Christopher Ward C6 Kingfisher Diver-Pro C6SKSI

13/01/2008

A while ago my awesome Casio Wave-Ceptor watch broke, so it was time to look for a new everyday watch that could get slightly battered without me minding too much. I'd been aware of a watchmaker bearing my name, Christopher Ward, for a while, but had been less than impressed by the styling of their range. But at the time I was looking for a new wrist clock they had a new diver model on the horizon which looked pretty damn good. Christopher Ward are a relatively young London based watchmaker, with the aim of delivering high quality watches at a low price. This coupled with the fact they had my name on them made quite an attractive package. So, with my namesake discount of 15% I purchased the C6 for around £115.

The Good:
First off are the looks, which are obviously subject to opinion, but I think it looks really nice. I love the finish on the metal, it looks more industrious and serious than the usual polished stainless, which personally I think can look a bit cheap. This kind of finish fares well with scratches, making them much less visible than if they were on polished metal. The only 'shiny' bits are the edge of the bezel and the crown, a couple of nice touches which balance well. I also went for the silicone rubber strap; this won't scratch, and I think the black fits in better with the overall appearance of the watch. The clasp is a regular folding clip type which works fine.

The face is large and simple. The black has a nice, subtle shimmer when moved in light, and the logo and markers are nicely proportioned. The hands are a little basic, but I guess they fit in with the style of the watch. The crystal is about 3mm thick and scratch resistant. This looks cool at an angle when it refracts the light, showing just how thick it is!

The unidirectional bezel has a satisfyingly tight action with no play at all. The timekeeping is frankly amazing. Of course this varies slightly from movement to movement, but every time I've gone to set it against a radio controlled clock it never needs adjusting!

The packaging is also excellent. A nice display box adds to the quality feel of the product, a hand signed letter from Mr. Ward himself is a nice touch. I was also contacted by him shortly after purchasing the watch to ask if I'd like a free catalogue, I think the personal contact with him is great in making you feel a valued customer (even if he just hasn't got a lot and is looking for something to do during the day...)

The Bad:
Only a couple of gripes. The first batch of watches were late by a few weeks so I guess in the hurry to get them sent out the assembly was slightly rushed. As a result of this there was a tiny bit of lint under the crystal. This doesn't really bother me as its only visible under the right lighting. Another minor thing it that the second hand falls slightly short of the second markers, so the movement is slightly off alignment. The bottom strap has popped out of its holes a couple of times too, but probably due to me not putting them in properly...

All in all I'd say this was an excellent watch, I'm certainly very happy with it and look forward to see the Chris Ward range expanding in the future. He does the name proud!