Christopher Ward C60 Sapphire Black Launch Review

Christopher Ward launches seem to be like buses. You wait ages for one, and then two come along at the same time. On January 28th Christopher Ward launched the C1 Worldglow and also, slipping in under the radar, was the C60 Sapphire Black. This is the second sapphire dial watch from Christopher Ward following on from the successful launch of the C60 Sapphire in May 2020.

Design

The C60 Sapphire Black is another version of the C60 Sapphire launched in April 2020. It features the two elements that Christopher Ward have made their own. The case is the Light-catcher™ case which is being used across all of the Christopher Ward watches. It has a sapphire case back with a novel dive-style design for opening the case. The case features relatively short lugs which curve smoothly into the case. The integration to the crown guard is perhaps the only place where the design loses cohesion. The case features a mix of finishes to play with light in a way which is unusual for a watch at this price point. This case is something that CW are very proud of this and it has carried their design forward in a way which was hard to imagine just a couple of years ago.

The other unusual aspect of the watch is the sapphire dial. This sapphire dial has been through 20 process steps including 80 sub-processes including multiple PVD coatings to give a subtle “smoked” finish. This isn’t the first time that they have used a smoked dial. The first such dial was used to great success on the C1 Moonglow but this is the first time they have applied it across a whole dial. Christopher Ward are rightly proud of their mastery of sapphire dials and for the C60 Sapphire Black they have made an elegant dial which hides show cases the Sellita SW200-1 in a way which the C60 Sapphire did not. The dial has the Christopher Ward logo at 9:00 o’clock printed in white with an “Automatic” and the depth rating at the 6:00 o’clock. The depth rating is printed in red and matches the colour of the tip of the second’s hand. There is an unobtrusive date window at 3:00 o’clock with a subtle surround.

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The indices are applied and finished in a way that is reminiscent of Grand Seiko. The hands are the familiar hands from the rest of the C60 range with a simple stick-like hour hand and the triangular, sacrificial dagger-like hour hand. The seconds hand has the trident counter balance with a circular marker in red at the business end.

The bezel is a bit of a departure from the Trident norm as it is a slim model made of 316L stainless steel. It has a red triangle surrounding the triangular lume pip. The slim bezel gives this a look which combines the look of the C60 and C65 watch ranges.

The case diameter of 40mm is small enough to fit most wrists. The smoked dial is more subtle than the original C60 Sapphire. The blue dial of the original sapphire always seemed a bit brash but the Sapphire Black is more subtle and refined. The use of red for the lume pip and seconds hand adds visual interest and goes very well with both the bracelet and hybrid straps offered by Christopher Ward. It looks particularly sharp on the black and red hybrid strap.

Conclusions

I wasn’t a particular fan of the C60 Sapphire. The blue dial let you see rather too much of the Sellita SW200-1. This is a great movement and is normally very well regulated by Christopher Ward. It’s not a real beauty though. The smoked dial hides enough of the details to give an air of mystery to the calibre lurking beneath and actually manages to make the SW200-1 look good. The C60 Sapphire Black is much more subtle and refined compared to the C60 Sapphire. The touches of red on the dial, bezel and hands and add some fun details.

The 40mm case size means that this watch will suit most wrists and the variety of straps available from CW complement the watch very well. All Christopher Ward straps and bracelets come with quick release systems which make them easy to change and the 20mm lug width also means that there’s going to be a lot of aftermarket straps available for it as well.

As an addition to the C60 Sapphire the C60 Sapphire Black moves the design forward and demonstrates CW’s mastery of the Sapphire dial. Its smaller size and excellent detailing mean that this is a watch that everyone can enjoy. This looks like a great start to 2021 from Christopher Ward. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Christopher Ward will introduce this year.

The C60 Sapphire Black is available for pre-order from the Christopher Ward Website and is priced at £900/$1,030 on the brushed steel bracelet and £795/$910 on the hybrid strap. Deliveries are expected to being in early February. It can be pre-ordered from the Christopher Ward website www.christopherward.co.uk.

Specifications (from CW website)

Diameter                             40mm

Lug-tip to Lug-tip              47.46mm

Height                                   12.95mm

Weight (case only)           83g

Water resistance              600m/2000ft

Lug width                            20mm

Movement                         Selitta SW200-1

Lume                                     SLN X1 BL C1

 

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