Christopher Ward Continues to Explore Aventurine with the C63 Celest

Last month, Christopher Ward announced the C1 Moonphase, which features a beautiful aventurine dial and a pair of oversized, fully lumed moon discs to track the lunar cycle from month to month. If you thought that watch was cool, but maybe you’re not particularly interested in a moon phase complication, the C63 Celest might be more up your alley. This new reference from Christopher Ward trades on the same style of aventurine dial, but dispenses with the moon altogether. The result is a more straightforward watch that puts the unique qualities of aventurine on center stage. 

The C63 Celest is the first watch outside of Christopher Ward’s Moonphase Collection to feature an aventurine dial. Because the effect of aventurine often mimics a starry night sky, it’s used frequently in watches that feature a moonphase, but without this additional complication, one can admire the material more for what it is. Simply put, it’s a type of glass that’s formed by mixing multiple types of glass together during production, including metallic elements (usually copper) that wind up giving the material a specific tonality and the trademark “star” effect. In the “Galaxy Blue” aventurine used by Christopher Ward, cobalt is used to give the dial its flat, cool blue finish. 

The Celest is built on Christopher Ward’s C63 platform, and measures a conservative 36mm in diameter. While this case was certainly conceived as a sports watch case through and through, there’s no doubt that the addition of aventurine (combined with the modest proportions) takes the elegance quotient up considerably. The “Light-catcher” case design highlights the dramatic beveling and changes from brushed to polished surfaces, which, again, are likely to feel even more refined on this reference than a more standard C63 execution. 

Like the moonphase released last month, the Celst is available on Christopher Ward’s new “consort” bracelet, a five-link design that is a little more formal than the typical three-link bracelet that they’ll also offer this watch on (it can be had on a leather strap as well). Unlike that moonphase, however, the Celest features traditional polished and applied hour markers. Purists might prefer a completely sterile dial, but the sporty roots of the case demand a dial layout that complements it with a little more at-a-glance legibility. The Celest runs on Selitta SW 200 movement with 38 hours of power reserve. 

The C63 Celest is available now through Christopher Ward. The retail price is $960 on a leather strap, and $1,160 on the consort bracelet. Christopher Ward