Bomberg is part of a new wave of watchmakers entering the highly competitive world of horology. Last year in 2012 the entrepreneurial Luis Rocha and numerous investors established the brand. Over the last few weeks I have had numerous conversations with him to find out the inspiration behind the company. Essentially he explained how he saw a niche in the market for well-designed timepieces at affordable prices. He also asserted that even though he is the company’s CEO all decisions including the design of the timepieces are very much a collective process. Currently their range consists of three elegant models; The Maven, Semper and ultra cool 1968.
In an article I published recently entitled ‘Style On a Budget’ I showcased five eye-catching timepieces priced under $1,000. The phenomenal 1968 was featured and received an exceptionally positive response. Bomberg as a company are very proactive on the marketing front. In a very short space of time they have become a very popular brand, which in my opinion is well deserved. On that basis I was delighted to have the opportunity to write an in depth review of one of their fantastic timepieces.
My initial impression of the 1968 is how stylish the actual timepiece looks. Realistically the watch looks and feels a lot more expensive than its $625 price tag. I also found it very comfortable to wear and definitely feel it would be suitable for any occasion. Primarily this is down to the cleverly sculpted 316L stainless steel case with asymmetric lugs and top mounted crown. Even though the watch was fairly lightweight on the wrist I would like to see the production of a Titanium model. With a diameter of 44mm (excluding crown) I can envisage these proportions would certainly appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers.
Within the 1968 range there are a staggering variety of 16 models to choose from. The one I opted to review is the natural brushed steel and blue version. I love the silver metal dial with contrasting bold blue numerals and counters. The open worked hands have a quality appearance and overall the attention to detail is superb. All models in the range have their own distinctive design features and undoubtedly will appeal to different tastes.
Underneath the robust exterior the watch is equipped with a decent enough Japanese quartz Miyota OS11 movement. In an ideal world I would love to see a Swiss automatic version of this amazing timepiece but realise that would significantly bump up the price. Functionally the 1968 features hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph and Tachymeter. The watch is also water resistant to a depth of 10ATM (100m) and is supplied with a trendy blue leather strap.
http://www.bomberg.ch
