It’s hard to think of solid diving watches that don’t cost the Earth that aren’t from a Swiss brand. Undoubtedly, companies such as Oris and Mido roam this section of the market, and they don’t take prisoners when it comes to value for money. But, a brand which is known for flying under the radar has just wholly revamped its most popular watch. The Trident watches are seen as affordable yet quality timepieces by collectors who appreciate good design when they see it.
The new Trident 3 range from Christopher Ward encompasses three different models which have different colour variations, and various case sizes too (38mm, 40mm and 42mm). One of the most important parts of a watch is making it fit easily, and Christopher Ward has you covered there. They offer a range of quick swap straps and bracelets, if you go for the strap as mentioned above you get a strap made of both rubber and Cordura, a hardy material which in some applications features water repellant technology and military grade fibres.
The range is split up into three models. The first is the C60 Trident Pro 600 watch. This model comes with a clean design and a robust finish with brushing creating a surface more suitable to daily wear while polished touches add some sparkle. As the name suggests, the water resistance of these watches is 600m, that’s the same as an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. The movement inside the watch is the Sellita SW200, a reliable, no-nonsense automatic movement. The bezels are ceramic as well with luminescent inserts. You can choose either blue or black with a red bezel in any size you like, but if you want the straight-up black on black watch, then you’re limited to the 40mm version for the time being. The price for this model sits between $795 and $910 depending on your choices.
The second model is the C60 Trident GMT 600. Like the previous watch, with one also features a 600m water resistance, except where there is no real need for it, in fact, it annoys my horology OCD a little. The point of a GMT bezel is to calculate the time in a second timezone, by adding a bearing to the bezel and allowing it to move bi-directionally you can time three timezones. But, if you plan on doing serious diving, you need a real diving watch with a uni-directional rotating bezel, like the C60 Trident Pro 600 above. The bezel only moves in one direction, so if you happen to bump it on anything it only moves closer to your safe zone, with the GMT bezel moving in either direction you lose the safety, and the point, of a diving watch. Still, Christopher Ward isn’t the only culprit of, and the watch does have its merits. Fans of the brand will appreciate the automatic ETA 2893 movement inside. All colours are available in all variants, but there is no 40mm size for this watch. The price range is $1020 – $1135.
The final watch in the new collection is the C60 Trident Elite 1000. ASs you’d have guessed, the water resistance here is a crazy 1000m as opposed to the pathetic 600m of the other models. Also, the movement has received an upgrade, it’s now the Sellita SW200 but with a COSC chronometer certificate as well. This one only comes in ocean blue with a 42mm case crafted from titanium, the other two models being stainless steel. The added depth of this watch requires the introduction of a helium escape valve to protect the crystal from shattering when returning to the surface. On this watch it sits at 9 O’clock, you can see it protruding from the side of the case. This watch will be available in June, but pre-orders have started already. It’s limited to 300 examples and is the most costly of the three at $1425.
Visit Christopher Ward here.
