[VIDEO] Christopher Ward Changes the Game, Again – C12 Loco Review with Video

Is it too dramatic to say that just about three years ago, in November of 2022, Christopher Ward changed the watch industry as we knew it? Perhaps. But what fun is a watch review without some hyperbole? And frankly, it’s not a far-off statement either. I’m talking, of course, about the launch of the C1 Bel Canto. Not only did that watch set Christopher Ward on a new trajectory as a brand, but it also proved what smaller independent brands were capable of. Since then, we’ve seen a surge of ingenuity in the industry.

But I’m burying the lede. It’s 2025, and Christopher Ward has done it again with the launch of the C12 Loco: a full-fledged vision of independent watchmaking that, perhaps most impressively, maintains the brand’s value-focused ethos. But to fully appreciate the C12 Loco, we must rewind to 2014. That’s when Christopher Ward did the unthinkable and received little to no attention for it: they launched an in-house movement called the SH21.

Back then, “in-house” was a term that got thrown around a lot. It was always a big deal when a brand announced an “in-house” movement. But, it was the territory of the very large or the very high-end, and the idea that smaller, more accessible independents could produce an in-house caliber was almost absurd. When a brand announced an in-house movement, everyone took notice, and sometimes brands were called out for using the term too loosely (including other British brands…).

So, when the SH21 debuted, it was almost surreal: not just because of the claim but because the movement itself wasn’t a run-of-the-mill 2824 clone. Designed in collaboration with Johannes Jahnke, a renowned movement designer now at Sellita, the SH21 was a Swiss-made automatic chronometer featuring a five-day power reserve. That’s not typical first-movement territory for an independent brand, let alone a direct-to-consumer online-only brand specializing in sub-thousand-dollar watches at the time. It broke the rules as we knew them.

Yet, media and collectors alike largely overlooked it. Perhaps it was too early. Perhaps they hadn’t yet established the credibility needed to garner industry attention. But over the years, Christopher Ward matured. They resolved branding challenges, refined their watches with Light Catcher cases, collaborated with the M.O.D., developed a specialty in sapphire dials, and, most importantly, honed a design language that was more their own.

So, when the Bel Canto launched, it was like SH21 2.0. A small independent brand doing something genuinely innovative and unexpected, but this time, they had the gravitas to break through. Industry-wide recognition followed; high-end collectors gave it the nod, it won a GPHG, and it sold a lot of watches. They followed it up with the Twelve X, celebrating the SH21’s tenth anniversary and reminding the world of their noteworthy in-house caliber. And now, the most impressive launch to date: the C12 Loco.

Dial and Case Design

The C12 Loco is not your everyday watch. The time display is offset, and the escapement sits atop the dial. A free-sprung balance wheel, fairly large in diameter, floats several millimeters above the surface, oscillating at 28,800 BPH. Below it, the pallet fork rocks back and forth, unlocking the escape wheel positioned at the bottom of the dial. This isn’t an open heart, a skeletonization, a module, or a modification—it’s an entirely new movement designed to elevate the most important organ of the watch while keeping aesthetics in mind.

Massive, tall bridges with various facets and surface finishes cross the lower half of the dial, securing the balance and escape wheel. Higher up, a ring of sapphire with applied lumed markers and indices appears to hover, seemingly unconnected to anything, indicating the time. The hour and minute hands stand alone at the center, directly linked to visible gearing below. Yet, despite all of this, unlike the Bel Canto, which thrives on an appealing chaos, the C12 Loco is remarkably clean and balanced. The array of circles, from the time display to the escape wheel, descends in radius, gently overlapping for a sense of harmony.

Below the floating elements is a two-tiered surface, adding depth and texture to the design. Beneath the balance and escapement is a blasted surface, which is the lowest portion of the dial, providing contrast for the escapement components. A plate is attached above, held down by four screws, bi-secting the dial with a wide bevel and surrounding the time-telling elements. This surface features vertical brushing for a metallic sheen, and all surfaces, on the review sample, are rendered in a bold “Pasadena” blue. There is a remarkable amount of things going on, though very few typical, printed elements. Instead, it’s all built, creating a higher-end aesthetic.

The C12 Loco belongs to Christopher Ward’s integrated bracelet series, distinguished by its twelve-sided bezel. At 41mm in diameter, 47.5mm lug-to-lug, and 13.7mm thickness (9.75mm for the case and 3.95mm for the domed crystal), it’s on the larger end of the Twelve series. Despite its size, the dial’s complexity makes it look more compact. From the side, the case geometry is more complex than in the previous Twelve models. The mid-case tapers to a thin line under the bezel, and beneath it, a twelve-sided barrel extends down to the case back. This additional faceting makes the watch appear thinner and more unique, setting it apart in a sea of integrated designs.

Another noticeable change from previous models is the removal of crown guards, likely because the C12 is hand-wound and guards could get in the way. Interestingly, however, the watch features a screw-down crown, despite being manual-wind and only 3ATM water-resistant. While this might not bother everyone, it does add an unnecessary step to daily winding and could be a point of failure over time.

While the case and design are successful, I do have a conceptual question. Since its launch, Christopher Ward’s Twelve line has proven very successful. Although a bit of a trend-chaser, the execution was very high, particularly in terms of finishing, making them a nice bridge between very affordable and much higher-end options, priced closer to the former, while feeling more like the latter. With the Twelve X, it felt like they had reached a pinnacle for the line as it boasted a heavily skeletonized and specially finished version of the SH21, and was priced accordingly at $4,725 in steel and $4,865 in titanium.

So, my question is, why go back to the Twelve well with this new, flagship watch, that also directly competes with (actually undercuts slightly) the Twelve X? This has nothing to do with it being a successful design or not (clearly, I think it is), but rather that it prevents the new movement from standing alone while also overshadowing another high point. Food for thought.

The CW-003 Caliber

Unlike the Bel Canto, which paired a Sellita movement with an in-house module, the C12’s CW-003 movement is entirely their own. An evolution of the SH21, now rebranded as CW-001, features an impressive six-day or 144-hour power reserve. Additionally, it features 29 jewels, a free sprung balance with a bespoke wheel and hairspring, and a frequency of 28,800 bph. It’s also regulated to ±0/7 seconds per day, meeting or even surpassing chronometer specifications, although it can’t be certified as it lacks a seconds hand.

Visually, the CW-003 is also striking. With the escapement removed from the back, two large, centrally mounted barrels dominate the movement, creating that impressive power reserve. Each is held by a single massive bridge with multiple polished bevels and brushed surfaces. A large gear between the barrels is part of the winding system, secured by a third bridge. The entire movement has a brutalist yet refined aesthetic, accentuated by black plating, silver barrels, mirror-polished ratchet wheels, and screws.

A single large plate on the crown side of the movement presumably covers the keyless works. This plate is finished in black with a subtle vertical brushing. When the SH21 was first released, they utilized a traditional British finishing technique called “flat grinding,” a manual sanding process that results in even surfaces with a brushed appearance. While more laborious than machine graining, it unfortunately lacks some pzazz. As such, the first SH21s were met with the unfortunate and incorrect criticism of being undecorated. Whether the finishing on the CW-003 is meant to reference this is unclear, but regardless, in the context of this new movement design, it complements the modern and industrial styling better.

It should go without saying, but not many brands have in-house movements with dial-side escapements. The Breguet Tradition series pioneered the idea in 2005, followed shortly by MB&F, whose watches, especially the Legacy Machines, generally feature a visible escapement. Greubel Forsey, Garrick, Voutilainen, Hodinky Berkus, and a handful of others have dial-side escapements as well. That might make it sound more common than it is, but many of these watches are made in extremely small numbers and cost anywhere from a substantial sum to an “if you have to ask” amount. The C12 Loco, on the other hand, is priced at $4,595 on a rubber strap.

Wearability

On the wrist, the C12 Loco surprises. While 41mm isn’t small, the additional space is necessary for the dial’s intricacy, which also makes the watch appear smaller overall. While I didn’t get to compare the C12 with a Twelve X, I imagine the Twelve X would appear larger, despite being the same diameter, because the dial occupies the entire opening. This is all not to say the watch is small, it’s not, but it is well proportioned and didn’t feel oversized on my 6.75” wrist.

Similarly, the thickness, although noticeable, is well-managed by the new mid-case design, which features various lines to break up the appearance. The crystal accounts for about a quarter of the total height, which always helps a watch appear thinner. I also found a psychological factor related to the overall design. The watch is movement from front to back, and there is a ton of depth in the dial, which is more of a horological atrium. The thickness isn’t waste, which I felt my mind recognized.

Aesthetically, the C12 is delightfully modern. Sure, the Twelve case refers to designs from the seventies, but in this context, everything feels new and now. Something I really enjoy about the C12, the Bel Canto, and other examples of contemporary indie watch design is that they don’t refer to anything external. They are watches defined by watchmaking. Sure, comparisons can be made, but the C12 isn’t trying to evoke a sports car or a yacht or a period or nostalgia or some faux-luxury concept. It is, refreshingly if perhaps unabashedly, what it is. My only critique is that the Pasadena blue is very intense, perhaps a bit too much for my taste, but that’s not to say others won’t like it. The white and the black models, which I had a brief encounter with, were more my speed.

Final Thoughts

The Christopher Ward C12 Loco isn’t doing anything more than any of your other watches—in fact, it might be doing less as it’s lacking even a seconds hand. The dial-side escapement isn’t a complication; it’s an elaboration. It doesn’t add functionality; instead, it’s a more complicated way of achieving the same result as an ordinary mechanical watch. And that’s a big part of the charm. The C12 Loco prioritizes horology and watchmaking over pure function. The escapement is the heart of a mechanical watch, and it’s typically hidden. By placing it front and center, the C12 Loco celebrates how mechanical watches work.

At $4,595 on a rubber strap and $4,825 on a bracelet, the C12 is priced very competitively, which is a somewhat unusual choice of words, as it doesn’t really have any direct competitors. Christopher Ward is at the forefront of something very new. A new branch of independent watchmaking that utilizes concepts and techniques that previously were only achieved at a very high price, and has brought them into the realm of the affordable. But, there is no magical spell that made this happen; it’s the result of a long road of maturing and building up an industrial infrastructure that allows them to do things at a scale that makes them viable.

And, to be clear, while what Christopher Ward has made is impressive, it’s not a replacement for the higher-end watches mentioned before, nor was it meant to be. For example, the finishing on the C12 sample (which was pre-production, admittedly) is excellent at the price point, but not on par with that of a five- or six-figure watch. It can’t be. There aren’t watchmakers spending hundreds of hours hand-finishing every bridge and interior angle to a point of perfection. But at standard viewing distance, it all looks spectacular.

I have the good fortune of owning a Breguet Tradition 7037, which I picked up a few years ago, shortly before the Bel Canto was released. It’s a majestic and somewhat auspicious watch that speaks literally to the 18th-century souscription pocket watch designs of the brand’s founder and horological titan, Abraham Louis Breguet. Beyond the traditional aesthetic and provenance, I was drawn to it for two main reasons: the offset time display and the dial-side escapement. These were elements that were utterly foreign to the watches I had been able to purchase up until that point, bringing something truly exotic to my collection. It cost an arm and a leg (though Traditions are famously undervalued on the pre-owned market), but I haven’t regretted it for a second.

Now, with the C12 Loco (ok, the name isn’t ideal), the elements that drew me to the Tradition are in a watch that costs under $5k. That number holds some significance for Worn & Wound, as we were once told (this was around 2012) that there weren’t any good watches under $5k. A lot has changed since then, and I doubt that individual would still say that, but it underlines, to me, how far things have come, with the C12 being a sort of pinnacle of where we are right now. That feeling of “the cool stuff” being out of reach is eroding. Christopher Ward is proving what’s possible. And whether you like the watch or not, I think you can agree, it’s an exciting time to be a watch collector because of it. Christopher Ward