Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Fashion & Style

The Manual Wind: Bamford Watch Department Rolex Yachtmaster II Black/Blue

By

YMII-Gal-MainFor as long as people have wanted to exhibit their wealth, there has a been a great debate; customized or original.  The automobile market has a very large aftermarket parts market.  The watch market however, still maintains ill will toward a customized watch. Until recently, very few watch houses have been able to break the taboo, but one in particular is leading the breakthrough.  As high end customized Rolex go, Bamford Watch Department is the pinnacle.  With YMII-Mainmultiple case finishes, custom hand painted dials, and the ability to customize your own Bamford, the traditional steel watch better watch out.

The latest offering from Bamford takes the wildly popular and largest diameter Rolex in production, the Yachtmaster 2, and turns it into a head turner.  We all know the Black and Blue Rolex GMT Master is popular, but Bamford has taken the Yachtmaster 2 and turned it into the true Black/Blue.  With Bamford’s military grade titanium coating contrasting with a bright blue bezel and accented dial, this piece is a stand out.  This is a brazen design that bares the Rolex name, that Rolex would never have the gaul to produce.  Contrast, quality, and its rarity sets this piece apart from the traditional Yachtmaster 2.  Black coated watches often carry a stigma of not being resilient to wear, but Bamford’s secret formula and process put that to bed as well. Bamford offers an extremely limited production that Rolex, with its mass production, certainly does not offer.

Recommended Videos

Custom Rolex pieces from Bamford do carry a hefty premium.  The new Bamford Yachtmaster 2 Black/Blue retails at $34,400.  The price to pay to ensure that you are the only one not only on the block, but on the coast with that piece on your wrist.  There is only one of this striking piece available in the country right now.  Located where it should, next to the highest end exotic automobiles available, B.Young & Co. is one of the very few Bamford Watch Department dealers in the United States.  Visit this piece at B. Young & Co, located inside Bentley Gold Coast in downtown Chicago, Illinois to see for yourself.

Topics
Ian Schwam
Ian Schwam
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Contributing writer and watch enthusiast Ian Schwam dons an expert knowledge of all things watches. Having spent a decade in…
Audemars Piguet unveils the dazzling 38mm Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon
A Code 11.59 with a selfwinding flying tourbillon
Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon

Audemars Piguet gave the Code 11.59 a beautiful retouch that takes it to the next level: the 38 mm Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon.

Every single element on this model, from the casing to the lug, screams luxury. For starters, the lugs are accentuated by brilliant-cut diamonds of multiple sizes. Audemars Piguet also set some diamonds on the casing to complete the whole look.

Read more
Citizen Tsuyosa 37mm: Retro vibes meet modern style in a compact design
Smaller Citizen Tsuyosa timepieces
Citizen Tsuyosa 37mm

Smaller case sizes are trendy, and every brand wants a piece of the pie.

Citizen just rolled out new Tsuyosa timepieces, designed to keep up with the changing times. While the brand worked on 40 mm Tsuyosa watches, it is now downscaling the size, just a little bit, to 37 mm. Thanks to its striking colors, the Tsuyosa collection has dominated the industry in the past two years. Well, this is the perfect time to take over again with a watch that has a compact size. Even though this watch is smaller than the 40 mm version, it still sits perfectly on the wrist.

Read more
Sorel, Madeira, and bourbon? Bardstown says yes with this Manhattan riff
This unusual recipe shows off the French Oak finish of a fine bourbon
Bardstown Bourbon Communion Cocktail

Bardstown is going bold with its latest cocktail offering --  the drink stars the bourbon brand's new release, its Cathedral French Oak bourbon. It also makes use of Sorel Liqueur, a hibiscus-flavored liqueur inspired by the traditional Caribbean tea drink. Hibiscus is a great ingredient to incorporate into cocktails, as it has both a sharp, berry-like quality and a floral softness, and Sorel incorporates ingredients like ginger, cassia, and cloves as well as hibiscus to give the liqueur a spicy note.

There's also Maderia in this cocktail, which is a much-maligned wine style but one that's becoming increasingly popular in cocktail circles, where its fortified nature and bold sweetness make it an interesting substitution for vermouth. In fact, this cocktail is really a kind of Manhattan variation, with bourbon rather than rye, the addition of a floral liqueur, and the use of Maderia in place of the vermouth.

Read more