It isn't every day that an opportunity comes forward where a small club is invited to visit an operation like Christopher Ward, and when such a visit was proposed, we knew this was a task for our resident Brit, @WatchAndCountry, to tackle. He visited their Maidenhead HQ and was able to have great conversation and gather some fantastic insight into the daily operations at CW.
A very special thanks is in order for Mike Pearson, Christopher Ward's North American Brand Director, and the biggest driving factor in the partnership and providing this opportunity to come to fruition between the SBWC and Christopher Ward.
Our resident Brit reports below:
W&C Report
Introduction:
What a day it was with the Christopher Ward (CW) team at their HQ in Maidenhead, on a typically wet and cold British spring day. Representing the SBWC it was my mission to find out what it was all about from the brand the sensational C1 Bel Canto which released in late 2022. For those who don’t know who CW are, by the end of this article I’m confident you will be intrigued to see what they have to offer. Let us embark on the Christopher Ward journey.
On arrival at the CW HQ located down a quiet side street in Maidenhead, I was welcomed by Patrick Gilbertson (JR PR & Content Manager), my host for the day. I stepped into their showroom and was met by an impressive display of the full CW product range and instantly felt like a kid in a candy shop. I will admit that prior to this partnership I had never seen a CW in person and had always been curious about the quality of the brand; with that in mind I’d like to think what is written here is a complete neutral bias.
Most people will know that CW keeps their cost to the consumer down by not having their products in the “shop windows”; this may cause some apprehension as many buyers are reluctant to want to part with their cash for a watch they haven’t experienced in person. However, what most don’t know is that they offer a “60/60” policy: a 60-day return window along with a 60-month movement guarantee. In short you buy your watch of choice and if you don’t like it, simply return it as it was shipped and you will get a full refund. You really can’t grumble at that.
For the US consumer, if you follow Mike Pearson on his IG (@mikepearson6) you will see him at various watch shows with a huge variety of the CW catalogue on display to get up close and personal and see the watches for yourself. During my limited time with all the watches, I can safely say you will not be disappointed with the quality of the watch you purchase. There is no doubt that there is a watch in the CW line up that will suit your needs, whether that’s spending weeks in the field on exercise, or getting suited and booted for a formal event. If you don’t believe me already, I compared the quality of CW bracelets and cases to significantly higher priced Swiss watch companies and found that the quality of CW was on par and in certain models was even superior to their rival brands. That should say it all--and remember CW’s ethos is to produce the best possible watches at an affordable price point.
For a more hands-on approach brought to you by end-users, you can also check out previous reviews from the SBWC team on the blog:
Design & Manufacturing.
The next stop of the tour was spent with one of the main watch designers, Will Brackfield. It was a real treat to have the opportunity to pick the brains of the man who has designed most of the watches that have left the CW pipeline in the past 5 years. The first impression that I received from Will was that he is 100% passionate about working at CW and is living his dream job. Will explained to me that most watch designers end up in companies designing specific aspects of watches such as hands, dials and other components with direction from the management of what it should look like. This is not the situation in Maidenhead: a new watch isn’t just the CEO demanding what he wants, it’s a two-way conversation with the design team to ensure the best watch is produced without compromise leading to poor aesthetics or quality that lacks.
Point proven with the Bel Canto. Initially the watch was designed by a watchmaker to house its chime function however, it wasn’t a watch that the team were particularly happy with regarding its appearance. Attention to detail is one thing that I picked up on quickly that CW pride themselves on. The Bel Canto essentially was re-designed to be fully symmetrical and become the spectacular watch which you see today. It wasn't plug-and-play: a full re-design of the complication was needed to achieve the new look, but that relationship between designer and watchmakers resulted in the watch that put Christopher Ward in the spotlight. Team synergy is real.
Bespoke watches are a significant part of the watch world--especially within the SBWC community. It is often something which marks a special memory to a particular chapter of our careers. I feel very privileged to have been given access to the bespoke watches that have been produced for different customers worldwide, some which can be seen in this article, some that are even too Sketchy to be shown here, but we can confirm that certain top tier Special Forces and Special Operations units have Christopher Wards on their wrists.
When it comes to customisation, CW are not your generic "stick a logo on the dial and go" operation. They will carry out any customisations you the customer want if it remains financially viable. Will even said his dream is for a customer to come forward with a big enough order to have a completely new watch made. A designers dream, but also proof that no job is too small for Will and his team.
What can we expect to see from CW in the future? Naturally I had to ask when sat with the design team. It is no secret that Christopher Ward has created some stunning time pieces paying homage to watches of the past. However, moving forward you will start to see watches emerging on the scene that will have clear CW design features, now they are building their own identity in the current market. With the Bel Canto and the recently released Twelve X Ti priced in the multiple thousands of pounds, CEO Mike France’s focus is to stretch the range and not move the whole range up the price ladder. A true testament to what Christopher Ward is capable of making, but not forgetting their aim to produce the best watches possible at an affordable price point.
Behind the Scenes.
Naturally we think just about watches when we receive them and nothing more. This part of the report is to give you a small insight into how CW operate. A British brand and Swiss made watches in my eyes in a winning combination. Once assembly is completed all watches are then shipped to the UK for further QC and testing, before finally being dispatched to the customer.
When it comes to repairs, the HQ has its own watchmakers carrying out routine servicing and testing. With a stock room boasting an impressive inventory of parts for current watches and ones of the past, you can have peace of mind that your watch is future-proof when it comes to servicing and repairs. Furthermore, to maintain a consistent level of training and experience all the watchmakers carry out a secondment in Switzerland in the assembly facility. Rest assured, if you do have any issues with your Christopher Ward it's in good hands and with their return times being significantly less than other brands, your beloved watch will be back on your wrist before you know it.
Summary.
Christopher Ward is growing in stature in the watch world and physically within their HQ walls. This forward momentum is a result of the hard work that Mike France and his team put into the brand. The enthusiasm and passion that Mike, Patrick, and Will have working for Christopher Ward is astounding, and that passion continued to be evident with every person I spoke to. Whether it was someone in distribution, QC, or servicing, they all thoroughly enjoy their craft and their roles within the company and that alone speaks a thousand words of the brand as a whole.
I genuinely hope this report will lead to you, the readers, wanting to check out what Christopher Ward has to offer and take that leap when you find a model that catches your eye. You will not regret it.
Once again thank you to the CW Team for inviting us in and we hope to see your new HQ in due course.
As always,
Stay Sketchy.
@WatchAndCountry.