Christopher Ward jumps on the natural stone trend with the C63 Sealander
Russell Sheldrake- Christopher Ward adds four natural stone dials to the C63 Sealander collection.
- Limited to 150 pieces each, the Tiger’s Eye, Turquoise, Malachite, and Charoite all give a unique look.
- Measuring just 36mm across, they are a dressier option from the British brand.
Have we had enough of stone dials yet? I don’t think so, and neither does Christopher Ward, as the British brand has just added four stone dials to its C63 Sealander line. While we have already seen something similar to these releases with the aventurine dial, these fully natural stones offer a completely different experience than the manufactured aventurine with colourful striations and natural inclusions aplenty in these new releases, making them endlessly interesting to admire.
While Ward has been stepping outside of its comfort zone of late, with releases like the C12 Loco pushing the concept of the C1 Bel Canto even further, or going slimmer than ever before with The Twelve 660, and now we are seeing them try something new by reaching for semi-precious stones to give the C63 Sealander – a line that many outside Ward diehards may not be aware of – some new life.
Stone dials are one sure-fire way to add a bit of extra dressiness to any watch, and while the Sealander isn’t the most elegant of watches on the market, its “Light-catcher” case with its polished edges has a certain elegance to it that is amplified by the 36mm size. This collection toes the line between dressy and sporty: 150m of water resistance and a healthy application of lume on the handset means they are set up for dealing with pretty much any daily activity, yet the touch of shine from the polished bevels and pop of colour on the dial elevate them above your everyday tool watch.
While many will instantly classify this as a ladies’ watch, given its slightly smaller size and dressy dials, I wouldn’t be too quick to try and narrowly categorise these. The combination of a 42.87mm lug-to-lug and a 10.75mm thickness means that it carries a good presence on the wrist without overpowering. Naturally, the brighter stone dials, such as the Turquoise and Charoite, will have a much larger visual impact than the darker ones, too.
In typical Christopher Ward fashion, there is a reliable and widely available movement inside, with the Sellita SW200-1 running the show. This automatic movement may only deliver 38 hours of power reserve, but its simple construction and widespread use mean that getting one serviced is possible pretty much anywhere around the world.
While there are three options when it comes to straps and bracelets for this watch, I think having it on the five-link bracelet does two things extremely well for me. Firstly, it helps solidify its robust nature and feel on the wrist. Secondly, its polished links amplify and extend the light-catching elements found on the case, meaning that this effect is continued the whole way around the wrist.
Everybody by now knows that when you use natural stones for your dials, every one is inherently unique as you extract a different pattern of striations or inclusions from that specific stone. But what I really appreciate Christopher Ward doing here is going for some fan favourite stones, and others that are a bit more left field that you won’t easily find elsewhere. The Tiger’s Eye and Malachite are both stones that you can find in another brand we stock in our Discovery Studios, Dennison, but trying to find another brand that uses Charoite is pretty tough. Of course, Turquoise is normally the preserve of much more expensive brands, another example of Ward democratising watchmaking and creating real value propositions.
Christopher Ward C63 Sealander stone dials pricing and availability
The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander stone dials are limited to just 150 pieces each and are available to order from our Time+Tide Discovery Studios today. Price: £795/€1,050/US$1,175 (leather strap), £950/€1,250/US$1,385 (three-link ladder bracelet), £985/€1,295/US$1,430 (five-link Consort bracelet)
| Brand | Christopher Ward |
| Model | C63 Sealander |
| Case Dimensions | 36mm (W) x 10.75mm (T) x 42.87mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 150m |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Malachite, Tiger’s Eye, Turquoise, Charoite |
| Strap | Three-link bracelet Five-link bracelet Leather strap |
| Movement | Sellita SW200-1, automatic |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Availability | Limited to 150 pieces for each dial variant |
| Price | £795/€1,050/US$1,175 (leather strap) £950/€1,250/US$1,385 (three-link ladder bracelet) £985/€1,295/US$1,430 (five-link Consort bracelet) |