Introducing: The BWD X Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 with Tropical Coffee Dial

May 20, 2020

Here's something that I did not expect to see today, but that I have to admit puts a smile on my face as a coffee enthusiast. The latest collaboration between Bamford Watch Department and Badgerworks, the workshop run by the jewelry and watch designer Black Badger (aka James Thompson), is a TAG Heuer with a tropical dial made of ground coffee.? For their caffeinated collab, Bamford and Badgerworks created a tropical dial in a thoroughly modern way. They obtained coffee specially roasted and ground for them by Cafe da Matteo, a highly regarded coffee shop in Gotenberg, Sweden, and fashioned it into hand-finished dial blanks. The resulting tropical dial looks quite different from that of any Carrera I've seen. The color and surface are unusually varied and textured, but distinctly tropical in appearance. As each is made from actual coffee grounds, no two will look exactly the same. Paired with a gilt logo and lettering, the dial pictured here makes allusions to vintage watch dials, but in a fun and unexpected way.?The new Carrera's case is made of steel with a titanium coating. "Ive always wanted to create a wonderful tropical dial but in a modern way," said George Bamford. "I think this recycled coffee dial really has an authentic tropical vibe to it. Accentuated inside the Carrera watch this really works well together. Initial Thoughts This the second time that Bamford C TAG Heuer's officially authorized customization partner C and Black Badger have teamed up to work on a Carrera Caliber 5. Previously, they have customized watches with dials made of Fordite, a colorful material resulting from years of accumulated enamel paint on tracks and skids where cars were painted in factories. Over time, the paint becomes hard enough to be polished and fashioned into watch dials. Riding on the popularity of vintage watches, some current watchmakers have made contemporary tropical dials, using varied processes including galvanic baths to achieve the warm brown tone that some vintage watch lovers really enjoy. In terms of sheer playfulness and originality, though, the Bamford x Badgerworks approach of using actual coffee has to take the cake, or the coffee cake. Like watches, coffee is definitely something about which people are extremely passionate and opinionated. As James Thompson, A.K.A. Black Badger, put it: "Few materials are as familiar both in appearance and experience as coffee."? The Basics Brand: TAG HeuerModel: Carrera Calibre 5Case Material: Stainless Steel finished with light grey Military Grade Titanium Coating (MGTC) with sapphire display backDial Color: CoffeeLume: YesWater Resistance: 100 meters The Movement Caliber: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 (Sellita SW-220-1 base)Functions: Hours, minutes, secondsDiameter: 41mmThickness: 13.45mmJewels: 26Power Reserve: 38 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 28,800 vph Pricing & Availability Price: 5,500Limited Edition: 20 piecesAvailability: NowFor more, visit Bamford Watch Department.