The latest creation from British watch brand Christopher Ward pays tribute to one of the most important millstones in the evolution of modern diving watches. As the name suggests, the new C65 watch model revisits Super Compressors, a group of highly water-resistant wristwatches originated in the late 1950s.

These timepieces, now a highly sought after among wristwatch aficionados, feature a special Super Compressor watchcases invented by the legendary Swiss watch case manufacture Ervin Piquerez S.A.

Patented in 1956, the Super Compressor watch cases became an instant success and many Swiss watchmakers including some big brands like IWC, Tissot, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Girard Perregaux used them for manufacturing extremely water-proof wristwatches and diving timepieces.

The era between the late 1950s and the early 1970s was the golden period of Super Compressor dive watches. The twin crowns – first on for the time-setting and second one for operating the inner rotating bezel – represent a major design feature of the Super Compressor dive watches.

However, the popularity of Super Compressor watches did not help the Ervin Piquerez S.A. company to survive the 1970s quartz crisis. Ervin Piquerez SA, which was one of the two big watch-case manufactures based in Bassecourt in the canton of Jura in Switzerland, is no more in business today.

As the Super Compressor styled watches are making a return, Christopher Ward, the first modern UK manufacture to develop an all-new movement in the 21st century, has decided to pay tribute to the iconic family of watches by creation the C65 Super Compressor watch.

British watch brand Christopher Ward has the ability to produce sport watches which represent both innovation and value for money. To add to its portfolio, inspired by the request of a customer in October 2018, the company has used its resources to revive the Super Compressor case. Most importantly, unlike recent retro reissues from other makers that only look like Super Compressors, the new C65 Super Compressor is a real deal.

The Super Compressor was a radical design which increased its strength and integrity with depth, becoming even more water-tight, thanks to the technical element which gave it its name. As the diver descended, greater external pressure was exerted on the caseback, further compressing the O-ring gasket. This system ensures impressive water resistant properties for a Super Compressor watch.

Christopher Ward has “reverse engineered” the design from an original, opting for the most distinctive format, with two crowns, with one for time-setting and winding, the other for the rotating inner bezel. The resultant timepiece is the first new, true Super Compressor-cased watch in nearly a half-century.

Measuring 41mm in diameter, the C65 Super Compressor proudly displays its Sellita SW200 automatic movement, the sapphire caseback also affording a view of the 300-micron thick compression spring which gives the case its name.

The outer case ring allowing this visibility is coloured orange, a hue which accents the crown for the inner bezel, the triangle at 12 o’clock, the minute hand and the tip of the seconds hand – and is known for providing the greatest legibility under water. The Super-LumiNova® (Grade X1 GL C1) embedded hands and indexes ensure dial visibility in the dark.

The C65 Super Compressor watch has a water resistance of 150 meters. It comes with an option of leather strap, rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet.

And as expected, the brand maintains an affordable price range: C65 Super Compressor watch costs £895 on a strap or £1,000 with bracelet.

Technical details

Model: C65 Super Compressor

Case
Stainless steel
Diameter: 41mm
Height: 13.05mm
Glass: Sapphire crystal
Screw-down exhibition caseback with aluminium anodised compression ring and divers helmet stamp
Unique engraved serial number
Strap width: 22mm
Lug to lug: 47.12mm
Bezel diameter: 39mm
Screw-down stamped crown with sandblasted lower area and polished top
Screw-down crosshatched crown with anodised aluminium outer ring
Water resistance: 15 ATM (150 metres)

Movement
Calibre: Sellita SW200
Swiss made
26 jewel self-winding mechanical movement
38-hour power reserve
Movement Crown: Screw-down (4 o’clock)
Vibrations: 28’800 per hour (4 Hz)
Time tolerance: -20/+20 seconds per day
Movement diameter: 25.60mm
Movement height: 4.60mm
Twin-flag engraving over ‘Colimaçoné’ finish on the rotor

Dial
Dial colour: Ocean Blue or Black Sand
Internal rotating bezel (120 clicks) with matte white, chamfered edge
Top-brushed indexes with diamond polished facets
Signature Trident counter-balance on seconds hand
Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 GL C1 hands and indexes
Lume: Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 GL C1

Box
Eco-friendly luxury presentation case and owner’s handbook

Following the sell-out success of the hand wound C65 Trident Diver, Christopher Ward launches the C65 Trident Automatic.

The latest addition to the successful C65 Trident Collection, this self-winding timepiece has been created using the same 1960s-inspired design language as the wider collection but with a modified bezel and a bold new dial.

The C65 Trident Automatic uses the same sleek 41mm case as its hand-wound predecessor and maintains a height of 11.55mm despite its larger Sellita SW 200-3 movement. Crucially though, Christopher Ward has ensured that the new C65 Trident Automatic will be available at the same price as the hand-wound, £695, offering incredible value.

Underneath a glass box sapphire crystal, the C65 Trident Automatic’s matte finish dial, which is available in either black or blue, features raised dots and indexes that are filled with Old Radium SuperLuminova®. On the dial, Christopher Ward has also used the same baton shaped hands that were used on the original hand wound C65 as well as the iconic Trident counterbalance, with the main logo at 9 o’clock and the twin flag motif debossed at 12 o’clock. The watch face is then accompanied by a pared-down version of the C65 Trident Diver’s narrow bezel to complement the more complex dial design.

Christopher Ward’s C65 Trident Collection also includes the C65 Trident Diver, the C65 Trident GMT and the C65 Trident Bronze SH21 Limited Edition.

The new C65 Trident Diver Automatic is available to purchase from 1st February 2019.

Technical details

Model: C65 Trident Diver Automatic

Movement
Swiss made
26 jewel self-winding mechanical movement
38-hour power reserve
Christopher Ward ‘Colimaçoné’ finish on movement
Vibrations: 28,800 per hour (4 Hz)
Timing tolerance: -20/+20 seconds per day

Case
Brushed and polished marine-grade stainless steel case
Diameter: 41mm
Height: 11.55mm
Lug to lug: 47.1mm
High definition “Trident” motif screw-down backplate
Push-in crown stamped with twin flag motif
Unidirectional aluminium bezel
“Glass box” sapphire crystal
Unique engraved serial number
Water resistance: 15 ATM (150 metres)

Dials
Blue, black
Matte finish dial
Twin flags debossed at 12 o’clock
Old Radium SuperLumiNova®-filled hands and polished, bevelled indexes
Signature Trident counter-balance on seconds hand

Straps
Vintage oak leather: camel, black
Rubber: blue, black
Brushed stainless steel bracelet
Strap width: 22mm

Price
£695 / $795 (leather, rubber), £760 / $865 (stainless steel bracelet)