Ever since it rocketed onto the scene in 2023, the Christopher Ward Twelve has sealed its place firmly as the flagship model for the brand. It was a brilliant watch with a good-looking design, accurate movement, and in CW fashion, a good price tag. But Christopher Ward are not one to rest on their laurels.
The company has continued to innovate the model, releasing it in new materials and even with a new in-house movement in the C12 Loco and Twelve X. And now the latest edition to the line is here after almost two years of development. It’s called the 660, and it has instantly become my new favourite CW. Let me tell you why.
The Twelve’s design pulls heavy inspiration from the integrated bracelet designs of the 1970s. I am of course referring to the design work of the legendary Gerald Genta whose design catalogue is more extensive than Tommy Hilfiger’s (probably not, but you get my point). His work single handedly reimagined the sports watch as people knew it.
Revolutionary and daring, his designs were ahead of their time, and many saw slow sales and, in some cases, complete commercial failure. In the last 10 years, however, the model lines that he had designed have become incredibly popular — the Patek Phillippe Nautilus, IWC Ingenieur, and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for example.
You might be asking yourself why I have used so much of my precious word count to tell you about a designer that did not work on the watch I am reviewing. All will become clear at the end, but for now let’s get into more detail about the 660.
Reviewing Christopher Ward Twelve 660
This is slimmest Twelve model yet at just 6.6mm thick. Which is also where it gets the 660 name from. This slenderness is thanks to the use of the reworked Sellita SW210. A manual wound calibre, which while incredibly accurate, can’t be chronometer certified in this configuration as it has no running seconds hand. The movement has also been given a custom skeletonised train bridge that allows for more of it to be visible through the sapphire case back.
Continuing the slim theme, the links are 2.9mm thick and the clasp is only 4.2mm thanks to a redesign of the push-buttons. Product Director, Jörg Bader, stated that if the original Twelve clasp had been used, it would have been thicker than the watch head! I love the look of the clasp integrating into the bracelet, but its size does mean that it’s a little fiddly to undo as your fingers catch on the bracelet when you squeeze the pushers. I’m very much picking at tiny details here because I need to find something negative to talk about!
The finishing on the case is brilliant, the chamfers and case edges are sharp and accentuate the design and the contrast between the brushed surfaces and polished bevels add structure to the slim form. Even with the DLC coating these features catch and reflect light beautifully.
The dial is void of the 3-dimensional patterning on the original Twelve and instead sports a beautifully subtle grained texture. The indices are well finished and beautifully shaped. The handset complements their design and allows for good legibility. The seconds hand and date complications have been omitted for ultimate simplicity (and probably to help shave off that last 0.4mm).
We have the full black DLC coated version with us, but there is also an uncoated stainless-steel version. The full black looks super stealth ready and has a very unique wrist presence.
For me, I’m excited to see the bare steel versions with the two different shades of blue. I think these will be my favourite of the range and hopefully I will see them very soon as we will both be at the Best of British Watches show in Brighton on September 13 th . Make sure to secure your tickets now and I look forward to seeing you there.
The 38mm case does wear smaller than I expected, but for me that’s perfect. I like a watch to wrap around my wrist rather than dangle over the sides. And with the slimness of this piece that wearing experience is elevated. It is incredibly comfortable and looks beautiful on wrist. For people that prefer a larger watch, this might not be for you, but don’t rule it out until you try it.
This watch would look amazing at the beach, at a formal dinner, out in a t shirt and shorts, anywhere you can think of. It has managed to achieve the elusive ‘looks good with any outfit in any scenario’ status. Its minimalist design and slim profile are what allow it to fit beautifully into any environment.
So, back to Gerald Genta and the reason why this is my favourite CW. I feel that the 660 has perfectly encapsulated everything that Gerald Genta’s original designs stood for. Minimalism, bold shapes, slim profiles, and versatility that all comes together to make something beautiful that connects with its wearer.
This piece creates an emotional connection with you and for me that is the highest compliment I can give a watch as it is the single biggest factor in determining whether I love something. I am more excited about having this on than I have been wearing some integrated bracelet watches that are pushing the £30k mark.
The build quality and finishing are far higher than expected at the price point — a pretty humble £1295/$1550/€1695 on the rubber strap and £1495/$1790/€1955 on the DLC black integrated bracelet (or in steel £1250/$1495/€1625 on the black rubber strap and £1395/$1660/€1805 on the integrated bracelet).
This piece feels very in line with CW’s push into the world of Haute Horology while remaining at the less than Haute prices we’ve gotten used to. And while this is a standard model line, not a flagship like the Loco and Bel Canto, to me this is just as exciting. It feels like for the first time since the 1970s we have an integrated bracelet watch that is simple, slim, beautiful and attainable.
This is easily my new favourite CW model, but I want to hear your thoughts. Let me know whether you’re as excited about this release as I am and what your wider opinions on integrated bracelet watches are in the comments below!
Christopher Ward Twelve 660 — Technical Specifications
- Case Size: 38mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Height: 6.6mm
- Lug-to-lug: 43.3mm
- Weight : 85g (bracelet), 60g (strap)
- Crystal: Box top sapphire
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Crown: Push/pull
- Back: Screw-in display caseback
- Movement: Sellita SW210-1b - reworked by CW
- Type: Manual wind
- Function: Hour, minute
- Frequency: 4 Hz/ 28,000vph
- Power reserve: 45 hours
- Jewels: 18
- Tolerance: +20/-20 seconds per day
