Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Carlos Bacca spotted wearing BOMBERG

Carlos Bacca, the Colombian forward who became one of Serie A's most dangerous strikers during his tenure at AC Milan, was photographed wearing the BOMBERG Bolt-68 GMT, reference BS45GMTPBA.005.3 — a watch that, like Bacca himself, refuses to go unnoticed.

The Bolt-68 GMT Ref. BS45GMTPBA.005.3 sits on a 45mm stainless steel cushion case, a format BOMBERG established at the brand's founding in 2012 by Rick de la Croix. The Bolt-68 line takes its name from 1968, the year the original pocket-watch-to-wristwatch conversion concept was conceived as a design reference point. The defining party trick of any Bolt-68 is the screw-in crown system on the caseback, which allows the watch to be detached from its strap and worn as a pocket watch — a conversion mechanism that is functional, not merely decorative. The BS45GMTPBA.005.3 variant adds a GMT complication via a Swiss-made ETA 2893-2 automatic movement, offering a 42-hour power reserve and a 24-hour bezel to track a second time zone. The blue-toned dial and bi-directional rotating bezel give this reference a sports-tool aesthetic without the diving or aviation pretension of traditional GMT references.

From a collector standpoint, BOMBERG occupies an interesting niche. The brand is deliberately irreverent — a Swiss watchmaker that markets itself to a rock-and-roll crowd rather than the boardroom set. The Bolt-68 GMT at the £1,000 price point competes directly with entry-level GMT offerings from established players, and its ETA movement underpins solid reliability credentials. It is not a grail watch, but it is a legitimate piece of Swiss engineering dressed in counterculture clothing.

Bacca's choice of the Bolt-68 GMT is consistent with the footballer's broader aesthetic — bold, confident, and not particularly interested in seeking approval from traditional watch connoisseurs. During his peak Milan years, Bacca was equally uncompromising on the pitch, scoring 34 goals across two Serie A seasons.

Retail pricing for the Bolt-68 GMT BS45GMTPBA.005.3 sits around £1,000 in the UK market, translating to approximately $1,250 USD. Grey-market activity on BOMBERG pieces remains modest, with little premium above retail — these trade on personality, not scarcity.