Review C60 Trident Pro 600

This area is for member only reviews of CW watches.
Links to reviews on Watch Review sites should be posted in the general "Reviews and Articles" forum.
Owners of Blogs or Watch Review sites should also post in the general "Reviews and Articles" forum.
User avatar
Kip
The Administrator
The Administrator
Posts: 35171
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:45 pm
CW-watches: 150
LE-one: yes
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
LE-fourb: yes
LE-five: yes
LE-six: yes
LESeven: yes
Location: New Hampshire, USA

Review C60 Trident Pro 600

Post by Kip »

This review was Posted by adg31 » Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:29 pm

Christopher Ward Model #C6038ADA2-1213
Acquired July 2018
Earlier this year I had finally sold off the last of my Rolex watches, a 2009 16610 Submariner, due to an appalling experience with the Rolex Service Centre trying to regulate my new Datejust 116233 - but that's another story - which left me with a vacancy for a good quality traditional diver style watch in my rotation.
But which one?
Having previously owned an older style 36.25mm Omega Seamaster 300 with the wave pattern dial I had come to prefer the smooth dial aesthetic as being easier to read and somehow less dated.
This made my choice simpler between the 38mm and 43mm models of the Trident range so I went for the smaller model on bracelet which just hits the sweet spot for me in terms of size.
The smaller size always seems a bit like the unloved relative in the Trident range, whenever a limited edition Trident comes out there is never a 38mm version - the Orange or Yellow editions in 38mm would have been fantastic - as would the COSC date white dial option.
Better still, there was a 38mm Vintage on bracelet sat in the 50% off Summer Sale so I hit the Buy button without delay knowing how rapidly items sell out at this incredible price point.
Image
Seriously £725.00 for a dive watch tested to 600m, with an automatic Swiss mechanism, Sapphire glass, ceramic bezel and 316 Stainless Steel Case and bracelet; let's just pause for a moment and consider the value proposition!
Now take the price down to just £362.59!
Having hit the Buy button we had a few problems sorting out payment but eventually it worked - thanks to the Christopher Ward team for their help - and a couple of days later the watch was with me:)
Having owned a couple of Tridents previously I was keen to see how this model with the new branding stacked up!
Image
Image
However, on opening the cardboard transportation box I was initially confronted with the old style Chr. Ward logo which seemed a bit odd given that the rebranding was some time ago.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the presentation box - it's far better than in watches costing far more - but I feel they could have carried the branding throughout for consistency; 'Walk the walk, Talk the talk' as most branding experts will tell you.
However, on opening the box the new style watch was revealed in all its glory; I had previously been rather ambivalent about the new branding and text placement on the dial - especially on the 38mm Trident due to the requisite compromises with the batons. Fortunately seen in the metal it actually works to balance out the nicely framed date window opposite where I'm pleased to say the datewheel is in matching black with white printing.
One of the other reasons why it works, in my opinion, is down to the quality of finishing which uses a metal bordered mini-baton at 9 O'Clock. This is in contrast to far more prestigious brands, such as Omega, who simply use a painted dot on the Seamaster 300 at 3 O'Clock - which is the reason I never bought their larger model.
Image
This is only a trifling detail but it's great to see how the Christopher Ward team provided such a neat solution.
Staying with the dial the Vintage lume works well - however I would have liked to see the flat dial with the white lume. This said, it glows well and is still visible late into the night. It's also nice that Christopher Ward didn't stick with the conventional dots and dashes hour markers of most of the other divers watches out there - it just makes it look that bit different with it's own unique personality.
The bezel is nicely finished and I like the matt appearance given to the ceramic surface, it rotates cleanly but with a very firm click making it hard to advance inadvertently thereby adding to the overall feeling of a high quality build.
The other thing I appreciated from the start was the quality of the bracelet - especially the ratchet adjustable clasp which, although simple to use, does seem to be very sturdy. I'd have preferred to see the bracelet held together with screws rather than pins but it was good to see that the clasp mechanism itself is attached to the bracelet by pins rather than the welds now used by Rolex - I always prefer older style engineering solutions!
Image
Once a link was removed for sizing the bracelet is proving to be very comfortable for daily wear; in fact the only 'fault' I could find with the bracelet was the difficulty in getting the pins to move in the first instance! They are possibly the hardest pin/tube system I have come across and proved very stubborn against my attempts to move them. However, once I got them moving resizing was quite straightforward.
Image
The next thing I noticed was the case back; I've always liked the deep stamped aesthetic of the current Trident caseback. However, the new design adding in brushed and polished bands feels far more like a quality product than the previous design. Full marks to the design team for this detail which really adds to the sum of the parts.
Image
All of the other parts of the case and bracelet, both brushed and polished, were finished to a high standard and I really like the short 'cropped' lugs keeping the overall length of the watch down to aid wearability. I know that there are ongoing debates about the virtues of brushed or polished centre links but again I think they work well mirroring the polished top side of the case.
When it comes to the branding I can't help but feel that the Christopher Ward team are missing a trick by not extending the ++ logo device onto the dial.
ImageImage
It looks great having been deep etched onto the clasp and crown as you can see above (I did like that the logo sits horizontally on the crown when screwed in) - so why not carry it through onto the dial - the bit of the watch that we see most if the time?
This is my one serious complaint regarding the new branding on the Trident range. This seems like corporate timidity in carrying the logo across all media to create recognition! It is a good logo representing the English - Swiss partnership behind the brand so why not make it as visible as possible?
Since getting my watch the Sellita SW200 calibre has been gaining a consistent 8 seconds per day so just outside chronometer status - but easily to rectify given the consistency and I'd rather be early for a train than late...
So, in conclusion, I think that it's a keeper and deserving of a place in my rotation - or that of any lover of quality watches. However, it also looks like it could be the last in the line as the Vintage appears to have been quietly dropped from the range in 2018, I think this is a shame as it would have been great to see it paired with the red bezel and gilt dial print to give a Tudor Black Bay Red aesthetic...
Since this is now a discontinued product I'm guessing that it also consigns my chances of winning the competition into the dustbin of history :(
However, I'm very happy with my new Christopher Ward and hope that anyone who has got this far found this review of interest. If you are looking to add one to your collection I'd encourage you to take the plunge. If you really don't like it you've still got the fantastic 60:60 Guarantee with the option to return it within 60 days - but I doubt that you will!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Kip

"Asylum Administrator"


Visit the CWArchives for everything CW. Historical, specs, manuals and resale. It is all there.
User avatar
Skipper
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 688
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2017 12:03 am
CW-watches: 12
Location: Mediterranean Spain

Re: Review C60 Trident Pro 600

Post by Skipper »

Great review, Kip, and a great watch too indeed!
A pity they retired it from their website some weeks ago...
User avatar
Kip
The Administrator
The Administrator
Posts: 35171
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:45 pm
CW-watches: 150
LE-one: yes
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
LE-fourb: yes
LE-five: yes
LE-six: yes
LESeven: yes
Location: New Hampshire, USA

Re: Review C60 Trident Pro 600

Post by Kip »

Yes, this is a great review, but I didn't write it.

The review was written and entered by adg31. It was posted incorrectly and I could only copy and paste it here due to technical difficulties.
Kip

"Asylum Administrator"


Visit the CWArchives for everything CW. Historical, specs, manuals and resale. It is all there.
User avatar
Skipper
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 688
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2017 12:03 am
CW-watches: 12
Location: Mediterranean Spain

Re: Review C60 Trident Pro 600

Post by Skipper »

Well, compliments then to adg31!
And thank you for posting it in the correct subforum :thumbup:
User avatar
adg31
Junior
Junior
Posts: 50
Joined: Sun May 08, 2016 7:17 pm

Re: Review C60 Trident Pro 600

Post by adg31 »

Kip wrote:Yes, this is a great review, but I didn't write it.

The review was written and entered by adg31. It was posted incorrectly and I could only copy and paste it here due to technical difficulties.
Thanks for the kind words Kip - I'm glad that someone liked my review:)
Sorry about posting in the wrong area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User avatar
Richard D
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3448
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: Review C60 Trident Pro 600

Post by Richard D »

Thank you Kip, a good honest and balance review.
Richard


‘A gas station owned by Harland Sanders was the site of the first KFC in 1930. Motorists were served fried chicken at his own dining-room table.’
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post