Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
User avatar
tikkathree
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 8381
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:21 am
CW-watches: 1
Location: East Anglia - arr 'aas right buh

Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by tikkathree »

I confess to watching the C54 Dune Aeolian preview with an immediate reaction equivalent to "hmm, nice but....." :problem: and my overriding sensation was a negative feeling about the case size of 38mm which is a size I hardly ever wear so I thought "that' that" and moved on.

I'd actually watched the vimeo presentation the day after it was first streamed when I thought I was free to concentrate. Yet my predominant thought was "too small for you Pete".

I came home at lunchtime today and launched straight into the predictably expanding threads related to the new C65 Dune models. I was starting to appreciate the design language to the point where I grabbed the callipers and went looking for a 38mm watch: Tadaa! my one 38mm case is an Omega tuning fork watch which I wear but rarely when I rather look past the case size and watch the smooth glide of the sweep second hand around the gold case and dial. I rather regret the size of this watch but I've never gone looking for "the same thing, just bigger".
20250123_133616.jpg
Even before my copy of Loupe dropped on the mat I think the penny had dropped: there's a recurring theme here, something which hadn't occurred to me before.

I remain an ardent fan of the C60 Trident Mk1 and here's a photo of my latest acquisition courtesy of Greg at Wardhoard whom I really can't recommend too much.: notice the wavy dial? Notice the circular indices?
20250123_143334.jpg
These users thanked the author tikkathree for the post (total 2):
WileyECoyoteNoush
C60 MKI, MKII, MKIII: "some",
C6 & C60 Kingfishers,
C600 Tritechs,
C63 "some",
C65 "some",
C4, C40, C8, C9, C3, C5, C20 & 23FLE
Some other brands
JAFO
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 5656
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by JAFO »

tikkathree wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:08 pm I confess to watching the C54 Dune Aeolian preview with an immediate reaction equivalent to "hmm, nice but....." :problem: and my overriding sensation was a negative feeling about the case size of 38mm which is a size I hardly ever wear so I thought "that' that" and moved on.

I'd actually watched the vimeo presentation the day after it was first streamed when I thought I was free to concentrate. Yet my predominant thought was "too small for you Pete".

I came home at lunchtime today and launched straight into the predictably expanding threads related to the new C65 Dune models. I was starting to appreciate the design language to the point where I grabbed the callipers and went looking for a 38mm watch: Tadaa! my one 38mm case is an Omega tuning fork watch which I wear but rarely when I rather look past the case size and watch the smooth glide of the sweep second hand around the gold case and dial. I rather regret the size of this watch but I've never gone looking for "the same thing, just bigger".

20250123_133616.jpg

Even before my copy of Loupe dropped on the mat I think the penny had dropped: there's a recurring theme here, something which hadn't occurred to me before.

I remain an ardent fan of the C60 Trident Mk1 and here's a photo of my latest acquisition courtesy of Greg at Wardhoard whom I really can't recommend too much.: notice the wavy dial? Notice the circular indices?

20250123_143334.jpg

Have you had the Omega a long while? I think the familiarity of years of ownership changes things. My smallest watch is my 35mm Omega Geneve which my wife bought me when we got engaged in the 1970's I never think of it as small. I ought to have it serviced, and that deters me from wearing it. but it feels very comfortable on the wrist.

I did buy a 36mm black halo is the sale, which I am thinking about carefully. It's very dainty, but I can see myself getting used to it. It has a similar vibe to my Geneve to me.

FWIW, your Omega does not look small in your photos. :D
User avatar
timepieces_and_bags
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 622
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2024 2:33 pm
CW-watches: 6

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by timepieces_and_bags »

@tikkathree thanks for the very interesting post - still considering myself a newcomer I'm always fascinated to see some earlier models and the design cues that are carried through to today's releases. That's a lovely Trident and the colors aren't too far off the new models in places either.

The post is about much more than simply case size, so I don't mean to get too far solely down that rabbit hole, but I tend to find when taking wrist shots that the watches seem so much bigger in the photos than in person. And it gets me wondering whether the photo represents the reality of how the watch is perceived or whether staring at my wrist (which doesn't give an 'outsiders' perspective) is how I should be viewing them. It leaves me wondering whether all of my watches are too big and actually 38/39mm* is really a better number for my 17.5cm / 6.9" wrist.

* For the sake of keeping it simple I'm not going to mention lug-to-lug and thickness as well...
These users thanked the author timepieces_and_bags for the post:
tikkathree
I post a few watch pictures now and then to a little Instagram account - 16 followers and counting!
User avatar
tikkathree
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 8381
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:21 am
CW-watches: 1
Location: East Anglia - arr 'aas right buh

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by tikkathree »

JAFO wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:18 pm
tikkathree wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:08 pm I confess to watching the C54 Dune Aeolian preview with an immediate reaction equivalent to "hmm, nice but....." :problem: and my overriding sensation was a negative feeling about the case size of 38mm which is a size I hardly ever wear so I thought "that' that" and moved on.

I'd actually watched the vimeo presentation the day after it was first streamed when I thought I was free to concentrate. Yet my predominant thought was "too small for you Pete".

I came home at lunchtime today and launched straight into the predictably expanding threads related to the new C65 Dune models. I was starting to appreciate the design language to the point where I grabbed the callipers and went looking for a 38mm watch: Tadaa! my one 38mm case is an Omega tuning fork watch which I wear but rarely when I rather look past the case size and watch the smooth glide of the sweep second hand around the gold case and dial. I rather regret the size of this watch but I've never gone looking for "the same thing, just bigger".

20250123_133616.jpg

Even before my copy of Loupe dropped on the mat I think the penny had dropped: there's a recurring theme here, something which hadn't occurred to me before.

I remain an ardent fan of the C60 Trident Mk1 and here's a photo of my latest acquisition courtesy of Greg at Wardhoard whom I really can't recommend too much.: notice the wavy dial? Notice the circular indices?

20250123_143334.jpg

Have you had the Omega a long while? I think the familiarity of years of ownership changes things. My smallest watch is my 35mm Omega Geneve which my wife bought me when we got engaged in the 1970's I never think of it as small. I ought to have it serviced, and that deters me from wearing it. but it feels very comfortable on the wrist.

I did buy a 36mm black halo is the sale, which I am thinking about carefully. It's very dainty, but I can see myself getting used to it. It has a similar vibe to my Geneve to me.

FWIW, your Omega does not look small in your photos. :D
@JAFO I don't think I've owned this hummer since the 1970's, in fact I know I haven't but maybe the early 2000's?

Thankyou for your encouragement on the size of the Omega: I suspect that @timepieces_and_bags might have put his finger on how the camera lens plays with depth of field and relative sizes.

I believe the reality is that my resistance to 38mm case sizes has today softened.
C60 MKI, MKII, MKIII: "some",
C6 & C60 Kingfishers,
C600 Tritechs,
C63 "some",
C65 "some",
C4, C40, C8, C9, C3, C5, C20 & 23FLE
Some other brands
User avatar
timor54
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 1198
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2018 1:44 pm

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by timor54 »

I think the new Dune is a very attractive watch, in particular the blue/steel version. To me it gives off a real Seamaster sort of vibe with the dial texture and the mix of blobs and batons.

Size is subjective; I have an 18.5cm wrist and happily wear a couple of Nomos which are c. 38mm watches with large dials. I also wear a 39mm Tudor Backbay 39 which really does have quite a small dial for its size. From my crude guesstimate it looks like the Dune has a dial area broadly similar to that of my Nomos's, so that should be fine.

However, I feel the lug-to-lug length could be an issue, it's only 43.7mm which is rather short and 2-4mm less than the above watches. It might work on a bracelet but I'm concerned about it on a strap... I think I need to try one on.
Tim
MarkingTime
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 746
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 7:19 pm
CW-watches: 4

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by MarkingTime »

tikkathree wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:08 pm I remain an ardent fan of the C60 Trident Mk1 and here's a photo of my latest acquisition courtesy of Greg at Wardhoard whom I really can't recommend too much.: notice the wavy dial? Notice the circular indices?
20250123_143334.jpg
Indeed, very Seamaster 300.(2531.80) of around the mid 90's
These users thanked the author MarkingTime for the post:
tikkathree
User avatar
Bahnstormer_vRS
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 38083
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:06 pm
CW-watches: 34
LE-three: 1
LE-foura: 1
LE-fourb: 1
LE-six: 1
Location: Hertfordshire, UK

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »


timor54 wrote: . . . ...

However, I feel the lug-to-lug length could be an issue, it's only 43.7mm which is rather short and 2-4mm less than the above watches. It might work on a bracelet but I'm concerned about it on a strap... I think I need to try one on.
That was my conclusion with the Dune GMT I owned and my Sandhursts.

They're fine on a bracelet which gives the appearance of elongating the lugs, or on a NATO which fills the gap between case and strap.

A regular strap makes the watch look smaller than it is.

Guy



Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

These users thanked the author Bahnstormer_vRS for the post:
tikkathree
In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
User avatar
tikkathree
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 8381
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:21 am
CW-watches: 1
Location: East Anglia - arr 'aas right buh

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by tikkathree »

timor54 wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 6:54 pm I think the new Dune is a very attractive watch, in particular the blue/steel version. To me it gives off a real Seamaster sort of vibe with the dial texture and the mix of blobs and batons.

Size is subjective; I have an 18.5cm wrist and happily wear a couple of Nomos which are c. 38mm watches with large dials. I also wear a 39mm Tudor Backbay 39 which really does have quite a small dial for its size. From my crude guesstimate it looks like the Dune has a dial area broadly similar to that of my Nomos's, so that should be fine.

However, I feel the lug-to-lug length could be an issue, it's only 43.7mm which is rather short and 2-4mm less than the above watches. It might work on a bracelet but I'm concerned about it on a strap... I think I need to try one on.
Me also!
C60 MKI, MKII, MKIII: "some",
C6 & C60 Kingfishers,
C600 Tritechs,
C63 "some",
C65 "some",
C4, C40, C8, C9, C3, C5, C20 & 23FLE
Some other brands
User avatar
rkovars
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 4617
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 7:56 pm
CW-watches: 7
Location: New England, US

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by rkovars »

timepieces_and_bags wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:37 pm @tikkathree thanks for the very interesting post - still considering myself a newcomer I'm always fascinated to see some earlier models and the design cues that are carried through to today's releases. That's a lovely Trident and the colors aren't too far off the new models in places either.

The post is about much more than simply case size, so I don't mean to get too far solely down that rabbit hole, but I tend to find when taking wrist shots that the watches seem so much bigger in the photos than in person. And it gets me wondering whether the photo represents the reality of how the watch is perceived or whether staring at my wrist (which doesn't give an 'outsiders' perspective) is how I should be viewing them. It leaves me wondering whether all of my watches are too big and actually 38/39mm* is really a better number for my 17.5cm / 6.9" wrist.

* For the sake of keeping it simple I'm not going to mention lug-to-lug and thickness as well...
People tend to take wrist shots too close to the camera and get a magnified effect due to the lenses. To get a true photo the camera should be held outside of the focus length and cropped in. For example the main lens on my iPhone 13 Pro is 1.5 feet if I remember. It varies by manufacturer AND the lens used so it pays to check. Learning to work inside your lenses parameters is a good lesson for beginners to grab early.

As for the new Dune. The size is fine for me. Even the lug to lug. If I want the look of a bigger time only watch I have one of these in the Murph. However, I personally find the dial gimmicky and I don't feel that it brings much to the watch (to be truthful I kind of feel that way about the Omega too but it has been around so long now it is part of the furniture so to speak). I will pass here. The Sandhurst and Sandhurst II are more my speed. So it goes. If CW made every watch for me I'd be in trouble anyway! :lol:

EDIT to add the bold bit.
These users thanked the author rkovars for the post (total 2):
WileyECoyotetikkathree
Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.
Jack London
User avatar
timepieces_and_bags
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 622
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2024 2:33 pm
CW-watches: 6

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by timepieces_and_bags »

rkovars wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:40 pm People tend to take wrist shots too close to the camera and get a magnified effect due to the lenses. To get a true photo the camera should be held outside of the focus length and cropped in. For example the main lens on my iPhone 13 Pro is 1.5 feet if I remember. It varies by manufacturer so it pays to check. Learning to work inside your lenses parameters is a good lesson for beginners to grab early.
One of my goals for 2025 was to try and take better watch pictures. I don't have the artistic flair, time or patience to be super at it, but thought I would at least try a little harder, and this is good advice that I have definitely started to do.
These users thanked the author timepieces_and_bags for the post:
rkovars
I post a few watch pictures now and then to a little Instagram account - 16 followers and counting!
User avatar
mvlow
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 785
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:29 pm
CW-watches: 2
Location: Oregon

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by mvlow »

rkovars wrote: Fri Jan 24, 2025 1:40 pm
People tend to take wrist shots too close to the camera and get a magnified effect due to the lenses. To get a true photo the camera should be held outside of the focus length and cropped in. For example the main lens on my iPhone 13 Pro is 1.5 feet if I remember. It varies by manufacturer AND the lens used so it pays to check. Learning to work inside your lenses parameters is a good lesson for beginners to grab early.

As for the new Dune. The size is fine for me. Even the lug to lug. If I want the look of a bigger time only watch I have one of these in the Murph. However, I personally find the dial gimmicky and I don't feel that it brings much to the watch (to be truthful I kind of feel that way about the Omega too but it has been around so long now it is part of the furniture so to speak). I will pass here. The Sandhurst and Sandhurst II are more my speed. So it goes. If CW made every watch for me I'd be in trouble anyway! :lol:

EDIT to add the bold bit.
Here is a post I made on this forum a while back that shows pictures I took of a watch using different focal lengths. This is an example of how those focal lengths can make a watch look larger or smaller.

general-discussion/when-people-ask-if-t ... al#p748184
These users thanked the author mvlow for the post (total 3):
rkovarstikkathreeBahnstormer_vRS
Malcolm


CW C60 Vintage Hamilton Khaki Field Sinn 104 CW C65 Vintage GMT Monta Oceanking Elliot Brown Holton
User avatar
timepieces_and_bags
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 622
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2024 2:33 pm
CW-watches: 6

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by timepieces_and_bags »

@mvlow thank you for the very informative post. That’s why all my watches are too big!
These users thanked the author timepieces_and_bags for the post:
mvlow
I post a few watch pictures now and then to a little Instagram account - 16 followers and counting!
JAFO
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 5656
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by JAFO »

@mvlow
thanks for the photos you posted on your other thread. Very informative.
I posted a similar thought on your original thread, thinking I was on this thread. :D
These users thanked the author JAFO for the post:
mvlow
JAFO
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 5656
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Design language, house styles, shifting sands....

Post by JAFO »

Seriously. Is the Dune a field watch?
I expect to see index numbers on a field watch, and the numbers often give a watch a military look to me.

I see the Dune as a GADA certainly, but a dressy GADA.
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post