Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT Owner Review : Consistent, hypnotic and completed

Christopher Ward is often considered the first micro-brand, having been born in 2004. The brand's namesake has since jumped ship, and after a long search for its branding and some logo-related missteps, the identity recently stabilized under the name Christopher Ward and a graphic logo composed of the "twin flags," meant to represent the English flag alongside the Swiss flag, and simply titled Swish. These numerous changes may seem trivial, but I believe they are proof that defining a brand image, whether in terms of name or visual identity, takes time. Almost two decades in their case, until they reach the maturity of an established brand. Christopher Ward (CW to those in the know) is no longer considered a microbrand, and their latest - and highly acclaimed - releases, the C1 Bel Canto and C12 Loco, are further proof that the brand is playing in the league of the biggest (and most important). But let's get back to the subject of this C63 Sealander GMT, which I acquired a few months ago. The model has been available since mid-2021 with a range of 3 hands, the daily GMT, and a few more exotic variations (Valour, Colchester, Elite). Initially available in 39mm, it is now available in 36mm. Despite my rather slim wrist (16.5cm), I opted for the larger model, which I don't regret in the least. The watch has a diameter of 39mm, a lug-to-lug measurement of 45.8mm, and a thickness of 11.85mm. The lug width is standard at 20mm. I chose to go all-out with the "Dragonfly Blue" dial, whose color oscillates between turquoise and sea green. On cloudy days, it even takes on a slightly glacier blue-gray hue. So there's no shortage of distractions when meetings drag on at the office or on public transport. The sunlight, although discreet, provides plenty of reflections and light effects. Upon unpacking, the first thing that struck me was the weight of the box. Made of wood that seems very well made, it weighs its weight in euros, and whether it's the very soft cardboard or the wood itself, the whole thing exudes undeniable quality. Placed in the middle of this black felt, the watch loomed over me. Again, when I took it out of its box, the weight in my hand is substantial. No cling, clung, or tchik tchik; everything seems perfectly adjusted, as if of a solid piece. The Consort bracelet, with five links, the two intermediate links of which are polished, is the watch's attraction in itself. It looks incredible, feels fantastic without any roughness or sharp angles, and sits perfectly. CW even managed to fit two 1.5mm micro-adjustments on each side of the butterfly clasp, in addition to the two half-links on either side. The result is perfect comfort and excellent sizing precision. On the wrist, the light-catcher case, which has contributed to the British firm's reputation, works wonders. Playing with the light like no other thanks to its alternating polished and brushed finishes, the quality of the finishes amazed me. Granted, this watch is the most expensive I own. Sure, you can surely get something even thinner and more precise elsewhere. But damn, the feel, the fluidity of the lines of the case, the lugs, and the straight shoulder, the integration of the wide crown are a marvel to look at, to experience. Despite being almost 12mm thick and with a slightly protruding caseback, the watch sits like a bird on a branch. When the bracelet is properly adjusted, the lugs hug the wrist like a bird of prey gripping its prey, and if it's adjusted looser, the watch feels almost like it's levitating just above the skin, but without ever wandering around like Miami Vice. Thanks to a very well-proportioned stepped construction, it could easily be half a millimeter smaller. The fixed steel bezel with a 24-hour graduation is large enough to be perfectly legible, but discreet enough not to eat into the dial. To top it all off, a sapphire crystal with beveled edges offers some slight distortions to the dial's periphery, and gives the impression of having small indexes floating beyond the railway. This is even more telling when the light becomes more subdued and the blue Lume Grade X1 is revealed. It really does feel like two-part indexes. Speaking of Luminova, the first moments after exposure to light are incredible, precise, sharp, and ready to devour the darkness. Then it steadily loses its brilliance as the minutes tick by. While not a disappointment, I honestly find it less impressive than the one on my Citizen Promaster Land. Its longevity is, however, satisfactory, with the hour still legible in early morning darkness, which ultimately isn't something all watches can achieve. The hands are once again a benchmark for me. Polished on the outside, the central part is brushed, continuing the lume application. This allows for good readability in any lighting conditions, whether you need to catch the slightest ray of sunlight or, conversely, in the event of strong reflections on the sapphire. A sign of the design work put into this watch, for me, is the arrow of the GMT hand, which is the same length as the upper part of the hour markers. The same goes for the orange tip of the second hand, which is the same length and hovers over the orange dots marking the railway every 5 minutes. The latter's Trident-shaped counterweight also sits flush with the logo at 12 o'clock, and the rare inscriptions at 6 o'clock. The hour hand brushes against the faceted portion of the indexes, while the minute hand embraces their upper end. And to complete an already extensive display, CW offers us a date disc in the same color as the dial. Quite logical and expected on classic colors, but on such a distinctive shade, I say hats off! It also proves that where there's a will, there's a way, and that some brands treat us like three-week-old rabbits. The crown is stamped with the Twin Flags logo, and the transparent sapphire crystal caseback reveals the Sellita SW330-2 with its decorated rotor. On this last point, I admit I would have much preferred a beautiful engraved solid caseback to gain a few millimeters of thickness or 50 meters of additional water resistance, but that's one of the only criticisms I can make of the watch. Speaking of water resistance, the Sealander, as its name suggests, had to be at least submersible. It does the job with a screw-down crown and a water resistance of 150m, more than sufficient for an active daily life or a vacation on the water. The SW330-2 is a so-called "caller" GMT movement, often referred to as a "fake" GMT, as opposed to the "traveler" GMT, which is more practical for the more traveled among us. The difference lies in the hand, which is independently activated when setting the time. In my situation, as a completely sedentary person who simply enjoys this complication, the Caller GMT makes much more sense. The "classic" time is set with the crown fully extended, and the GMT hand is set clockwise and the date counterclockwise to the first click. The movement offers a 56-hour power reserve, which is much more comfortable than the meager 38 hours of the SW200 3-hand version and one of the reasons I chose this GMT version. Accuracy measured in real time (i.e., with a watch worn during the day and put down at night) over a week and in various resting positions shows excellent performance, with only 4 to 9 seconds of drift per 24 hours, or less than a minute per week. Without a doubt, Christopher Ward has created a masterclass in design with his Sealander line, combining everyday practicality, minimal concerns about its robustness or wearer comfort, suitability for travel and active vacations, refined design elements, and impressive overall consistency. The quality of construction and performance are flawless, and its versatility makes it a perfect one-of-a-kind watch for anyone at this stage of their watchmaking journey, while also fitting perfectly into a larger collection as the all-around beauty with a twist. It was the object of my desire for several months, haunting my days and nights before I was finally able to lay my eyes and hands on it. The height of my expectations had led me to fear disappointment upon unboxing, but that wasn't the case, and this is one of the first times the watch has exceeded my expectations in almost every way. I even had the opportunity to deal with CW customer service regarding a caseback scratched by a jeweler during engraving (it's a watch for a special occasion). Once again, quick responses, excellent support, shipping and returns at their expense, a more than reasonable repair rate, and finally, an engraving done in-house that is of very good quality (their machine was broken at the time of my purchase, hence this subsequent situation). In conclusion, I love this watch, as much for wearing as for looking at it, for photographing as for simply forgetting it on your wrist. It's a great everyday watch, just as it can be a beautiful weekend watch or an elegant evening watch, one made for riding with your elbow out the door or for sunbathing by the pool.