Review: C65 Trident vintage (old version)

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Ttf23
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Review: C65 Trident vintage (old version)

Post by Ttf23 »

Introduction

My first dilemma in writing this review is to decide which of my CWs to write about.

I have five CWs. More than some, fewer than others (and in some cases, a lot fewer than others), but enough to cause me to think about it.

How do I choose? It’s like choosing a watch to wear in the morning. Horses for courses. How I’m feeling that day and what I’m going to be doing.

Do I go for my CW jump hour - a grail watch for me? Or do I go for my Trident 316l in blue, a recent acquisition that is getting most wrist time at the moment? Or do I go for my C7 Rapide auto, the watch I chose after a CW messed up a sales order and (very kindly) offered me 50% off any current watch in the range at the time? Or do I review my brand new C900 world timer that I’ve just bought in the summer sale. Or how about my CW 65 Trident vintage?

I thought I would ask my youngest daughter.

Ttf: which of my watches should I write a review on?
Ttf junior: You’re weird.
Ttf: no really, which is your favourite?
Ttf junior: I dunno. Why are you writing a review anyway?
Ttf: because it will be fun
Ttf junior: [looks incredulous]
Ttf: and besides I might win a prize
Ttf junior: [eyes light up] a prize? What is it?
Ttf: a watch
Ttf junior: [disappointed] oh. But haven’t you got like, six watches already?
Ttf: well, sort of [technically it is eight, but I do have six watches, I’ve just got another two too]
Ttf junior: so why do you want another?
Ttf: mummy buys lots of handbags
Ttf junior: daddy, she has three. And she doesn’t write reviews on them, take pictures of them and post them on the internet
Ttf: true
Ttf junior: you’re weird.
Ttf: I’m not. There are other people who have more watches than me and post more photos on the internet.
Ttf junior: really? Wow! But that still doesn’t change that you are weird. They are just even more weird than you. [taunts ttf by making a L (loser sign) on her forehead and dancing from side to side] So is the prize a nice watch?
Ttf: yes it’s lovely, but I’ve tried one before and I sold it on as it was just a smidgeon too big for me
Ttf junior: [rolls eyes] so you are writing a review on one of your watches in an attempt to win a watch that you won’t really suit you anyway.
Ttf: well kind of, but I’m not going to win anyway as the standard of reviews to date is really high.
Ttf junior: you are *really* weird.

After that encounter, in which my eight year old had totally outthought and outargued me (again) I’m no further forward in deciding which watch to review.

Up to me then. Whilst each of my CW watches fills a firm place in my collection and I can’t see me replacing any of them any time soon, I’m going to write this review on my C65 Trident Vintage (as you might have guessed from the post title).

Not quite the first watch that I bought, but the one that I hold mainly responsible for starting me on this crazy journey of watch collecting.

By way of brief background, my grandfather passed away and left me an inheritance, and with which I wanted to get something to remember him. A decent watch seemed to fit the bill and after a bit of research, I came across CW, which seemed tremendous value for money, even for someone that had never spent more than £100 on a watch before. The Jumping Hour leapt out at me, but I didn’t want a watch costing a grand or more on my wrist (and indeed still don’t).

I picked up a second hand 2013 FLE off eBay, which was lovely, but it wasn’t the JH. So when a jumping hour in my preferred size of 40mm came up in the 50% sale about 18 months ago on the old logo, I traded up.

But I still had a problem. The JH is a stunning watch and I found that I was only wearing it on special occasions and generally treating it with total kid gloves. I generally commute to work on my pushbike and I’m pretty active at the weekends, none of which lends to regularly wearing a dress watch. However, having a proper watch had whetted my appetite and I wanted a second, decent watch to wear day by day.

The purchase

That’s when the C65 vintage came along. It was a bit by accident really. I was very early in my watch journey and was researching, keeping my eye on a few CWs on eBay to get a feel for prices and different designs. One of them was a C65, that I really liked, but for whatever reason, this one with a 99p start, did not garner many bids.

As it headed towards the auction close, I remember exactly where I was, sitting with my kids and dog eating ice cream in the park. Still less than £200, on an impulse, I decided to bid in the last few seconds. For those that have done this, they will know only to well that nervous wait as you are the highest bidder flash up. But then was there anyone else doing the same thing right at the last minute?

It was an agonising wait as the website refreshed.

“Congratulations, you have just bought the item!”

Right at the top of my bid - £255.

Quite a few thoughts ran through my head at that instance.

Why have I just spent a few hundred quid on a watch? Not only have I got a perfectly good one that tells the time, I’ve also already got one for best. (I did say I was early on my WIS journey at this point).

And then, blimey, that was a cracking bargain for a beautiful automatic watch that is a couple of months old and has almost five years left on its warranty.

Even if I don’t like it, I can keep it for a bit and sell on and I shouldn’t lose anything on it.

But hang on, why is it so cheap? What is wrong with it? What if the seller changes his mind? Or tries to rip me off?

The wait began. I bought it Saturday late morning. Saturday became Sunday, Sunday became Monday and Monday became Tuesday. Finally, on Wednesday, I had a message while I was at work from the seller saying that the tracking showed that the watch had been delivered and he wanted to check that I was happy with it.

That evening, a package was indeed waiting for me.

First impressions

With bated breath, I unwrapped it. Encased in the (now old style) double boxes, was exactly what even better than I had hoped for. An immaculate C65 vintage on a brown leather strap with an extra bracelet thrown in that just screamed quality in a delightful, understated way. The contrast of that fabulous sweeping, silver trident second hand against the black background just blew me away. Despite its relatively modest 38mm size, it has a solid weight and feel to it, particularly on the superlative brushed bracelet.

To say I was pleased was a bit of an understatement.

Living with it

I’m sitting here, tapping this out on my phone, and my first attempt at the last title with fat fingers was “Loving”..., which seems kind of appropriate in the circumstances!

For me, it is an incredibly stylish, multi-purpose watch. It’s been well worn, in rotation over the past year both at work and at play. Less so as my watch collection has grown, but never neglected for long. It’s not an imposing, shouty, look-at-me kind of watch, but its quality totally shines through. I love the fact that it flies under the radar most of the time.

With its 38mm size, it is such an easy watch to wear. I’ll quite often just pop it on of a evening after wearing something else during the day. Whilst it is described as vintage, a nod to the use of ‘Old Radium’ luminescent paint on the hands and indices, to my mind at least, it is anything but. The paddle or cricket bat hands are crisp, clean and modern. The stainless, brushed case the same. It has a deeply engraved trident motif on the back which is just lovely.

The lume is fine. It’s not as bright as other watches that I have (such as the Seiko SKX007), but bright enough to be functional.

The logo obviously divides opinion. As someone that actually likes (and owns) watches with both the Chr. Ward (the JH and worldtimer) and the “new” logo (this, c60 and c7), I think that, fitting with its contemporary feel, this watch suits the new Christopher Ward logo better.

It seems to wear larger than a standard 38mm. I’ve subsequently bought a 38mm C60 and just found it too small. The C65, however, perhaps due to its thin bezel, fits perfectly on my wrist.

Appreciating the ‘WIS holiday dilemma’ for the first time this summer (i.e. how many/which watches to take on holiday) it speaks volumes that out of my collection of eight, I took the C65, along with my Halios Tropik B.

The bracelet

Many of you will know the quality of the CW bracelets. They have a perfect, engineered fit into the case. The ratchet system is simplicity itself and is very useful to adjust on the go.

The C65 bracelet is fully brushed steel - unlike the C60, it doesn’t have polished centre links. I much prefer this. It complements the brushed steel case perfectly as well as reducing the risk of scratches.

Time-keeping

As regards time-keeping, I don’t actually know its precise accuracy as it is worn in rotation. But, put it this way, over the course of one or two days in use, I’ve never had to correct the time because it was running fast or slow.

It runs off a relatively standard 26 jewel, Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement with a 38 hour power reserve. I’ve found fine for day-to-day wear, and easy enough to get going when worn in rotation as I do.

Technical

Time for the detailed specifications taken from CW’s website.

Diameter: 38mm
Height: 11.6mm
Weight: 60g
Weight on standard mesh bracelet: 130g
Calibre: Sellita SW200-1
Case: 316L stainless steel
Water resistance: 15 ATM (150 metres)
Vibrations: 28,800 per hour
Timing tolerance: -20/+20 seconds per day
Lug to Lug: 45.3mm
Strap: 20mm
Swiss Made
Self-winding automatic movement
38 hour power reserve
38mm marine-grade 316L brushed stainless steel case
Old Radium SuperLuminova indexes and hands
Anti-reflective glassbox sapphire crystal
High Definition "Trident" motif back-plate
Embossed screw-in crown
Unique engraved serial number
316L brushed stainless steel bracelet
Beautiful presentation case and owner's manual

The best bit

It’s got to be that sweeping, silver Trident second hand on the black dial.

The worst bit

They don’t make it anymore!

Some photos

Please excuse the amateur phone shots, not quite up to the standard of most on here.

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Thanks for reading!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Independent buyer and seller of Christopher Ward and other watches - Ward Hoard
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sinner777
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Re: C65 Trident vintage (old version)

Post by sinner777 »

Great review..oh... Lol

"Ttf: mummy buys lots of handbags
Ttf junior: daddy, she has three. And she doesn’t write reviews on them, take pictures of them and post them on the internet"


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