That’s right, you didn’t read the title wrong. My opinion of this watch is genuine, and not just for its looks either. This watch is a hidden gem, punching far above its weight and deserving of praise from both the enthusiast and the discerning average watch buyer alike, no small feat to please both indeed for a small watch brand like Christopher Ward from little old blighty. But how can this be? How did we get here?
The answer is simple, yet intriguingly complex at the same time. This watch hits the tone in the watch world just right, just like the DJ playing Wonderwall or Sweet Caroline an hour before closing time in the bar on a Friday night, its perfect for right now.
On 20 April 2024 at Watches and Wonders, Tudor released the Black Bay 58 GMT, a watch that harks back to the vintage aesthetic design of Tudor’s and Rolex’s shared roots, in the original Rolex GMT Master II. The reason this watch is perfect for the moment and has experienced such hype is not only the success of the Tudor Black Bay 58 but also the general trend toward vintage looking pieces.
In this new world of patina and double domed crystal we find watches like the Omega Seamaster 300m ‘No Time to Die’, a watch that we saw coming a mile off being preceded by the Omega Seamaster 300 ‘Spectre’. Both watches are positively marinaded in the vintage bond aesthetic of Aston Martin DB5’s, braces and desert boots. Rumour has it the next bond film (with Christopher Nolan of Oppenheimer fame) will be set in its original 1950’s setting, aiding this growing fetishization of all things vintage and patina adorned.
Enter Christopher Ward, a watch brand I was already familiar with, as they produced countless special editions of their Trident C60 and newer models for military units within the British Armed Forces and MOD (Ministry of Defence). The first time I saw one of these pieces was on the wrist of a spritely young man, whom as a new qualified submariner was all too happy to show off and talk about his newly acquired special edition piece. They were always on my radar as a respectable British watch brand of humble beginnings, especially that of having a longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Defence. Now though, Christopher Ward are on a roll, flying the flag for British watchmaking with their latest models such as this, the C65 Aquitaine GMT.
Having not handled a Christopher Ward in some years I did not have any idea as to what they would be like now, instead having completely open expectations. However, I was completely blown away almost immediately by this little stunner of a watch. Taking its name from the region where Jacques Cousteau hailed from on the southwest coast of France, the C65 Aquitaine GMT presents in a 41mm ‘light catcher’ case size, with a 46.68mm lug-to-lug and a very manageable 12.7mm height.
The C65 is perfectly proportioned in both size and weight at just 70g when off the bracelet. This low weight, when coupled with its compact lug-to-lug is a feature straight out of Seiko’s playbook of how to make a watch wearable and comfortable, and the C65 achieves just that but in a way that we would never see from a Seiko. This example came on a ‘Tropic Rubber’ 22mm strap with quick release spring bars and a very high-quality feeling texture, giving fantastic ‘Apocalypse Now’ vibes, suiting the watch’s vintage feel perfectly. The C65 is crisp, offering a fresh vintage look without compromising wearability or durability.
Many watch brands fall foul of creating vintage dive watches that are as they would have been in the period they were manufactured in, 60’s or 70’s in ‘original specification’, and often find themselves being a modern redux of a watch that is 40 years out of date. However, the C65 is safe from this, and offers the same experience in a new, modern package that doesn’t skimp out on the classic feel when looking for a vintage diver, and for that it deserves some credit.
When unboxing the C65 Aquitaine, having arrived in a beautiful faux leather and wooden sliding magnetic box, which was an experience that felt nothing short of premium, I noticed something important. This example is in ‘Orca Black’, a colourway that encompasses the deep blacks of both dial and bezel, covered with a beautiful double-domed sapphire crystal. The sapphire crystal bezel and double domed crystal is a design feature duo that captures the contrasting colours of the faux-tina indices and 24hr markers against the deep black of the face in a way that is perfectly consistent with the vintage aesthetic this watch strives for. The C65 hits the chord perfectly, matching the contemporary and the vintage in a fusion reminiscent of the dive watches of the 1950’s and 60’s.
This is by no accident however as Christopher Ward admit leaning toward the style of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms (which can be seen in the domed sapphire bezel). What is the important thing I noticed, though? The GMT complication, the thing I admire this watch most for. Sporting a red fourth hand that edges its way around the curvature of that double domed crystal, its an achingly satisfying combination that puts this watch above many 20ATM divers like it on the market.
To this end, unlike other watches in my collection, such as the Seiko Willard, Turtle or even the Resco BlackFrog Gen2 Patriot, the C65 Aquitaine GMT manages to fulfil the roles of several watches all at once. The sophisticated dress watch, the functional diver, and the jet-set GMT watch are all present in this small, wearable package. This great to see from Christopher Ward, as it is evident plenty of thought and creativity has been put into this design.
You can just picture it, a boardroom meeting, or a bunch of watch guys sat around a table at a bar, ‘we want to make a watch with a Blancpain Bezel, an Omega Seamaster face, in a Tudor Black Bay case’. Everyone in the room must have stood up and applauded like Kim Jong Un just walked into the National Assembly. Even on occasion the greats such as Seiko or bigger brand struggle to get this right and nail all these attributes, perfectly traversing the line between dress watch and tool watch in much the same way that an Omega Seamaster or Tudor Black Bay does so, with much class. If this watch were a person, it would be Jack Nicholson sipping Champagne by the ocean in San Tropez.
Performance wise, piece of mind is provided by the Sellita calibre SW330-2 GMT movement with a 56-hour power reserve and a 25-jewel movement. This is a tried and tested movement found in the Oris Aquis, the Bamford GMT and the Sinn 105, so no Seiko NH35A every-man movement found here, increasing this watch’s prestige amongst its peers on the market and almost certainly its reliability, too. The four hands on the dial denote the extra functionality that a GMT function brings to an already very aesthetically pleasing diver. This watch would make a great every-day wear to the restaurant, the Saturday morning with the kids, family events etc.
This is the watch that is worn with a polo shirt and jeans, on vacation, in and out of the pool. Once this watch gets back home however, it is a perfect workhorse and easy wearer for every day of the week and found myself picking it up as a no brainer alongside my Hamilton Murph 42mm or my Seiko SPB151J1 ‘Willard’. This watch as mentioned, despite the pretty face, would perform well as a tool watch in the field, but with its light-catcher case and pretty bezel and crystal, don’t expect it to keep a low profile. Wear it to the briefing instead, or the unit ball.
So, do I stand by my original statement? Can this 41mm aesthetically pleasing, eye catching Swiss-powered GMT diver give the Tudor Black Bay 58 a run for its money? Yes, it can, especially right now as they release their GMT version that will retail at around $4,600 on the bracelet, but with the Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine GMT coming in at less than half the price, it is makes for a very tempting offering indeed. Certainly, the Tudor is a Tudor, but the C65 will please any enthusiast in much the same way as the Tudor and save $2,909 while doing it.
But of course, we know as collectors that what matters is pedigree, of which gives pieces substance and in the long term keeps a watch around in a collection for longer. This is perhaps true for some, but others are always on the lookout for the new, the different. Christopher Ward is still the ‘new kid on the block’ in terms of big brand names, but there is something in the way that it engages with the watch world and the quality of its products that makes it stand out from the rest. Whereas Rolex will tell you to wait in line like the good little peasant you are, Christopher Ward offers a wide variety of options in its catalogue that would make even the most impassioned horologist take a second, and likely third look back over their shoulder. It wouldn’t at all surprise me if we start to see more and more Christopher Ward pieces on wrists in both the civilian and military spheres in years to come, in the shop window and on the wrist at the range.
Tudor, Rolex and Omega have all over the course of their history been present in both these environments, and I have no doubt that Christopher Ward is on the same trajectory if it carries on as it has been doing, creating some great pieces. As far as the C65 Aquitaine GMT is concerned though, with both a steel dive version (such as this) and bronze offering available in terms of choice, this watch has been a breath of fresh air in a recent pattern of purist tool watches in my own collection. For any bidding enthusiast, this watch offers rewards and fulfilment in spades for less than half the price of a Black Bay 58, and for that it deserves nothing but praise. To that end, I still stand by my original statement, and if you’re looking for a new dive watch but are stuck where to go next? The C65 Aquitaine GMT makes a strong case.