Introducing the Christopher Ward Military Collection

Christopher Ward always tends to make some noise in our corner of the watch space when they decide to drop a new dive watch, and we’ve covered those at length here on Worn & Wound over the past several months. But, of course, they do a lot more than just divers, and today we have something a little different, a little vintage inspired, and more than a little British in flavor. The new Military Collection from Christopher Ward consists of three new models, each representing a service of the British Armed Forces.

Christopher Ward Military Collection

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Blue (C65 Dartmouth), Black (C65 Sandhurst & C65 Cranwell) 
• Dimensions: 38mm (C65 Sandhurst), 41mm (C65 Dartmouth and C65 Cranwell)
• Crystal: Sapphire 
• Water Resistance: 150 meters
• Crown: Push/pull 
• Movement: COSC certified Sellita SW200-1
• Strap/bracelet: Various leather, or stainless steel bracelet 
• Price: $900-$1,025
• Expected Release: October 

Like all of the watches in this new collection, the C65 Dartmouth is inspired by actual commissioned timepieces for the British military during the ’50s and ’60s, and has been licensed by the Ministry of Defence to bear the insignia of the appropriate service on the caseback.

The Dartmouth, made in tribute to the Royal Navy, is a traditionally styled 41mm dive watch with a rotating bezel and a large triangular marker at 12:00. If you look at the Dartmouth and find yourself thinking that it looks remarkably like an Omega Seamaster from the ’60s, that’s no accident. The MOD famously commissioned Seamasters from Omega during the time period for use by the Navy, so it’s completely fitting that Christopher Ward would borrow from that iconic look and make it their own for the Dartmouth.

The C65 Cranwell is another 41mm offering in the collection, this one being meant to evoke classic aviation watches used by the Royal Air Force. With a contemporary case size and large, easy to read Arabic numerals every five minutes, the Cranwell is highly legible and oozes pilot’s watch charm. 

My personal favorite watch in the new collection is the C65 Sandhurst. This shares a lot of the design DNA of the Cranwell, but is just a few millimeters smaller, at 38mm in diameter. This is the traditional field watch of the group, and takes its influence from the Smiths W10, a watch issued to the British Army in 1967. The small red flourish at the tip of the seconds hand here makes a huge difference in the overall feel of the watch — it gives it just enough personality to stand out a bit, and adds some visual interest to the dial without being too much. It’s still very much a traditional interpretation of a classic field watch.

All three watches in the collection come with a variety of strap and bracelet options, and all are powered by COSC-certified Sellita SW200-1 movements — an excellent value add. They also all have water resistance ratings up to 150 meters (including the Dartmouth diver, which unfortunately does not include a screw down crown) and have been given the now familiar “light catcher” treatment on the case.

For fans of vintage watches, specifically vintage military issued watches, this is a fun collection from Christopher Ward. Naysayers will complain about the lack of water resistance on the Dartmouth, or perhaps that the Sandhurst isn’t hand wound, but I think that misses the point. These watches are fitted with modern, high-grade automatic movements, made to exacting standards by a brand that has proven its ability to construct a well made watch, and offer a distinct and authentic look at around $1,000 a pop. And that’s to say nothing of the fact that the watches have been fully signed off on by the MOD. All watches in the new Military Collection are available for pre-order now, and ship in October. Christopher Ward