A post someone made about a recent acquisition got me thinking about this. Are there any CW models you really wanted to like but just didn’t/don’t, models that perhaps you keep coming back to hoping it will click but…nothing?

For me, I really wanted to like the Aquitaine. In fact, I wanted to love the Aquitaine. It checks all the boxes I thought I wanted, but it just doesn’t do it for me. I keep revisiting it, hoping perhaps I’ll look upon it with fresh eyes but….nothing.

The C65 Chronograph falls into this category too. I really want to like it, but the dial is too busy for me.

And finally, and this might be blasphemy, the current C60 600 Pro. It certainly is beautiful, and the feature set is impressive. I’ve looked at them multiple times when the 38mm shows up in the sales, but in those cases the only thing truly attractive to me is the price. I’m not knocking the watch, I think the design might just be too refined and too elegant a dive watch for me. It’s tool-ness is missing.

I wanted to love the Aquitaine. It checks all the boxes I thought I wanted, but it just doesn’t do it for me

There are a geed few purchase that we make with our heart, not our head. I'd venture to suggest that watches are one of them. If we use logic, then an £80 Casio G-Shock would be on most peoples wrist. And why would anyone drive a classic car is we used logic, when a modern one is so much better in (almost) every way?

But we are humans, and humans are emotional creatures.

I know what you mean Andrew.

I have been busy of late hoovering up all the 'old' pieces I wanted but never had, in lieu of just buying new releases.

I wouldn't like to think how many times I hovered over the buy button for the sand dial GMT Aquitaine - and that includes when I have had a few beers

I grabbed a Graphite which I am still pleased with - I thought I may have lived to regret it after a week or so, but absent of any other stealth watches, I like having it in my collection to bring some breadth to the dial, case and bracelet colour range.

I am also looking forward to taking delivery of my C63 FLE, which will be my first C63.

I particularly liked the WatchGecko release, but wasn't quick enough to grab one unfortunately - maybe another time, at the right price.

Before the Graphite and C63 FLE, my last purchase from CW towers was the C60 Concept, which I love.

I attended the BC preview - I appreciated the work that's gone into the watch, but I just can't being myself to appreciate it aesthetically.

LOL- as per my opening statement, I reverted to buying a Jumping Hour instead, thereby tipping my hat to the underlying JJ mod

I do really like the fact that the BC has brought CW so much positive acclaim across thw watch industry - not to mention the long-term financial benefits - and trust that CW will continue to inspire me to buy many more of their watches in future.

Hear is a bit of a self introspective question for you Andrew. Is it that you are under impressed with the watch, or have you just reached that point where you are satisfied with your current collection? To answer your question, yes I feel the same. CW has arguably, a wonderful and varied line up, but nothing that just screams “I have to have that”. As nice as the new offerings are, I’m not sure I like any of them that much more than what I already own. I’m trying not to add just for the thrill of buying a new watch. That punch of aderalin during an un-boxing can become very addictive.

For me it is the C60 Elite Titanium. I want to love this watch and it should fit right in my wheelhouse. Dive watch, matte dial and bezel, fully graduated bezel, date... But I can't get past the small details. The underline from 0-16 minutes looks wrong. It should stop at 15 minutes. I can't put my finger on it but the day/date looks wrong to me as well. I think it would look better with just the date. The blue never looked right to me but I freely admit that might change seeing one in the flesh.

I have had it in my basket off and on for the better part of a year. Can't seem to pull the trigger.

watchaholic wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 6:48 pm Hear is a bit of a self introspective question for you Andrew. Is it that you are under impressed with the watch, or have you just reached that point where you are satisfied with your current collection?

Neither, really. I think what I’m talking about is maybe a watch that falls in that grey are between like and dislike. CW has made watches that I simply don’t like. I was excited for the revamped C7 line up. When they came out, I just straight up didn’t like the look, and that’s fine. Not every watch will be everyone’s cup of tea.

In contrast, with something like the Aquitaine, it’s not that I dislike it. It’s a lovely watch, and well executed in its details, and yet it leaves me cold.

I’ll tell you what’s odd, by all accounts I ought to not find the C60 300 appealing. It’s refined and elegant in the way the 600 is, and it’s got elements that I straight up disliked on other CW models. But for some reason, I like them on the 300 and really like the watch over all.

It’s weird how our brains work with these things.

I approach this from a slightly different angle. Once I have decided something is not for me there is seldom any backtracking. Move on, no regrets. The one exception to that was the C9 SS. I decided it was too big at first and then I decided it wasn’t.

Every time there is a launch in the offing I keep hoping that CW is going to introduce something that will, to use one of Mike’s expressions, “blow my socks off”. Given the heavy preponderance in recent years of dive watches and militaria, that doesn’t tend to happen. Notable exceptions being the Sealander GMT, which I have, and the Bel Canto, which I don’t.

I keep hoping that they will introduce something that blows my personal socks off, so to speak, and the dive brigade can go sit in a corner and suck a lemon for a while. Hope springs eternal.

rkovars wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 7:05 pm For me it is the C60 Elite Titanium. I want to love this watch and it should fit right in my wheelhouse. Dive watch, matte dial and bezel, fully graduated bezel, date... But I can't get past the small details. The underline from 0-16 minutes looks wrong. It should stop at 15 minutes. I can't put my finger on it but the day/date looks wrong to me as well. I think it would look better with just the date. The blue never looked right to me but I freely admit that might change seeing one in the flesh.

I have had it in my basket off and on for the better part of a year. Can't seem to pull the trigger.

Similar for me. However, it is not the looks or aesthetics that killed it for me, it was the thickness.
I bought one a year or so ago and wore it regularly for several months. On the bracelet it was just at the absolute limit of being able to get a cuff over it. Since I bought it in the winter, this was a bit of a headache with wearing long sleeves, jumpers etc.
Ok, come summer with lighter shirts, short sleeved shirts and no jumpers? No problems, right?
Actually, no. I tend to go for single-pass straps or NATOs a lot in the summer and this additional thickness under the watch really made it bobble about on my wrist and I just felt uncomfortable with it all.
So, it was passed on.
I really miss it though. I’ve stalked many on eBay and always get a twitchy finger when the sales come by, but just can’t bring myself to risk it again.
Now, if CW could do a “Pelagos”, it might be more promising. Drop the diameter a couple of millimetres, drop the thickness by a few more, ditch the helium escape valve and sacrifice a few hundred metres of waterproofing? I’d pre-order in a heart-beat!
Keep well
C

Whilst I may like the idea of a forthcoming release, whether CW or another brand, at the point when I have seen it and know all the details it simply becomes…

Nope on reflection it is not as I had anticipated, it isn’t really a watch for me after all. Or…

I like the look of that, I need to take a closer look. Maybe I will look to buy one at some time.

I tend not to revisit and try and move myself from the “no not for me” box to the “yes I am now interested I now like it” box.

Neil

nbg wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:16 pm Whilst I may like the idea of a forthcoming release, whether CW or another brand, at the point when I have seen it and know all the details it simply becomes…

Nope on reflection it is not as I had anticipated, it isn’t really a watch for me after all. Or…

I like the look of that, I need to take a closer look. Maybe I will look to buy one at some time.

I tend not to revisit and try and move myself from the “no not for me” box to the “yes I am now interested I now like it” box.

Neil

I took his meaning to not move from 'no not for me' but more of a limbo state of 'I really like this but'. That nasty middle ground where there is no definite yes or no.

Good post. Any bicompax chrono so sadly the pretty blue white and redness of the C65 chrono, the C60 bumble. I'm yet to fall sufficiently for an Aquitaine or for the old Bill Cantor. I'm not really a dress watch guy so I walk straight past that door too.

Yes I get it completely Andrew, I 'like' or don't dislike the CW offerings apart from the military associated ones (just really not for me). The rest however are very handsome, some lovely designs and good value, they just don't excite me enough. I initially really liked the idea of the Sunrise orange but it cooled very quickly on closer inspection and didn't purchase, wanted to like the c60 titanium but not enough, even the BC left me a bit cold.. I want to like them more and I hope one comes along that really stands out but none for a while now.
Im still a fan and have 7-8 in the box.
Having moved them from awareness to interest to yes / no, I rarely if ever revisit the decision, too many other shiny interesting things out there..
I'll keep looking at CW and hope to purchase from them in the future.

Oh this is an interesting subject Andrew
I'll look at this on a couple of levels. Am I interested in this style of watch? Does the concept of it interest me but do I just not identify with it as presented?
I'm at a point now where I just don't need another diver although a Super Compressor 'style' remains interesting. But CW's, whilst I think it is actually a terrific watch is for someone else. Thickness of the timing bezel? Dunno, but it just doesn't work for me. I really wanted it to.

Being someone with, ahem, an elegantly sized wrist (OK, skinny) I am careful with size. I can only have so many 'full-sized' watches and I have 2 mechanical chronographs which are fine but as big as I'd want. And yeah, the C65 Chronograph just too busy, the ones I have are not.

The concept of the BC is great but in the end I didn't put the money down because I just don't need another piece that kind of size.

Noush wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:45 am Oh this is an interesting subject Andrew
I'll look at this on a couple of levels. Am I interested in this style of watch? Does the concept of it interest me but do I just not identify with it as presented?

That’s an excellent way to put it, perhaps better than I was able to explain!

The super compressor is another excellent example. I was fascinated by the mechanics of it, the internal bezel, the two crowns, and vintage vibe, but it just didn’t do much for me. Then they introduced it in the deep blue and it was a different story!