White C63 readability?

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JymKhana
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White C63 readability?

Post by JymKhana »

My first, and so far only, CW is a Trident in white and it is beautiful. It is the one watch that I own that everyone in my family admires. My only issue with it is that in low-light, and with old eyes, I find it hard to read. I don't have an opinion on the "Christopher Ward" being at the 9 o'clock position except that on quick glance I always think it is a quarter till regardless of the time. Other times, I can't "glance" and tell the time as it is so difficult to see.

With all that being said, the C63 in white looks like a fantastic watch. I am wondering if I will have the same issues. Isn't the face even smaller? How are other people finding it? I suppose I could always set the GMT hand to my current time zone, perhaps the orange would be easier to see. :D
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by welshlad »

I have the white C63 GMT and don't find it to have any legibility issues.

However, I don't think it would be more legible than a white C60, so if you are having some trouble with that one then you'll probably suffer the same with the C63 to be honest. The gunmetal hands may help a bit, but I'm not sure there would be much difference in practice.
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I have always had similar concerns about white dials with white hands, but I’m happy to accept if people say they are perfectly legible, as Steve does above. The main sticking point with me, though, is that I don’t actually like the look, and the same goes for black-black (stealth) watches such as the Abyss.

After various evolutions in personal tastes, I find that the most comfortable combination for me is a black or blue dial with white lumed hands, such as the Speedmaster or my new Sealander GMT. I’m equally happy with the silver dial and blued hands on my Cartier, though obviously it’s no use in the dark. My least legible watch of late has been the Mk3 C3 chronograph. It had a blue dial and non-lumed steel hands. Beautiful watch but in certain types of light and at some angles the hands just disappeared.
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by TheBeatles »

I sold my white dial C60s purely for legibility reasons. Including the new Mk3 black dial/white hands.

It was getting harder to see time at a glance.

I’m not sure the C63 (for me anyway) would be that much different.

I have a Seiko white dial 140th anniversary, with white hands. But, to match the blue bezel the hands are blue edged and legibility is superb.

Such a shame for me, because I loved the white dial C60s. Particularly the red bezel, followed closely by the green.
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by H0rati0 »

There is definitely a legibility issue with silver hands on white/silver dials and CW have serious form with poor legibility IMHO (my C9 has gold hands but they are all so similar that it too is impossible to read at a glance). However, I do like their virtues so I live with it - it's not such a big deal. If necessary, for evening/low light, one can always go with something better suited.

Of course, if it's the only watch you have.....but who here is guilty of that? :D
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by TheBeatles »

H0rati0 wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 10:20 am my C9 has gold hands but they are all so similar that it too is impossible to read at a glance
I forgot about that one, I sold my C9 Big Day Date for the same reason.

All 3 hands too similar in size and gold colour.
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by H0rati0 »

TheBeatles wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 11:04 am

I forgot about that one, I sold my C9 Big Day Date for the same reason.

All 3 hands too similar in size and gold colour.
That's the one. I even asked if they'd change the hour/minute hands for the blue of the standard model because the only way to read it is to first pick up the movement of the seconds hand - way too similar to the minute hand. What were they thinking of?

But, I still have a soft spot for it, a Billy No-mates these days. :(
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by ctafield »

I've returned my C60 GMT Anthropocene due to legibility. I really struggled with it. Granted its not perfectly white, but it does have similar problems.
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by JAFO »

The pictures on the website don't look to be awkward to read, but I appreciate the real world can be different.

I just bought a C7 rapide chronograph (black and silver), and that's awfully difficult to read at times. I love it, but just saying. It can take a few seconds to find the hands, and find the chrono seconds. That has reflective silver hands filled with lume, and the dial is black with silver subdials, and reflective indices, so the hands get lost at times. Even the running seconds at 9 gets lost against the markers. Compare that with the speedmaster where there's just no reflections. Having said that, I have other white/silver dial watches that don't have the problem.

eg, it's just after 1:30 on the CW
IMG_20210921_143909742~2.jpg
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by JymKhana »

While I wish CW did something to enhance the contrast between hands and dial I'll be honest, I am not deterred. I admit that I thought for a minute about contacting their bespoke department and seeing if I could get darker hands and indexes, maybe even a solid back. Then I laughed at myself and realized I was being silly. Although, a solid back with a detailed globe on the GMT would be very nice I am sure it isn't worth the price or their time to do just one.

I know that eventually I will pull the trigger on getting this watch and then I'll book an appointment to go complain to my optometrist and ask why he isn't doing a better job with my eyes.
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by Noush »

Whilst I can't compare from experience with other CW white dial watches, I have to say my white C63 GMT is a paragon of legibility. And these eyes have had 64 years of hard use and sit behind multifocal specs.
Those gunmetal hands read black or thereabouts most of the time and the indices are very clear to see.
No issues to report at all here and for mine it is a terrific watch- good looking, comfortable and robust.
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by TheBeatles »

Whilst not wanting to drag up every issue about legibility, it seems that there were problems with the 2017 Forum LE.
Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night. Be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels, Frank Sinatra

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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by DirkWatch »

Same here. In Low light situations the hands look like they are blacklined/white filled on a while dail. its maximum contrast.
Proud owner of a C63 GMT White, C60 Atoll '22 LE, C65 Dune Bronze/Green, C12 Glacier Blue
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by CBMVic20 »

I had a Trident white dial Mk2 that ended up getting sold for the same reason; at a glance, you couldn't tell the time at certain angles. Here's a picture I found that kinda shows the problem:

CW C60.jpg

The legibility of the white dial C60 Mk3 and C63 looks a lot better on the website and I think this is because the indices are more raised. Anyone have an older C60 Mk2 white dial that they can compare with a C60 Mk3 or C63 white dial?
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Re: White C63 readability?

Post by Will_75 »

I own a white dial MK2 C60 with mirrored finishing to the hands and indices - under some lights it is hard to read, but small movement of the wrist is all that's needed to create contrast.

I did own a white dial C63 auto, and while I sold it on, the legibility was markedly better thanks to the gunmetal finishing.
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