Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 600 on the wrist

The Christopher Ward Trident 600M is a looker. It’s comfortable on the wrist and wears nicely when out and about. More than that, it’s Swiss, powered by a Swiss ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200 movement.

You don’t really get to choose which of these two Swiss movements powers your Trident, but it shouldn’t really matter to you- one is the original Swiss design of this movement, and the other is a Swiss-produced unit that follows the same design. Any watchmaker should be able to service either, and for all practical purposes, they’re the same when it’s on your wrist.

The dial is a black dial with luminous indices placed in applied silver-colored markers. Much like an Omega Seamaster dial, the 12 indicator is two indices together, and there’s a wavy pattern engraved in the black that’s reminiscent of the Omega as well. The dial and hands are luminous, but not to the same degree as, say, the Seiko Monster, which is my gold standard for lume brightness. Here, it’s slightly less strong, but still quite good. The hands are uniquely Ward’s, with a teardrop hour hand, cathedral minute hand, and a trident counterweight on the second hand. These aren’t to everyone’s taste, but it’s what you get on a Ch.Ward diver, and it’s not wrong. The dial is also available in white. The indices are deep-filled with SuperLuminova SLN T C1 for additional luminosity. The Omega Seamaster with the similar dial does not have deep filled indices, but simple lume applied directly to the dial. Points awarded to Ch. Ward for this.

Look at those lugs! And the polished surface between them compared to the brushed outer case.

The bezel is a fine coin-edge finish with a burgundy ceramic insert. The numerals are engraved in the ceramic, rather than painted on top of the surface. You would be forgiven for thinking the Burgundy color references the model that revived Tudor’s presence in America, the Black Bay. The shade of burgundy isn’t the bright red some other Black Bay-like watches employ.

looking good on the Difues strap

The watch ships on a choice of straps. The watch I received was a brown alligator pattern leather affair. The strap was a little stiff and caused the watch to sit above my wrist rather than conform to it. I found that changing the strap made it much more comfortable. I would consider either getting a comfortable aftermarket strap, or spending a little more to get the stainless steel bracelet for the watch. It really does change the aesthetic.

Pay no attention to the giant bunny in the background

Pay no attention to the giant hare in the background

The case is well-made. The sides are brushed, the tops of the lugs are brushed, but the space on the case between the lugs is polished. I’m not certain why. The crown has wide grips and is easy to operate. But most striking to me as I examine the case from the sides is the appearance that the ends of the lugs were cut short, rather than terminating in a point. I know that they’ve had a designer revise and update the look of the Trident collection, but this feels like a choice made solely to try and distinguish what is otherwise a diver that subtly recalls other divers. It looks ok in that the strap exits well enough from the lug, but it does seem strange.

Strap exiting the lug

Christopher Ward makes a very precisely made, Swiss-made, watch, and they’ve been doing it for some time. It’s a beautiful example of what it is. It’s as if the messrs at Ward looked and asked, what if we chose the best bits for this collection, and ended up with fine leather, precisely made steel and bezel assembly, and to top it off, didn’t settle for the 300m rating most divers frequently do. Nay, sir. We’re good down to 600M here, or about 2000 feet.

It’s a refreshing watch.

Should you get one of these watches? They cost about 900-1050 depending on the strap you choose. They’re Swiss, and they’re very well-made. Do you like the hands? Do you like the dial? If you do, it makes sense. If you think you’re compromising on the dial, or aren’t a fan of the hands, it doesn’t matter how well made it is, it’s not for you. Conversely, if you love the reflection only ceramic can give, or the feel of the bezel as it stops 120 times around as it circles the dial, or get excited at the feel of operating the crown, then this is the one for you.

Watch Overview

Brand & Model: Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 600

Price: $830 to 1010
Who we think it might be for: You want a Swiss Made diver that’s well made and well-appointed
Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: It’s pretty sweet.

If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: The alligator straps are pretty badly matched to this watch. It looks so much better on the Difues straps that we reviewed in the recent past.
What spoke to me the most about this watch: The Tudor-Black-Bay-ishness without being a direct clone