C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

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mvlow
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C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by mvlow »

This is my review of the Christopher Ward C65 Trident GMT, Model #C65-41AGM1-S0KK0-B0.

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I had been eagerly awaiting the release of this watch since it was mentioned in the Summer 2018 edition of Loupe Magazine. There had also been a couple of sneak peeks with partial pictures of the actual watch, showing it on a metal bracelet with a stainless steel 24 hour bezel. I knew that if the design of this model lived up to the rumored specifications it would be a watch I would want for my collection. I had been looking for a GMT watch for some time, but I never found the perfect combination of quality and price with any other manufacturer.

There is nothing wrong with luxury watches, but I am not the type of watch enthusiast that is willing to pay luxury watch prices. I do, however, want great quality for the money I am paying. While looking at GMT's I briefly considered the new Tudor Black Bay GMT. It is a stunning watch, but decided I was not willing to pay almost $4,000 for a GMT at this time in my life. My reasons for wanting a GMT are two-fold. I live in the USA and have family living in England, so I will more than likely keep the GMT hand permanently set 8 hours ahead of my current time zone so I know at a glance what time it is in England. My second reason is simply that I really like the design of the GMT complication. The extra GMT hand just looks cool.

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I woke up on August 29th to see the C65 GMT posted for sale on the Christopher Ward website, three days earlier than the anticipated release date of September 1st.

My first impression of the watch was positive. The size was good for my 7.25 inch wrist, and I liked the overall design. I really liked the bright orange GMT hand and the price was about where I thought it should be.

After looking at the pictures and the short marketing video I was fairly sure I was going to order one on the bracelet, but I am always cautious of acting on impulse, so I decided to see what others were saying on social media and forums before making a final decision. I was hoping someone would purchase one the first day and post their own pictures and video, so I could see it in the “flesh” before making a final decision.

My initial excitement was tempered somewhat when I saw several comments online complaining the GMT hand was too big and too bright. As is human nature I began to doubt if my first impressions were correct. The next day someone posted their own pictures of the C65 GMT. They had ordered it the day it was released and paid for expedited shipping and received it in one day, wow. After seeing these pictures my initial excitement was re-ignited.

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That evening I decided to go ahead and order the watch. When you order from the Christopher Ward website there is currently one choice of dial color and four strap/bracelet choices. The choices are stainless steel bracelet, Black or Camel (brown) leather, or Khaki webbing straps. There is a $70 premium for the bracelet. I usually order my watches on leather straps, but I opted for the bracelet in this case as I really liked the look of it in the marketing pictures and I currently only own one other watch on a bracelet. At some point in the future I will probably Start rotating the bracelet with leather straps.

I used the free shipping option and received the watch 6 days later on September 5th, 2018, on the west coast of the USA. Very impressive CW.

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Technical Specifications

Diameter: 41mm
Caliber: ETA 2893-2 Automatic GMT
Lug Width: 22mm
Water Resistance: 150 meters
Crystal: Glass Box Sapphire
Power Reserve: 42 hours

When I unboxed the C65 GMT I was immediately struck by the beautiful design. My fears of the GMT hand looking too big and bright were immediately put to rest. The GMT hand perfectly fit the design of the watch. When looking at it on my wrist, I could quickly see the second time zone because of the legibility of the GMT hand. There was no doubt with that beautiful orange hand that I was wearing a GMT watch.

The brushed stainless steel bracelet feels and looks well made and flows seamlessly from the case of the watch. It has a signed clasp with the Christopher Ward Twin Flag motif engraved into the metal.

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The bracelet has a micro adjustable ratchet clasp that makes it easy to make fine adjustments to the size of the bracelet without having to use tools. I paid the extra money to have the bracelet sized at Christopher Ward, and it was well worth $10 to ensure a perfect fit right out of the box.

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The crown does not screw down which has some advantages and disadvantages. Because you don’t have to unscrew the crown it makes it easy to give it quick wind to top up the 42 hour power reserve and to pull it out to change the date, time, or GMT hand. The disadvantage of it having a push-in crown is the water resistance is not as high as it could be with a screw down crown. 150 meters, however, is more than enough for my daily use.

The glass box sapphire crystal is one of my favorite features of this model. The vintage look of the box crystal suits the overall vintage design of the watch and being made of sapphire it has excellent scratch resistance.

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The case design is the same as on the C65 Trident Diver. The sides of the case alternate between brushed and polished. The time and effort to produce a case that has multiple finishes is something you don’t always see on watches in this price range. At 12.05mm the case is already slim for a watch with an automatic GMT movement and the alternating case finishes makes the case appear even slimmer. The case back is similar to many other Christopher Ward models with a deep stamped Trident logo as well as the water resistance and model and serial number engraved into the case.

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The date window is at the 3 o’clock position, with a black background that matches the color of the dial and white numbers. It is not overly intrusive, but easy to read with a quick glance.

After wearing and testing the watch for the past week here are my impressions and findings. I haven't measured exactly how long the power reserve has been lasting but after my first wind of about 20 turns and then wearing it for a few hours each day I have not needed to wind it since. I am used to wearing watches between 41mm and 43mm and this wears true to it’s size of 41mm. It sits very comfortably on my 7.25 inch wrist. The GMT hand is easy to set after a quick read of the manual. The stainless steel, 24-hour, 120 click bezel, positively clicks into position and does not have any noticeable wobble or slack.

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The accuracy of the movement has been outstanding so far. I am not the type of person that has to have my watches run at COSC standards, but I have been checking the accuracy regularly for the past week for this review. I set the time using the online official U.S. Time Zone clock at time.gov and it has been running at about -2 seconds per day.

I own several other watches including a Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 600 Vintage, a Hamilton Khaki Field, and a Sinn 104. I know that I am still in the honeymoon phase with the GMT, but it is currently my favorite watch. It is a combination of the overall design, as well as the little details such as the large signed crown, the coin edge on the stainless steel bezel, the box sapphire crystal, and the signed buckle with the micro adjustable ratchet clasp that I enjoy.

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Until I purchased the C65 GMT my two favorite watches in my collection were the C60 Trident Pro Vintage and the Sinn 104. An obvious watch to compare against the GMT is the C60. The build quality is the same, but the C65 is smaller at 41mm compared to the 43mm C60. The GMT still has the look and feel of a tool watch, but it is a little more refined in appearance than the C60 in my opinion. Even though the GMT is slimmer, smaller, and lighter than the C60, it still has enough heft and wrist presence for my liking. The vintage lume on the C65 GMT is not as brightly yellow colored in daylight as the vintage lume on my C60. It is a more subdued color, which I prefer. Comparing the lume of the C60 GMT and the C60 side-by-side in the dark, they both glow green and appear to be about the same brightness. The lume on the C60 is slightly more visible, however, but only because the C60 hands, batons, and bezel pip are slightly bigger than those on the C65.

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My Sinn 104 is a more expensive watch than the C65 GMT, but the build quality of the GMT is easily on par with the Sinn. The lume on the Sinn does glow brighter than the lume on the C65. Comparing the C65 GMT to the more expensive Sinn it is easy to see Christopher Ward have kept to their mission by producing a quality watch at an exceptional value.

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I have struggled to come up with any negatives for this review, but if I could change anything on this watch, I would make the bezel bi-directional so it is quicker to set a third time zone, although I doubt I will ever use it for that purpose. Also, I would prefer brighter lume. The lume is just ok, but not great. If I were to choose the perfect size for my taste I would have made it 42mm, but 41mm works for me just fine. I am someone that tends to prefer my watches on the bigger side, but this is just personal preference and the 41mm size will be the perfect size for many people. I am really nit-picking here so that I have some critiques to share.

Of course no review is complete without a shot of the author actually wearing the watch.

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Unboxing Video: When I received the C65 Trident GMT in the mail, I made a short unboxing video so others can see what it looks like upon arrival. If you are interested in seeing the video you will find it at the following Youtube link.

Christopher Ward C65 Trident GMT Unboxing

In conclusion, I think that Christopher Ward have done a great job with this new release. It is filling a niche in their line-up that I think many will appreciate. For the foreseeable future this is likely to be my most worn watch. Well done Christopher Ward.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review

Post by 0uatiOW »

Great review Malcolm. I particularly like the bracelet, steel bezel and the unguarded crown. The 2893-2 is a workhorse of a movement, and it sounds like yours is far exceeding the published accuracy. Congratulations.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review

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0uatiOW wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 4:32 am Great review Malcolm. I particularly like the bracelet, steel bezel and the unguarded crown. The 2893-2 is a workhorse of a movement, and it sounds like yours is far exceeding the published accuracy. Congratulations.
Thanks 0uatiOW. The unguarded crown definitely adds to the vintage look. CW has really done a good job with this watch. I have a feeling that as more people actually see it in the flesh, it is going to be a big seller for CW.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review

Post by Markornot »

Great review neighbor! :D (Silverton, OR)...Awesome photo shots!!!
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review

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Markornot wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 4:58 am Great review neighbor! :D (Silverton, OR)...Awesome photo shots!!!
Thanks Markornot. I am on the other side of the mountains in Central Oregon :D
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review

Post by Thermexman »

Great review Malcolm. Some great pics of the C65 too. I enjoyed reading it, thanks. :clap: :thumbup:
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by jkbarnes »

I had hoped that as the reviews for this watch started to trickle in, they would dampen my enthusiasm for it. Sadly, they have not. In fact, pictures of the C65 GMT “in the wild” have me yearning for it even more. Great review and great pics! Thanks for posting.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by Thegreyman »

Excellent detailed review and photos. Does make ownership a tempting prospect, it looks even better than I rembember in the first images.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review

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Thegreyman wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 12:27 pm Excellent detailed review and photos. Does make ownership a tempting prospect, it looks even better than I rembember in the first images.
Thanks Patrick. I do find I get a better feel for a new watch once people start posting their real world images. That temptation to buy is hard to resist sometimes :D
Thermexman wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:07 am Great review Malcolm. Some great pics of the C65 too. I enjoyed reading it, thanks. :clap: :thumbup:
Thanks Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed the pics and review.
jkbarnes wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 11:06 am I had hoped that as the reviews for this watch started to trickle in, they would dampen my enthusiasm for it. Sadly, they have not. In fact, pictures of the C65 GMT “in the wild” have me yearning for it even more. Great review and great pics! Thanks for posting.
Thanks Andrew. There have been times when I have seen pictures in the flesh of watches I thought I'd like and have been underwhelmed. That is not the case with the C65 GMT. It really is a good looking watch.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by nordwulf »

Very enjoyable to read with very good pictures as well.

I recall reading somewhere about the crown vs water resistance. The main function of a screw-down crown is to prevent accidentally pulling out the crown while underwater and not necessarily to increase water resistance versus a push-in crown. But this is not a dive watch and not labelled as such. 15 Bar is still very respectable.

Most watch pictures are close-ups and don't give a good feel on how it looks on the wrist while looking at it from 1-2 feet away. And I imagine the GMT hand doesn't look all that big when viewing it like that.

The problem with reviews like this is that it will be hard to beat for other reviewers...! :thumbup:
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by mvlow »

nordwulf wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 3:06 pm Very enjoyable to read with very good pictures as well.

I recall reading somewhere about the crown vs water resistance. The main function of a screw-down crown is to prevent accidentally pulling out the crown while underwater and not necessarily to increase water resistance versus a push-in crown. But this is not a dive watch and not labelled as such. 15 Bar is still very respectable.

Most watch pictures are close-ups and don't give a good feel on how it looks on the wrist while looking at it from 1-2 feet away. And I imagine the GMT hand doesn't look all that big when viewing it like that.

The problem with reviews like this is that it will be hard to beat for other reviewers...! :thumbup:
Thanks Frank. I have never read that about screw down crowns, but it does make sense. I'm guessing that watch manufacturers underestimate their depth ratings to some degree for fear of someone pushing their watch to the limits and it leaking. In reality a watch with 150 meter water resistance could probably go down further than that, but the watch manufacturers don't want to take a chance on warranting it to its absolute maximum. I agree on the watch close-up pictures. Heck, when I actually have a watch on my wrist it has a whole different look and feel because you are looking at the overall design, not the minute details.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by MiniMpi »

A really excellent review Malcolm.
Very well done and really gives you a sense of what the watch is like, brilliant photos too.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by mvlow »

Thanks Ferg. I'm glad the review is helpful for forum members.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by jkbarnes »

mvlow wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 4:06 am Image
I'm just now looking at these pics on my laptop as opposed to my phone. What a difference that makes! They're fantastic photos of a stunning watch (I chose that adjective on purpose because I think it's thrown around too much, but this watch is truly stunning...well at least to me!). That last photo really captures the whole aesthetic of the watch, in my opinion.

Thanks again for the review and pics.
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Re: C65 Trident GMT Review (WRC2)

Post by mvlow »

Thanks Andrew. I'm glad you enjoyed the images. I agree with you that the watch is stunning. You would be hard pressed to find another watch in this price range that is of similar build quality and looks. CW really hit it out of the park with this one.
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