2024 Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine Blue Automatic
Ref: C65-41ADA2-S0BB0
Specification
Lugs : 22mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : Manufacturer Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Christopher Ward presentation box and Paperwork. It comes paired with its original Christopher Ward 22mm quick-release brushed marine-grade stainless steel bracelet with a signed micro-adjusted ratchet clasp; all spare links are included. The watch is from January 2024 and is sold in worn but fair condition, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with its Manufacturer's Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RIx5CqsCDFwGI4NusgXD8SrL-nKeocEK?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 22:06 - https://youtu.be/QmWDZT8yY9s
The Watch
Here we have a 2024 Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine Blue Automatic inspired by the early dive watches of the 1950s and the famous Blancpain 50 Fathoms, a 41mm stainless steel case curves over your wrist with tapered lugs, and a lug-to-lug length of 46.5mm and a case thickness of 12.5mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. This striking Christopher Ward’s Light-catcher case has polished, brushed surfaces that transition with crisp edges. On the right side, a screw-down signed crown, the uni-directional bezel has deep knurling for extra grip, and a sapphire insert with Super-LumiNova Grade X1 BL C1 lumed 60-minute numerals holding a domed sapphire crystal AR coated above a sunburst blue dial. An outer minute chapter ring has applied disc and slender dagger indexes filled with Super-LumiNova Grade X1 BL C1 lume; at 6 o’clock, a date window, diamond polished hands infilled with the same lume complemented by a red-tipped trident counterweighted sweeping second hand. At 12 o’clock, we have the Christopher Ward motif; at 6 o’clock, a red “Automatic” and “200m/660ft” printed in white underneath complete this dynamic sports dive watch. On the reverse, a screw-down exhibition case back, inside an automatic Sellita SW200-1 Elaboré, 26 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour, decorated in a bespoke “Colimaçoné” finish (a type of twisting sunray graining), the rotor has a double Twin-flag engraving across it. The watch comes paired with its original 22mm Christopher Ward quick-release brushed marine-grade stainless steel bracelet with a signed micro-adjusted ratchet clasp, all spare links are included, and the watch comes with its Christopher Ward presentation box and paperwork.
Personal Note
It is hard to beat Christopher Ward for their retail price, this is down to their business model of being direct to consumer and cutting out the middle man, I also believe they work on much smaller margins than most watch brands and instead focus on volume. With this in mind, when their watches become pre-owned, like this one, the value is undeniable and worth every penny. I wouldn't hesitate to add this to your collection, just be warned, once you have 1 Christopher Ward it is a very quick journey to having 2 or more!
The Brand
Founded in 2005 by Mike France, Peter Ellis, and Christopher Ward, they started the world's first online-only watch brand. Launched from a converted chicken shed on a farm in Berkshire. Soon after the launch of the brand, Dave Malone, a Tasmanian lecturer and watch expert, saw the press ad for a watch powered by an ETA 2824–2 automatic movement, and he decided to buy one. He planned to review the world’s largest watch forum, Timezone.com critically. Fortunately for Christopher Ward, his review was most complimentary. Stating the watch was the “best value mechanical watch in the world”. Sales immediately spiked, and Christopher Ward became firmly established. After receiving such high praise in the industry and from collectors in 2008, they began work with assistance from a Swiss watchmaking company, Synergies Horlogères. Based in Biel, Switzerland. SH was owned and led by Jörg Bader, who had the same vision as Christopher Ward when designing a new movement. After many years of design and development, July 2nd, 2014, saw the announcement to an astounding watch industry of their own in-house movement, Calibre SH21, the first commercially viable mechanical movement from a British watch brand in over 50 years.