[jonobailey]

Picked up this watch in the Christopher Ward sale - great watch, excellent quality, interesting design, excellent value - but I hate the brand name.

I know this has been discussed to death and the logo placement at 12 o'clock is a big improvement- I know its irrational but am I wrong for not wanting a random man's name of the dial? I just don't get it and it ruins the watch for me. Why not just have a stylised CW or similar, as it is it like Daniel Wellington - a cheap fashion brand

 

[EnderW]

Well.
1) Christopher Ward is not a cheap fashion brand. They are a respected brand with some great original designs and some nice semi-inhouse movements.
2) Christopher Ward is the name of the brand founder. I don't see why he would not have it on watch dials, considering most brands do the same.
I think the issue with brand name and logo is more in heads of people making judgements on some strange preconceived notions, rather than an issue w the brand.

BTW. That compressor is a beautiful watch. Enjoy it

PS. Earlier iterations of the brand logo had a CW logo. I like it on my 2 CWs. The Christoper Ward London was also nice

 

[John MS]

Why do you say the name was chosen by random selection?
Please read their history.
Having owned one for 3 years I can tell you CW watches are well made.

 

[Michael Day]

Fashion brand? Not bad seeing they make the only real super compression watch amongst the entire watch world.


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[Dirty Red]

For many of us Christopher Ward on the dial has come to stand for quality. I would resell it if the cheap fashion brand thing bothers you. Should be able to get close to the $600 you paid for it.

On a side note that $70 tropic rubber strap is out of this world. I just put one one my c65 yellow. It has the brand name at 9:00 and I like it.

 

[jkpa]

Got my new C60 a few days ago. As nice an an Omega. Not Omega pricing.

Love it and their logo and branding. If you don’t, sell it and someone else will enjoy a fine watch.

 

[dbostedo]

I think the OP meant that Daniel Wellington was a cheap fashion brand, not CW. In any case, the points about it not being a random name are good.

 

[Glencoe]

Your watch, you are entitle to your perspective. I do not share it though, and do not really get the issue.

I don't mind the name or the placement. In fact, I kind of like it. I have three CWs. Happy with the quality and look, branding has never bothered me.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

 

[Buschyfor3]

The design and the engineering behind the watch is quite impressive; but I’m in the same camp as OP regarding the name. I just can’t look past it when it takes up that much space on the dial (albeit the placement is much better at 12 than it is at 9 like on some of their other models).

I can’t help but wonder if they had shortened the brand to “Ward,” it might have a different effect on so many of the potential buyers who are on the fence solely because of name/branding. Ah well, c’est la vie.

 

[Deathblow80]

And the CW branding name debate rages on lol. Best watch for the Money IMO. I’ve owned 5 and when bought on sale or second hand you won’t lose anything when you go resell. Maybe you can get lucky and make a few bucks too.


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[Wilfried84]

I care not one jot about "another man's name" on my watch. In fact, I never would have begun to notice, except for all the harping. I don't get the monomania, and find it entirely tiresome. What about Frank Muller or FP Journe? I'm sure there are others, but they don't come to mind at the moment. Do people get all triggered, ask feel the need to go on about it like it hasn't been said a gazillion times before, every time they see Journe on a dial? I also care not a jot about the placement of the dreaded name. Again, I never would have noticed, and I actually think it looks fine. It sort of balances the date window. When I was shopping for a Christopher Ward, I innocently and naively asked about it, and half the thread was about the bloody logo and name, and found it highly annoying that I couldn't find out anything substantive about the watch that I couldn't see in a photo. At this point, I think it's all kneejerk bandwagon jumping. They can't even be original about their complaints.

I think it's well built, looks great, logo and all, and fits me well:

 

[shedlock2000]

I’m toying with picking up the C65 WT. the name on the dial is the least of my concerns!

I wish they’d use a better grade movement (for which I’d happily pay $200 more) or install a jumping-hour hand clutch to make the watch functionally more useful. But this argument exists for every SW watch.

The C65 WT would be bob-on with a second crown to rotate the inner 24hour ring and some bezel lume.


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[JimWharton]

Yawn. Have two. Just picked up a C60 Sapphire. Love both watches and prefer the 9 o’clock placement.

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[nbardach]

As someone who collects compressor and compressor-style watches, I was really curious to see what C. Ward would do with its execution. I really like the watch (am really glad they centered the logo) and would have definitely picked one up EXCEPT, it doesn't have a date complication, which is a deal-breaker for me. It's not like I needed another watch anyhow!

 

[jonobailey]

I think many have failed the grasp the meaning of my post - no Christopher Ward are not a fashion brand and yes they make great watches..... but does their name effect their success? I think it does.

There are many people who are put off by the branding. No it doesn't make their watches worse, but I do believe it affects their success.

My point is that brands where someone's full name is used on the dial are normally fashion brands (Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Daniel Wellington). Where a person name is the brand it is usually because it is 'their' brand, that they originally started. People are buying their designs, their fashion houses style. The owner of these companies oversee all design (or at least originally did, prior to mass market success).

In the case of watch making where someone's name is on the dial it is often because they are the master watchmaker, and they handcrafted the item or originally did so before mass market success (Roger Smith, Phillipe Dufour, Audemars Piguet, A Lange & Sohne).

This is clearly not the case with Christopher Ward, he was one of three founders, and I think you would be pushing it to describe him as a master watchmaker, however good their watches are for the money - I just can't fathom the use of his name and found it odd.... its never been 'his' work alone, there is almost an arrogance putting your name of the dial, when you have not hand crafted the item- to me his name bears little relevance to the item (I understand he now has little involvement with the company, compared to the other founders).

Yes there are brands that use the founder name in part or an alterations of it (Breitling or Stowa for instance) but I can't help but think Christopher Ward are lumbered with a brand image / name that inhibits them and their success - there's a reason these threads keep appearing.

Many brand names / logo are materialised and 'fictional' due to their symmetry etc (Nomos, Rolex).

I do believe the Christopher Ward brand is not 'successful' from a marketing viewpoint as highlighted by their many logo changes - clearly they themselves are unsure of how to deal with it, which to me says all you need to know.

It is a long standing issue from the first day they founded the company and an issue that is impossible to fix.

 

[Chascomm]

Does Christopher Ward have a middle name?...

 

[Scbr24]

There are many people who are put off by the branding. No it doesn't make their watches worse, but I do believe it affects their success.

I do believe the Christopher Ward brand is not 'successful' from a marketing viewpoint as highlighted by their many logo changes - clearly they themselves are unsure of how to deal with it, which to me says all you need to know.

I only agree with this. I myself wouldn't buy certain models just because of the side logo, but it is the position that bothers me, not the logo itself nor the fact that it says Christoher Ward instead of CW (or Chr. Ward as it did at some point).

 

[obomomomo]

Personally I think CW do some really nicely designed watches but I've always been put off by the name/logo.

If I owned CW, I'd long have changed the name to Ward Watches and gotten a talented young graphic designer do a nice 'W' or 'WW' logo (a stylised three prong trident like at some of their second hands might be a good starting point) for me with or without the name WARD in caps underneath. A bit late in the game now but still possible.

I don't mind the current logo but still think they should drop the Christopher. Apologies to anyone here named Christopher but it reminds me too much of Winnie the Pooh.

 

[Batboy]

Well said @jonobailey, and these reasons are what’s stopped me from buying Christopher Ward. Several times, I’ve been on the brink of pulling the MasterCard trigger, but that writing on the watch face has always stopped me.

Why, oh why didn’t Christopher Ward stick with the double-flags branding (as per the C7 Rapide range)?

 

[warsh]

The OP is correct that Ward would sell more watches with a better logo. I would own 2-3 by now for sure were it not for the silly name/logo they use.


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