Back in January, I previewed Christopher Ward’s update to their Trident line of watches. For the automatics, the update included newer, longer lasting lume and a ceramic bezel, as well as an increased depth rating. At the time, I wanted to see if I could get a watch for a hands on review. Well, the brand obliged and I opened the box of a Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT with a ceramic bezel in green just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, luck of the Irish indeed.
I have one other GMT automatic, where the primary and secondary hands are set independently of each other, so it was a very pleasant surprise to see how the CW worked. With the ETA 2893-2 movement, the 24 hour GMT hand is linked to the primary hands, so when you set the time, the 24 hour hand moves as well. To set the time zone, push the crown in one stop from the time adjust and rotate to set the hand in a jumping hour fashion. You can move it to match any time a set number of hours ahead (or behind), but the portion of the hour does not need to be set. With my other watch, I really need to adjust the GMT on the hour, with the Trident, I can adjust the GMT at any time. This does prevent you from setting the second time to something that is not in synch on the hours, but I prefer it the way CW does it.
And that really, was the end of the unexpected with the watch, but this is a good thing. I own another CW, and it runs great, looks great, and is well finished. Same with the Trident. There isn’t an element where I say, “I wish this were changed.” Sure, there can be style choices, but there is nothing with the watch where it feels like it should be improved. The 42mm case is a well finished, standard diver with an effective crown guard. The mix of polished and brushed aspects blends well and looks great. The inset parts of the crown look to be bead blasted while the CW logo and knurls are polished. The dial features a Guilloche wave pattern that evokes the sea, a nice touch for a diver.
The bezel was upgraded to ceramic with this refresh, and it looks really nice. There is a very consistent, deep look to the color, and the markings are etched in to provide a bit of depth. The markings on the bezel for my review watch are for the 24 hour GMT, unlike the rest of the Tridents that are marked for 60 minutes, but that should not diminish its capacity to function as a dive timer (not that anyone uses them for that). The bezel rotates through the 120 counter-clockwise clicks with precision and is stiff enough that it is not going to move accidentally, but pliable enough that it does not take a lot of force to move. It sits a bit below the flat sapphire crystal that is beveled at the edge, and the lumed dot at 0 protrudes up a bit, for a tactile feel.
Not that you would need to feel for the dot, since they also upgraded the luminescent paint to SuperLuminova SLN-T-C1, and it retains its glow overnight. The hour, minute and second hands are all marked, and all marked in unique ways, as is the GMT hand. I do not see an indication of the watch meeting ASTM standards for a dive watch, but that may only be because CW didn’t feel the need to get it certified. Of the dive watches I see, the one standard that I see more watches failing to meet is the requirement to have different styles for each hand. With a mix of styles, it is easy to differentiate the hour and minute hands, especially in the dark.
My review watch came on a leather NATO strap, so I will have to wait to check out the deployment clasp that CW has introduced on a different watch, but the leather and finishing in the strap I had were top notch. There are 3 squared off strap keepers, some contrasting white stitching, and the strap itself is doubled up under the watch. This does add a bit of height off the wrist, nothing that makes it unwearable, but the NATO strap would not be my choice if I were putting it under a dress shirt. The double leather does secure the watch to the strap, so it will not slide about like it would on a single strand. If you are not a fan of the NATO trap, the watch is sold with a stainless bracelet, a rubber dive strap and a leather strap with an optional Bader deployment clasp.
All in all, I really like the watch. Though I am only seeing the GMT, the case, finish, and details on the non-GMT watches are the same, so if you don’t want the complication, I would definitely recommend that you check out any of the straight diver versions. I wore the watch for a week, and it is comfortable and attractive. I was not sure about the green going into the review, but I liked it (though I would not get it in green if it were every day watch). If green is not your style, then the GMT is also available with a black or red bezel, and the other models include a blue dial with blue bezel and white dial versions. If 42mm is too big for you, the entire line is also offered in a 38mm diameter. Christopher Ward sells direct to consumers through the web, so if you want to check out the watch yourself, you do need to buy one, but the brand offers a 60 day return policy including return shipping. christopherward.com
Watch Overview:
- Brand & Model: Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT
- Price: $1100 with a leather strap, $1185 on a bracelet
- Who we think it might be for: Travelers or anyone needing to keep track of two time zones
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Yes, but I would wait to see if they release it in orange.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Do the automatic in a ceramic orange bezel.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The GMT function works really well.
Tech Specs from Christopher Ward:
- Movement: ETA 2893-2
- Functions: Date, GMT
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel
- Glass: AR coated flat sapphire crystal
- Water resistance: 60 bar, 600 m
- Lug width: 22mm
- Straps: Leather NATO, leather, stainless bracelet
- Diameter : 42mm
- Length: Not specified
- Case height: 13.7mm
- Weight of watch head:105g
