Christopher Ward is very good at taking designs of its existing watches and changing bits of them to create new models. One of the brand’s newest models is the C63 Colchester. This is a military watch said to be inspired by the Parachute Regiment of the British Army. Colchester is home to the 16th Air Assault Bridge and the headquarters of the Parachute Regiment. To ensure the paratroopers had a watch that would serve them well in the field, Christopher Ward decided to give the C63 Colchester a carbon fiber case and dial. Let’s take a closer look at it now.
Like many of Christopher Ward’s watches, the C63 Colchester features the brand’s distinctive light-catcher case. It’s called light-catcher because the stainless steel variants of the case are supposed to catch and reflect light. It’s 41mm-wide and made from injected carbon. And at 12.6mm, it’s relatively thin too, especially when you consider that it has 150 meters of water resistance. The pop-out titanium crown sits flush with the case for better wearing comfort. To release it, simply push down on the crown to pop it out of place for adjustments. Push it again to keep it hidden.
The dial is also made from carbon. Together with the case, the watch head of the C63 Colchester weighs a mere 38 grams. The handset, which consists of a large triangle hour hand, a long sword-shaped minutes hand, and stick hour indices, is similar to other Christopher Ward watches in the military collection, like the C65 Darmouth and C60 Lympstone. The crosshair on the dial references the landing crosshairs associated with the Parachute Regiment’s operations. Another reference to the Parachute Regiment is the burgundy seconds hand. It’s the same shade of burgundy used for the berets of the regiment.
According to Christopher Ward, a watch designed to be used by one of the finest arms of the military deserves an equally high-performing movement. So, the movement within is a chronometer-grade self-winding Sellita SW200. It’s certified by COSC, so it will run with an accuracy of -4 and +6 seconds per day. It beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of around 38 hours. It’s partly visible through the display caseback, which consists of sapphire crystal and a deep-stamped coin that features the crest of the Parachute Regiment.
Overall, I see the C63 Colchester as an option for readers who love the aesthetics of the C65 Dartmouth but wish it looked more contemporary. The forged carbon case and dial look very high-tech. The cherry on top is that it comes with a chronometer-grade movement. The Christopher Ward C63 Colchester is available with a #tide fabric strap (made from upcycled ocean plastic) or a hybrid rubber strap. Prices start at $1,130. For more information, visit the Christopher Ward website.