Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro 600

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STL
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Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro 600

Post by STL »

“I know it when I see it.” While this is an expression made famous by US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart in the landmark case Jacobellis v. Ohio to define pornography, I feel it is also apt for watch enthusiasts when choosing a new timepiece. This certainly applies for myself when I saw the C60 Trident Pro 600 in Blue.

My search for a new watch began with my wife wanting to buy me something special for our 5th wedding anniversary, back in early 2017. My watch collection had included a few Seikos, Diesel and Kenneth Cole “fashion” watches received as gifts, and a Movado Museum, among others. All powered by quartz movement, save for the “Rolex” obtained as a souvenir in NYC’s Chinatown. Who knows what’s inside of that. So this gift was intended to be a “nice” watch – something that looked good, was high quality, had some prestige, was good value for the money and was, of course, an Automatic.

With my limited knowledge of watches, my thoughts went to Tag Heuer – specifically the Formula 1. This is more on the entry-level side of a big recognizable brand. Some friends have Tags and most people have heard of the brand, so this would give me something with a bit of flash. However, the more I researched the watch and the brand, the less I felt that this was the watch for me. It seemed this would more so be an expensive item on my wrist than something I would feel a connection to. So, with a newfound affinity for dive watches the search continued to Seamasters and, having now been introduced to their price tag, quickly turned to Aquises, Aquaracers, Hydroconquests, Khakis, Squales and even the black and white C60 from Christopher Ward.

Then it happened. Christopher Ward introduced the C60 Trident Pro 600 in Blue and I knew it when I saw it.

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I had already learned that the C60 was a great piece with unmatched value. And now, it was available in the perfect color. A color that matches the water one is diving into and can be worn with black and brown shoes. A color that also beautifully matches the little bits of green and orange on the dial and bezel. This was a watch that I knew I wanted.

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So, what had begun as a 5th Anniversary present instead turned into a year-long search and a 6th Anniversary present. The order was placed by my wife and the watch was finally delivered to its home.

So, what made this watch worthy of such a gift and year long search? Well, it’s of course difficult to think of Christopher Ward and not think about value. As an analyst who works in Finance and someone who frequently searches for the balance between price and value, this was something very important to me. The C60 Trident Pro 600 checks the boxes of what one looks for in a dive watch. Swiss-made movement? Check. Stainless Steel case? Check. Sapphire Crystal? Check. Scratch-resistant ceramic bezel? Check. SuperLuminova? Check. Water resistance to 300 meters? Nope, twice that. All this for a watch priced at the bottom end of the luxury dive watch category.

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But a watch should not be purchased just because it checks boxes. It needs to have beauty and some soul. Something that connects the watch to its wearer. The soul, for me, comes through with that amazing trident counterbalance on the second hand. Fittingly, this resides on the visible piece of the watch that is in constant motion. It is a reminder that this a timepiece with a living soul. The trident itself is a perfect pairing for a dive watch. And it is oh so cool.

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Christopher Ward also adds all of the little touches. The subtle wavy guilloche dial is perfect for a diver. The deep stamping of the Trident on the backplate is perhaps unnecessary, but a fun added touch with nice detail. The twin-flags logo on the crown fits just perfectly. The bits of green at the minute marker and at the bezel pip also are a nice touch. And did I mention that marine blue color? This watch is truly a beautiful timepiece.

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Of course, one cannot mention Christopher Ward and logo without addressing the wordmark at 9 o’clock. I will say for me, and my wife, this wasn’t even something we thought twice about. After looking at reviews and seeing various comments, it is clear that some have much stronger opinions. However, this was not something I saw as a negative. I suppose I would favor a non-text trademark (perhaps the twin flags?) at 12 o’clock. However, if you are going to place a logo at 9 o’clock it would certainly be better to use a wordmark than a non text trademark. To me, this simply separates the brand from other brands with boring logos placed at 12 o’clock. That’s it.

The one quibble I do have the watch is with the hour and minute hands. With such a fantastic second hand, it’s a shame the hour and minute are not quite up to par. These should be sleeker and cleaner on such a watch and the misplaced skeletonization (new word?) should be removed. Perhaps we could see a leaner minute hand and a simple circle on the hour hand – without the onion-like point. Call it the sword and the shield to go with the trident. (Hey I’m in Finance not Marketing.) I do appreciate the real estate available for the lume. This allows for a very legible read. I also like the baton hour markers and am glad the dots have been left to the Submariners and Black Bays of the world.

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Powering the Trident is a Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1 movement. With 26 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, an anti-shock system, a self-winding mechanism and a 38 hour power reserve, this movement reliably keeps time. In performing my own 24-hour test, the watch kept time at an acceptable +8 seconds. The twin-flag embossed crown makes setting the date or time a breeze and without any stickiness.

The durability and comfort of the watch is also readily apparent. The scratch-resistant zirconia ceramic unidirectional bezel and 3.4mm anti-reflective sapphire crystal have already kept away knicks and scratches from daily wear that I am positive would have shown up on watches of lesser quality. The stylish Marine-grade stainless steel bracelet is both brushed and polished. It fits comfortably and comes with a micro-adjustable ratchet clasp that is very useful in everyday life and not just to accommodate scuba gear. Switching to a NATO strap was also surprisingly easy and the result is just as nice and clean of a look. Finally, the 43mm case sits perfectly on my 7.5-inch wrist and is a great size for a diver, while the 13.3mm height rests comfortably under the cuff. It really is a well-constructed piece that balances between a fun tool watch and a dressy diver.

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All in all the C60 Trident Pro 600 is truly a fantastic watch. It is a watch that has received and will no doubt continue to receive compliments. It is a watch that enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike would be happy to wear. My own model was inscribed with a loving message from my wife to remember our wedding and is very special to me. As I have worn this watch daily for a few months now, I still am able to look down and smile – not only for the personal memories that come with a gift, but also at the pure quality and class that come from such a timepiece.

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Model No: C60-43ADA2-S0BB0-B0
Date of transaction: 21 April 2018
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by Thegreyman »

Good comprehensive review and nice photos of your Trident :thumbup:
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by timor54 »

Yes, an excellent review with good photos. It’s nice to also see it on a selection of straps.

I too have been pondering the shape of the hands and find in particular the ‘turnip’ shape of the hour hand to be at odds with the overall modern design. I’ve a GMT and with the 4th hand the dial can sometimes look rather crowded.

I’ve been looking with interest at some photoshop mock ups of alternative C60/65 designs by @nordwulf:
http://horology.world/forums/topic/35-d ... omment=106 and find the combination of a C60 with C65 hands rather attractive.
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by STL »

Thank you both!

Those mock ups are good. It is nice to see what the Trident could look like with sleeker hands.

I was originally thinking of keeping the circle as it adds good lume space for a diver, but couldn't exactly find what I was looking for online:

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I'm sure this has been discussed, but the more I looked at the Submariner the more it seems that this was the inspiration for the hour hand. However the Submariner has a cleaner separation of the Mercedes logo circle and the hand. The Trident smartly avoids coping the Mercedes, but the result is an odd onion/turnip that merges into the point and isn't quite right.

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On the minute hand, the inspiration seemed to be the skeletonized sword from some of the Seamaster models. It's ok, and works better than the hour hand, but I think could be tightened up a bit.

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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by Palisander »

timor54 wrote:Yes, an excellent review with good photos. It’s nice to also see it on a selection of straps.

I too have been pondering the shape of the hands and find in particular the ‘turnip’ shape of the hour hand to be at odds with the overall modern design. I’ve a GMT and with the 4th hand, the dial can sometimes look rather crowded.

I’ve been looking with interest at some photoshop mock ups of alternative C60/65 designs by @nordwulf:
http://horology.world/forums/topic/35-d ... omment=106 and find the combination of a C60 with C65 hands rather attractive.
Great designs and ideas! Yet - seeing CW logo aligned on the top, although it makes the dial more symmetric for sure, it kind of makes the logo more... common (especially regarding font used)? With the left side align you just not notice that....
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by cincfleet »

A very nice review and photos. Looks great on the bracelet but I really like the look of the blue/green NATO. This has now gone to the top of the most wanted list especially with the current 15% off offer (might need the interest free finance option though) :clap: :thumbup:
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by 0uatiOW »

What a wonderful review and a terrific back story. Context really brings it to life. Thanks for sharing.

The C60 is a wonderful timepiece, as you say, checking all the boxes, and for good reason I think, it’s CW’s biggest seller.
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by tempusmaximus »

A very good review with some very good pictures , it made for an enjoyable read . :thumbup:
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by Skipper »

Good review! :thumbup:
Regarding the hour hand, maybe you'll change your mind forgetting onions and vegetables ad seeing it as it was originally intended: a waterdrop, a very fitting symbolism for a diver watch. I love it.
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by STL »

Skipper wrote:Good review! :thumbup:
Regarding the hour hand, maybe you'll change your mind forgetting onions and vegetables ad seeing it as it was originally intended: a waterdrop, a very fitting symbolism for a diver watch. I love it.
Ah, that's excellent! Thank you, I hadn't heard that before. It does help see things in a different light.

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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by cincfleet »

cincfleet wrote:A very nice review and photos. Looks great on the bracelet but I really like the look of the blue/green NATO. This has now gone to the top of the most wanted list especially with the current 15% off offer (might need the interest free finance option though) :clap: :thumbup:
Trigger pulled on 29th and I've just received the most important email of all, delivery tomorrow. This initially confused me as the account is still at processing? this was compounded by my recent web site visit which lists the watch as a pre-order for early September. No doubt though it is on its way, checked the delivery tracking link, can't wait :thumbup:
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Re: Love at First Sight - Review of the Blue C60 Trident Pro

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Great review. I had always been a bit anti the onion hour hand but after 2 weeks’ constant wear I have ceased to notice it.
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