Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

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Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by SupaPictave »

Hi all !

I'm new around here, but it's quite hard to find reviews about this superb watch, so I felt the need to add my 2 cents about it. I have chosen the GMT Pepsi version, with metal strap (bracelet).
Standard delivery time was... Standard. Order sent on 03/14, watch dispatched the same day (great service from CW !), parcel received on 03/18 in France, without any tracking information despite the tracking number ("Information on your item is not yet available." on the RM site). Nothing special to complain about, delivery times displayed on the site are correct. But next time I'll definitely pay the extra for the fast international shipping… I got used to fast delivery times.

The packaging is quite nice, pretty box, quite a lot to read, personalized letter from CW... The attention to details is remarkable. But that’s not the box we’re interested in, aren’t we ?

The first impressions are very positive. The watch itself feels heavy and sturdy. The 42mm case does not feel that big on my 19cm wrist, but you can't forget it when you're wearing it. It has some sort of "presence", an aura, I like that. The dial is very readable, the "waves" are more present than I thought, especially under direct light, but the effect is very nice, subtle, and does not "distract" the eye. The bezel is very nice to operate too, the clicks are sharp and well audible. It has no play, it's rock-solid attached to the case, I hope it won't wear down too fast. A slighlty domed crystal would have been perfect, but the watch is a true looker.
The only thing that's niggling me is the bracelet. Nothing to say about the overall quality, the finish is very good. But I'm not a big fan of the butterfly clasp (works well on a leather strap though), and the mix of matt and polished steel is not that classy IMHO. I think it would be better with a unique texture. And it definitely lacks micro-adjustments, although it fits my wrist quite well (a tiny bit too tight or too loose though, can't find the perfect setting).
But the thing that strikes me the most is the difference between the real watch and the pictures/mockups you see on the CW website. The watch is much, much nicer when you see it for real. The pictures on the website are ok, but the real one deserves better.

The ETA movement is a well-known workhorse, the precision is very good (+3sec every 24hr), hand-winding is very smooth, but the 24hr hand on mine is misaligned (see the pics below). It's about 25 minutes off the hour. I mailed Wera about that issue, got a quick answer (again, great service), I'm returning the watch tomorrow for servicing.

The reason why I bought this watch, apart the fact that it looks fantastic, it’s affordable and I love diver’s watches, is because I own a Steinhart Ocean 1 black-bezel-non-GMT (the very normal one, see my introduction topic), and I got a bit bored of it. Don’t get me wrong, the Steinhart is a great watch, and the company builds great timepieces (Triton –probably my next watch-, Proteus). It feels just as sturdy and solid as the C60, it’s precise (+2-3sec every 24h), great value for money, and it’s very comfortable to wear. So, what’s wrong ?

Well, I used to like it a lot, I still do actually, but in the end I couldn’t forget that it’s just a lookalike. A very good one, no doubts about that, the Germans don’t joke about quality. But it misses something, it just doesn’t have that little thing that makes me proud and joyful when I wear it.
The C60 is, I think, far more original. Sure, we can designate some elements heavily “inspired” from others brands (Omega, Bremont). But it’s not a carbon copy, it has its own design, and people won’t say spontaneously “hey, nice Rol… oh wait !” when they’ll see it. And the Trident feels somehow bigger on the wrist, I like that too.

The only thing I like more about my Steinhart is the bracelet, which is really (really, I insist) perfect to me. It's more thick, more solid, and I prefer the brushed steel aspect. And I can't ignore that the Steinhart Ocean GMT costs 390€ (+15€ shipping I think, DPD 48h shipping, fast and reliable with working tracking), vs. quite a lot more for the C60 : 637€ with standard shipping (552£).
Is it worth it ?

I'd say yes (not " F**K YEAH !!"). The C60 feels more sophisticated, more refined, yet solid and everyday-life-proof. The 60/60 guarantee is important. And I prefer the design, less prone to weariness. But the Steinhart has an incredible value for money, and I still wonder how Steinhart can deliver such a high level of quality within this price tag.

Now I really can't wait to get my Trident back, I have absolutely no doubts that CW will get rid of that misalignment, and the watch will be perfect !

Thanks for reading, and sorry for my rusty english. Here are the pics ! (click for hi-res)

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2nd C60 Trident GMT return status : Parcel delivered at CWL office - Waiting for more informations
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by scooter »

Excellent review, most informative. I enjoyed reading that.

The high resolution photos are so clear.

I would add that your English is perfect and 10 x better than my O level French.

Very well done indeed.

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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by alphajet »

Excellent review thanks for posting. :D
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by downer »

Excellent review and an interesting comparison. CWL are addressing the bracelet 'issues' and we are told a new design will appear later this year.
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by Loddonite »

Thanks for taking the time (and pictures) SuperPictave.
I agree with you about the bracelet - quality is fine and I'm one of the lucky ones for whom it is a good fit - but it doesn't quite match the watch.

There is absolutely no need to apologise for your English.
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by jmarchitect »

Fantastically written review and great to see the comparison pictures. Hope you get the Trident back soon. 8)
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by nathanclarinet »

A great review, some lovely pictures and some superb english! Thanks for posting this review and sorry to hear about the GMT hand issue (and strap). Other forum members may correct me but hasn't this problem occured on other Trident GMTs? Could it be a faulty batch of movements? I would have thought this type of thing would have been picked up in the QC process but as I am no expert on such things, it may not be something easy to pick up. Anyway, thanks again and hope it isn't too long before the Trident returns to you :D
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by downer »

nathanclarinet wrote:A great review, some lovely pictures and some superb english! Thanks for posting this review and sorry to hear about the GMT hand issue (and strap). Other forum members may correct me but hasn't this problem occured on other Trident GMTs? Could it be a faulty batch of movements? I would have thought this type of thing would have been picked up in the QC process but as I am no expert on such things, it may not be something easy to pick up. Anyway, thanks again and hope it isn't too long before the Trident returns to you :D
I don't recall reading about it much on here (but I could be wrong). I have read of a few alignment problems with the 2893-2 movement on other forums. Some people claim the misalignment happens in transit?
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by ianblyth »

downer wrote:I don't recall reading about it much on here (but I could be wrong). I have read of a few alignment problems with the 2893-2 movement on other forums. Some people claim the misalignment happens in transit?
It has been mentioned and the same movement is in my Breitling Colt GMT. It came back from service recently and the hands still were not lining up as well as being out of COSC specs so it was sent back. Just received it back but have not had much time to check. I have seen many posts about this movement being out.
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by NMS75 »

Excellent review and write-up! :D I have just ordered the Steinhart GMT-Ocean 1 Blue Red and can understand what you mean about the Rolex 'homage' issue of the watch. However, I have two Rolex watches (including the Submariner) and so it doesn't bother me personally in the slightest. The CW Trident is a great looking watch and if it wasn't for the fact I have a Submariner and now an GMT-Ocean 1 enroute I would be tempted to buy one.

I hope you enjoy wearing your C60 in good health :)

Mark
Watches: Christopher Ward C7 Rapide MKII | Christopher Ward C70 Grand Epreuve | Rolex Submariner 16610 | Rolex GMT-Master II 116710LN | Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 2201.50 | Steinhart GMT-Ocean 1 Blue Red
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by Mortis »

Agreed about this movement seeming to have alignment problems across many brands.

Great review, though, and I particularly enjoyed the comparison pics with the Steinhart. Thanks for posting.
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by wymore »

Excellent review, and I really appreciate the photos. One thing I would bring up about the price comparison is that it looks like the Steinhart is not a GMT. If you had the regular C60 not the GMT, the price would be 375, so actually less than the Steinhart.

One question as well about the GMT hand, I'm not understanding the misalignment issues having never had a GMT before. Can't you move the GMT hand independent of the hour hand? If so, don't you just align it yourself? I would imagine that it does not automatically align on the hour because there are certain time zones such as Afghanistan's that are half an hour off.
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by Kip »

Excellent review. Very complete and well written.

No language problems at all. Thanks for the comparison. :)
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by highway62 »

wymore wrote:Excellent review, and I really appreciate the photos. One thing I would bring up about the price comparison is that it looks like the Steinhart is not a GMT. If you had the regular C60 not the GMT, the price would be 375, so actually less than the Steinhart.

One question as well about the GMT hand, I'm not understanding the misalignment issues having never had a GMT before. Can't you move the GMT hand independent of the hour hand? If so, don't you just align it yourself? I would imagine that it does not automatically align on the hour because there are certain time zones such as Afghanistan's that are half an hour off.
hmmm...non GMT Trident with bracelet £375, Non GMT Ocean One 320Euros.
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Re: Quick C60 Trident GMT "Pepsi" review (vs. Steinhart Ocean 1)

Post by downer »

wymore wrote:
One question as well about the GMT hand, I'm not understanding the misalignment issues having never had a GMT before. Can't you move the GMT hand independent of the hour hand? If so, don't you just align it yourself? I would imagine that it does not automatically align on the hour because there are certain time zones such as Afghanistan's that are half an hour off.
The GMT hand moves in 1 hour increments each time you turn the crown in position 1. So, it should land on an hour marker when the regular minute hand is at 12.

The 2893-2 GMT function does not work in 1/2 hour time zones....
Richard