Earlier this year, we welcomed friend George Bamford onto the podcast to chat about his many endeavors, and a keen ear may have heard him bring up the brand Nepro in regards to an ongoing project. This week, we’re getting our first look at the results of that relationship: the return of a concept first introduced by Nepro in 1976 called the Neprosolar. This was an electronic watch powered by solar cells transforming light into energy, technology that was just beginning to make its way into small electronics such as watches, first seen in the Synchronar 2100 in 1972. The Neprosolar had plenty of style, but unfortunately they couldn’t scale the technology for a production run of the watch, meaning the concept watch would stay just that, a concept.
Style derived from trends of the ‘70s and ‘80s are having a big moment in the watch industry, providing a window of opportunity to concepts such as the Neprosolar, and thanks to the foresight of George Bamford, it’s being given a new lease on life. The new Neprosolar is dripping with late ‘70s style, a retro-futuristic optimism about technology offering a glimpse of a better future. It feels simple and nostalgic now, but this represents the driving force of a generation, and the expression takes on new meaning today.
The Neprosolar is a celebration of innovative ideas presented in inspiring and creative ways. Bamford London has established a partnership with Nepro to bring these ideas back to life, and the Neprosolar is the first step. The 36.2mm steel case reads more like a brutalist bracelet with a taper toward the wrist. A blue OLED screen can be activated with a touch of the right activator, while the module can be adjusted to the left. The display is programmed to sleep after 4 seconds, but that can be adjusted to 10 seconds, or indefinitely (until the battery dies), which is a welcome feature on a watch like this.
The solar cells are situated behind the display, which is set at an angle facing the wearer. The area looks a bit like a screen and creates an interesting negative space leading into the bracelet. A Bamford Neprosolar label is etched above the cells with a blue infill, breaking up the brushed black PVD case and bracelet. The battery takes about 20 hours to recharge from zero to full, and it will last around 500 days with normal usage (meaning the display is not set to persistent).
The Bamford London Neprosolar is a limited edition that will be available to purchase for 1 week only. Only the watches ordered in that window will be produced. The watch is priced from £582.50 (~$740) and will be available through June 6th. Bamford London
