Watches N+1…

have a 5610u for setting my other watches to

this sums up the entire thread.

😎

I use time.is

Well, that would make life dull, or at least slightly duller.

Currently on the Barfleur, Cherbourg to Poole, with my daughter (neither of my son’s passport were renewed in time…), to visit my mum, dad and very ill stepfather. As usual, I’m dressed like a beggar, in heavily darned jeans but, as always, stocked up on timepieces: Tudor Pelagos, Vostok Amfibia ‘Zissou’, Oris Propilot, home-made (assembled) deckwatch and, of course, the Reverso! Hooray for summer and huzzah for watch fetishism!!!

Ok am having a bit of a watch moment.

Decided against a birth year watch – nothing stood out after months of looking

Am going (to try really hard to get) down to one single robust good quality modern but classic style automatic watch.

I don’t really have a grail watch to chase, thankfully, but I know the kind of thing I’m after. And I’m after the simpler life of just having one.

And to that end I’ve been looking for weeks & have “almost” settles on Chris award, been looking at some of the Christopher Ward stuff, know next to bugger all about them tbh, apart from the back story on their site. But do like the look of them, esp some of the simpler C60 and the super compressor – which I’d have to reserve. So anyone more in the know – talk to me about CW watches.

Are there any that are that little bit more special than the norm ?

I know some of you on this thread have a CW – what they like ? Any good, they seem to polarise watch fans, just from reading this thread alone.

Woah that’s a much longer post than I’d intended. Hey ho.

I’ll try to be honest with my 2p.

With the launch of the compresser Belcanto and 12, they pushed themselves into a higher range market with lower prices and have started to become a Youtube reviewers darling, but their USP is – in the majority there have been a couple of mistakes along the way – of selling well specced and well made watches for less money than everyone else with a similar quality piece.  Essentially that are in the £1500-£1900 territory for £950, less if you get one of the clearance watches that are going for £595 at the moment.

With the 60 month warranty to boot, your basically in the “you can’t go wrong with a Chris Ward territory” on the internet but furthermore in real life when you get one in your hand you realise the quality is a step above the pictures.  The cases and dials are a step above as is the customer services, but the one “meh” being the unregulated Sellita’s they use in the non COSC versions – but YMMV with regard to that.

Devils in the details, buy one on the basis you have 60 days to return it or take a trip to Slough. I think if you already like the designs they holding one is going to lead to an easy decision.

I have the compressor you speak of albeit the prior blue one, there’s nothing in my collection that catches attention like is does, and that”s before you get into the geekery.

I’m not keen on the CW brand despite quite liking several of their models.  They seem very reactive and “by the numbers” if that makes sense.  Also, having listened to a few podcasts with their directors etc  they’ve never come across particularly well – usually a bit “sneery”.

The current logo isn’t great and I suspect it will change again relatively soon, not a big thing but just adds to that reactive air they’ve got about them.

I suspect if I ever bought one I’d like the watch itself but soon sell it.

Chris Ward – the Planet X of watches?

Ordered one of these last night…can’t wait! Nice and different and perfect for travelling when my Sub isn’t with me.

It’s a lot of money for a citizen, but ticks all the boxes and looks very striking.

https://www.citizenwatch.co.uk/at8188-64l.html

I’d agree with the comments above re cw. Great watches for the price,  superb.  The one I had was within a second per day iirc.  They just can’t do logos though!  What are they on now? 3rd? 4th? Terrible. They get worse each time.

Chris Ward – the Planet X of watches?

Thats doing them an injustice.  Probably the Galibier of watches I’d say, good stuff and damn good value but with some left field design choices.

I like what CW does, but I’ve bought 4 of them and sent them all back for a refund which says something to me…

With regards to birth years watches, I love the idea of one.   Keep looking at CWC W10’s from 1976 but they’re so small in the case, I’m not sure I’d actually wear it.   This one’s on my eBay watch list though

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175822943385

(PS I’m wearing a ChrisW and I have a PlanetX Tempest in the garage – I like both 😉)

I think the planet-x comparison works, value for money-wise they’re great, but they lack a certain something, even if that something is fairly nebulous.

To me there’s a sort of disconnect between being the type of person to “romanticise” automatic watches and then being the type to buy something from a brand which has always felt purely transactional.

I bought two CWs for my brother and wife about ten years ago. Both were a nightmare, never worked properly, back and forth for service with no solution. Lot of water under the bridge since then of course.

I don’t think I romanticise automatic movements – I do like them.
Nor does the CW purchase feel transactional to me – that’s more a “bought as an investment” Rolex.

But then everyone has different views.

Keep looking at CWC W10’s from 1976 but they’re so small in the case, I’m not sure I’d actually wear it.

How small is it? Description doesn’t say. I’ve got a 35mm Omega, which does look small when first on, (granted I’ve got weedy wrists and 38/39mm is my sweet spot) but you soon fail to notice.

Mellor case W10’s are 35mm excluding crown and 42mm lug to lug.   All my watches are 40-42.

However, I really like them as they are historically interesting, easy to date to the correct year, and reasonably priced.  Plus I don’t think many watches in the 70’s were much bigger

Thanks all, I’m not quite sure where that leaves me. I expected different views, but the Planet X comparison leads me to leave CW alone & look elsewhere, as unfair as that sounds.

Not quite so enthusiastic about it now.

I have to go that way for family in the next few weeks I’ll try to get to slough to take a look in person.

@kryton57 that’s the one I was looking at and the c60 special.

but the Planet X comparison leads me to leave CW alone & look elsewhere, as unfair as that sounds.

I’m sorry but I still think that’s unfair.    If CW is Planet X, where does that leave Pagani, Steeldive, San Martin all of who produce even cheaper budget homages and originals with decent materials?  At least with CW there’s some originality and a much higher standard to the cases, bracelets and straps.

I’d rather buy an original Chris Ward than all of those and I’m very happy with the solidity and workmanship that obviously went into my C65 compressor.

I don’t own a CW watch but my younger brother does. He’s very happy with it. It looks very nicely made and keeps as good a time as any mechanical watch, other than a COSC movement obv’s.

I wouldn’t compare them to Planet-X. Planet-X were copying other designs and getting them made in a much cheaper part of the world for re-sale in a relatively wealthy part of the world. Making sufficient profit to keep them afloat, or not, as the case may be ;o)

I might compare them to Seat/Skoda/Audi/VAG.

They build a car body (or a watch case and strap) and then fit a generic engine/chassis (the Sellita movement). The engine/chassis is a well developed design that just works while the body has been developed to suit the taste of some segment of car buying customers. They make several different bodies (or a watch case and strap) with the same engine/chassis (the Sellita movement), thereby selling as many units as they need to make the business case work.

massive thanks to those that suggested Steveostraps for my Fenix a few pages back – he made this for me, it fits perfectly and was precisely what I was looking for

nice strap !

That is nice. May have to take a look for my Fenix

@kryton57

I’m sorry but I still think that’s unfair. If CW is Planet X, where does that leave Pagani, Steeldive, San Martin all of who produce even cheaper budget homages and originals with decent materials? At least with CW there’s some originality and a much higher standard to the cases, bracelets and straps.

I’d rather buy an original Chris Ward than all of those and I’m very happy with the solidity and workmanship that obviously went into my C65 compressor.

On reflection and having had a look at other watches again I’ve considered over the last month or so, Sinn, Oris etc, I think CW are worth a go. TBH before I asked the question here I thought CW were really good quality, almost the ideal combo, UK design and Swiss manufacturing & movement.

The logo thing does irritate though, my seiko orange monster is unmistakably a seiko and would be recognisable as one in 10 years plus.

Question.  How much value would the collective put on having the original box, instructions and case with a new Oris watch?

My recent purchase from Sellors/Jura came, without my prior knowledge, a travel pouch instead of the original box/packaging and without instructions and warranty card.

The missing parts only came to light after I tried to register the watch with Oris and realised what was missing.  Sellors have ordered a replacement warranty card and are going to register it and also extend the warranty to the new date (rather a waste of time as it has a 10 year warranty anyway), but no mention has been made yet about the box and instruction manual.

I’m pretty annoyed at the moment, even though it was heavily discounted (current rrp £2900, I paid £1550) I wasn’t made aware of any missing items before purchase and considering cutting my nose off to spite my face and sending it back!

Am I being unreasonable asking for the missing items to be supplied?  I think it’ll affect possible re-sale later down the line, I always like to get all original boxes etc when buying, even my 20 year old Fortis has the original box and documents.

What think everybody else?

@blazin, I’d ask for them but I certainly wouldn’t send the watch back just for that reason. Having papers is the critical part (my new Reverso had papers but no box) and Oris’s have terrible resale anyway. A travel pouch is much more useful in my opinion, and boxes take loads of room.

I think CW are worth a go.

Quite, and as I mentioned if you don’t like it you have 60 days to send it back no questions asked full refund.

In other news, the 6900 arrives tomorrow, 48hrs after I watched Jody decimate his collection.   Sigh.    I’m at a real crossroads with watches.  With a growing fund towards something quite nice, I’ve pretty much decide I can’t be motivated to spend that much (£2k) on a watch, and that I might just sell three of mine an get that Limited edition eco promaster, this one:

Sometimes you have to remember your place on life’s ladder.

@kryton57 “Limited edition eco promaster”

I had a quick peep of my Attesa before it gets wrapped for my birthday (g/f is giving it to me)….the face is utterly stunning…..quite dark in some angles and totally mesmerising…a keeper.

Get it.

Re. the missing Oris box…

I’d accept it for that discount, but also be a bit miffed that it wasn’t stated when purchasing. You can buy boxes on e-bay if you’re really bothered.

Another reason to lower value:

https://news.sky.com/story/aled-jones-threatened-with-machete-and-forced-to-hand-over-16317000-rolex-watch-12924084

I’d accept it for that discount, but also be a bit miffed that it wasn’t stated when purchasing. You can buy boxes on e-bay if you’re really bothered.

yeah, I think that’s where I’m at, they knew it was missing when they sent it, but hoped I wouldn’t notice/didn’t care.   I’m pushing them to find one not sure what will happen, but I 100% want the documents/instruction manual and warranty card.

That PX/CW comparison – firstly it was me that made it and it was more about dividing opinion than quality. And a little tongue in cheek.

Secondly the CW C60 Elite I have is both lovely and exceedingly accurately against a GPS controlled time (a handful of seconds if that over a week).  The watch is well made to my eye and beautifully boxed and presented.  A great buy I’d say.

Third, I drive a Skoda and would pick a Skoda over a frumpy Audi and day of the week.😉

Garmin Fenix 5S here. I love it. It’s been great for both hiking and biking. Went for the small screen as I’ve a horrible habit of crashing and the smaller screen seems less likely to suffer damage than I am…

I missing box would bother me if they hadn’t mentioned it.  Had similar with CW once.   Bought one of the brown dialled Super Compressor’s in the sale as “nearly new” meaning it was a return.

They failed to mention in the description it was one of the ones with the misprinted dial so the text wasn’t centred.  Would never have bought it if they’d said so in the description.   That was one of the 4 different CW watches I sent back.

A mate at work bought the limited edition Abyss.  They took the money from his account, and then fobbed him off about dispatch for a fortnight, before refunding the money with no explanation.

Not great customer service…

Box and papers are part of the value of the watch for most afficionados. I’d keep the watch if they further discounted by the effect of losing them. The fact they’ve discounted it already is irrelevant as it wasn’t sold as ‘discounted due to missing box/papers’ was it?

Am I being unreasonable asking for the missing items to be supplied?

Not at all.  I got a similarly discounted piece from them & everything arrived as it should.  If they didn’t mention it in the listing then you’re entitled to all of it – they’ll have it somewhere.

My own experience of C.W Sellors customer service leaves quite a lot to be desired. Still waiting for my refund on the non existent Oris.

All that glitters is not gold.

I still haven’t replaced my Xiaomi Band 4, the battery is not great now and it’s very battered – any recommendations for step counter with HR for <£50?

The cases and dials are a step above as is the customer services, but the one “meh” being the unregulated Sellita’s they use in the non COSC versions – but YMMV with regard to that.

@kryton57 not entirely sure what you mean here ?

@kryton57 not entirely sure what you mean here ?

They use a Sellita mechanical movement of which the accuracy is about 15-30s per day (I think), whereas they could regulate the watch in house and make it more accurate to about 5s per day.

They do what most suppliers do though, and put different grades / regulations in different watches and charge more for them.

I think this statement is generally correct, I’m sure someone will correct me if wrong.

Thanks @kryton57