Were you familiar with the watch before purchasing? CW has never been on my radar since they are online only there doesn't seem to be a way to try then buy.
That is a beautiful piece. Congratulations.
I can’t get this watch out of my head!!!
It’s everything I love about the 1655 and removes what I hate! Once you see the readability issue with the minute markers you can’t unsee it. Plus it adds a rotating bezel ::swoon::
I’ve just got one issue with it. I wish it was plain or the logo at 12.
You know, when I first saw this watch my one and only negative thought was having someone else’s name on the dial at 9 O‘clock. After a short private exchange with @Riviera Paradise he also confirmed that feeling and it is echoed right across the web....but mostly from people viewing the watches on a dirty great computer monitor.
This watch has now been in my possession and in continuous use for circa 2 weeks. I can tell you that the logo thing is an absolute non-issue, in fact I think I rather like it exactly the way it is.
By the way, the bezel is unidirectional so it can be used for diving as well as tracking a third time zone.
Even though it has a basic ETA movement mine is running a consistent +7s per day. That’s only 2s adrift from my METAS certified Globemaster Master Chronometer! WTF?
Honestly, the thing is just so F🤬g cool and at a very fair price.
As a Rolex and Omega owner, I can say that CW's biggest crime is its ridiculously competitive prices. Particularly compared with its other british watch maker brethren.
TGV (Urban Gentry) just posted a video review...not even close to Longbow's content (of course), but nevertheless some great close-up shots😀
The Uni-directional bezel is there because it is nominally a diver. It could have been bi-di but the watch is trying to cover as many bases as possible.
Nick, good comments above and great to hear that you have been thoroughly enjoying the C65 GMT😀
Just one point that I have a difference of opinion...
If the bezel had minute counter markings (as most divers do) being Uni-directional makes perfect sense. For a watch with GMT 24h markings at 2h intervals I do think a bi-directional makes more sense, as there is no functional requirement to restrict bezel movement.
Part 2
After a short night’s sleep and an overwhelming desire to get the thing properly on my wrist and into action it was necessary to remove the hang tag and shorten the bracelet. I also took the opportunity to take some more close-up photos and fill in some of the gaps missed from Part 1.
I’m not sure what the correct name for this link attachment system is but I would just call it pin and sleeve. It’s dead easy to re-size, as long as you have the right tools to hand.
Even though the decision to buy was ludicrously short there was an aspect to the watch that I suppose could be described as the tipping point., namely the bracelet or more specifically the clasp.
I just happened to notice that it had a micro-adjustment feature with a claimed range of 8mm. After the rather piffling range on my Railmaster LE that sort of extension range is genuinely useful. So let’s take a look at that aspect in more detail. Starting from the watch head and working down.
The lugs and end-links are 22mm (well I guess the end-links must be fractionally smaller). The first bracelet link is 21.5mm where it joins the end-link and starts to tapper down from there.
As an aside I have to say the fit and finish is just excellent. I mentioned it before, but I was half asleep then. Now in the cold light of day…it’s even better. It’s not just that the gaps are tiny, but the end-link curvature so precisely follows the lug curvature.
Moving onto the bracelet itself, the first three links on each end are fixed to one another and tapered. I’m not entirely sure why the first link needs to be pinned to the end-link, because the end-links are fully removable from the case. Anyway, after the three tapered links we have three removable straight links on each side, which look like this when removed:-
Continuing onwards we arrive at the last links joining the clasp.
This is where I think it gets quite interesting. Omegas and Rolexes with extension systems have rather chunky clasps. This one has an outer frame that is probably folded metal but almost looks milled. It isn’t much wider than the last bracelet link.
That sort of subtle transition from bracelet to clasp would have done the Railmaster LE a huge favour in my opinion.
Since the clasp logo is visible let’s have a closer look at that too.
Probably laser etched from the look of the surface within the squares.
Flipping it onto its side we can see how thick the clasp is.
Well, it isn’t very thick at all; it’s more like a classic vintage friction clasp…except it isn’t, it has an impressive double pin system, each independently linked to its respective pusher on the side of the clasp.
That strange tab in the middle is for operating the extension system, it’s the release lever. You just pull it towards the pins and the bracelet can slide outwards, like this:-
And that is ….
…indeed 8mm. You may also have noticed the saw tooth profile in there. That allows you to simply push the bracelet back into the clasp once it is closed and on your wrist to achieve the desired degree of tightness…much like the solution on the PloProf mesh clasp.
All in all a well thought out solution that looks good and works admirably.
Before I zoom in on a few additional features I would like to address why this watch, at least to me, is one of the most comfortable I have tried.
First the case dimensions and shape
12mm sounds pretty run-of-the-mill but the lug form and size combined with chamfered bevelled edges and the bezels tapered annulus break those 12mm up leaving an impression of a very slim watch head and that’s exactly how it wears, like a very thin watch. When I think about how thick an Omega Planet Ocean GMT is, or the way the new raved-about Tudor Pepsi GMT looks with its DDR Plattenbau flanks…no the C65 is a different beastie all together. It has wrist-hugging form and dimensions.
I’ll close out by showing a few last close ups of the case back and crown.
Part 3 Straps
I was looking at the various strap options for the C65 GMT and, er, curiosity got the better of me. So now I have some new toys for the weekend.
First impressions of quality? Excellent!
(late update as I was too busy to post earlier)
First up the NATO
A bit coarser and thinner than an Omega NATO, but very comfortable nonetheless. A nice combo.
Next up the webbing strap
I'm not so sure about this one. Maybe reviewing such a strap in November in the freezing cold instead of an August heatwave is colouring my opinion somewhat.
OK, now we are onto a winner. This is what Christopher Ward call "Tiber leather" in brown (there's also camel and black but I don't have those….yet).
This one is by far my favourite. It's super comfortable to wear and finished to a very high standard. Ah, yes, forgot to mention the spring bars. As you can see from above most, but not all come with quick-release "gimmick" bars which in this little comparison proved to be extremely effective; I can't remember ever swapping Omega straps with traditional spring bars as fast as these.
Here's the rubber strap.
This one uses classical spring bars and it proved to be a lot more challenging to install and remove. Quite stiff towards the watch head so in the few minutes that I tried it it was not the most comfortable of the straps. No doubt it would improve with usage.
This one is the Black Oak Vintage Leather, supplied with quick-release spring bars.
It's very well made but quite stiff, particularly at the 6 o'clock side close to the watch head (like most new leather straps) so another one that will almost certainly need breaking in and will then no doubt be as comfy as a pair of old slippers.
I can't remember where I picked up this 22mm Zulu brute of a strap, but I think it was originally intended for my Sinn 857 UTC, but never got used as the spring bars were too close to the watch head, or was it that the Zulu was too thick, or both. Well whatever, on the C65 Trident GMT it fits easily.
I wrote earlier about how well the bracelet end links fit into the watch head and here's why. There is a precisely machined ledge on each of the end links.....
that fits against an equally precisely machined ridge on the watch head
This all ensures that the end links are very accurately seated, but it doesn't leave any wiggle room for sliding in one end of the spring bar then compressing and pushing down to fix the second. This is a tweezers job I think (although I did get the links seated using a simple Bergeon tool after a generous amount of cursing.
So the strap test ends where it started with my Christopher Ward C65 Trident GMT back on its bracelet
which is probably still the best and most comfortable combo for the C65. So comfortable in fact that I slept with it on for the last week...something I have never done with any Omega.
Great write up, but it's left me a little confused as to what constitutes allowable discussion around homage watches. Sure it's not a one to one copy, but only a fake/replica watch would meet that criteria and every homage watch I've ever seem has design aspects that are different to the watch it pays homage to.
Its early morning Christmas Day and as we celebrate Xmas on Xmas eve here in Sweden I sat down with my morning coffee and browsed the net for GMT´s in general. This really and I mean really caught my eye.....It´s absolutely stunning, what excellent proportions this watch has...Iám blown away over your review on this which gives a great inside...and the photos...just perfect! When looking into the details it just covers all of my important "must´s" for a watch.....aaahhh, the case size, not to high, the bezel, the lovely GMT hand and on a perfect match bracelet....well It feels like santa posted me in the right direction on Xmas day 😉 Now I neeeeeed this so badly. Thanks for a GREAT review & Merry Christmas!!
