London Swiss: the Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 600 Mk II
Although I’ve been acutely aware of Christopher Ward as a watch producer for quite a while, an admirer of their growing range of beautiful designs and impressive value for money, I hadn’t picked one up and had an opportunity to personally experience them until more recently. Still relatively small compared to the Swiss, German and Japanese majors, but no longer a micro brand, there just weren’t many people in my circles who owned a Chris Ward, so getting to examine one in person was not a simple matter. Being a lover of dive watches over pretty much all other styles the C60 Trident was a natural place for me to start. The recent release of the outstanding C60 Trident Mark III spurred me to not only look more deeply into the model as a potential acquisition, but to borrow an earlier V2 Trident from a friend for review. I’ve been getting to know the C60 Trident over the last couple of weeks and I can honestly say that this is one case where my expectations comfortably align with reality.
Christopher Ward released their first C60 Trident all the way back around 2009, and ten years of model iterations is the kind of longevity that most microbrands can only dream about. Now in its third edition, the C60 is one of those watches that has become central to and synonymous with the brand identity of the watchmaker, like the Submariner, the Seamaster or the Seiko SKX. While not yet achieving the iconic status of these brands, it’s safe to say that Christopher Ward are on a trajectory that should, barring any unforeseen circumstances, elevate them to a comparable status. It is also likely that future iterations of the Trident will remain in CW’s staple offering. Reviewing the Mark II may seem like covering old ground, especially with the resoundingly positive outpouring of love for the new Mark III, but until Christoper Ward send me a Mark III (or I can afford to buy one) I’ll happily settle for what’s in front of me.
Let’s start with the basics. The C60 Trident (full name Trident Pro 600 Mk II) sits, according to my measurements, at a diameter of 43mm. This is not a small watch by any means. However, the watch was offered at the smaller case size of 38mm. For many, neither size will appeal, as in between sizes, such as 40 or 41mm are much more palatable to the majority of wrists. Lug to lug distance is a substantial ~50mm. The impact of the lugs is offset to a degree by their curvature, which presents a lovely sweeping side profile. There’s a significant sloping of case elements here from side on, with the ceramic bezel insert dropping away steeply from the flat sapphire crystal to meet the broad polished teeth of the steel bezel.
This works well with the almost pie pan effect created in concert with the case back, yielding an overall case thickness of 13.5mm. Size-wise this puts the C60 Trident Pro 600 towards the outer edges of a number of the divers with which it is trying to compete. However, it’s worth noting that the 3.4mm thick flat sapphire extends about a full 1mm above the coin-edge bezel, which contributes to that thicker profile. The bezel insert is gloss ceramic. It’s not of luxury quality, but certainly high end enough to impress, with a lume pip embedded within the triangle at 12 o’clock. There are no bevelled edges on this case, just clean, oblique surfaces, with a mixture of polished and fine vertically brushed sections creating some interest. This may make the watch seem simple and not particularly dynamic until you get to the dial, which really is something special and where the myriad aesthetic details come to life.
Featuring the gently undulating wave lines in a horizontal pattern across the whole of the dial face, the C60 Trident’s face is reminiscent of the now discontinued Omega Seamaster 300. Unlike the Seamaster, the Trident’s dial text and branding is entirely printed, something which they’ve elevated in the Mk III with the inclusion of their applied, double inverted cross at 12 o’clock. Here we see the older, abbreviated Christopher Ward logo and their location of London beneath the 12 above the hands post, printed onto the waves. Not the greatest look and, with the change to flat surfacing on the Mk III dials, one which has been improved. It’s not that it’s a design flaw, but there are options when working with textured and embossed dials such as also embossing the logo, watch name and specifications text, improving the legibility of a three dimensional dial.
Handsome? Who, me?
The hour markers are simple baton shaped, filled with lume - Swiss SuperLuminova C1 to be precise. While the lume application on the markers is decent it’s nothing to compare with the hands which, due the the sheer real estate available, provide a very bright, sustained glow. A double baton indicates the 12 o’clock and these are nicely, accurately applied. The date at 6, with its precision cut bevelled silver surround, is a simple black text on white dial effect which supports the dial’s legibility. I’m glad that Christopher Ward has opted to not include a submariner style magnification lens over the date as it would have been too much of a step in the homage direction. For any brand seeking to differentiate themselves in a crowded market of Sub-tributes any little point of variance is welcome.
The handset is a blend of borrowed and custom elements, with the beautiful counterweight seconds hand featuring the eponymous trident. Detail and finishing here is excellent, and the choice to provide a customised seconds hand provides a notable point of difference from similar offerings on the market. Alongside my Raymond Weil Freelancer Diver, which has a comparatively plain seconds hand and costs around $500 more, the C60 Trident is a clear winner.
The Trident 600 Pro is powered by the excellent Swiss made Sellita SW200, a 26 jewel high beat mechanical movement with hacking seconds and approximately 38 hours of power reserve.
Protecting that movement is a very solid looking embossed case back, with the trident emblem atop an embossed wave pattern similar to that of the dial. The carriage of design elements to other parts of the case really adds to the strength of the language and shows that Christopher Ward haven’t just cobbled together a bunch of spurious components in a rush to release this watch. There is a sense of great care having been given to create this watch. The C60 I borrowed is minus the bracelet, fitted instead with a padded cloth strap with sharp red stitching. It’s a nice match for the bezel. Based on feedback I’ve heard directly and read online the bracelet and clasp are a solid pairing for the rest of the watch
So what don’t I like about the C60 Trident Pro 600? Well, not much to be honest. The only notable point of dislike is the bezel actuation. There is a small amount of play in the stationary bezel, the click is not an especially satisfying sound or a tight snap, and is befitting a more affordable class of watch. Sure, I could quibble over the presence of derivative design elements of which there are a few, but these are brought together with a perceptive eye, and the sum of this watch is most certainly greater than its parts. No design theft crime has been committed here, and if it were half the community of microbrands would be guilty of plagiarism.
Don’t mind the hair, especially the greys. The Trident C60 Pro on the wrist
Retailing at under $1,000, the Trident C60 Pro 600 Mk II offers a range of finishing, componentry and high performance specifications I don’t believe can be readily matched at the price point. Certainly there are a number of microbrands with similar specs and a few that offer comparable finishing, but I sincerely believe that right here in front of me is a watch that stands in a small company of brands that bring all of the elements together in a single, sub-$1k offering. And, if you pair all of this with the high service levels for which the brand is known - something which very few microbrands can offer - then you have a strong contender here for best dive watch at under $1,500, let alone under $1,000.
Thanks for reading
