New here! I am a long-term admirer of the brand (although to my shame there are currently no CW's in the box....soon to change).
When inspiration strikes, I sometimes mess around with watches in photoshop and had a crack at redoing the C65 Aquitaine, as if CW had been around in the mid 50s at the dawn of the dive watch. It's more a few tweaks than a full redesign but I thought you might get a kick out of it
Updates are:
No date
New (old) hands based on the Mk1 Trident
Revised serif typography on the dial & bezel insert
Tapered beads of rice bracelet
Red accents on bezel insert & seconds hand
Cream lume
50s style Christopher Ward logo
These users thanked the author Friendlyghost for the post (total 7):
@Friendlyghost
I like that black version. I like the brand name and the stylised logo. I'm not keen on the decorative font for Aquitaine. It starts to look more fifty fathoms to me. Was that the idea?
JAFO wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 8:41 am
@Friendlyghost
I like that black version. I like the brand name and the stylised logo. I'm not keen on the decorative font for Aquitaine. It starts to look more fifty fathoms to me. Was that the idea?
Friendlyghost wrote: ↑Tue Aug 29, 2023 4:02 pm
Hi everyone,
New here! I am a long-term admirer of the brand (although to my shame there are currently no CW's in the box....soon to change).
When inspiration strikes, I sometimes mess around with watches in photoshop and had a crack at redoing the C65 Aquitaine, as if CW had been around in the mid 50s at the dawn of the dive watch. It's more a few tweaks than a full redesign but I thought you might get a kick out of it
Picsart_23-08-29_15-04-46-933.jpg
Updates are:
No date
New (old) hands based on the Mk1 Trident
Revised serif typography on the dial & bezel insert
Tapered beads of rice bracelet
Red accents on bezel insert & seconds hand
Cream lume
50s style Christopher Ward logo
That looks great. Amazing how getting a logo and font right can make so much difference to the aesthetic.
Nice work
I’m sure the onion hands will make a comeback at some point, and I’m sure that CW will be watching and deciding when the nostalgia has built up enough pressure to go ahead and use them again
These users thanked the author missF for the post:
JAFO wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 8:41 am
@Friendlyghost
I like that black version. I like the brand name and the stylised logo. I'm not keen on the decorative font for Aquitaine. It starts to look more fifty fathoms to me. Was that the idea?
Yep! Although it's a style also seen on the Zodiac Sea Wolfs/Aquastars/Skin Divers of the period. As MarkingTime says, it's got a nod to the FF so seemed appropriate.
MarkingTime wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 10:21 am
That looks great. Amazing how getting a logo and font right can make so much difference to the aesthetic.
Cheers! Typeface is so important on vintage inspired/reissued pieces. Especially the small serifs that come off the letters, a small detail that really makes up a lot of charm, noticeable on the bezel especially.
As for the logo, i'm just a layman with no design experience (beyond an Art GCSE!) but even a small redesign like that is really difficult to get right. I looked at 1950s watch logos from the period, and circular designs seemed to be very in vogue at that point.
The advert is terrific. Easily as good as a lot of modern adverts.
I love the small caps style you used for CHRISTOPHER WARD. I like the similar way RAYMOND WEIL include their word brand. If CW ever decide to go that way again....
