Christopher Ward watches have long been favorites of The Time Bum staff in general and of this Bum personally. The brand consistently turns out the kind of high-quality, high-value watches that we seek out for review and in recent years, it seems as if they have kicked their design department into overdrive. One of their latest creations is the Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine 200m diver. For this review, I had a turn with a bronze-cased, COSC-certified edition.
I hate to admit it, but I’ve had this watch in my possession for nearly a month now and I am only now sitting down to write. This wasn’t due to any reluctance on my part, it’s just that sometimes the rest of my life conspires to occupy every waking moment, squeezing out the part usually reserved for watch reviews. During this time, I’ve had the C65 on my wrist more often than not and have grown incredibly fond of it.
For starters, this watch employs CW’s Light-catcher case design. We’ve covered this in previous reviews and it never ceases to amaze. It measures 41mm wide, 46.7mm long, and just under 12.5mm thick. Those already tidy proportions are further leaned out by polished beveled edges on the upper side and an undercut along the bottom. The slim coin edge of the polished bezel plays the same trick, making it appear thinner than it really is. It’s not all an illusion, mind you. The watch really does wear well, sitting neatly on my 6.75″ wrist and easily tucking under a buttoned cuff when required.
The crown shares the case’s detailing and multiple finishes but makes no attempt to make itself shrink. It is stout and purposeful, decorated with the CW twin-flag logo. When unscrewed, it shows a flash of anodized red; a quick flag to warn you that the door is open and the watch is no longer watertight.
Unlike the stainless steel light catcher cases we’ve reviewed previously, the bronze is raw, earthy, and has a strong coppery red tone. What starts off looking almost rose gold quickly develops a mottled patina, creating a striking contrast to its streamlined shape. This watch had already been through a fellow reviewer and was well oxidized on arrival. Interestingly, the polished areas are still notably bright while the matching bronze buckle has turned almost entirely brown. Of course, you could always clean it off with some toothpaste or a lemon juice bath but that kind of spoils the point of owning a bronze watch in the first place. I say, lean in and embrace the patina. A diving watch is a tool after all and tools get grotty.
That’s not to say tools can’t be pretty as well and the Aquitaine certainly is. The sensuous curves of the domed sapphire crystal and bezel insert impart a vintage feel. Yes, that bezel harkens back to the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and why not? It was gorgeous then and it still is today.
My favorite bronze watch designs carry the warmth of the case color into other details as CW did here, with its polished gold handset and markers, as well as pale beige lume on both the dial and bezel. It’s a particularly pleasant pairing with the Marine Blue sunray behind it. I award extra style points for the date window. It is slightly tapered to better match the dart markers at the cardinal points and its color matches that of the markers. It isn’t lumed, but with a truncated 6 o’clock marker beneath it, it doesn’t need to be. It’s that kind of clever detail at which Christopher Ward excels.
The lume (SuperLuminova X1 BL Light Old Radium, to be precise) is excellent, by the way, displaying the “daylume” effect indicative of fast charging, and its blue glow stays strong.
The sword- and arrow-shaped hands are properly sized to reach out and touch their intended markers. I am pleased to see CW’s hallmark trident counterweight is still in service. The brand has worked its way through several different iterations of logotype and brand placement, with varying degrees of customer satisfaction and success. The latest is the twin-flag logo that appears here with no brand or model name at all and I wholeheartedly approve. It’s clean, distinctive, and conveys the brand identity without clutter. The only other text is “Chronometer” and the water resistance rating in a diminutive sans-serif in the lower dial, and “Swiss Made” tucked well below.
Speaking of the chronometer designation, flip the Aquitaine over for a peek at the COSC-certified Swiss Sellita SW200-1 through the sapphire exhibition window. It’s the same robust architecture you’ll find in other 2824-design movements (including the standard Aquitaine Automatic) but regulated and independently certified for -4/+6 second per day accuracy. Granted, you can’t actually see the accuracy through the window, but you can appreciate the decorated rotor.
Christopher Ward offers the Aquitaine with stainless steel cases in White Sand and Seagrass Green colorways in addition to Marine Blue and in COSC and standard automatic 3-hand movements. You can even get a GMT version. But for those who want a bronze case, Marine Blue COSC is the only choice. You do, however, have a choice of straps: Blue Tropic rubber, Brown Vintage Oak leather, or the Blue canvas shown here. I really liked the canvas. Its linen stitching worked well with the cream color lume on the watch and the denim quality of the fabric was just the right kind of casual to go with that mellow patina. Quick-release pins, a signed bronze buckle, and blue leather keepers are all nice touches.
The Christopher Ward C65 Aquitaine Bronze COSC on canvas sells for $1325. That’s not cheap, but right in line for a Swiss Made watch with these specs and a chronometer movement. Five percent goes to Blue Marine Foundation for ocean conservation efforts.
As I said earlier, I dig Christopher Ward watches and I am particularly enamored with the Light-catcher case. Add a top-spec movement, a 1950s-inspired face, and the unique weathering of bronze, and you have a nearly irresistible combination. I highly recommend it.
