They are well built and finished watches for the money, if you can get past the awful branding. If that doesn’t bother you then the Sealander is a winner. Since you mentioned Hamilton, I would personally pick up a Khaki Field Auto over the CW. I like it’s more classic looks and history.

 

Appreciate the feedback. Yeah I like the newer models with the dual flags logo vs the “Christopher ward” on the dial.

 

I haven’t owned a sea lander but I had a c60 bronzo and it was incredibly well built. They’re doing a lot right over at CW and at their price point definitely most bang for the buck your gonna find.

 

I have the 36mm Jura green that came out earlier this year.
It’s wears well and keeps great time.

My only gripe is that adjusting the time can be tricky as the first position sets the date and the second position sets the time. On my watch it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between the first and second position.

Otherwise it’s good watch. The new branding with the twin flag logo is so much better than the original.

The light catcher case really does pick up tue light nicely.

CW is my number one “micro brand” recommendation at this price point.

 

I keep thinking about pulling the trigger on the C63 Sealander GMT in black, but then go, "eh, it's just not nice enough" or "it's too derivative." Wondering if this thread will push me one way or the other.

 

I have that watch and it is probably the most worn since I got it. Looks great on everything and fits perfectly. It could almost be a one watch for me. Almost.

 

I have a C63 Sapphire GMT, and a C60 Atoll Blue that's coming in the mail. The C63 is a great watch - case finishing competes very well with Swiss watches up to about $1500 or so. The hands and markers are high quality, and the lume by C1 standards is very good. Dunno why they don't just use BGW9, but they don't.

Not sure if the 36mm is different, but the crown action on my C63 is superb. I think my Oris D65 has the best crown overall of any of my watches, with the Chris Ward in second place. It firmly clicks between positions, and is extremely easy to thread back in place every time.

If water resistance is a priority, I'd pass on the Khaki Field. They leak.

 

I have a C63 Sapphire GMT, and a C60 Atoll Blue that's coming in the mail. The C63 is a great watch - case finishing competes very well with Swiss watches up to about $1500 or so. The hands and markers are high quality, and the lume by C1 standards is very good. Dunno why they don't just use BGW9, but they don't.

Not sure if the 36mm is different, but the crown action on my C63 is superb. I think my Oris D65 has the best crown overall of any of my watches, with the Chris Ward in second place. It firmly clicks between positions, and is extremely easy to thread back in place every time.

If water resistance is a priority, I'd pass on the Khaki Field. They leak.

View attachment 16907235

I see you said Field Khakis leak. Is this a well known thing? My local AD often has them in at a good discount. Are they best avoided? My Certina rated at 10bar leaked like a cheese grater until it's 3rd visit to Swatch HQ. Don't ever want that hassle again......

 

Build quality is excellent IMO. On par with what you can find on an Oris or something else around the 2k USD mark. Lume is great for a non diver for me. Lume is bright still after driving home from work after sunset, reached home in the dark but markers are all lit up from the UV while driving home when there was still sun.

Here it is on my 8 inch wrist, with a blue sweater and blue jeans. So much blue but I think the orange really takes it up to another level. I rate the C63 Sealander highly. If import tax and duties were not an issue, I would get the G63 GMT with the better SW330 (ETA2892 equivalent) movement.

 

My white dial Sealander 3 hander is a very nice watch. I think CW does bracelets better than brands costing 3x more.

 

I picked up one, a C63. Mine is a white dial, 39mm. Arrived less than a week ago. It's my second CW. Mine works as advertised, no issues. I'm impressed with it. Mine was only available on the leather strap when I ordered it. I also ordered the bracelet which shipment has been delayed. The date seems a bit off centered though. It's funny, it only seems that way when it displays double digits. Maybe it's me, probably fine. I really like it, especially considering the price. My gut reaction, after owing it for a grand total of 5 days, is it's a great watch for the money. There are some things that bug me though. The biggest being the 8 bit logo. This is obviously up to interpretation, but it's quite prominent on the white dial. The other being the dial itself. It just seems a bit "too" white, although the applied indices look really good and add a touch of class to it. The case is really nice, very sculpted and the combination of polished and brushed looks and wears very comfortably. The AR coating on the crystal is really good, no complaints there. The crown screws down very smoothly and the SW200 acts as it should. Overall, I think it's a good value and a solid watch at the price point. I think moving up market would yield maybe a better movement, which doesn't matter all that much to me, but more importantly, a more sophisticated design. That's my take on it, great for the price, very nice execution, but the design feels a bit unsophisticated.

 

I got fixated on white dials and just picked up the exact CW Auto 39mm you’re referencing.

It’s everything I hoped it would be, but I’m withholding final judgment until the bracelet arrives, hopefully before the end of the month. I just have it on a black band right now and it doesn’t do the watch justice. I put in on a light brown band and it looks great, but that’s not why I bought it, I’m only in the market for a white dial on a nice bracelet.

My preliminary judgment is the case is very versatile as I was hoping and has the right balance of polishing and sporty look. It can only get better. I definitely think with the bracelet it can be worn with anything.

I’ve watched at least 3 reviews of the same model from last year with the old logo and they were all extremely positive, which contributed to my decision to try it.

 

My friend leant me his for a few days and I was very impressed. I've been considering the black GMT version so he let me wear his to get a feel for it.
I was very impressed with it. The leather strap was very comfortable and it is a well build watch. I'm a lame snob and I was happy with the lume on it.

 

I'll preface this by saying that I like CW and what they are doing, I've owned several CW pieces.

When the C63 GMT came out I was pretty excited and ordered one (white dial) w/bracelet. However when it arrived I was surprisingly underwhelmed with it and I sadly sent it back. To be clear I think it's a well built watch for the price point and plenty of people love it, I personally just wasn't feeling it when I opened the box.

You mentioned possibly consolidating a couple of watches into an AT ... if it were me, I would explore that route.

 

I have the green dial C63 sealander auto on the bracelet (and the green canvas strap).
I really like it, it’s a perfect size and IMO impossible to better for the price.
The bracelet is very comfortable especially with the handy on the fly adjustment and quick strap change spring bars.
The sealander gets more wrist time than any other watch in my collection and I thoroughly recommend it.

 

Good watch but a derivative design. Even the name is derived.

 

I have the green dial version and like it a lot. However, it stopped running last week and I am sending it back for a warranty repair. I bought it this past June. It’s the first watch (Out of 20-30) I have ever had to return for a fix. I’m a big fan of what CW is doing, but the movement failing is a bummer.

Wanted to get thoughts from anyone who has owned a Christopher ward sealander.

Here is where I am. My collection is dive watch heavy(all black, orange, and blue faces) aside from one dress watch and one eco drive field watch(beater). I’ve been looking for something for fall/winter with a white dial. Started looking at hamilton and other field watches, then pilot watches… even had thoughts of selling my dress watch that doesn’t get much wear and possibly another diver and consolidating funds to white dial aqua terra that could do both.

In my search I have come upon the Sealander C63 automatic and it seems like it could fill this role. Really like the 150m water, I live on coast and around the water a lot. Price point makes it something I can wear without worry.

For any of you that have owned and/or handled it what are your thoughts. build quality? How’s lume? ….

thanks in advance,
T

 

sorry to hear that. Hope they turn it around quick for you.

 

Thanks for the all the replies, much appreciated.

Also that green is growing on me!

 

Got the GMT and it’s a wonderful watch. So much so that I’m considering a 3 hander to keep it company.

 

I have the white GMT version. Quality feels incredible. Crown action is the best i have experienced on any watch (though I dont have any luxury watches). The indexes cat ha lot of light in a nice way. From pics I am not a huge fan of the 3 hand version. Not tooly enough nor dressy enough for me. Somewhere in the middle. I think the numbers on the fixed bezel and the orange tipped gmt hand really complete the watch. They fill the space and make it a real tool watch. If you like divers I think you will like this too.

 

The only watch I have purchased this year is a C63 Sealander GMT.

I was looking for a white-dial non-rotating bezel sports watch to replace a Sinn 104 that I sold earlier in the year, and after looking hard at an Aqua Terra, settled on the Christopher Ward for one-sixth the price of the Omega. What I like about it is the pure white dial (not a fan of off-white, silvery, or cream) and the fact that the hands and indices are gunmetal in tone, which greatly improves legibility. My watch has been worn pretty much every day for four months straight and it's running at a very impressive +2 a day.

Sizing the bracelet was easy although you know from my frequent comments on the other thread about limiting watch purchases, I typically wear it on a single-pass nylon strap, which makes for a very light (70 grams) and comfortable wear. Since I have a 7-1/4 inch wrist (185 mm) and usually wear watches 41 mm and larger, I was a little apprehensive about the 39 mm size. Fortunately, the thin bezel and large dial area gives an appearance of a larger watch. Lume is very good but I don't really care much about that anymore. I have a couple of Lume torches (Seiko Gen 2 Monster, Tudor Pelagos) so that feature is more than adequately covered in my collection. Besides, my Apple Watch destroys any and all traditional watches when it comes to low-light visibility and that is what I wear when going out at night.

Negatives? There have been complaints about the male end links extending the overall length of the watch but that hasn't been an issue for me. The inevitable dismissals of the GMT as being a clone of the Rolex Explorer are also frequently seen on forums, but honestly it shares almost nothing but a few design elements with the Rolex. Hands, case, indices, dial -- all different. I wanted the wordmark Christopher Ward center-justified at 12 o'clock rather than the Swish logo that is being phased in over the entire Christopher Ward line. I just think it looks a little classier. Lastly, I've never really liked the hour hand that has become the standard for the brand. But that's just me. It's the only thing that I would change if I could.

 

Very pleased with mine. Seriously considering the C60 300.

 

Great overall fit and finish, excellent customer support if needed, great lume, accurate, and if you can put up with the dial text, a very nice watch, IMHO.

 

I also have the white GMT. As @Lee_K mentioned, its dial is a very clean white on the cool side of the spectrum, which makes the warm orange touches really pop. Dial and case finishing is very good, especially for the price point. Mine runs steady at +6 spd.

My one disappointment is the bracelet, which many folks really hype up. It has both quick release and tool-less micro adjust, which I assume are the reasons so many people like it. My complaint is that the quick release necessitates male end links, and the tool-less micro adjust necessitates a bulky clasp. I would have preferred a bracelet with female end links, 20-16mm taper, and a smaller clasp for my slender bony wrist, even if it means giving up the quick release and tool-less adjust. If you have average or above average sized wrists, this might be a non-issue for you.

I've ordered one of CW's new hybrid rubber/Cordura straps in hopes it makes my wearing experience more enjoyable:

Hybrid Rubber

Commerce Cloud Storefront Reference Architecture

www.christopherward.com

 

I also have the white GMT. As @Lee_K mentioned, its dial is a very clean white on the cool side of the spectrum, which makes the warm orange touches really pop. Dial and case finishing is very good, especially for the price point. Mine runs steady at +6 spd.

My one disappointment is the bracelet, which many folks really hype up. It has both quick release and tool-less micro adjust, which I assume are the reasons so many people like it. My complaint is that the quick release necessitates male end links, and the tool-less micro adjust necessitates a bulky clasp. I would have preferred a bracelet with female end links, 20-16mm taper, and a smaller clasp for my slender bony wrist, even if it means giving up the quick release and tool-less adjust. If you have average or above average sized wrists, this might be a non-issue for you.

I've ordered one of CW's new hybrid rubber/Cordura straps in hopes it makes my wearing experience more enjoyable:

Hybrid Rubber

Commerce Cloud Storefront Reference Architecture

www.christopherward.com

View attachment 16908042

The only reason I decided on the C63 Auto is their CS assured me the website didn’t reflect the new specs of the bracelet and it actually tapers to 16.5 and is basically the same as the Trident 300.

But, the clasp is unavoidable if you don’t like the size, I’m curious how it will feel.

 

I briefly own a C63 GMT in white. It is a very well built watch, in a handsome case/bracelet combination, and the the bracelet fit my 6"~6-1/4" wrist very well. The micro-adjustable bracelet is also quite nice. Now that they've really settled on their "identity", I think now's the best time to grab one. The new pieces are priced very well, but the value on the used ones can't be beat, considering the quality.

If you're in the US, take advantage of the strong USD and order the watch in GBP, and utilize the British coupon code. It'll save you quite a bit of money.

All that said, the reason for me moving on from it was that I found it a bit heavier/larger than what I prefer. I just purchased the new 38mm C60 Trident 300 (mk 3?), and am watching the brand closely for a 36mm C63 GMT.

 

This is the version I own and it's mostly worn on a nato. It's a very attractive watch and keeps about +7 spd. I just don't wear it very often. I like the updated version with the new logo as opposed to the full name and if I didn't already own the above, would consider buying the yellow or green variation. With the discount, it was an excellent bang for buck watch when I purchased mine.

 

I like the green one. Good value. The $125 coupon is available more often than. Not.