Editor’s note: Just need a quick watch fix? This preview of the new Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Automatic 36 is a GET TO THE POINT (GTTP) review with all the info you want /need to know QUICK. This is not a sponsored post. For our detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here.
What is it: After Rolex, Omega and Sinn, it’s time for the affordable luxury Swiss watch king to bring to your slim wrists a colourful palette of nicely designed and very reasonably priced timepieces. Meet the new C63 Sealander Automatic 36. Fittingly for those with slim wrists thanks to its very petit — yet welcome and quite old school to be honest — 36mm x 11.25mm x 45.8mm measurements, and dazzling you in four exciting colours called Lucerne Blue (aka the hot Tiffany blue), New Forest Yellow, Jura Green and Acer Red alongside the stereotypical black and white dials.
Why: The colours of Swiss topography and English flora — the brand after all in half Swiss, half English — act as the perfect backdrop for being on trend
When released: 28th July – all colours released in limited numbers of 200-pieces only
Where: As with all Christopher Ward timepieces, please head to their website here
Who is it for: For those with both sense and taste; for a mere ~1’070 AUD, you get to chose between some beautiful and colourful lacquer dials, and then there’s also the limited availability to throw on top, it’s one hard deal to say no to
How does it do: In 2020, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Collection in 36mm and 41mm diameters with lacquer dials was announced. And the craze for coloured dial — especially the unofficial yet very much resonant of the spirit of the Tiffany Blue colour — began. It was recently discontinued, for reasons best known to Rolex.
Then in March this year, Sinn announced the 556 LE with four new colourful daily wearable beauties (along with Omega doing the same). Out of these three, the Sinn 556 was the most pocket friendly at 1’990 AUD. Compared to the price points of Rolex and Omega, these were simply a steal (and sold out pretty quickly as well).
Now Christopher Ward enters the colourful dial game, with its own interpretation, and a price that gives the competition something to chew on: the new C63 Sealander Automatic 36 collection retails (from) £635 /$765/ €840 or roughly 1’070 AUD (so for the same price as the 39mm C63 Sealander Automatic on a Hybrid Rubber strap).
The new C63 Sealander Automatic 36 measures reasonably smaller than the existing 39mm: it features a thickness of 10.75mm and L2L of 42.87mm as compared to the thickness and lug-to-lug spacing of 11.25mm and 45.8mm as that of the C63 Sealander Automatic 39. I haven’t gone hands-on with these yet, but I sure would love to see these side by side.
We have, however, gone hands-on with the 40mm x 10.9mm x 46.9mm Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Elite in the past, and guessing by our user experience with that, the new C63 Sealander Automatic 36 should work well for those worth rather slim wrists of 16cm or under. And this makes it quite a unisex watch a well.
Inside the new Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Automatic 36 ticks the same as Sinn 556 tried-and-tested Swiss Sellita SW-200-1 which is an automatic-winding mechanical movement measuring 25.6mm x 4.6mm. The movement has a timing tolerance of +/- 20 sec p/day, comprises 26 jewels, beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28’800 A/h), and offers a 38-hour power reserve (and an Elaboré ‘Colimaçoné’ finish).
Even though the power reserve is on the lower end, I am very pleased with the incorporation of quick release strap mechanism and the added 150m water-resistance. Looks are subjective but with the Light-catcher™ case, the bright lacquer dials, the top-brushed and diamond-polished indexes filled with Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 BL C1, and the date wheel aligning with the indices and also mirroring perfectly the new logo at 12’o clock, it is hard to argue that these are not some pretty fine looking timepieces.
A watch should be practical and be good looking too, and the new C63 Sealander Automatic 36 delivers on both fronts. It only helps its case that it’s also limited and rather pocket-friendly.
To find out more about the new Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Automatic 36 and other CW timepieces, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise stated are © 2016 Christopher Ward (London) Ltd.
