Christopher Ward dropped a surprising new watch this week in the C63 Valour, a part of their MOD-approved Military collection that honors all three of His Majesty’s Armed Forces. The surprising bit is their use of a thermo-compensated ETA quartz movement, which feels a very sensible move given the nature of the watch, and one that signals a willingness to embrace the right tool for the job. This allows for sharp focus, and a nice side effect of broad accessibility, and it’s something we’d love to see other brands take just seriously. The result is something entirely unique that leans into Christopher Ward’s strengths.
The C63 Valour is an ode to His Majesty’s Armed Forces, with the heraldic crests of the Army, Navy, and RAF emblazoned on the caseback. Also included is a depiction of the Queen’s crown as a means of honoring Queen Elizabeth II. These markings will have varying levels of significance depending on your nationality (or allegiances), but thankfully there are no such markings on the dial of the watch. At a glance, this is a quite straightforward looking all-purpose tool watch, and the placement of the registers should immediately tip you off that something is a bit different under the hood.
Indeed that is the case, as the layout is dictated by the thermo-compensated ETA caliber G10.212i, a chronometer with an expected accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per year. It also provides the chronograph timing complication, which allows for splits and even adding of segments. The registers totalize to a 1/10th of a second, 60 seconds, and 30 minutes. The hands within the registers are color coded, bringing a touch of personality to the otherwise black and silver affair.
The layout with two registers at the top and one at the bottom is vertically symmetrical, however the added weight to the top of the dial isn’t a look for everyone. The dial welcomes polished applied Arabic numerals around the perimeter, with the seconds and minutes indexed in between. The dial design is very practical in nature and suits the general purpose tool genre quite effectively. It may not be traditionally handsome, but it works where it needs to, and that’s what’s important here.
There’s plenty to enjoy outside of the potentially polarizing dial, and that starts with the 39mm so called light catcher case. Christopher Ward has a deft hand with these cases, featuring not only sharp transitions between the polished and brushed surfaces, but more importantly, a thoughtful profile design that settles beautifully into the wrist. The case thickness is just 11.5mm, so it doesn’t need much help, but it should wear even thinner thanks to how the case is sculpted. Seriously, Christopher Ward is doing some of the best case work in this price range, and I’d encourage interested parties to find a way to experience them on the wrist.
This is a welcome release from Christopher Ward, and one that will hopefully further the profile of using such movements in premium watches. The dial design has no shortage of personality, even if it’s not for everyone, and the case brings the whole package together in a brilliant manner. This is a watch that will have no problem punching above its weight, which is exactly the kind of thing Christopher Ward prefers.
The Christopher Ward C63 Valour is available for pre-oder right now, with shipping expected to commence by the end of April. Pricing is set at $625 on a black canvas webbing strap; $750 on a steel Bader bracelet; and $790 on a steel Consort bracelet. Christopher Ward.