Pepsi madness continues! We’ve been seeing more than a fair share of brands join in on the Pepsi coloration craze, and Christopher Ward has tossed another option into the ring with the announcement of some new colors in its C65 Trident GMT line, notably featuring a Pepsi 24-hour bezel and bright red GMT hand.
Christopher Ward has been cranking out a solid line-up of tool watches and divers, with the Trident series of being very popular. Building on the design aesthetic present in the standard C65 Trident, Christopher Ward has added what is my personal favorite complication, a GMT function, allowing the wearer to track multiple time zones. Overall specifications and details are very similar to the standard C65 Trident, but what we’ve got here is a 41mm in diameter steel case with a quasi skin-diver style to it, which is rated to a water resistance of 150 meters. Even with the addition of the GMT complication, the C65’s case measures in at just 12.05mm-thick.
The Movement
Powering the C65 Trident GMT is the Sellita SW330, with a power reserve of 42 hours, 28,800bph, and 25 jewels. This movement also features a date function, visible through the date window at the 3 o’clock position. Stylistically, the C65 GMT is a bit different from its standard diver cousin, with baton indices at all hour markers (as opposed to the round indices found on the diver) and, of course, the change to a 24-hour GMT bezel, split between blue and red to dictate day/night in your second time zone, as tracked by the bright red GMT hand. Christopher Ward is offering the C65 GMT with multiple strap options, including a black leather, tan leather, and steel bracelet. (I say bracelet would definitely be the way to go here.)
A Contemporary Choice at an Attractive Price
Christopher Ward has built a solid fan base over the years, and I think this C65 GMT is a good addition to the collection. It also comes at the perfect time. Joining in on the Pepsi bezel GMT madness initiated by Rolex with the re-release of the Pepsi GMT Master II during Baselworld 2018 seems timely.
Christopher Ward is chasing a completely different target market, and I don’t think this watch encroaches on “homage” territory. This is overall a well balanced GMT design, based on a model that was already well received. A GMT complication is, without a doubt my favorite function to see on a watch, especially when it’s built into a tool-watch body that you can actually wear to get out and do stuff on your vacation, not just take out to dinner.
The Pepsi-style GMT watch market is incredibly crowded. This new model represents a solid value proposition. At its price point of $1,095, the Christopher Ward C65 Trident GMT is one of very few mechanical GMTs in this price range from what is becoming an evermore established brand. The C65 Trident GMT Pepsi will be available from the end of March 2019. Visit christopherward.com to learn more.
