Who Founded Christopher Ward? - Interview With Co-Founder Mike France

We are very excited about our collaboration with Christopher Ward, so we sat down with Mike France and we asked him to share the story behind the company. In this video you can hear how the company started, Mike's watch inspirations, and why Christopher Ward adopted a new logo.
This is the first part of our video interview with the CEO of Christopher Ward, check out our KZbin channel for the rest of the conversation!
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[@sammy_sam_leonardo]

I absolutely love the twin flag’s logo! Logos are so important and this is one of the best in the watch market for sure imo 👍

[@mlzs_]

Lmfao. I just looked at a thread where people said that it is the worst logo on the market

[@a.j.e4349]

Only on Friday I personally emailed Mike regarding an issue with my black webbed strap on my brand new C65 Dune GMT Due to not getting any response from there normal CW customer services? And lo and behold within just a few minutes Mike replied back to me like a true gentleman and sorted everything out for me! A Topman. Thankyou Mike!!

[@SallyMcKirdy]

That’s actually really cool

[@MementoMorituri]

Mike France is just so down to earth and friendly. He makes CW a very personable brand. No cold corporate fluff, just genuine horological enthusiasm.

[@RicoAntinoro]

Yeah, not if you've worked with him unfortunately.

[@canadianwatchmonkey3992]

This was such a great interview!!! Mike France seems to be very genuine and all around nice guy. Congrats on the 17 years, lets hope for many many more years.

[@johnnybgood7812]

I’ve just ordered my first CW, a Sealander 36mm and very excited about adding it to my collection. Brands like CW and Farer are still ahead of the market with their direct sales model but for enthusiasts who prioritise quality and design with sensible prices over “prestige” names on their wrist they represent the future. The Bel Canto should send shock waves through the industry.

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

Very VERY interresting interview; what an interesting chap.

[@yonah3696]

The twin flags logo is great love the IWC inspiration

[@arsonfireuk]

Mr France is an absolute beast. CW is my favourite watch brand bar none.

[@sneakyscorpia]

I have the "Sandhurst 2" from CW, amazing watch. Been pairing it with the Zuludiver Sailcloth band and saving up for the black and the green Cordura straps you have too!

[@MichaelDavis-pq6ei]

Another top interview. Mike I have no idea how I ended up with such a large CW collection because I don't fit any of your suggested normal CW customers. I can tell you this much, you make beautiful watches at a price most people can afford and for that we thank you and every member of the CW team !!!!. Keep it up Mike, can't wait to see what next year is going to bring. 👍👍

[@ReflectionsonFaith]

Always good to hear about CW. A wonderful brand, doing incredible things. Thanks for this interview with Mike!

[@pompeylad1977]

Fascinating interview, really enjoyed that.

[@crgb2]

I will became a CW owner, after studying and knowing the brand and the product

[@joeblackwolf17]

Love Christopher ward watches!

[@Hrethgir]

I've got a V1 C65 Trident GMT with the Pepsi bezel, probably my favorite watch. Usually wear it on the bracelet, but if I put on the leather strap, it's perfectly at home at church or anywhere else I might need to dress up for. Great watches!

[@lordcharfield4529]

I think it’s a great and well designed logo 👍

[@user-sm2sn2fr5m]

Becoming ✨

[@C22RLD]

I’d spent ages doing the same thing with the logo, looking for a cw there. Pleased this video has educated me

[@BigFerrisL]

wow did not know about the logo i love my C60 Anthropocene GMT. Great video waiting for the C1 haha

[@cedarcanoe]

Waiting for the new logo APPLIED instead of PRINTED on some of your CW watches

[@domodoeslife4741]

No one wants another dudes name on their personal watch. The change of logo is definitely a turning point for CW

[@dmora2386]

I like this dude, I'll buy the new twelve.

[@witte2702]

interesting to here the legal story of the twin flags. must have been frustrating to hear the complaining when you really wanted to use you secondary (twin flags) that was on the crown as the primary logo

[@andrewf7445]

Watch logos are important. I loved the Chr.WARD logo and the latest dual flags logo, but I didn't like the full "Christopher Ward" logo at all. It was just too much in a small space.

[@TurtLKiller]

Have time stamps please

[@davidhunternyc1]

It would be nice to know what happened behind closed doors to the man himself, Christopher Ward. Was he pushed or bought out of the company? I hope there wasn't anything nefarious, greedy, or dramatic that went on. I'm trepidatious about supporting a company that's so young but longer has its founder. Christopher Ward might have signed a non-disclosure agreement where he can't say anything.

[@thegorn]

I really like this guy. He's making me really want to get into some CW pieces. Hoping they can get screw links on all their bracelets, and get a few more COSC certified pieces with the top-grade movements. I'm wanting to abandon Rolex and Omega, but I don't want to drop my standards too much.

[@MASTER5537]

where is the new logo?

[@ollyb7570]

CW watches have incredible specs, not just for the price. I just really don’t like the asymmetrical logo - even if it is a big step up from the printed name. I genuinely thought the “two flags” logo was based on the keys of a gaming controller. Such a shame as they’re otherwise fantastic watches.

[@imfuctifino]

took me a long time to work out it was st georges vs swiss cross flags

[@Gnome-A-Tron]

Not sure how far the comment will go, but I have had a terrible experience with CW so far. My C65 Trident GMT had the gmt hand become misaligned twice in a 18 month period. Terrible customer service. I have called countless times and not once has anyone ever picked up the phone. The watch should be there in the next day or so for the third time and fingers crossed for a resolution. Beautiful watches but such a terrible customer experience thus far.

[@A_Noid]

Seems like a nice dude. Just bought a CW and am happy the company doesn’t seem to be led by an ahole.

[@lordcharfield4529]

The fact that Beckham has become a face of Tudor has completely put me off the brand!

[@captain0001mike]

Chris Ward., the worst watch company in the world. When you return the watch, you tested the company's true color. For a watch I tried 60 seconds , they charged you 30% ! "HiThank you for returning your watch to us. Unfortunately due to the condition of the piece, we are not able to offer a full refund on this occasion. Our 60/60 guarantee requires the watch to be in pristine, unworn condition in order to be eligible for a full refund, unfortunately we have not received the piece back in this condition. However, it's not all bad news. We would like to offer you a partial refund of 70% of the full price of the watch, as we will be able to resell it in our "Nearly New" range. If this sounds suitable for you, please let us know and we can action the partial refund immediately. If not, we will be more than happy to send the watch back to you. Kind regards, Nick"

[@johnnybgood7812]

Out of interest, can you name a watch brand that offers a 100% refund policy on a used watch?

[@A_Noid]

That seems very reasonable. That’s actually better than the vast majority of watchmakers.

[@LaFonteCheVi]

"Worst watch company in the world" just because you didn't read the fine print? Get over the melodrama. Most wouldn't refund at all.

[@ukwatchguru]

More than reasonable. Ever bought a new car? Loses half its value the moment you leave the forecourt.

[@jamesbennett1691]

Seems fair to me