Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

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highway61

Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by highway61 »

I have no firsthand knowledge of the bracelet in question, but I did dislike the strap fastening on my Sector. Possibly the most famous strap associated with divers' watches is the Isofrane, for those not totally decided on a metal bracelet, maybe a relatively simple tang buckle design might suffice?
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by Terminator 2 »

wymore wrote:
Terminator 2 wrote:I cant bear a tight bracelet so I have to wear it loose. As a result the crown etc rubs into the back of the wrist and I cant wear them.
I had the same problem, so I started wearing my C6 on my right hand. It fit better and there's no issue with the crown pushing into my hand. It's not a perfect solution, but it gets the job done.
It is not a perfect solution wymore because you should not be having to find solutions in the first place. It is unacceptable in my opinion.
tricky wrote:It is unacceptable to expect a customer to pay hundreds of pounds for a watch (any watch) which does not fit properly and cannot be adjusted.

Tricky
Exactly Tricky and well put. I for one am never going to shell out 500 quid for a watch that will more than likely not fit. Chris and Co invest a lot of money constantly bringing out new watches. Not all styles will suit everyone but that is the nature of the beast but with enough choice there should be a watch to suit everyone. The butterfly clasp and its lack of adjustment though is a different story.

What I just cannot get my head around is that Chris puts so much effort into the quality of any of the watches be it ETA movements or Sapphire Crystals etc yet he continues to offer all of his bracelets with a clasp that is so badly flawed regarding the lack of adjustment. Take the C40 for instance. On paper it is a fantastic package for the price and it should be a no brainer to want to own one. I cant though because of the bracelet. Do you see Omega use a butterfly clasp? Do you see Brietling use it? Do you see Tag or Oris use it. Do you see Seiko use it? Do you see Rolex use it? In fact you dont even see a butterfly clasp on a Timex? The answer to them all is no. Why is that? If Chris uses it simply to try to be different from the rest of the crowd then his thinking is badly flawed. They all probably dont touch it because it is simply that bad and they know to leave it well alone. If Im honest I cannot get my head around the fact that Chris cant see how bad it is. He must have strange flexible wrists if he cannot see the drawbacks himself especially after all this time. I just dont get it at all.

:(
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by wymore »

Terminator 2 wrote:It is not a perfect solution wymore because you should not be having to find solutions in the first place. It is unacceptable in my opinion.
I completely agree. I used to do quality assurance for a computer company, and my mindset has always been that you don't just make sure everything works properly but also ensure that it is as user friendly as possible. My goal with each product release would be to first try and think of any issues people would have beforehand and then address as many of the complaints as possible to ensure a better product each time. It's odd to me that that is not happening in this case. The only conclusion I can come to is that the number of complaints about the bracelet seem far larger on this forum than the actual percentage that CW is receiving.
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by androo »

wymore wrote: I completely agree. I used to do quality assurance for a computer company, and my mindset has always been that you don't just make sure everything works properly but also ensure that it is as user friendly as possible.
I take it that wasn't microsoft
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by wymore »

Nope it was a company called Wheb Systems. Ironically enough it didn't actually have anything to do with the Internet as the world wide web hadn't really taken off yet. Haven't you seen those new Windows 7 commercials though? Apparently now Microsoft takes everybody's ideas seriously and integrates them into their new products.
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by Robin CB »

wymore wrote:...... Haven't you seen those new Windows 7 commercials though? Apparently now Microsoft takes everybody's ideas seriously and integrates them into their new products.
That's just because they have run out of their own :lol:
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by Malibu »

I've not experienced this particular CW bracelet but I cannot imagine how anyone would be happy with a bracelet that has no micro adjustement so is never likely to actually fit properly.
Even though most Seamasters and Submariners (or less expensive dive watches) do not see water, let alone real diving, they are designed and engineered for this purpose. Most people buying the Trident will want to use it for sports purposes even if not actually diving with it. So the Trident needs a fold over clasp for security which will also give it some adjustment.
The icing on the cake would some sort of ratchet diver's wet suit extension but that would be a nice to have for the small number who want to wear it over a wetsuit. The main thing is that the butterfly clasp goes.
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by RustyinRochester »

I have the Accutron Buzz Aldrin LE that comes with what looks like this very bracelet. It is top notch in every way and very comfortable on the wrist... and very quiet....no jangling of some of the cheap bracelets sold elsewhere.
Image

But it is not a fitting bracelet for a dive watch but maybe fine for a dive-style time piece.

At first, I did not like this new CWL watch but I have to admit, the Pepsi bezel model is starting to grow on me. :D
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by Zero »

I totally agree with the comments made regarding the clasp on the metal strap, infact I have in the past wrote to Chris complaining of the uselessness of the clasp in various situations, ie sport and military work. YOU NEED THE OPTION OF A LOCKING CLASP. Unfortunately it seems to have fallen on deaf ears, for this reason I have stopped buying Christopher's watches and go to other makers for my watches now. The strange thing is all the other makers don't seem to find it a problem and have suitable locking clasps. I am from an army orientated family and will be very interested to see what will be offered with the forthcoming army watch.
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by Terminator 2 »

Zero wrote:I totally agree with the comments made regarding the clasp on the metal strap, infact I have in the past wrote to Chris complaining of the uselessness of the clasp in various situations, ie sport and military work. YOU NEED THE OPTION OF A LOCKING CLASP. Unfortunately it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
It seems virtually everyone is in agreement in here. It is interesting that you mentioned you sent in a letter because others have said they have done the same. I have not sent a letter myself but I have certainly complained often enough about it in this forum. Now though it is really grinding my gears because I would in all honesty buy a Trident Pro but as every CWL watch I personally like uses the same damn bracelet I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have no intentions of buying any more watches that use that bracelet because I like many of you know from personal experience of ownership that it sucks. I am not keeping banging the drum though because I am now getting bored with the whole damn thing. If Chris etc have not got the message by now that we dont like the butterfly clasp then we can do no more. It has fallen on deaf ears in the past as you say but if they continue to ignore it then thats just too bad. I myself will just not be buying any more watches. CWL are a good company and provide a great customer service but that for me is not enough anymore which saddens me if I am honest. A watch is no use to me if I cant make it fit end of story and I originally started this thread simply out of sheer disbelief that yet another CWL watch that I was seriously attracted to was to again use the same bracelet. As I say I am not saying another word on the subject now because I am rapidly losing interest in the whole bloomin thing.

How hard can it be to provide a solution I ask myself?

:?

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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by downer »

I actually like the bracelet on my C4 and have no problem with the clasp. If another watch had the same bracelet, it would not be deal-breaker for me. In fact, I'd quite like one for my white C6.

There, I said it... :wink:
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by village »

Terminator 2 wrote: I am not saying another word on the subject now
Quick...call Ripley's :D :lol:
If you can read this you are too close to your computer screen....
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by inss »

I'm new here but happen to be considering a C60 and so this thread is of interest to me. My guess it that based on what you've described T2, I'd probably have an issue with sizing this thing in addition to issues with the clasp.

So being both new and an action-oriented type, let me ask a newbie question here: Does Chris read these regularly, or does someone have an inside line or something to really push for change here?
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by Kip »

inss wrote:I'm new here but happen to be considering a C60 and so this thread is of interest to me. My guess it that based on what you've described T2, I'd probably have an issue with sizing this thing in addition to issues with the clasp.

So being both new and an action-oriented type, let me ask a newbie question here: Does Chris read these regularly, or does someone have an inside line or something to really push for change here?
I guess I am one of the fortunate ones regarding the bracelets as I have no issues getting a perfect fit. That said.....Although I like the style of the butterfly bracelet, I too would like to see something more substantial in CWL bracelets that would include solid links, screws, locking clasp and micro adjustments. I do think in the long run that a better fit keeps the love longer for the unit purchased. If it does not fit correctly most will tolerate for awhile because they like the watch. Eventually though, the newness wears off and comfort takes over.

As I said I have never had any issues but I fully understand the points made here.

Yes inss... Chris does read the forum on a regular basis and evaluates the input in his own way. I have pointed out the topic to him and asked for his comments. If/when I get them I will let you know.
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Re: Oh No. Chris cant be serious surely ???

Post by Terminator 2 »

inss wrote:I'm new here but happen to be considering a C60 and so this thread is of interest to me. My guess it that based on what you've described T2, I'd probably have an issue with sizing this thing in addition to issues with the clasp.
My dislike is mostly due to the sizing but there is a weak link to them as well over time. The sizing of this bracelet is totally hit or miss. If it fits then you will wonder what all the fuss is about but if your like me you will understand. The only adjustment you have is to remove links. Guessing the approximate link size then that is a 9mm adjustment each way so you stand a good chance with those huge margins of not getting a proper fit. Even worse is if you are like me you have to have and odd and even number of links. Take my C4's for instance. I have to have one side of the bracelet with 9 links and the other side has 10. This means the clasp does not even centre on the back of my wrist. It has to sit slightly to one side. How grating is that? I can assure you it really grates especially if you own 4 watches with the same bracelet and the others you personally are interested in buying also use it. Hence my rant and hence the reason I have no intentions of buying any more until Chris gets off his butt and replaces it. My choice of bracelets over leather IS a personal one. If you dont care about steel then you will love your watch.

I think Kip put it perfectly.
Kip wrote:If it does not fit correctly most will tolerate for awhile because they like the watch. Eventually though, the newness wears off and comfort takes over.
I loved my first C4 because it was a great watch for the money. The bracelet was at that time a mild irritation due to the "glow" of owning the actual watch. As the collection of CWL watches grew then the irritation grew and it is now to the point where I cant stand it and my C4's and C6's get no wrist time as a result. I dont know why but I cant get the C6's close to having a decent fit which makes them even worse for me. They are terribly uncomfortable. What is even more irritating is that Chris has to be well aware of the drawbacks to the butterfly clasp design but has done nothing to sort it. It must be at least 2 years since half links were mentioned by CWL but nothing more has been done about it.

I also mentioned a second issue with the clasp. Over time those teeth that lock the clasp wear out. As a result with a slight flip of the wrist the clasp pops open. I had this happen early on with my first C4 but I managed to sort it but it will not last. Sorry it will actually because I no longer give it wrist time to wear it out further.

Its a bad design pure and simple and it definetly does not belong on a masculine watch due to the variation in mens wrist sizes and possible heavy use of the watch. Until Chris sorts it out buy your C60 with leather. I myself will wait until Chris sorts it out.

:?
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