Snoopy + Bamford Watch Department Rolex
Founder George Bamford shares insights on Charles Schultz cartoon character come to life in this limited edition timepiece
When Bamford Watch Department announced their collaborative piece with pop art design house Rodnik Band—on the much-loved cartoon character Snoopy—word spread like wildfire. Bamford Watch Department chose a Rolex Datejust to customize for this special project. The collection—limited to just 25 pieces—comes in two colorways: MGTC Black and MGTC Light Grey. Front and center on the dial stands Charles Schultz’s Peanuts favorite dog Snoopy, sporting sunglasses with each arm functioning as the watch hands. It’s high-end but humorous and appeals to collectors at heart.
According to Bamford Watch Department founder George Bamford, there’s a dual element to the watch’s appeal that’s caused the frenzy surrounding its launch. “For me, Snoopy is my childhood,” he tells CH. “And he’s still a part of my life today. I think that’s even why I wanted to be a part of this project to begin with and that’s why I think others love the project. How many of us wanted a Snoopy watch when we were kids?” Many did and many probably missed out, but now there’s a customized Rolex with Snoopy—and it’s for adults.
Snoopy resonates with Bamford so much still that whenever he travels, he carries a small Snoopy figure and takes photos around the world to share with his children. “Wherever I go, I take a photo and I say to my children, ‘This is where Snoopy and I have been.’ They learn the travel details this way. They can see Snoopy traveling around the world with me. The Snoopy watch was the next step.” But as for how the project came to be, it all returns to a chance encounter with Rodnik at the home of Bamford collaborator Marc Quinn. Quinn and Bamford developed a friendship after working together and Rodnik’s founder Philip Colbert was staying at Quinn’s home. There, he showed Bamford the many Snoopy related works Rodnik Band was working on. “He showed me some images and I almost ordered the whole collection for my wife,” Bamford shares. “Mark just put us together and it was amazing.”
The Snoopy Datejust MGTC Light Grey is available online for £11,750, along with the Snoopy Datejust MGTC Black for £12,750. The watches come packaged in a cute all-wooden case replica of Snoopy’s doghouse—made at Bamford.
Images courtesy of Bamford Watch Department
