HANDS-ON: The power duo is back! Meet the Bamford x G-SHOCK DW6900BWD “three blues”…

Borna Bošnjak

With Bamford, we’ve grown accustomed to aqua and black getting to know each other, and the new Bamford x G-SHOCK DW6900 is no different. This is the second time the two brands have worked together, the first being a retrolicious take on another classic, the DW5600. You might also know this watch for being one of the most outrageously expensive G-SHOCK models on the secondary market, which is no doubt going to make the release of this one a fast and furious affair. For release information, see pricing at the end of this article.

The DW6900 shape has seen numerous special editions since its 1995 release, and seemed like a logical next step for G-SHOCK and Bamford, bar possibly a CasiOak collaboration. The extra twist to the tried and tested (and tested, and tested) Bamford Blue livery meeting another watch brand’s iconic shape and branding is that this model has been nicknamed, by George Bamford himself, the “three blues” because, on closer inspection, it’s not just the one Pantone of powder blue at play here. However, fair warning, this author became no expert in identifying said different blues even after a week of wearing…

Blacked-out blue

The dial layout of the DW6900 is a classic. With a row of sub-dials, one of them being a pseudo-big eye, arranged above a rectangular display window, the screen themselves are inverted, giving them a black backdrop. Press the chunky backlight button emblazoned with the Bamford blue G and the numerals light up in blue. Because of course they do.

Jumping closer in, the subtle aqua touches become more apparent. Going from left to right, the first two sub-dials act as sub-seconds, each sectioned into five parts and lighting up sequentially. After each 10-second increment, the rightmost sub-dial increments by one section. I was always slightly weirded out by this choice of display, but it makes for a fun, animated dial where something is always happening, regardless of the function you’re using.

Round and rugged

I mean, it’s a G-SHOCK. Though it’s received the poshest of blue treatments, its rugged soul is very much alive. 50mm across and with a 53.7mm lug-to-lug, there’s not much in terms of subtlety, but like I said – it’s a freakin’ G-SHOCK, so no love lost there. For this release, Bamford is introducing a tricolore blue set-up, with small differences in shades of aqua. Truth be told, this isn’t that apparent in person. I can tell that the Bamford logo on the strap matches the back of the strap, whereas the printing around the bezel is slightly darker. Try as I might, I cannot confirm or deny whether the blue on the dial is any different, which shows how subtle the differences are.

To match the blacked-out aesthetic that Bamford normally achieves with DLC coating, the metal hardware of the DW6900 has been IP-coated, encompassing the buttons, caseback and buckle. The side of the watch also gives insight into the topographic nature of the case, with square protrusions and tall bezel, helping to protect the mineral glass.

Opening up the strap, a blinding flash of aqua shoots out from the backside of the strap. Thankfully, this effect is more subtle with the watch on-wrist, with only a thin strip of blue visible.

The module

Much like other Casio models, this one is packed with features. Offering an alarm function, calendar programmed until 2099 and a stopwatch, accuracy is stated at +/-15 seconds per month. This is an upgrade over previous 6900 models with the 1289 module, which had the calendar programmed up to 2039.

G-Shock x Bamford DW-6900BWD-1ER pricing and availability:

The DW-6900BWD-1ER BAMFORD will be available from the G-SHOCK Carnaby Street store on the 18th of July at 10am, before an online release on the 20th of July. Price: 149 GBP