Christopher Ward launched its online shop in 2004 with a wonderful blend of English style and Swiss watchmaking skills. Christopher Ward watches are entirely hand-assembled in Switzerland. This provides them with the quality assurance and accuracy of Swiss timepieces while maintaining an English style.
This London-based luxury watchmaker takes pride in concentrating only on the art, science, and engineering of watchmaking. As a result, the company established an online shop to reach out to its customers directly. The goal was also to cut out the middlemen who would otherwise be engaged. As a consequence, the company offers a diverse selection of timepieces at fair and reasonable prices.
We’ll go through the brand’s history, some of their most renowned watches, the brand’s reputation, and more in this post!
Christopher Ward Watches – The brand’s history
Christopher Ward, Mike France, and Peter Ellis joined the watchmaking industry. They had a goal to combine their passion for the craft. On a boat on the River Thames, the brand Christopher Ward came to life. The company was the only online watch shop delivering globally at the time of its launch. This relates to the brand’s goal of lowering the cost of luxury timepieces by eliminating intermediaries and celebrities. As a consequence, everyone had access to really magnificent clocks!
The brand’s website claims to be daring and ambitious, yet they stick to the rules. This is clear in the design of their timepieces. Christopher Ward has managed to innovate and challenge its competitors. Pushing them to raise the bar of watchmaking with each passing year since its beginnings.
Christopher Ward’s Adventure
Ingeniously English, Unsurprisingly Swiss, to summarise the brand’s slogan in four words.
When the three came together to start Christoper Ward, none were watchmakers in the traditional sense. Nonetheless, their ties to Swiss watchmakers allowed them to join the field of horology. Once inside, they discovered that premium watchmakers use the same suppliers for their components. However, they increased the price by almost 34 times, making them very costly. Christopher Ward watches offer their timepieces for just 3 times the markup pricing to set a new example and turn over a new leaf. Consequently, the brand introduced people who previously couldn’t afford a luxury watch to the world of luxury timepieces!
In 2005, the company’s online shop launched the C5 Malvern Automatic and the C3 Malvern Chronograph. Because the business wanted to get rid of celebrity endorsements, they placed an ad in The Telegraph to promote the company. After a lengthy wait, due to renowned watch expert Dave Malone, sales began to pick up. Their never-ending years of success began with his review on Timezone.com, the world’s biggest forum, as the “greatest value mechanical watch in the world.”
Following the success of their initial editions, Synergies Horlogères, a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer, partnered with the business in 2008. They collaborated to create their own “JJ Calibres” trend. This can be seen in the C9 Series. To commemorate its 10-year anniversary, 2014 saw the launch of the Calibre SH21.
Success based on innovation
Christopher Ward watches stepped up its game with the introduction of the in-house Calibre SH21. The company updated its logo and launched new editions that highlight its top-of-the-line design, finishing, and timekeeping essence. We’ll go through these timepieces in more detail in the collection section below.
Furthermore, the company provides a 60-day free return policy as well as a 60-month warranty on their movements. The company has gone a long way since its beginnings. It pledges never to abandon its goal of putting the art of watchmaking front and center, as well as providing the greatest degree of customer satisfaction to its devoted following.
Brand reputation
Watch collectors and enthusiasts regard Christopher Ward watches as an excellent entry point into the world of luxury timepieces. It is a strong competitor for luxury watches due to its technological workmanship, greater attention to detail, and client satisfaction preferences. Furthermore, considering the creativity and accuracy, the relative cost will not deplete your funds.
The brand’s pledge to create high-quality watches, hand-assembled components in Switzerland, and continue to strive for more modern features are all major pluses in its favor. Furthermore, after years of usage, the brand’s in-house movements have shown to be accurate.
By virtue of declaring oneself a premium watch company, Christopher Ward receives mixed reviews like other watch companies. On the one hand, watch collectors claim that the value and quality do not compare to Omega (a brand some feel that Christopher Ward seeks to emulate).
On the other hand, proponents claim that it is high quality and will last a long time. Watch enthusiasts may also be disappointed in Christopher Ward because an entry-level brand like Christopher Ward can’t match the reputation and retail value of a Swiss brand that has been around for decades.
Despite high expectations, customers highly praise the accuracy, style, and quality of Christopher Ward watches. They adore the style and the wrist comfort. As a consequence, many watch collectors consider it to be excellent value for money. If you wish to buy an entry-level luxury brand, Christopher Ward will suit the bill, given the pricing and technological know-how utilized in their creation.
Before purchasing a watch, examine all choices such as purpose, use, budget, and necessity. We recommend this in all of our evaluations.
Collections
This section will include some of the most popular books as well as new releases. The company does not have category collections like other companies. Rather it concentrates on each watch with the greatest attention and accuracy. As a result, this section will delve into their many watches, each with its own distinct characteristics.
Moonglow C1
With a 40.5 mm case diameter and a unique moon phase movement, the C1 Moonglow delivers unrivaled innovation and elegance. The in-house movement, developed by Christopher Ward, guarantees 128 years of precise lunar orbit readings! The watch’s face detailing echoes the brand’s goal of creating beautiful, ambitious timepieces.
Two 3D moons are coated with Grade X1 GL C1 Super-LumiNova® on the dial. The moon phase can be read via the aperture at 12 o’clock, and the second moon is covered with a shadow-like smoked glass finish, giving it a distinctive appearance. Even in the darkest circumstances, the black dial illuminates the hour hands and spinning outer ring, making it simple to see the time.
Above all, the watch is powered by the Calibre JJ04, another in-house wonder with a power reserve of 38 hours. This moon phase watch, which is water-resistant to 30m, is a sign of horology dominance.
Worldtimer C1
Designed with the traveler in mind, the C1 Worldtimer allows you to read up to 24 different time zones at once. The watch’s face includes a global map to emphasize the feel and spirit of the watch, pushing the boundaries of innovation even further.
Calibre JJ03 was used to create the basic component, which is driven by a 24-hour disc to read the global time at once. Turning the crown clockwise enables you to keep track of foreign timezones. However, by rotating the crown anti-clockwise, the watchmaker allows you to easily monitor time from your city with an orange indication.
This 43.5 mm watch is water-resistant to 30m and has a 40-hour battery reserve. The white backdrop of the watch face beautifully highlights the blue globe map. The watch comes with a blue leather strap that matches the face of the watch perfectly.
Lympstone C60
The C60 Lympstone is a military-grade watch that pays homage to the Royal Marines by adopting its name from the Royal Marines Commando Training Center in Devon, UK. Steel and carbon are used in this version which has been authorized by the Ministry of Defence, to resist severe and extreme circumstances. The Royal Marines’ official emblem is laser etched on the watch face.
The C60 Lympstone is designed and constructed with almost 5000 carbon fibers per square inch to resist any severe environment on land or at sea. The Sellita SW200 Automatic Chronometer is used in the watch, which has also been authorized and verified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres.
The hour hands are coated with Super-LumiNova Grade X1 GL C1 and have a 42 mm case diameter. The watch has a compass on the inside bezel and is water-resistant to nearly 600m. With 120 clicks per circuit on the outer bezel, you may mark a point. Finally, the matte grey and black finish give the watch a rough, camouflage-like appearance.
Super Compressor C65
The C65 Super Compressor is designed for diving and becomes more efficient the deeper you dive down. The Sellita SW200 Swiss-made self-winding movement is used in the C65 Super Compressor, inspired by vintage style yet built with contemporary technology. The watch also has a 38-hour battery reserve and an anti-shock mechanism built in to guarantee accuracy.
What distinguishes this timepiece from others? The watch is powered by Ervin Piquerez SA’s “super compressor” technology, which was created in the 1950s. As divers travel further below, this technology avoids failure due to increasing water pressure. Christopher Ward was able to reverse engineer the technology by combining it with modern watchmaking methods. As a consequence, the watch is slim and light while yet being very useful and strong.
In addition, the dials are available in two colors: black sand or oceanic blue. In dark seas, the dial’s Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 GL C1 coat guarantees precise time reading. The new logo is boldly displayed below 12 o’clock on the watch’s face. The watch has a 41 mm case diameter and is water-resistant to 150m. The watch also has a crown screw at 2 o’clock for rotating the inner bezel and a crown screw at 4 o’clock for adjusting the hands and date.
Chronometer C8 Power Reserve
The C8 Power Reserve Chronometer is inspired by the clocks seen in airplane cockpits. However, the clock has been redesigned to suit modern-day flying requirements, combining British aeronautical design with Swiss watchmaking technology.
When completely hand-wound, the SH21 Calibre in the 44 mm case watch can retain up to 120 hours, or 5 days, of power reserve. Above all, the certification by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) attests to its precision and accuracy. At 3 o’clock, the altimeter-inspired date window appears. Two supplementary subdials, one at 9 o’clock for power reserve and the other at 6 o’clock for seconds, are located on the dial. This watch has a camel color leather band and is water-resistant to nearly 50m.
Christopher Ward Watches – Conclusion
These are just a few of Christopher Ward’s best-selling and most popular timepieces. If you’re interested in alternatives at a more affordable price with a similar vibe, we know you’ll love the Daniel Wellington Bristol watch.
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Last Updated on October 14, 2021
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