## Overview British watch company founded in 2004 by Mike France, Peter Ellis, and Chris Ward. The first internet-only luxury watch retailer — direct-to-consumer from day one, no retail markup. Based in the UK with movement development in Switzerland. What started as a scrappy online disruptor has grown into a £50M+ revenue company with 60+ employees and their own in-house movement (SH21 calibre, launched 2014). Christopher Ward sits at the boundary between microbrand and established brand. They have the direct-to-consumer pricing and spirit of a micro, but the movement development capability and production scale of a serious manufacture. ## What Makes Them Distinctive **Direct-to-consumer value.** No retail margin means CW punches 2–3× above its price in finishing and specs. A £1,000 CW competes with £2,500–$3,000 retail brands on bracelet quality and case finishing. **In-house movement development.** The SH21 calibre (2014) was their first in-house movement — a twin-barrel, 120hr power reserve automatic. Since then they've developed "JJ Calibres" — proprietary modules adding complications (moonphase, single-pusher chronograph) to existing movements. Not many brands at this price have in-house capability. **The Twelve.** Their integrated-bracelet sports watch — 12-sided case, designed by head of design Adrian Sherburne. A direct challenge to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak / Patek Nautilus aesthetic at 1/20th the price. The case finishing (polishing, brushing, angular transitions) is genuinely impressive for the money. **60-day return policy.** Unusual in the industry — try it for two months, send it back if it doesn't work. Confidence in the product. ## My Watch **Christopher Ward C12 Twelve 660 x Amazon** — a collaboration between Christopher Ward and Amazon (not yet publicly disclosed). Pre-ordered. | Spec | Detail | |---|---| | Model | C12 Twelve 660 x Amazon | | Case | 38mm, 12-sided, marine-grade 316L steel | | Thickness | ~6.6mm | | Movement | Sellita SW210-1b (hand-wound), 42hr power reserve | | Water resistance | 200m (660ft) | | Dial | Green | | Straps | Steel bracelet + black rubber (interchangeable) | | Bezel | Dodecagonal (12-sided), polished and brushed | The "660" in the name refers to 660 feet (200m) water resistance — dive-spec in a dress watch thickness. The hand-wound Sellita SW210-1b is just 3.35mm thick, enabling the 6.6mm case height. The 12-sided case with mixed finishing (polishing + linear brushing) is a playground of light. **Role in my collection:** Dress/Sport — the thin, refined piece that works on bracelet or rubber. Different from everything else I own: it's the bracelet watch, the thinnest piece, and the most "modern luxury" aesthetic in the collection. ## Collections ### The Twelve The sports watch icon. 12-sided case, integrated bracelet. | Model | Size | Movement | Key Feature | ~Price | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Twelve 40** | 40mm | Sellita SW200-1 | The original. Integrated bracelet, 12-sided case. | ~$1,200–$1,500 | | **Twelve 38** | 38mm | Sellita SW200-1 | Downsized for smaller wrists. Same DNA. | ~$1,200–$1,500 | | **Twelve 660** | 38mm | Sellita SW210-1b (hand-wound) | Ultra-thin (6.6mm). Dress/sport crossover. 200m WR. | ~$1,200–$1,500 | ### C63 Sealander The versatile daily wearer. Clean, time-and-date, strap-friendly. | Model | Size | Movement | Key Feature | ~Price | |---|---|---|---|---| | **C63 Sealander GMT** | 39mm | Sellita SW330-2 | Light-sign GMT, jumping hour hand. On my [[Watch Wish List]]. | ~$1,200 | | **C63 Sealander Automatic** | 39mm | Sellita SW200-1 | Time and date. Clean daily wearer. | ~$800–$1,000 | ### C65 / C60 Dive watches — tool-watch heritage, rotating bezels, 200–600m WR. ### Bel Canto Their haute horlogerie statement — a striking mechanism (chiming complication) at an unprecedented price point. ~$5,000+. Unusual for a brand at this tier. ## Where Christopher Ward Fits | Brand | Positioning | Price | Compared to CW | |---|---|---|---| | **Christopher Ward** | DTC British, in-house capability, sports + dress | $800–$5,000 | — | | [[Baltic]] | French micro, design/dial-focused | $400–$900 | Baltic is cheaper, more vintage. CW is more technically capable. | | Tudor | Rolex sibling, tool watches | $2,500–$5,000 | CW offers similar quality at ~half the price due to DTC model. | | Longines | Swiss heritage, Swatch Group | $1,500–$3,500 | Similar price tier. Longines has more heritage; CW has better value on finishing. | | Monta | American, obsessive finishing | $1,600–$2,400 | Similar finishing obsession. Monta is bracelet-focused; CW has broader range. | ## See Also - [[My Watch Collection]] — C12 Twelve 660 x Amazon - [[Watch Wish List]] — C63 Sealander GMT was previously in GMT contention - [[Microbrands]] — CW mentioned as boundary between micro and established - [[Watch Brand Landscape]]