British behemoth Christopher Ward is expanding its GMT offerings once again. As we’ve been getting plenty of downsized existing models and a whole bucketload of new Twelves, these new GMTs are quite welcome. CW has introduced three mainstay pieces that revive the C60 Trident GMT, originally released in 2010, just one year after the first Trident. The brand has done a lot of growing up since then, and this new GMT may be its best yet. The new Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300 GMT watches eschew the vintage cues of the C65 GMTs and the staid fixed bezels of the C63 GMTs in favor of a more functional design with broad appeal — and one that’s so summery you’ll need to whip out the zinc oxide.
The original C60 Trident GMT was so laughably worse than this new design that it bears almost no resemblance. Actually, it bears no resemblance, and what a relief that is. Christopher Ward has evolved so much since its earlier years when it seemed to be just trying to figure out how to make a watch at a basic level. Now, the designs are elevated and the final products are beyond reproach. The new Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300 GMT takes the most recent C60 Trident Pro 300 case and makes accommodations for the GMT movement inside.
The case is Christopher Ward’s Light-catcher design, which is quickly permeating throughout the brand’s catalog and is, frankly, one of the best cases on the market. With alternating, sweeping polished and brushed chamfers, these cases play with light in ways that others just can’t. The new GMTs measure 40mm across and 11.8mm thick (just .8 thicker than the time-only version), with a lug-to-lug of 47.4mm. As with most CWs, the dimensions seem eminently wearable. While all three of these models come in 40mm, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a 38mm option down the line; CW already makes a 38mm Trident case and has a penchant for offering models in multiple sizes.
Three models are offered and are distinguishable not just by their dials but by their different bidirectional 120-click bezels. Two models feature ceramic bezel inserts with split color 24-hour scales and a second, brushed ring just inside with black pips at each hour; the bezel is blue/light blue on the blue dial and blue/white on the white dial (my favorite). On the sunburst summer extravaganza dial (my naming, not CW’s), the ceramic is forgone in favor of a textured steel bezel with raised, polished indices in addition to the thin 12-hour inner ring. The crown screws down and facilitates 300m of water resistance and the sapphire crystal is flat for better legibility at angles. All three models will be offered on a choice of the brand’s five-link Consort bracelet, three-link Bader bracelet, or a color-coordinated FKM Aquaflex strap. All three options are quick-release, and the bracelets have 3mm and 10mm of micro-adjustment, respectively, through a built-in clasp mechanism.
The dials of the non-tropical breeze models are simple. Polished lacquer in white or blue with applied indices and the brand’s signature handset (I wish the minute hand had a slight taper, as it does on most of the C65s). The indices and handset feature dual finish with brushing and polishing, and are all filled with Grade X1 C1 Super-LumiNova for low-light situations. While the solid color dials have a light blue GMT hand, the Bikini Bottom edition (my naming, not CW’s) features a fumé dial that shifts from a sandy white to a Caribbean teal and offers an additional pop of color with a yellow GMT hand. On all three, a color-matched date wheel is positioned at 6 and framed by a thin white border.
Inside the new C60 Trident Pro 300 GMTs is the Swiss automatic Sellita SW330-2. This is the latest iteration of Sellita’s tried and true GMT, with an expanded 56-hour power reserve at 28,800 vph. The accuracy is quoted at -/+ 20 seconds per day, and the entire movement is visible through a sapphire caseback. While not much extra has been done by way of finishing, the rotor reliably features the brand’s repeating flag pattern, so that’s something.
While the focus of late at Christopher Ward seems to be on the rapid expansion of The Twelve, I think the brand recognizes that that model hits a trend and is popular but will never be the bread and butter of the business. The Trident series has long been the backbone of CW’s business, and this new release is reassurance that, despite the deluge of Twelves, the brand is still committed to delivering exceptional tool watches. The Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300 GMT is priced at $1,195 USD on an FKM Aquaflex strap, $1,380 USD on the three-link Bader bracelet, and $1,420 USD on the five-link Consort bracelet. For more information, please visit the Christopher Ward website.
