Christopher Ward’s wildly popular C63 Sealander GMT gets a new case size this week, with the existing 39mm watches in the collection welcoming a 36mm option to the fold. The new watch brings with it a slew of bracelet and dial options that provide a wide degree of versatility, which is exactly the aim of this ‘GADA’ tool watch. Sporting a steel bezel with 24 hour markings, and an orange hand tracking against it, the inspiration for this platform is quite clear, but Christopher Ward brings enough of their own flavor to the table to set this watch apart as a compelling watch in its own right.
The C63 Sealander collection consists of versatile and approachable sport watches not meant to live in a single genre. They were designed as ‘go anywhere, do anything’ watches, which can be a risky line to walk, easily succumbing to generic territory if not treated properly. Christopher Ward does well to keep them just on the right side of this equation, however, and much of that comes down to the little details, particularly in their Light-catcher case designs.
A thoughtful and well executed case can be tough to come by in this price bracket right around $1,000, but this is where Christopher Ward excels. The Light-catch case is sculpted around the midcase, creating some interesting lines and finishing opportunities, but more importantly, making for an exceptionally comfortable fit on the wrist. The finishing and attention to detail in these cases far exceeds what we usually expect in this price realm, and it’s one of the biggest elements that separates these watches from other pseudo homage type tool watches.
Yes, parts of the design here are a bit on the nose when specced with a white or black dial and mated to an oyster style 3-link bracelet, but in hand and on wrist these have a distinctive feeling all their own. The symmetrical layout that places the date at 6 o’clock is another small part, but the existence of the aqua colored dial, and the additional strap options mean you can spec this watch to capture a decidedly different look. Additionally, I’d note that many of the base designs for sport and tool watches are derivative of just a few well-understood templates. That said, Christopher Ward dutifully acknowledges their inspiration, even going so far as to call it out directly on their website. There’s no hiding what’s going on here, and their intentions are clear.
The 36mm C63 Sealander GMT joins the existing 39mm variants, though you can find larger 41mm GMT options elsewhere in their collection, such as the Aquataine collection. This latest release is an attempt to bring these designs to a broader selection of the market, and Christopher Ward has wisely avoided gendering any of their sizes, something I’d like to see more brands embrace. Christopher Ward is using the Sellita SW330-2 inside of the latest C63, providing a ‘caller’ style GMT functionality, meaning the GMT hand is slaved to the hour hand. These types are generally best suited to rotating 24 hour bezels, but the SW330-2 does allow for quick adjustment of the GMT hand alone. However, adjusting for local time when traveling will still affect the GMT hand, meaning you’ll need to adjust that second to track your home time.
Overall, this is a welcome new option within the C63 collection as a whole, and prices start $1,090 on rubber straps, and rise to $1,275 on the Consort bracelet. Christopher Ward