No, I am not paid to review Christopher Ward’s C60 Trident. I paid for this with my own money, as always. Though I do wish Christopher Ward would sponsor me though I’ve done them mega-justice over the past 12 months. Not that they need me anyway, Christopher Ward has grown exponentially in the past few years. At this point, it’s practically a household name for most watch enthusiasts in the affordable luxury space.
Let me tell you, that’s exactly what the latest C60 Trident is: Affordable Luxury.
The Rise of Christopher Ward
Christopher Ward has been around for the past 20 years ever since their inception in 2004. If you want to know more about their history, I talked about it in a previous review of the Sealander. I officially joined the watch community in late 2015, and I vaguely remember hearing about Christopher Ward. Back then, it was known as an English brand that provided quality timepieces at affordable prices. But, they were relatively expensive compared to the older JDM Seiko’s. I suppose it wasn’t until Seiko’s upward trend in prices and a decrease in quality that Christopher Ward took the stage. That, and the fact that they started to invest in design and quality.
Can’t remember the exact year, but everything started falling into place during early COVID-19 (2021).
All of a sudden, Christopher Ward’s were everywhere, all across social media. Everywhere you looked, there was a new Christopher Ward popping up every other month. It was during that 2021 period where I got my first Christopher Ward (Darmouth), and then a Trident, and a Sealander – all in one year. I ended up selling all of them after a few months, there was still aspects missing for it to be an affordable luxury.
But in 2025, you’d be hard-pressed to argue against Christopher Ward’s quality for the money. Everything that was a previous complaint has all been fixed. Don’t believe me? I’ll show ya.
C60 Trident Dimensions
Case size: 38mm
Lug to lug: 45mm
Thickness: 11mm
Lug width: 20mm
Case: Mixture of Brushed & Polished Finishing
Dial: Matte Blue
Crystal: Flat Sapphire Crystal (AR Coated)
Movement: Sellita SW200-1
Water Resistant: 30 ATM / 300m
Strap: Bader Bracelet
“Slimmed” Case
The latest Lightcatcher case from Christopher Ward sports an 11mm height. That is simply unheard of on a 300m diver at the $1,000 price point. If you’ve got skinny wrists like me, and enjoy dive-style watches, you know thickness is always a struggle. I used to be a huge fan of divers but was gradually put off by how bulky and unrefined most affordable divers were in the market. Even the Certina DS Action Diver 38, which I coined the best diver under $1k seems “cheap” compared to this.
Every single component of the C60 Trident screams quality, and blends together to become an extremely compelling 38mm case. From the slim, teardrop-like lugs, to the slightly protruding sapphire display caseback. I’m a huge fan of how the crown guards blend into the case, and the action of the crown itself is very solid. The minute track that sits between the crystal and the bezel does confuse me a little, but I barely notice it day-to-day.
The bezel action is second to none at this price point. Accompanied by the ceramic construction, and the lumed markers? Absolutely no complaints from me. For all microbrands out there, this is how you do a unique case that is quality from top to bottom. Once again, kudos to you Christopher Ward for not only designing a unique case, but making it extremely high quality.
Dial & Hands
Now I will start by saying the Trident dial is rather bland. But then again, I’ve owned about three watches with this exact dial so perhaps I’m not the best representation. Although not overly exciting, the dial on the C60 is versatile enough with a mixture of mainly sporty and a hint of dressy vibes. Immediately you’ll notice that the dial is very original. It’s unique enough that no one will mistake it for a Submariner or even a Seamaster. It’s always a plus when a brand can come up with a dial design that isn’t a homage to a classic.
The blue on my variant of the C60 Trident is extremely rich. That’s not to say it’s vibrant, as a matter of fact, it’s quite deep and subtle. But it is extremely beautiful to stare into. One of the updates saw Christopher Ward increasing the size of the applies indices ever-so slightly, which isn’t noticeable. While the dial seems quite packed and busy, everything is proportional and gives off a sleek look.
Say goodbye to the old text-logo, and hello to the new twin-flag logo at the 12 o’clock. Balanced by the matching date wheel at the 6, all the components align nicely to create what we know as the Trident dial. Topped off with the classic trident handset with a pop of orange, the latest C60 Trident is demands your visual attention.
C60 Trident Bader Bracelet
Arguably one of Christopher Ward’s most impressive qualities is their bracelet construction. The Bader bracelet from Christopher Ward has always been ahead of the game, at least in the microbrand space. For years, it’s possessed ridiculous built quality, extremely solid, and unheard of for $1k. But it wasn’t without its flaws. Previous Bader bracelets had ridiculously long clasps, and pins instead of screw-links, and tipped the scales of over-engineering without refinement.
Well, those complaints are now all gone with their latest Bader bracelet. Not only has the clasps been shortened, the on-the-fly micro-adjustment has also been extended to accommodate a bigger range. Instead of pins, it now has single screw-links which makes life so much easier. Oh, and the bracelet now tapers from 20mm to 16.5mm at the clasp.
Realistically, all you need to do is hear the re-assuring click of the clasp locking mechanism to know how well-constructed the Bader bracelet is. I’ve said it before for previous models, and the latest version just confirms it all over again. Christopher Ward makes the best bracelet not only in the microbrand industry, but also the affordable luxury space.
Comfort & Wearability
Divers are typically thick, and at this price point, most feel unrefined. That doesn’t apply the the latest C60 Trident. The thinness at just 11m is an extremely underrated feature that doesn’t mean much on paper. But I can’t emphasize enough how comfortable and natural it sits on my 6-inch wrists. I don’t say this lightly, but the C60 Trident is the first diver with an almost perfect weight proportion. It’s not top-heavy, nor is the bracelet overly-constructed which can make watches uncomfortable.
Two key aspects that mixes perfectly for a comfortable watch for skinny wrists: Weight, and Thinness. Both of which Christopher Ward has quite literally perfected in this C60 Trident. If you’ve been looking for a sleek, comfortable diver for your skinny wrists, seriously look no further.
One final thing I’d add is the versatility of the C60 Trident. There’s no doubt it’s a diver, but it’s not completely tool-like compared to some of its Seiko counterparts. If anything, the C60 is more of a dressy diver with the built quality to handle everyday wear. Actually, that’s exactly what it is, an everyday watch that happens to be in the form of a diver.
The best part? It comes in three different sizes, 38, 40, and 42. So if you’ve got bigger wrists (no idea why you’re on my blog), go for the bigger sizes!
The Best Affordable Dive Watch?
I have a tendency to call watches “the best” at a certain category, price point – whatever it may be. Obviously, not every watch can be “the best”. In 2023, I gave the crown of the best affordable diver to the Certina DS Action Diver in 38mm. At the time, I fell absolutely in love with the Certina, and genuinely identified it as the best diver I’ve ever owned for the price point.
Now in 2025, competition has grown, and the standards have once again been raised. So with that, I now crown Christopher Ward’s C60 Trident as the best affordable diver. For the sole reason that I cannot find a single real flaw with the watch (except for personal taste). It certainly doesn’t have the rich historical heritage, but most brands use that as an excuse to cut costs in their production anyways. So what good does that do?
C60 Trident: Closing Thoughts
Aesthetics: A well spec’ed diver with a design that is entirely unique to Christopher Ward, even has its own trademarked lightcatcher case. Overall, an everyday diver that can be worn into the office and handle any adventure.
Comfort: With a 38mm case diameter, and only 11mm thin, it’s seriously one of, if not the most comfortable diver I’ve worn. I suppose I can just leave it at that!
Price: Without a doubt, Christopher Ward makes some of the best value-for-money timepieces in the world. The C60 Trident is a perfect example of that with a $1k price tag, and no sacrifices to overall quality.
