Christopher Ward the Twelve - A Long and Critical Review of the Luxury Watch

A Long and Painful Review of the Christopher Watrd the Twelve - a Titanium integrated bracelet sports watch and a comparison of it to a Citizen Series 8
This video is a story of my journey with Swiss Watches and in it I critique Christopher Ward's choice of dial colour and style.

[@jeffdavidson6033]

This feels like an hour of buyers remorse. It’s like you entered into a bad relationship. You spent $2000 of your own money on a color that you don’t like and you blame the manufacturer for making a color that you don’t like which you bought. I personally think the 12 is cool and I would enjoy seeing it on someone else’s wrist, but I’m spending zero dollars on purple dials. People vote with their wallets and the best way to make manufactures of products change the designs is to not buy the bad designs. All that being said, thanks for the review.

[@sergefog]

I really wanted to experience integrated bracelet in Titatium... I knew that was the colour choice and I talk about that in the video - I picked the least bright colour but they should have given a dark dial to us

[@severnsea3924]

@@sergefog No they shouldn't. The choices are blue and purple, you either want one in that colour or you don't. It's one thing to have a moan because they don't provide it in a colour of your choice but you can't blame the watch if you don't like the colours available. Why buy it? As the purple clearly isn't for you then the blue would have made more sense, as it's a far more common and accepted colourway. You wouldn't buy a pink car if it's all they had, you would buy something else so why buy a purple watch? I agree with Jeff, I didn't get it at all. And comparing to a G-Shock and even the Certina DS7 was just absurd.

[@tomasz5274]

@@sergefog Perhaps take a look into Maurice Lacroix Aikon or B&M Riviera? Different colors and Aikon possibly with more shiny look would fit better into office scenario? Thanks for the video clip and your experience and thought!

[@sergefog]

@@tomasz5274 I owned a Riviera and I ended up selling it fairly quickly, it was too bling and never fit my wrist well... although I loved its semi-translucent dial and Richemont's 120h power reserve movement! the Riviera was a bargain. This Christopher Ward is ok... and I am wearing it as I type this but the dial... the dial just looks cheap on them. I think that it is okay at a cocktail bar but I struggle to feel good about it in any other setting. The new skeletonized model they've just released looks good but not 5K good!

[@tomasz5274]

@@sergefog I have no personal experience with Riviera but was discuraged by big bezel which looks scratch prone. I absolutely agree with you, Ti versions dials looks like from toy watch to me too, as compromise I've took steel watch with ocean blue dial and rubber strap and ordered Ti bracelet to shave off most of weight. Most of the time I can't see color difference. Sometimes in certain lighting I can catch that bracelet is slightly darker than watch head but even then if you don't know they are different materials you will think it's just lightning effect due to different angle so this comination looks really good. I miss SW-300 COSC certified movement with better time keeping and more power reserve which I would much prefer but I came to conclusion that firstly and foremostly I had to like the look of watch to wear it. I must admit that this combination and dial color is nice and with time it grow on me to be even nicer. I do like it very much but still I'd be tempted to replace it by Ti SW300 version if it would be realeased with the same ocean blue dial :D Slim profile cause that I've haven't knock any door handle yet (it seems few milimeters makes big difference in this department). I agree that the twelve skeletonised is not $5000 nice watch. It's also hard to read the time from it. In that price range I would prefer Tudor Pelagos 39 and save $1k :) Thanks for sharing your further thoughts and experience and all the best!

[@Harudes]

Completely agree. The dial colors, or rather lack thereof, is the only reason I'm holding back on purchasing this exact watch.

[@rtruite]

Same here.

[@HAL-xy3om]

Such a beautiful watch, I love titanium too!

[@CreateTimeToListen]

The main purpose of buying a watch is to wear it and enjoy it. Not to make money out of it by reselling it. I don't get why you spend such an amount of money on a watch in a colour you didn't like even before buying it. That makes this review very subjective. I, for instance, don't understand why you wouldn't be able to wear this watch in an office setting, even in this purple or blue gradient dial colour. I wouldn't mind this colour that much. Or why would you compare this to a Rolex Submariner that costs 5 times as much and is a steel diver, not a titanium sports watch with an integrated bracelet. If a Submariner is what you're after, why not go for it straight away instead of spending money on a watch you didn't like even before buying it? This review doesn't make much sense to me.

[@tonyni0715]

Great video!

[@jup1ter214]

Greetings from Russia friend) Do you think you can add and buy a TUDOR Royal? or is there still MORE "hours" at 12? Or maybe you can advise some alternative) thank you in advance

[@rpa1918]

I really like the purple. Don’t like the blue at all but kind of love the purple. Its different. I probably would personally skip the titanium and save the money. What color dial do you want to see in the titanium? Thanks for the review

[@ramanuj_g]

agreed... there are many people who want cosc and titanium but just want a simple black dial not a loud gradient one

[@eahmhelmoa]

I think now you have returned this watch, right?

[@danielbercovici5202]

I got the Twelve TI Nebula Purple, amazing blingy watch with a subtle humble ego 😁. I do beg to differ about the brand CW, since they won with the C1 Bel Canto the CPHG 'Petite Aiguille' Award. So you never know they might discontinue this version of the Twelve, but if you keep it for 20 years and service it in good condition it might become a collectable and voila good investment, who knows this game....😉. In any case i give it a lot of wrist time, mixed with Omega seamaster 300m, and BB58 blue.

[@valebliz]

Yeah man if you don’t like a color it’s your own taste, not the watch’s fault. Buy something else. I own this exact what and I find the dial to be a very well executed purple dial, not an easy color to do well.

[@FlamesOfThought]

Glad you feel the same way as me about the 12 in titanium having ugly faces. I also like understated watches with subtle details and well engineered

[@sergefog]

Absolutely... The dial is a total failure. Yes, it looked very much like Chapek Antarctique but 7nlike the Twelve, Chapek has a gorgeous dial and great hour markers

[@reynardus1359]

I might make a move to get a titanium watch. For now, they just feel a bit too light. I like a bit of heft in my wrist. Having said that, this is a beautiful watch and I love the dial.

[@scottsherman5262]

I'd have to image more dial colors are in the future for the titanium version. I'm actually happy with both colors, but I'm waiting for a different reason...their odd choice not to coat the titanium with a high-hardness coating, like many microbrands do. The coatings make all the difference in how the watch ages...the case & bracelet will scratch to hell very quickly otherwise. I'm guessing they'll make this adjustment in the future...we'll see.

[@bahnfire]

Dial color over case/bracelet material is the trade off I’d make having both SS and Ti watches.

[@robertposteschild2353]

99% of watches are 1-watch collection watches. The problem is not the watch, it's your idea that the watch needs to project a certain image. In other words, you want the watch to be associated with a certain status. But that's not the problem with the watch.

[@cemakyol2395]

I think there may be better choices in this price range, but this does not change the fact that Christophard Ward is very successful at the entry level. I wish the dial color was different for this product. By the way, thank you for your wonderful explanation.

[@paulharrison443]

Strangest review. 50 minutes of you saying you don’t like the colour of the dial. Then why order it? And why compare it to a non COSC certified certina that’s not finished to even remotely the same standards?

[@JG-qb9gd]

Yeah, I thought the same. Apart from the fact that the dials are incredibly well done. "The fading" dial as he calls it or gradient dial (such as the blue one) will cost you upward of 69,000 dollars on a GIRARD-PERREGAUX with the same effect and in same casses with lesser finish. If he didnt want this type of dial why buy it? I'm as confused as you and even more so in the fact that you get a LOT of watch (I own the blue version) and could not be happier.

[@tomfox2271]

"I'm at the time of my life where I"m ok with a black dial" Goes and orders the purple.... :D

[@beerkegaard]

It is an ugly dial ...

[@JG-qb9gd]

@@beerkegaard lol

[@severnsea3924]

@@beerkegaard It's subjective, everybody has their own preference. I personally think it's superb but the point here is why did he order a watch if he doesn't like the dial and the colour of it? I can understand purple being a bit of a leftfield choice, but in that case I would have gone for the blue which is far more common and wouldn't look out of place anywhere.

[@lars1321]

"It's 30% of a rolex"? So you're advising people to wait and spend and extra $8k just because you personally don't care for the color or design of the case? Terrible review.

[@TylerC_]

All these thoughts feel like ones you would have before buying it, leading to a decision of passing on it. Why you still purchased the watch when the dial color seems like such a deal breaker to you escapes me.

[@realestwatchreviews]

Enjoyed this video. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect titanium watch. I don’t think it exists but the IWC might be the closest. I dabble in the atomic titanium pieces from Casio, Citizen and Seiko for fun but they are just not luxurious (nor are they trying to be). The Citizen Attesa and Exceed are the 2 series that have some nicer Quartz Titanium pieces.

[@sergefog]

Thank you I was simply trying to explain to people what they would get for their 2K as well as reminding them that 2K is like 1/4 of the way to a Rolex

[@ClaudioLeon1]

There's a hard option better than Casio Oceanus line on Titanium, it's just that good.

[@markstarmer3677]

What’s the big deal in not being able to wear for work / meetings ? What real difference does it really make, nothing. It’s a statement, go with it.

[@AQBPlays]

The timeline of life has little to do with your colour preference. I used to enjoy muted/subdued but now greatly prefer bolder colours as I have aged. Not everyone moves towards black/grey/greige with time. Your tastes have just changed.

[@scottsherman5262]

No, I'm afraid you're simply aging incorrectly. Please find your way to a recalibration facility at once.

[@highman30001]

I feel like you should have picked the regular steel version. While heavier, it is cheaper and you could have picked a more muted color. I feel like the Ti Version is for the enthusiasts, that care for the upgraded movement and want something a it more special.

[@severnsea3924]

Yes, sounded a bit snobby to me for want of a better word. To consider the Certina DS7 as an option is laughable. First of all that's a stainless steel watch so why would you compare it to the TI version of the Twelve? If you were comparing the stainless steel version fair enough, for a price that's much closer to the DS7 but even then you only get a 2 year warranty with the DS7, 5 years with the Twelve. the Certina is a bit boring to be honest, definitely isn't as well made or as well finished so on that basis the CW is beginning to look like a real bargain. But then you also have the C63 Sealander which is a much closer design match to the DS7, probably at a similar price and again with more conservative black or white dials. Or you could have gone for the Twelve Ti with the blue dial, probably the most popular colour at the moment and so a far more sensible option if the purple is too left-field. But to be honest I didn't get the review at all. Few others have criticised it and most buyers seem to be happy enough with it too. I'm not a collector and never saw the point in paying thousands, or tens of thousands, for a watch. Yet you seem to be happy to do that while claiming this is expensive! Sorry, but the review made no sense, I don't understand why you bothered at all to be honest as it's clearly not for you.

[@shanelogan6456]

Highly subjective review. Comparisons to a G-Shock? You can’t wear this everyday because it’s purple, but if it were more expensive you could? Interesting. C. Ward has a 60 day return policy, I couldn’t get through to the end but I would exercise that option in your case. Alternatively, you can keep it as your G-Shock replacement, and with a little homework you can purchase your beloved Laureato for under 10K USD….

[@cai4917]

P r o m o s m 😌