Christopher Ward C60 Concept Review - The Time Bum

Có thể bạn quan tâm

Christopher Ward is getting serious. As we teased here, the brand has just released its most ambitious watch yet, the C60 Concept, a fully functional dive watch showing of a hand-finished skeletonized version of its in-house SH21 movement. Limited to 210 pieces (and already sold out), the watch serves as a demonstration of what the brand is capable of, as opposed to a commitment to a certain direction for the brand. While anyone who’s tried a watch from Christopher Ward knows full well the quality the brand can deliver, the C60 Concept ups the ante.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

Well, the movement certainly stands out, doesn’t it? That and the big orange triangle. It’s hard to notice much else off the bat, but the blue ceramic bezel does a commendable job making itself known as well.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept Specs
Case Diameter:	42mm	Crystal:	Sapphire
Case Thickness:	15.85mm	Lume:	X1 Super-LumiNova
Lug-to-Lug:	49.32mm	Strap/Bracelet:	Hybrid or Steel
Lug Width:	22mm	Movement:	CW Calibre SH21 COSC
Water Resistance:	300m	Price:	$4,370+

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

The Christopher Ward C60 Concept features the brand’s Light Catcher case. It’s one of my favorites on the market. The chamfers and curves, undercuts, and polishing and brushing all come together perfectly to do just what it promises: catch the light. The crown is perfectly sized and nestled nicely in the guards. It’s a cinch to unwind and use. I did notice the seconds hand jump when the crown is unwound, likely a sign that the hand is too tight on the cannon pinion (according to a watchmaker friend), but not a functional issue.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

Light Catcher case or not, the watch is quite the presence on the wrist. You see, the SH21 was originally a manual movement and was later modified to create an automatic version–as opposed to being built from the ground up as an automatic. The result when paired with a dive case is quite tall. The slope of the lugs and relatively shorter lug-to-lug means the watch wears well, but just for its size. The ceramic bezel insert is highly legible and very modern in its execution. It operates perfectly with great tension, a satisfying click, and only the slightest about of backplay. Coin-edged bezels can limit grip, but when the tension accounts for this–as it does here–there are no problems. As you can also see from this angle, the AR coating on the flat sapphire makes the watch legible from just about any angle.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

This dial is all about the movement, as is the case with any properly skeletonized watch. Christopher Ward went to Armin Strom to skeletonize its in-house SH21 movement. Gladly, the movement seems to lend itself to such a process, with bridges and jewels along the 6-12 arc and the winding mechanism on the 3 o’clock side. It’s a beautiful display with a stunning level of depth. The only thing to suffer is legibility. Brands simply don’t seem to understand that the contrast needs to extend to the hands as well.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

Six hours of additional finishing for each movement is completed at Chronade, a collective of artisans in Le Locle, Switzerland, that reportedly works with brands like MB&F and Czapek. The C60 Concept simply isn’t finished at the level of those watches, which have components that require 6-hours for a single part, but the C60 Concept is not trying to be those watches. It’s a show of what Christopher Ward is capable of offering: a watch with a movement finished by some of the finest artisans in the world (at a reasonable price). It’s on display every time you look at the watch, with the sandblasted and brushed movement parts and hand-polished bevels and jewel cups.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

The hands feature great contrasting finishes with a brushed top and polished beveled sides. I’m on the record as not loving the brand’s use of disparate hand shapes, and that remains so with the C60 Concept, but I feel my position softening. I do love how Christopher Ward managed to include its logo on the bridge that hovers over the keyless works. The white logo really stands out against the brushing and shows off the contrasting plating of the movement components: silver rhodium for moving parts, darker grey ruthenium for stationary parts. Less effortful skeletonized movements seem to omit this contrast, with a single finish across every component, which makes those watches less legible and less enjoyable.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

The dial does have tiny hour markers, if you can find them; the blue and white chapter ring features small, raised sections at each hour. Trouble is, they’re all but invisible most of the time, only occasionally catching enough light to make themselves known. I wouldn’t waste your time on them, since if you’re buying this watch you can probably tell the time without hour markers. What you may spend time doing is watching the dual mainsprings contract in their barrels when you manually wind the watch. It’s one of the treats of the skeletonized movement, and as an added bonus, a quick glance at the barrels will tell you if your power reserve is running low.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept lume

Next to the impressive skeletonized movement, the lume is undoubtedly the best part of this new model (I can’t help being reminded of Ming watches with their sparing, clean lume design). While CW opted for top-grade X1 Super-LumiNova for the hands, bezel, and inner ring (as well as the wonderful logo at 3), it got creative for the 12 o’clock triangle. Formed of solid luminous material, the triangle is manufactured by Xenoprint AG, which also does work for MB&F and Sinn. The lume is bright and even throughout the watch.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept movement

There it is. If you didn’t see it clearly already, this is the Christopher Ward SH21, an automatic, in-house, COSC movement with 31 jewels and a 5-day power reserve. The frosted and embossed rotor is very haute horlogerie of Christopher Ward. This is only the second watch the automatic SH21 has been put in, and the other is a murdered out black on black on black.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

The Christopher Ward C60 Concept comes on either a hybrid Cordura/rubber strap or CW’s excellent bracelet. I always recommend one buys a watch on a bracelet. Here, I strongly recommend it: the hybrid strap hurt my wrist. The rubber backing is too rigid in places, and for my bonier wrist, that meant rubbing to the point of soreness. If you wear your watches above or below the bone (or as I call it, the “wrist knuckle”), you may not have this problem. (In the caseback photo above, on the left side, you can see the logo on the rubber strap–that’s the culprit for my pain.) Having experienced the bracelet on some of their other models, I can endorse it without hesitation, though the pin-and-collar system may make sizing frustrating. Both strap options feature quick-release pins, so if you hate either one, you can take it off without issue.

Christopher Ward C60 Concept

If you’re worried about any specific thing about this watch, you may be missing the point. This is a concept piece, a showpiece. It’s right there in the name, the Christopher Ward C60 Concept. It needn’t be perfectly legible or easy on the wrist (it’s neither of those things), because it’s meant to show off the awesome things Christopher Ward can do. And in that regard, it delivers. Sure, it’s already sold out, but there may be some returns that will show up in one of the online sales. So, in the meantime, check the CW site out for more info (and my pull quote on the product page).

Follow:

Archives

Archives Select Month December 2025 (3) November 2025 (6) October 2025 (3) September 2025 (4) August 2025 (5) July 2025 (5) June 2025 (6) May 2025 (2) April 2025 (2) March 2025 (4) February 2025 (5) January 2025 (4) December 2024 (7) November 2024 (8) October 2024 (8) September 2024 (5) August 2024 (9) July 2024 (8) June 2024 (5) May 2024 (4) April 2024 (10) March 2024 (8) February 2024 (9) January 2024 (7) December 2023 (8) November 2023 (13) October 2023 (12) September 2023 (12) August 2023 (9) July 2023 (13) June 2023 (11) May 2023 (7) April 2023 (9) March 2023 (9) February 2023 (8) January 2023 (5) December 2022 (14) November 2022 (17) October 2022 (7) September 2022 (7) August 2022 (7) July 2022 (9) June 2022 (8) May 2022 (7) April 2022 (9) March 2022 (18) February 2022 (11) January 2022 (10) December 2021 (8) November 2021 (15) October 2021 (14) September 2021 (13) August 2021 (15) July 2021 (15) June 2021 (14) May 2021 (12) April 2021 (17) March 2021 (21) February 2021 (16) January 2021 (10) December 2020 (11) November 2020 (19) October 2020 (16) September 2020 (8) August 2020 (16) July 2020 (12) June 2020 (4) May 2020 (9) April 2020 (10) March 2020 (10) February 2020 (12) January 2020 (11) December 2019 (12) November 2019 (13) October 2019 (15) September 2019 (9) August 2019 (16) July 2019 (17) June 2019 (5) May 2019 (9) April 2019 (7) March 2019 (10) February 2019 (14) January 2019 (6) December 2018 (4) November 2018 (8) October 2018 (13) September 2018 (10) August 2018 (10) July 2018 (5) June 2018 (11) May 2018 (7) April 2018 (9) March 2018 (8) February 2018 (9) January 2018 (9) December 2017 (15) November 2017 (11) October 2017 (8) September 2017 (13) August 2017 (10) July 2017 (15) June 2017 (9) May 2017 (8) April 2017 (10) March 2017 (9) February 2017 (7) January 2017 (10) December 2016 (13) November 2016 (8) October 2016 (9) September 2016 (11) August 2016 (6) July 2016 (9) June 2016 (11) May 2016 (8) April 2016 (7) March 2016 (10) February 2016 (6) January 2016 (7) December 2015 (8) November 2015 (10) October 2015 (12) September 2015 (11) August 2015 (12) July 2015 (7) June 2015 (9) May 2015 (11) April 2015 (10) March 2015 (10) February 2015 (10) January 2015 (10) December 2014 (11) November 2014 (12) October 2014 (11) September 2014 (13) August 2014 (13) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (11) April 2014 (10) March 2014 (8) February 2014 (7) January 2014 (7) December 2013 (8) November 2013 (8) October 2013 (9) September 2013 (8) August 2013 (3)