One of the lesser known services Christopher Ward offers is their bespoke division, allowing you to customise a watch design personally or for a group (with a minimum 25-watch requirement, it’s recommended for groups and organisations). One such group who have created a watch and are offering it for public sale are WatchGecko, the UK-based strap brand and media outlet. The result of their bespoke project is the Christopher Ward WatchGecko C63 GMT.
What’s impressive about this project is the restraint WatchGecko have used in their approach to the design. It’s a very traditional rendition of the Sealander C63 GMT that takes the grainy, fumé dial of the existing hunter green version but swaps the green for black. At the same time it introduces a black 24-hour bezel while the standard 39mm Sealander GMT is only available with a silver bezel. For an official black bezel in the Sealander GMT family you have to look at the Extreme GMT, which upgrades the steel to ceramic.
The combination of the black fumé dial with a black bezel is, as I’ve already noted, a very restrained choice. It’s not bonkers crazy – it’s functional and practical. The only concession to any brashness at all is the very modest use of orange on the 24-hour GMT hand and seconds hand and even then, that’s the same as on the standard Sealander GMT. The same is true of the branding with only the CW logo on the dial and a WatchGecko inscription on the edge of the exhibition caseback.
A follow-up question you might then have is why make this bespoke project at all? With all the creative tools of Christopher Ward at your disposal why change the dial and bezel in such a minimal manner? Well, to my mind that’s the genius of WatchGecko’s concept. Because they are first and foremost a strap brand, they have made a watch that is neutral enough to look good on any of their suitable strap options. They highlight in particular that it is the perfect candidate for the Octopod strap for a slightly more tool vibe or one of their rubber straps if you want to double down on sportiness and diving.
It takes the Christopher Ward WatchGecko C63 GMT to quite a meta space. Here is a customised watch, created through the bespoke program, that is designed for you to customise yourself with strap options to make it personal to you. When ordering the watch, which is exclusively available via WatchGecko, you have the choice of the CW 3-link Bader bracelet at £1,195, or an Octopod strap at £1,065, or finally a rubber Sedona strap also at £1,065. It’s also a limited edition of just 100 pieces. It goes on sale at 10am GMT on 27th of February.
Price and Specs:
More details at WatchGecko.
