Once again , Rich (@rkovars) coming through with an outstanding post that illustrates perfectly why he was asked to be a moderator.

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 4:41 pm Once again , Rich (@rkovars) coming through with an outstanding post that illustrates perfectly why he was asked to be a moderator.

And I thought it was because of the compromising photos he had of the rest of the admin team……..

^^^^

goodbarista wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 2:01 am Isn't the Super Compressor in the C65 Dune and Aquitaine family? I remember seeing somewhere there should be an update coming to the Aquitaine line sometime this summer. Looking forward to seeing what CW have in store for it.

A smaller case would be my guess, possibly do away with the sapphire bezel insert and less 'fauxtina'.

I'd like to see more premium movements fitted, like the SW300 with 56hr PR.

I agree, I am very appreciative of the well thought out post by Rich. I will add my own observations, which are mostly personal opinion. I concur with Rich that the Super Compressor watch was designed for a niche market & never was going to be everyone's cup of tea. One of those things that you either like the retro dive watch idea & design or you don't. I happened to be one of those that did like the idea behind the revival of the Super Compressor & consider the design of the original CW Compressor to be one of the most attractive that the brand has ever released. When the opportunity of buying one on a January CW sale presented itself, I did not hesitate to buy one of the dark blue ones. Why did I think the originals were photogenic & attractive to my eye, at least? For one, the cushion case was different than the usual CW dive watch case & wears very comfortably. I did prefer the dark blue over the white around the interior bezel as the latter reminded me of a bathroom scale. I liked the idea of an inner rotating bezel operated by a separate crown. What really set off that first line of Super Compressors & put them into jewelry status was the faceted indices that glittered in bright sunlight! The exhibition case back exposing the orange compressor ring added to the overall aesthetic. This is where personal opinion comes into play. Removing the faceted indices that did so much to make the watch sparkle is the biggest detractor from the new version for me. And while the colorful dial with the dive tables may provide retro appeal for some, it does make the dial appear very busy & would quickly grow old for me if I were to buy one. This project does feel very much like the CW design team thought along these lines. "We released a limited-edition dive timer which sold out quickly. How can we bring back the look of that dial without violating the idea of the original limited edition run?" Maybe the steel embossed coin on the back will appeal to many would be buyers. Not for me. I would prefer to be able to see a nicely decorated rotor & movement rather than a coin that looks like it has been glued on. I do hope that it sells well for the company, but I believe that they are hedging their bets if it doesn't by going the pre-order route. Mike France in a recent interview, answered the question of whether the Dallas showroom would carry watches to sell or not. Mike explained the downside of carrying a lot of inventory & pre-order is one way of getting around that. If the new Super Compressors don't sell well, the company won't be sitting on excess stock of them with money tied up. I respect that Christopher Ward makes different ranges of watches for different consumer tastes & not everything they release needs to appeal to me personally. I just wanted to explain why I liked the original enough to buy one & keep it as one of the most attractive watches that I own. I am a guy that prefers classic styling & looks in my watches that tend to pass the test of time & never grow old. This one looks too gimmicky for my tastes but that is just me. Rich made an excellent explanation of why with the improved movement & COSC certification along with rising manufacturing costs, it is priced as it is. That isn't my issue of contention. Overall, like a lot of things, the price of watches is going up. Price really doesn't matter if one doesn't find the design appealing.

Delmar

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 1:39 pm

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 12:44 pm

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 12:33 pm Is this the first of any “Elite” model not to be titanium?

I was thinking the same thing. What makes this elite exactly? The upgraded movement? And it’s quite a premium over the standard SC!

+$500 for a COSC cert for the elite over the standard SC does appear a big jump. Maybe the half solid caseback drives some price too?

I can't really find another line to compare this with, but perhaps if you look at the Aquitaine auto vs. the Dartmouth it will shed some light. They're very similar watches spec-wise, with the primary difference being COSC rating for the Dartmouth.

$1160 for Aquitaine vs. $1295 for Dartmouth (both on bracelet). A $135 premium where the primary difference maker appears to be COSC.

I'll admit when I saw the email and saw "Elite" I started salivating at the thought of a titanium SC. Then was let down a bit by the design and the price.

Still, the color scheme is fun and I know people will buy it and get enjoyment from it

It's the movement that makes this 'Elite'. The SW300 is a superior movement to the SW200. Factoring in profit margins, this alone would explain any price difference.
SW200.1 SP quality £250
SW300.1 SP quality £430
UK pricing from a wholesale outlet.

MarkingTime wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 5:54 pm

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 1:39 pm

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 12:44 pm

I was thinking the same thing. What makes this elite exactly? The upgraded movement? And it’s quite a premium over the standard SC!

+$500 for a COSC cert for the elite over the standard SC does appear a big jump. Maybe the half solid caseback drives some price too?

I can't really find another line to compare this with, but perhaps if you look at the Aquitaine auto vs. the Dartmouth it will shed some light. They're very similar watches spec-wise, with the primary difference being COSC rating for the Dartmouth.

$1160 for Aquitaine vs. $1295 for Dartmouth (both on bracelet). A $135 premium where the primary difference maker appears to be COSC.

I'll admit when I saw the email and saw "Elite" I started salivating at the thought of a titanium SC. Then was let down a bit by the design and the price.

Still, the color scheme is fun and I know people will buy it and get enjoyment from it

It's the movement that makes this 'Elite'. The SW300 is a superior movement to the SW200. Factoring in profit margins, this alone would explain any price difference.
SW200.1 SP quality £250
SW300.1 SP quality £430
UK pricing from a wholesale outlet.

Thank you, I was unaware there was that high of a price difference for the SW300 when I wrote that post. @Ollyw and @rkovars were kind enough to point this out as well

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 6:00 pm

MarkingTime wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 5:54 pm

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 1:39 pm

+$500 for a COSC cert for the elite over the standard SC does appear a big jump. Maybe the half solid caseback drives some price too?

I can't really find another line to compare this with, but perhaps if you look at the Aquitaine auto vs. the Dartmouth it will shed some light. They're very similar watches spec-wise, with the primary difference being COSC rating for the Dartmouth.

$1160 for Aquitaine vs. $1295 for Dartmouth (both on bracelet). A $135 premium where the primary difference maker appears to be COSC.

I'll admit when I saw the email and saw "Elite" I started salivating at the thought of a titanium SC. Then was let down a bit by the design and the price.

Still, the color scheme is fun and I know people will buy it and get enjoyment from it

It's the movement that makes this 'Elite'. The SW300 is a superior movement to the SW200. Factoring in profit margins, this alone would explain any price difference.
SW200.1 SP quality £250
SW300.1 SP quality £430
UK pricing from a wholesale outlet.

Thank you, I was unaware there was that high of a price difference for the SW300 when I wrote that post. @Ollyw and @rkovars were kind enough to point this out as well

Yes, I saw that after I posted. The SW300 really is a step up though, in several regards and a lovely movement.

MarkingTime wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 5:40 pm

goodbarista wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 2:01 am Isn't the Super Compressor in the C65 Dune and Aquitaine family? I remember seeing somewhere there should be an update coming to the Aquitaine line sometime this summer. Looking forward to seeing what CW have in store for it.

A smaller case would be my guess, possibly do away with the sapphire bezel insert and less 'fauxtina'.

I'd like to see more premium movements fitted, like the SW300 with 56hr PR.

The Aquitaine is just over 2 years old (introduced in April 2022). I would think a refresh would come next year at the earliest. But you never know.

The C65 divers have all been 41mm since the beginning. I am not sure they would change now.

The sapphire bezel is a key feature to the Aquitaine diver. I don't think they would get rid of it without changing the entire range to something else. Which also could happen. They would rebrand as C65 'Insert Name Here'.

@MarkingTime I entirely passed that by in my first look at the watch (SW300 vs SW200), but I love the fact they're using it here and hope to see it used more in the future!

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 6:04 pm @MarkingTime I entirely passed that by in my first look at the watch (SW300 vs SW200), but I love the fact they're using it here and hope to see it used more in the future!

Me too. I think it will allow CW to be a more direct competitor to established luxury brands.

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 6:02 pm

MarkingTime wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 5:40 pm

goodbarista wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 2:01 am Isn't the Super Compressor in the C65 Dune and Aquitaine family? I remember seeing somewhere there should be an update coming to the Aquitaine line sometime this summer. Looking forward to seeing what CW have in store for it.

A smaller case would be my guess, possibly do away with the sapphire bezel insert and less 'fauxtina'.

I'd like to see more premium movements fitted, like the SW300 with 56hr PR.

The Aquitaine is just over 2 years old (introduced in April 2022). I would think a refresh would come next year at the earliest. But you never know.

The C65 divers have all been 41mm since the beginning. I am not sure they would change now.

The sapphire bezel is a key feature to the Aquitaine diver. I don't think they would get rid of it without changing the entire range to something else. Which also could happen. They would rebrand as C65 'Insert Name Here'.

I get the size thing, but Tudor dropped the BB to 39mm from 41mm and look at the result! It was a runaway success. Not to mention the Pelagos 39. I would be surprised if CW didn’t have a similar response planned.

I would add that my next watch is likely to be a BB58, unless CW come out with something more premium in a “toolified” version of a C60 or Aquitaine.

MarkingTime wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 6:31 pm I would add that my next watch is likely to be a BB58, unless CW come out with something more premium in a “toolified” version of a C60 or Aquitaine.

Keep your eyes peeled for the 'Ultimate' C60 Pro 300 expected next month (no inside release info).