Girard-Perregaux ‘DEEP DIVER’
The Retro-Futurist Revival: Inside the GP x Bamford Deep Diver
Bamford Watch Department has never been one to shy away from throwing a curveball—and this time, they’ve taken a deep dive, quite literally. Their latest co-creation with Girard-Perregaux, the Deep Diver, is an unapologetic splash of summer wrapped in titanium. This limited-edition tribute doesn’t just nod to the golden years of dive watch design—it pulls them kicking and screaming into the present with a vibrant palette and bold attitude to match.
Let’s backstroke to 1969: Dive watches were riding a high tide. Every brand was releasing a tool diver—some functional, some flashy, many now forgotten. But Girard-Perregaux’s original Deep Diver didn’t get lost in the current. Its dual-crown configuration, chunky cushion case, and faceted bezel gave it a look that was as daring as it was distinctive, setting the stage for what would later inspire the legendary Laureato.
Fast forward to today, and Bamford has added his signature spin—not with gold, but with a splash of aquatic flair. Enter the Deep Diver: a watch that looks equally at home poolside or in the depths of your vintage watch obsession.
Retro Form, Future Build
From a distance, it could pass for a well-preserved gem from a flea market dive watch bin. Up close, however, the 40.3mm case reveals itself to be entirely modern: machined from lightweight Grade 5 titanium and sporting a finely brushed finish that feels more aerospace than aquanaut. Gone is the acrylic crystal of yesteryear, replaced with a modern domed sapphire lens. Water resistance has been amped up to 200 metres—plenty for anything short of a saturation dive.
The crown setup preserves the quirky charm of the original: the upper crown at 2 o’clock manipulates the internal dive bezel, while the lower crown adjusts the time. No clicky rotating bezel here—this one's tucked neatly under glass, just as it was back in '71. The result? A vintage silhouette, uncluttered and purposeful.
Dial of Dreams
The dial is where Bamford’s fingerprint truly shines. A riot of concentric colour, the roulette-style layout features a vivid orange inner ring that radiates outwards into electric blue minute tracks. It’s retro in theory, but totally refreshing in execution. The hour markers are now elongated for better legibility, and the hands have shifted from the original yellow to a more vivid orange—punchy enough to be legible, playful enough to be fun.
Each watch ships with two rubber straps—one in electric blue and the other in firecracker orange—both using a quick-release system. It's hard not to smile just looking at the thing. It’s nostalgia without the sepia filter.
Movement Mechanics
Under the hood is the GP03300, Girard-Perregaux’s modern-day mechanical mainstay. It’s visible through a tinted sapphire caseback bearing a trident motif and the model’s DEEP DIVER badge. While the original’s Gyromatic movement is a fond memory, the new caliber offers 46 hours of power reserve and a reliable date complication—enough to keep you ticking through weekend getaways or weekday meetings.
The only branding on the dial beyond the GP insignia is Bamford’s signature where "Gyromatic" once lived—an appropriate shift that underlines the collaborative nature of this creation. It's part tribute, part remix.
My Thoughts
What makes the Deep Diver more than just another throwback is its unwillingness to play it safe. This isn’t a homage that tiptoes around heritage—it’s a reinterpretation that throws open the windows and lets the light flood in.
Too often, reissues sand down the edges of the past, diluting the eccentricities that made the originals so beloved. Here, Bamford and Girard-Perregaux have gone the opposite route: crank the saturation, modernise the bones, and keep the character intact.
And in doing so, they’ve made one of the year’s most joyous dive watches—a timepiece that celebrates colour, comfort, and an unfiltered love for the oddball gems of the past. Limited to just 350 pieces and priced at £12,500.00, it will be one for those with deeper pockets than mine, althiough, a vintage Deep Diver might be a more affordable ption for me