Christopher Ward C60 Elite 1000 Watch Review

The Christopher Ward C60 Elite 1000 is a release that builds upon the successes of the C60 Trident Elite 1000, a limited edition model whose 300 pieces sold out in record time. I reviewed that watch here. The difference in name is minimal (the latest version has the exclusion of the Trident for some reason), so it’ll be easy to get confused. The Elite 1000 promises to deliver an even more luxurious timepiece than the regular Trident, thanks to the titanium construction, redesigned bezel insert, COSC movement, and day/date indicator. The Trident 600 is in my opinion, one of the best watches you can buy under £1000. So is the Elite 1000 worth the extra £700? Let’s take a look.

The specs

• Dimensions: 42mm diameter x 15.4mm height x 49.3mm lug to lug
• Weight: 128g
• Water resistance rating: 100ATM / 1000m
• Movement: Sellita SW220
• Accuracy: +1.1 sec/day
• Lug width: 22mm
• Warranty: 5 years
• Price: £1470 / $1680
• Available from: https://www.christopherward.co.uk/c60-elite-1000-black-red-1

The video review

The case

First things first; the case is constructed from Grade 2 titanium – the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element and renowned for both its lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties.

It’s much lighter than steel – this comes with pluses and minuses depending on what you like. If you like heavy, chunky watches which you can feel on your wrist – the Trident Elite isn’t that. It feels light as a feather – so much so that it’s very comfortable and easy to wear for a prolonged period.

You could even be led into mistakenly thinking “it’s not heavy, so it’s not high quality”. That’s most certainly far from the truth.

There’s an in-built automatic helium release valve on the side of the case at 9, which will assist with equalization during the ascent from a dive. The water rating is a very impressive 1000m / 100ATM. Indeed, this is a serious diving watch that’s meant to be used to the extreme.

The brushed ceramic bezel provides a real tool-like feel. It’s a much different design to the regular Trident – providing a much more sports-like vibe due to the matte finish, the inclusion of the splash of red, the running dots and the line which goes up until 16 minutes (that may upset some, rather than stopping at 15).

How about an exhibition window on a watch with a depth rating as impressive as 1000m? They’ve done it thanks to a 3.4mm-thick crystal, which is most likely the cause of the 15.4mm height.

As is the case with all Tridents, the “light-catcher case” has beautiful flowing lines, much like a sports car. It looks great at every angle and is very well manufactured and finished.

The screw-in crown features the twin flags motif deeply embossed. It is easy to use thanks to the decent grip.

The dial

The glossy backdrop to the dial provides a delightfully reflective surface, with a luxurious vibe; think Omega Planet Ocean Liquid Metal.

The reworked Trident hands are bold and very modern; they’re easy to read especially in low light conditions thanks to the excellent lume.

The lume used across the Mk3 Trident range is the strongest there is; Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 GL C1 – and boy can you tell. Christopher Ward watches have never really been too impressive when it comes to lume, but that has changed with the Mk3 Trident range. It charges quickly, glows brightly, and lasts aplenty.

The inclusion of the day indictor (due to the SW220 movement) is a pleasant addition. I’m not too bothered if I do or don’t have it on a watch, but it’s a nice inclusion. There’s a simple white border around the day/date wheels, and I’m pleased to see them black to match the dial.

The bracelet

The overall bracelet on the Trident range has been a rather excellent piece of development by Christopher Ward. It features quick-release pins (a rarity on bracelets), and a very sleek and easy to use micro-adjustment underneath the buckle.

There’s slight play either side of the end links in the lugs (I’m talking a minuscule amount, a fraction of a millimetre) which is due to the quick release pins (if it was too tight it would be very difficult to put on and off).

The colour matches the case, which is a darker grey to steel which is much more tool-like.

The buckle has the twin flags motif engraved on the top, which opens by using the buttons either side.

The movement

The movement powering the C60 Elite 1000 is the Sellita SW220. Each SW220 has been certified by the Swiss organisation Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres; with a tolerance of just -4/+6 seconds per day. Therefore, the Elite 1000 sits within the top 6% of all Swiss-made watches for accuracy.

This movement is indeed coming in at a very impressive +1.1 sec/day, and features a customised rotor with the logo and twin flags engraved.

It has all the usual specs you’d expect: beat rate of 28.8k bph (6 ticks per second), hacking seconds hand, hand and automatic winding, 26 jewels, ~38 hours power reserve and a day and date indicator.

Final comments

There’s no doubt about it, the C60 Elite 1000 is a stunning watch with a very impressive spec list. Full titanium construction, COSC certification, a feature-packed bracelet, as well as great design makes it stand out from the rest of the pack offering the same ingredients.

Is it worth the extra £700 to the Trident 600 though? If you want a diver which is as highly-specced as they come, then yes. If you’re precious over the titanium, COSC, day indicator and redesigned bezel, then this is for you. However, if none of those things strikes you as necessary then the Trident 600 is still my personal choice and is still my favourite watch for under £1000 hands down.

Nonetheless, the Christopher Ward C60 Elite 1000 is a serious diver that you shouldn’t take lightly (even if it is made of titanium).