A decade ago, if you had told me that I would have happily worn a 36mm watch and felt it looked right, I would have laughed. Well, as with many sort of preferences, this is one that has morphed over time, and I find myself comfortable with a smaller diameter on the wrist. And when the watch in question has as intriguing a dial as the Christoper Ward C63 Celest, it definitely has my interest.
The dial
The dial is definitely the star of the Christoper Ward C63 Celest show. This is a dial material that we’ve seen before: aventurine (other watches we’ve written about with this material can be seen here). This is a special glass material that is tinted to hit the deep blue we see here, and then has metal flakes mixed in to give it the sparkle. When they’re set in a dark blue like this, it definitely gives the impression of staring off into the deep blue yonder and viewing a full star field. Rather than the smaller dial short-changing this effect, it actually makes it more impactful, as there’s little hiding that dial from your perusal.
The dimensions
That leads us into the next area of import for the Christoper Ward C63 Celest – the sizing. This is a 36mm diameter, so it will fit a variety of smaller wrists. Personally, I thought it worked well on my 7.25″ wrist as well. With a height of 11.4mm, there is some presence to the watch, and the 20mm lug spacing means it will fit a broad range of straps that you likely already have in your watch box.
If you’re used to larger watches – say, over 42mm – it will take some adjustment to get your brain used to the fact that this smaller watch is in place. It ultimately makes for a very comfortable fit. It also creates a look that will not overwhelm wrists visually, while still giving a decent weight on the wrist between the steel case and bracelet.
The bracelet
The bracelet of the Christoper Ward C63 Celest is another great way that this watch can make a comfortable fit. The 5-link Consort bracelet is easy to size, and allows for good flexibility to conform the bracelet to your wrist. With the inclusion of the polish on the 2nd and 4th links, you’ve got a watch that can act dressy, which a dial like this wants to. That said, most of the finishes on the watch are brushed, and the overall case styling has a sporting feel to it.
Wrapping things up
As we’ve said in other CW articles, the designs they’ve been releasing over the last year or two have really been pushing the brand forward. If you’re looking for a watch with a unique dial that can more easily fit to smaller wrists, it would be hard to argue against the Christoper Ward C63 Celest. While they’re currently on pre-order, you can order yours for $1,090 with delivery anticipated for later this month. christoperward.com
Christopher Ward C63 Celest Tech Specs
- SKU: C63-36A3H1-S00B0-B1
- Watch Model: C63
- Size: 36mm
- Dial Colour: Midnight Blue
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Colour: Silver
- Bezel Colour: Silver
- Height: 11.40mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 42.87mm
- Case Weight: 54g
- Weight inc. Strap: 149g
- Water Resistance: 15 ATM (150m)
- Movement: Sellita SW200-1
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- No of Jewels: 26
- Complication Type: 3 hands
- Vibrations: 28,800 p/hr (4Hz)
- Timing Tolerance: +/- 20 sec p/day
- Lume: SLN X1 BL C1
- Strap SKU: 20-STL-28-SXS-MA
- Strap Size: 20mm
- Strap Material: Consort Bracelet
- Strap Colour: Silver
Features
- Swiss made
- Self-winding 26 jewel mechanical movement
- 38-hour power reserve
- Twin-flags engraving over ‘Colimaçoné’ finish on the rotor
- Elaboré ‘Colimaçoné’ finish on the movement
- Brushed and polished marine-grade stainless steel case
- Circular brushed and polished fixed steel bezel
- Anti-shock system
- Embossed screwdown crown
- Screwdown, display caseback
- Aventurine glass dial with applied twin-flags logo
- 150m water resistance
- Central hacking seconds hand
- Diamond polished indexes
- Diamond polished hands
- Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 BL C1-filled hands
- Brushed and polished five-link Consort bracelet with butterfly clasp
- Eco-friendly luxury presentation case and owner’s handbook
