

Christopher Ward is one of those brands that’s been doing it their very own way from the beginning. Between its direct-to-consumer business model to its recent expansion into approachable haute horology, the Christopher Ward team has been willing to experiment with new technologies and marketing strategies, pushing the industry forward—whether they like it or not. We recently had the chance to sit down with a familiar face, Michael Pearson is Christopher Ward’s Brand Director for the North America region. We chatted about the brand, the watches, and most importantly we discussed the opening of the company’s first showroom outside of England, located near Dallas, TX. We were also honored to be the team chosen to officially photograph the space for the public. Please enjoy both our conversation and these first-glimpse photos of Christopher Ward’s ambitious expansion.

Mike, tell us just a bit about yourself, how you got into the world of watches, and how you found yourself at Christopher Ward.
I’ve been in the industry now for 17 years. I’m originally from England, I now live in Texas but I have lived in New York and the great State of Michigan since moving here—but I started off working on cruise ships when I was younger traveling all over the world. It was only supposed to be six months, however it ended up being a few years of my life and led me into the watch industry. There, I was working for a company owned by LVMH called Onboard Media. We would promote watches and jewelry from onboard the cruise ships for the shops and brands ashore. I would host jewelry and gem seminars but as much fun as that was, what resonated with me the most was when I got to talk about the watches that the passengers could discover. That’s how I got my start and since then have worked with several brands, which has been amazing. Fast forward to Windup Watch Fair NYC a few years ago where I saw Mike France and the Christopher Ward team launch the C1 Bel Canto and how the community responded. So when Mike asked me to join as their North American Brand Director, it took a little bit of deciding because of how much I’d invested in my current position at the time. But I was really proud to join, and I’ve been here now for a year.


Christopher Ward is celebrating 20 years and has hit a bit of a stride. What is it about the current catalog that is connecting with enthusiasts and even general watch consumers?
When I look back over the 19 years that I wasn’t here, and I see the first watch all the way through to the collection that we’ve got today. I think we’ve created almost 300 models in those 20 years. There have been some absolute smashes, there have been some ones that didn’t quite work, and there have been some shapes, colors, and sizes that have catapulted us to where we are today. So if you come up to the table or the website at any of our events, or at least you’re perusing all of christopherward.com, you will see a very mature and a very evolved collection. I think Christopher Ward now knows its own style. It knows who it is. And the things that distinguish it, especially when you hold them in the metal, are our light catcher cases. I don’t think for this type of pricing, you’re going to get the finishing that we do on anything else.

For a brand that has built its business on selling directly to consumers, primarily via online commerce, how important is it for you to be connecting via in-person events with folks, especially here in the US market?
Well, on a personal level, it’s everything to me. In all the years of working in the industry, you always find those retail partners that can be your storytellers, they can be the champions of the brand. But with Christopher Ward always being a DTC or straight-to-consumer brand, it’s always been important that we have the trust of the community. Trust can only happen over time. That can happen through forums. It can happen through social media. But going to Windup has really meant a lot to Christopher Ward, and has changed my outlook of what we needed to do. And so I hit the road. I was at over 40 events in nearly every part of this country and in Canada. Fortunately, our brand’s got a bit of heat underneath it at the moment. That can be interpreted as just hype. But there’s also real substance and you can really show that by having that tactility. In-person opportunities are the best way to provide that tactile experience.


The Christopher Ward Showroom in Dallas is the latest manifestation of this in-person strategy. Can you give us the quick story behind its inception and location?
When I first talked to Mike France, we had a whole chat about what I would like to bring to Christopher Ward here in North America. Events were a huge part of it. We’ve ticked off so many of the boxes that were critical to me, Mike, and the brand. But we also wanted a way to show off our story, the brand experience, and the good people behind it all—so that came full circle to our first showroom. Mike and I had discussed where to go and how we should approach it. I live in Texas and have lived here for seven years now. I know what a Texas client would like within a watch. I also believe that the Dallas/Fort Worth hub is a magnet for business, for sports travelers, and for people from all over the country who often pass through this area. And I just thought, with everything that’s happening, why not start in the middle of the country and then grow out from there?


This showroom is a huge step for Christopher Ward and from the look of the images, it feels very on brand… a little piece of Britain, deep in the heart of Texas, if you will. Who are the folks that guests will meet when they come in and what should they expect their experience to be like?
That’s my favorite part about it. We have a showroom manager. His name is Trey. He’s been in the industry for quite a long time. Trey comes with an incredible customer service pedigree and believes the customer experience begins the moment you walk through the door. He’s backed up by a wonderful gentleman called Taylor, who’s new to watches, and we like that. He’s got an eagerness to learn what the customer likes, and I think that’s what you’ll get when you walk through the door. You’ll feel like it’s a comfortable place to sit down and relax. None of the watches are behind glass, nothing is off limits, and no question is going to be silly or sneered at or judged.

This is a place to be educated and to fall in love with Christopher Ward. And if I’m in town, I’ll be here as well. I really enjoy coming into the showroom. I spend a lot of time on the road. And as we build Christopher Ward here in North America, I might not be here every day. But if I’m in Dallas, if I’m in town, I will be here as well.

How far in advance should folks plan their visit? What’s the best way to go about making these arrangements?, and hours of operation?
So, christopherward.com has an area for the showrooms in Maidenhead, UK and here in North Dallas. So, if you just hit ‘Visit our Showrooms‘ in the main nav, you’ll see both places to find the appointments. There, you will see available slots. There are two time slots each day, and we’re open Monday to Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time, and we’ve just started opening on Saturdays from 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM, as we approach the holidays.

That might change, so always keep a look out on ChristopherWard.com, but guaranteed you’ll see us throughout the day, two appointments every hour on the hour. It’s very simple. We’d also encourage people to follow myself on social media, especially follow Christopher Ward—but we’ll try to keep everybody updated through email and all the wonderful technologies that we’ve got handed to us today.

Are there any unique or special watches in the showroom currently that folks should get excited to see in-person?
Well everyone wants to see, feel, and hear Bel Canto. We’ve got not only the four traditional colors—we’ve got the brand new Bel Canto classics as well—all to try on, feel, and hear. But for the showrooms, we came up with a brand new colorway that’s only available when you walk through these doors. It is the Dragonfly Blue Bel Canto, and it is the only Bel Canto in our collection that is available to buy and receive within the next week or two. It has been made to have stock available, and it’s one of those watches that has all of the magic that the Bel Canto has, but also has a little bit of color that makes it a little bit of fun as well. And it’s also the first of this model that has an Aquaflex rubber strap, so you can sport it up if you like as well.
What other exciting activities can folks plan to see happening at the showroom in 2025?
Well, coming up, just as we get to the middle of December, we’re going to have our first customer appreciation night, which basically means we’re going to bring out the good bourbon and the nice whiskeys. We’re just going to have a gathering with all of our clients and people that have walked through the doors. We hope to do that every quarter, just to have a get together. We’ll be having all types of watch collector communities from RedBar and WatchCrunch and anyone else who’s interested as well. And we’ve also got so many businesses in the area that we can open our doors up to quite wonderful evenings that are specifically made and designed for them.

Assuming that this new showroom goes really well in North Dallas, what can folks expect for Christopher Ward in the U.S. Moving forward in terms of showrooms?
Well, obviously, New York is an incredible place for all of the watch community. I believe that we’ll get there, but Windup is our home for New York City as of right now. And as we’re in the middle of the country, I feel like we’re going to work our way outwards and we can go a little bit further east and a little bit further west, hitting different states along the way. And in the end, we’d love to be close to just about every watch community within the next three to five years and open more and more of these showrooms. But we’re not in a rush. We want to get this place and this space perfect and we have the ambition to have a few more over the next few years.
