JasperCat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:35 pm

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 2:58 pm The bracelet is very interesting. Screws I could take or leave. A taper to 16 mm is nice. Cuts 10 g from the weight. They mentioned that it also has a longer micro adjust and they are going to continue with incorporating the 'half' links. All good improvements. They also said the new ones will back fit MK1 models.

The Aquitaine bracelet is available to order separately of course (still delayed until June)... might be worth getting one to fit to some of my C65 MK1s

https://www.christopherward.com/watch-s ... XS-MA.html

I am looking at that as well.

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:42 pm

JasperCat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:35 pm

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 2:58 pm The bracelet is very interesting. Screws I could take or leave. A taper to 16 mm is nice. Cuts 10 g from the weight. They mentioned that it also has a longer micro adjust and they are going to continue with incorporating the 'half' links. All good improvements. They also said the new ones will back fit MK1 models.

The Aquitaine bracelet is available to order separately of course (still delayed until June)... might be worth getting one to fit to some of my C65 MK1s

https://www.christopherward.com/watch-s ... XS-MA.html

I am looking at that as well.

I seem to recall that the other guy (behind Mike at the preview), mentioned that the micro adjust had a longer range too, and the website mentions better action on the quick release pins... this, plus that taper could make a fantastic upgrade for my C65 SH21 LE

golfjunky wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:13 pm

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:05 pm

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:01 pm

I remember somewhere France saying that this was a trial balloon of sorts and the model didn't sell well. That made them tap the breaks and plan a longer transition to flags only but he saw that as the end goal. That was a year or more ago I think.

I came to the CWF preview late but managed to drop in on the CWE preview. In that one he said the transition to to the flag logo only was 5 years in the making. He said they wanted to do it 5 years ago but lawyers advised against and encouraged flags and word mark for 5 years before going flag logo only. His comments made it sound (to me at least) that flag logo only will be the standard moving forward.

Of course he would say that he wanted to do it before CW left. i do not believe a word that comes out of his mouth

C7 Rapide models released in 2017 with only the logo support what he’s saying. I understand you have a certain distrust for the man, but it sounds like you’re letting that distrust lead you to unreasonable closed-mindedness.


Back to the topic at hand, I had overlooked the price on these. $1250 USD for the base auto on bracelet is STEEP. Almost $200 more than the C60 auto on bracelet. Wow. That’s more money that the C63 GMT, and as someone else noted, more money than the COSC Dartmouth. I understand the improvements in the bracelet, but maaaan. That’s getting up there.

The Aquitaine GMT is my favourite although I like the idea of White Sand Automatic too. I generally prefer modern, forward-looking design to retro inspired design. I think I will have to see these in the flesh to make up my mind one way or another. CW seem to have found a consistent design language now though and that can only be a good thing.

The Worn and Wound have now published a short article on the Aquitaine line.

https://wornandwound.com/christopher-wa ... aine-line/

JasperCat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:35 pm

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 2:58 pm The bracelet is very interesting. Screws I could take or leave. A taper to 16 mm is nice. Cuts 10 g from the weight. They mentioned that it also has a longer micro adjust and they are going to continue with incorporating the 'half' links. All good improvements. They also said the new ones will back fit MK1 models.

The Aquitaine bracelet is available to order separately of course (still delayed until June)... might be worth getting one to fit to some of my C65 MK1s

https://www.christopherward.com/watch-s ... XS-MA.html

Do they fit. The case is sized differently, at least lug to lug.

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:52 pm

golfjunky wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:13 pm

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:05 pm

I came to the CWF preview late but managed to drop in on the CWE preview. In that one he said the transition to to the flag logo only was 5 years in the making. He said they wanted to do it 5 years ago but lawyers advised against and encouraged flags and word mark for 5 years before going flag logo only. His comments made it sound (to me at least) that flag logo only will be the standard moving forward.

Of course he would say that he wanted to do it before CW left. i do not believe a word that comes out of his mouth

C7 Rapide models released in 2017 with only the logo support what he’s saying. I understand you have a certain distrust for the man, but it sounds like you’re letting that distrust lead you to unreasonable closed-mindedness.


Back to the topic at hand, I had overlooked the price on these. $1250 USD for the base auto on bracelet is STEEP. Almost $200 more than the C60 auto on bracelet. Wow. That’s more money that the C63 GMT, and as someone else noted, more money than the COSC Dartmouth. I understand the improvements in the bracelet, but maaaan. That’s getting up there.

Who else does sapphire bezels out of interest? I must say I see these improvements as squarely trying to position CW against an Oris Aquis, say. CW prices still seem cheap compared with Oris. That must be what CW must want. To be considered as a better watch than Oris or Longines, not as a better watch that any random non swiss micro brand.

golfjunky wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:13 pm

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:05 pm

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:01 pm

I remember somewhere France saying that this was a trial balloon of sorts and the model didn't sell well. That made them tap the breaks and plan a longer transition to flags only but he saw that as the end goal. That was a year or more ago I think.

I came to the CWF preview late but managed to drop in on the CWE preview. In that one he said the transition to to the flag logo only was 5 years in the making. He said they wanted to do it 5 years ago but lawyers advised against and encouraged flags and word mark for 5 years before going flag logo only. His comments made it sound (to me at least) that flag logo only will be the standard moving forward.

Of course he would say that he wanted to do it before CW left. i do not believe a word that comes out of his mouth

That's what I understood too.

I felt there was a moment of embarrassment during this forum's zoom preview. The questions were theming on bracelet details (screws no pins, the size of screwdriver required, the micro-adjust function) and retrofit compatibility across the brand and, tbh, we weren't really talking about the Aquitaine watches.
I know most of us were on mute but when Mike F asked "Do you like the watches guys?" it really felt like one of those tumbleweed moment awkward silences.

The logo, the swoosh? It means nothing to me but maybe it's one of those "yoof" things like having your jeans arse hanging off and your y-fronts on display above the waistband: I just don't get it. Oh wait I need to check something.....the other watches I own are all logo and name on the dial with two microbrand exceptions.

I see the awkwardness of using the name of Christopher Ward, I really do but are we looking to a future major rebranding? "Good morning, Twin Cross Watches, how can I help you today?"

ssholloway21 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:00 pm

JasperCat wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:35 pm

rkovars wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 2:58 pm The bracelet is very interesting. Screws I could take or leave. A taper to 16 mm is nice. Cuts 10 g from the weight. They mentioned that it also has a longer micro adjust and they are going to continue with incorporating the 'half' links. All good improvements. They also said the new ones will back fit MK1 models.

The Aquitaine bracelet is available to order separately of course (still delayed until June)... might be worth getting one to fit to some of my C65 MK1s

https://www.christopherward.com/watch-s ... XS-MA.html

Do they fit. The case is sized differently, at least lug to lug.

Yes. This was confirmed by the designer in the meet.

JAFO wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:02 pm

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:52 pm

golfjunky wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:13 pm

Of course he would say that he wanted to do it before CW left. i do not believe a word that comes out of his mouth

C7 Rapide models released in 2017 with only the logo support what he’s saying. I understand you have a certain distrust for the man, but it sounds like you’re letting that distrust lead you to unreasonable closed-mindedness.


Back to the topic at hand, I had overlooked the price on these. $1250 USD for the base auto on bracelet is STEEP. Almost $200 more than the C60 auto on bracelet. Wow. That’s more money that the C63 GMT, and as someone else noted, more money than the COSC Dartmouth. I understand the improvements in the bracelet, but maaaan. That’s getting up there.

Who else does sapphire bezels out of interest? I must say I see these improvements as squarely trying to position CW against an Oris Aquis, say. CW prices still seem cheap compared with Oris. That must be what CW must want. To be considered as a better watch than Oris or Longines, not as a better watch that any random non swiss micro brand.

I posted this in another thread there are quite a few on this list. Lorier is also doing sapphire bezels on the Hyperion.

JAFO wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:02 pm

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:52 pm
Back to the topic at hand, I had overlooked the price on these. $1250 USD for the base auto on bracelet is STEEP. Almost $200 more than the C60 auto on bracelet. Wow. That’s more money that the C63 GMT, and as someone else noted, more money than the COSC Dartmouth. I understand the improvements in the bracelet, but maaaan. That’s getting up there.

Who else does sapphire bezels out of interest? I must say I see these improvements as squarely trying to position CW against an Oris Aquis, say. CW prices still seem cheap compared with Oris. That must be what CW must want. To be considered as a better watch than Oris or Longines, not as a better watch that any random non swiss micro brand.

Yes, I overlooked the sapphire bezel which would increase cost. I recall a few micro brands doing sapphire bezels, perhaps Zelos and Farer. And Lorier as mentioned above.

What you say represents a shift, where CW used to be all about really good watches at at a great price, whereas now it’s really the same, but only if you are comparing the cost to some upmarket brands like Oris. Having handled both, CW compares very favorably to Oris and even at this price represents very good VFM.

After the hype I’m underwhelmed, at least without seeing or holding it.

Green is just not for me on any watch so they wouldn't be considered. The white dial is not white so they’re out of contention. I dislike bronze so another version bites the dust. The beige colour of the numbers and blobs on the white dials is so drab so they’re out (but they were already anyway).

I think that leaves just the blue dial with blue bezel, which would be the best version for me. The lumed shot looks great, I like the sapphire bezel and the whiteness of the markers. However in general I’m not a fan of blobs as hour markers even though they look good quality and similar to those on the Omega Seamaster Tokyo that I recently had in my hands for a couple of hours.

I’m not sure about the Swish TBH but if that’s the way the logo is to be then at least make it applied as it looks cheap just painted.

A 40mm C60 Trident without the stuff at 9o’clock, with a (darker) blue bezel and white dial (or blue and blue), red highlights rather than orange or any C63 Sealander GMT (except green of course) would be preferable to an Aquitaine for me.

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:22 pm

JAFO wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:02 pm

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:52 pm
Back to the topic at hand, I had overlooked the price on these. $1250 USD for the base auto on bracelet is STEEP. Almost $200 more than the C60 auto on bracelet. Wow. That’s more money that the C63 GMT, and as someone else noted, more money than the COSC Dartmouth. I understand the improvements in the bracelet, but maaaan. That’s getting up there.

Who else does sapphire bezels out of interest? I must say I see these improvements as squarely trying to position CW against an Oris Aquis, say. CW prices still seem cheap compared with Oris. That must be what CW must want. To be considered as a better watch than Oris or Longines, not as a better watch that any random non swiss micro brand.

Yes, I overlooked the sapphire bezel which would increase cost. I recall a few micro brands doing sapphire bezels, perhaps Zelos and Farer. And Lorier as mentioned above.

What you say represents a shift, where CW used to be all about really good watches at at a great price, whereas now it’s really the same, but only if you are comparing the cost to some upmarket brands like Oris. Having handled both, CW compares very favorably to Oris and even at this price represents very good VFM.

The bracelets are more as well. $240 compared to $210. That makes up some of the difference. Although you are still looking at a non-COSC movement in the Aquataine which moves it back in the other direction.

I think the subtle changes to the handset look good. It is a more uniform brush with an ever so slightly rounded base on the arrow.

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:04 pm The logo, the swoosh? It means nothing to me but maybe it's one of those "yoof" things like having your jeans arse hanging off and your y-fronts on display above the waistband: I just don't get it.

I see the awkwardness of using the name of Christopher Ward, I really do but are we looking to a future major rebranding?

At first I was confused by the reference to the “swoosh,” but then I took it to simply be a reference to the twin crosses being to CW what the swoosh is to Nike.

And I took their initial desire to go logo only as absolutely being about wanting to remove the name of a guy no longer with the company from a prominent position. I didn’t take it as signs of a future major rebranding.

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:31 pm

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:04 pm The logo, the swoosh? It means nothing to me but maybe it's one of those "yoof" things like having your jeans arse hanging off and your y-fronts on display above the waistband: I just don't get it.

I see the awkwardness of using the name of Christopher Ward, I really do but are we looking to a future major rebranding?

At first I was confused by the reference to the “swoosh,” but then I took it to simply be a reference to the twin crosses being to CW what the swoosh is to Nike.

And I took their initial desire to go logo only as absolutely being about wanting to remove the name of a guy no longer with the company from a prominent position. I didn’t take it as signs of a future major rebranding.

That's how I took it too. I think if it were the latter, they would have removed Christopher Ward from the rotor as well. This is just supposition and only time will tell.

dipidyy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 1:46 pm
Now I’ll need to decide what I’ll do with my c63 gmt.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It'd sell like hot-cakes here on SC !