One thing that everyone can agree on is that 2020 has been a bad year. For a long time there has not a lot to be excited about while we hoarded toilet paper and waited for the apocalypse. Then in March Christopher Ward launched the C60 Sapphire. This was a watch launch featuring a watch with a transparent, sapphire dial which came with its own television commercial when the rest of the world was closed. That was a good surprise. It wasn’t really a watch that made me want to pull out my credit card and go shopping though. The Sellita SW200-1 is a great workhorse movement but it’s not that attractive and so I let the C60 Sapphire pass me by even though I applauded Christopher Ward’s willingness to innovate and explore new ways of designing a watch.
Then in November Christopher Ward introduced the C60 BLUE LE. This watch is in support of the Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE). BLUE is a charity which aims to restore the ocean’s health by reducing over fishing. They have a number of projects around the world including the UK, Mediterranean and the High Seas. Now Christopher Ward have collaborated with them to make a 500 piece limited watch that evokes the theme of BLUE and all profits from the watch will go to support the Blue Marine Foundation. This was a watch that made my credit card jump out of its holder and order one. Now after a week or more on my wrist has my initial excitement been carried over or was I misled by renders?
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
The C60 BLUE LE is based on the C60 Sapphire. It has the 40mm light catcher case made from 316L stainless steel with a silver framed date window at 3:00 o’clock. The simple indices are lume filled and multi-faceted and the detailing on them is captivating. The handset is also unchanged with a large arrow head hour hand and a baton minute hand. These are also generously filled with blue lume. In keeping with the BLUE theme the second hand is now painted a light blue and contrasts nicely with the dial. The characteristic trident counter weight is reassuringly present and correct which links this watch firmly to previous and current C60 watches. There is a lot of detail and finishing on both the hands and indices that’s only really visible under a magnifying glass or a macro lens. It’s not just Grand Seiko that put a lot of work into details such as this. The way the different surfaces play with the light adds to the visual charm of the watch.
The dial, we have to talk about the dial. It’s a stunner. The C60 sapphire featured a 0.6mm thick disk of sapphire with a blue transparent polymer sheet. Christopher Ward was the first company to introduce this technology to mainstream watch production and they are rightly proud of their mastery of the 30+ processes needed to make this work. The deep blue transparent dial now has applied waves in a dark, matte blue. The wave pattern is not the regular guilloche wave pattern, or laser ablated wave pattern of an Omega Seamaster but is based on the logo of the Blue Marine Foundation. The pattern manages to make the humdrum Sellita SW200-1 look mysterious. The regular C60 Sapphire lets you see the date wheel in full. Here it peeks out from behind the various swooshes of the BLUE logo meaning it is a more of a teaser than a feature. It’s hard to make the SW200-1 look interesting but the dial changes character depending upon the light and going from diffuse to strong light gives you two different watches (and makes photographing it a complete bugger).
I was never a “new logo” hater and like the “Christopher Ward” word mark and font in the 9:00 o’clock position. For those who are hooked on symmetry it balances nicely with the date window 3:00 o’clock. Dial text is limited to a white “AUTOMATIC” at 6:00 o’clock with the water resistance underneath it in a light blue which matches the colour of the second hand. There Twin Flags logo is at 12:00. Here the logo is applied and blackened to match the four screws which hold the dial in place. Peer closely at the watch at the 9, and 3:00 clock positions and you’ll see what I mean.
The Bezel is a deep blue ceramic with Arabic numerals at five minute intervals to 20 minutes and at 10 minute intervals thereafter. There is an additional minute track on the bezel from zero to sixteen minutes. The numerals and minute track are heavily lumed. This will definitely be a watch that glows brightly for a long time. There is a triangular pointer with a lume pip at the zero minutes point. The bezel is not polished and has the high gloss finish of typical ceramic bezels.
The C60 BLUE LE has a solid stainless steel case back. The case back has the name and logo of the Blue Marine Foundation deeply stamped into it. The case back embossing and engraving are crisp and clear. The engravings also show the case back material, serial number XXX/500 and include the phrase “Limited Edition” as if you need reminding. Unlike the C60 Abyss which seems to be confused as to whether it is a 600m or 30ATM dive watch the depth rating on the case back corresponds to the depth rating written on the dial. This is a serious dive watch
I suspect most of these will be sold on the “Tide” strap. This is made from recycled plastics and is dark blue with a light blue stripe running down the centre. It is very comfortable to wear, flexible and soft. Off the wrist it can be bent into all sorts of shapes which kept me amused for much longer than it should have done (hello lockdown). I also have this on the bracelet. I do like a good bracelet and the 20mm brushed CW, oyster style bracelet is very good and, now I’ve sized it, it will probably be how I wear the watch moving forward.
So, what’s it like to wear? I am a fan of Christopher Ward watches and have owned quite a few of them over time. This is my first 40mm CW and only my second C60 MK III. So long as I don’t compare it to a 42mm C60 where it looks tiny the C60 BLUE LE wears very well on my 6.75” wrist. It is light (161g on the bracelet, sized for me). The solid case back doesn’t stick to the wrist like a sapphire case back can. As an old fart I use my watch to tell the time. That means I look at my watch quite often during the day. The dial looks simple but has surprising and subtle complexity to it as it changes during the day and under different lighting. I’ll also admit to being more into how a watch looks rather than obsessing over the brand or the movement. This does look very good on the wrist as the light blue band on the bezel interacts with the light blue second hand. It’s fun and distinctive and as there are only going to be 500 of them I doubt you’ll see another one in the wild.
Now for some quibbles. The strap – The “Tide” strap is very comfortable to wear and has the Christopher Ward branding on the buckle. It’s quite hard to fit to the watch even with the quick release pins as the captured spring bar disappears into the strap and refuses to engage with the lugs. The strap is also prone to going fluffy. The end of my strap has gone fuzzy after only a few days where. This hits my OCD switch and turns it to eleven. YMMV and you might find this to be a badge of honour as it shows you’ve worn the watch. “Bah humbug, sez I”.
The crown – On the 40mm case the crown seems to be oversized compared to the curvaceous crown guards and the case. The crown is easy to grasp and wind the watch though.
Size – The C60 Sapphire and C60 BLUE LE are both 40mm watches. I normally wear watches which are 41 – 43mm and other 40mm or smaller watches that I’ve owned have all been sold. I don’t think I’ll be selling this one any time soon though. I do wonder if the 40mm size is a limitation due to the sapphire dial or a reflection of the fact that 40mm seems to be the best selling size for CW right now. Personally I’d love a 42mm version.
The C60 Sapphire was a surprise release from CW in March. It was a hit and showed that Christopher Ward could innovate in terms of materials and design. The C60 BLUE takes the concept of the sapphire dial and moves it on further. Laser etching the dial to allow the BLUE waves to be added has changed the look of the watch significantly and for the better. The SW200-1 has gone from an industrial movement to a thing of mystery and delight. Who knew that a date wheel could be so exciting?
Christopher Ward seems to have had a good 2020.Their release schedule was certainly affected but the watches they have released have continued to offer their distinctive design and quality. They’ve also added innovation and engineering prowess to their CV. Is the best watch they’ve released this year? For me the answer to that is no. I prefer the C65 Super Compressor but… but this is a very close second and it’s a watch I will enjoy wearing. The fact that Christopher Ward anticipates donating more than £200,000 to the Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) and isn’t making a penny from this themselves shows that their transparency with regards to pricing and sincerity is alive and well. I wonder what they’ll do in 2021?
The C60 BLUE Limited Edition is available from the Christopher Ward Website and is priced at £895/$1,025 on the BLUE strap. It can be ordered from the Christopher Ward website www.christopherward.co.uk.
@onliberty1859
