your mom and dad have titles like “Sir” and “Lady,” the line between “crazy ideas” and “business plans” starts to blur, and George had one wild vision.

Transforming the stainless steel sheen of a standard issue Rolex Milgauss into an obsidian eye-magnet is like bootlegging an advance copy of Superman vs. Batman; it’s a risk, but you know it’s going to be a blast.

This Milgauss is black, to be sure, but Bamford’s design concept is as deep and rich as the luster of its PVD finish. The Bamford design process emphasizes cohesion. Every part of this watch, from its alternately polished and brushed black bracelet links to its index-free dial presents as organic and tailored to the Milgauss model. George Bamford and his design team are more than artists – they’re tailors of the first order.

Each modern Milgauss traces its roots to the 1950s industrial tool watches that Rolex conceived for operators of high-powered electronics. Even the modern variant of the watch is clean to a fault: small case, no date, solid colors, and no precious metals. Bamford captures the single-minded essence of the Milgauss and takes it to the next level.

This model, which is known as the “Sonar-Green,” is inspired by the radar scopes of combat vessels. The Hyde-Part art department re-frames the green crystal, orange sweep-seconds hand, and 60-second track as the electronic display of a naval combat information center.

Clearing the dial of applied markers is step one. Like a “‘Cali Look” custom, this hot rod from Hyde removes all extraneous details that disrupt the lines of the basic shape. Full-dial orange text removes the visual clutter of the factory graphics. The effect is Halloween-meets-Hell’s Angels.

But the Bamford Rolex Milgauss is every inch a Rolex.

The heart of the beast is left untouched and beating with the characteristic 4hz hum of Geneva’s top gun. A COSC-certified Swiss chronometer like all current Rolex automatic movements, the Milgauss’ Caliber 3131 features unique hardening against the perils of premium sound systems, computers, and professional electronics. By ISO definition, an “anti-magnetic” watch can keep time in a field density of 4,800 amperes/meters², but the Rolex is shielded against up to 80,000A/M², or one “Gauss.”

While this was considered a niche asset when the first Milgauss appeared in 1956, virtually every modern home incorporates at least one of the aforementioned mechanical watch killers. A magnetized watch is a bummer that requires a trip to the watchmaker… who has the time for that? With a Rolex Milgauss, you don’t just keep time; you save it.

Rolex’s superb Oyster Bracelet and Oysterlock clasp are left untouched. The easy flip-lock action of the clasp is unaffected by Bamford’s blackout treatment, and the security of the mechanism remains industry-leading. Eyes closed, this feels like a Rolex.

And it is a Rolex, but it’s so much more. Custom timepieces are the domain of kings, Bilderberg Grouppies, and George Bamford’s parents. Rolex, by comparison, produces a flawless product whose only fault is ubiquity. Literally a victim of its own success, Rolex can justify almost all of its marketing hype except the alleged exclusivity of a brand that builds one million units per year. Cut that product pool to eight watches, and the game changes.

Equal parts Rolex and commissioned art, the Bamford Rolex Milgauss Sonar-Green is a high-performance machine by any measure. For those who dare to drive hot rods instead of BMWs, Bamford has just the ticket.