Review: Christopher Ward’s C60 Trident Scratches the Luxury Diver Itch for Less

If you ask most watch enthusiasts which watch they would choose to wear every day if they had to pick just one, most of them would likely select a luxury diver. Whether a Rolex Submariner, an Omega Seamaster, or a Tudor Black Bay 58, it’s tough to beat the versatility, great looks, and tough build quality of a luxury dive watch. Of course, the drawback of these watches is that they’re expensive, with each of them costing several thousand dollars. But what if a watch enthusiast is looking to get a luxury-level diver but only has around a thousand dollars to spend? Well, Christopher Ward has claimed for years that its flagship C60 Trident Pro 600 dive watch fills this exact slot, so we went hands-on with one to see for ourselves.

When first laying eyes on the C60 Trident, it’s pretty surprising just how high-end it looks. Right off the bat, this does not look like a sub-$1,000 watch. This looks like a watch that costs at least $3K. Put it in a lineup with watches that retail for that much and we bet you’d struggle to pick out which one costs triple digits. The contrasting finishing on the case, the polished ceramic bezel, the deep-black lacquered dial… everything on the watch just screams quality, and it looks a lot more expensive than it is.

Where the design of the CW C60 Trident stands out the most is its case. For its Mk 3 generation, Christopher Ward gifted the flagship diver a new version of its “Light-catcher” case, and it really lives up to its name. Complex for a dive watch case, the Trident’s stainless steel body features an intricate mix of polished and brushed surfaces that constantly plays with the light in interesting ways, making it extremely dynamic in person. Aiding in this dynamism is a polished ceramic bezel insert that’s fully lumed with extremely bright Grade X1 GL C1 Super-LumiNova. The bezel’s action is also outstanding — loud, crisp, and satisfying, it’s one of the best we’ve ever used; especially at this price.

If there’s one polarizing aspect about the C60 Trident, it’s the dial. Don’t get us wrong, it’s extremely well-executed. The black lacquer finish is spotless and luxurious, the diamond-polished faceted indices give off some nice sparkle, the handset is original and boasts contrasting finishing, the trident counter-balance on the seconds hand is charming as heck, there’s lume everywhere you look, and the date window is framed at 3 o’clock and color-matched to the dial. So what’s the problem? It all comes down to the branding. A lot of enthusiasts simply dislike the name Christopher Ward for a watch brand, they dislike the font used to spell out said name, and they dislike that this branding is placed at 9 o’clock. Do we wish the logo were more subtle and located at 12? Sure, but it’s hardly a dealbreaker. Still, if CW’s new C65 Aquitaine release is any indication, it looks like future iterations of the C60 Trident will feature only a prominent Twin Flags logo at 12 (it appears ghosted here) and no mention of Christopher Ward on the dial.

The Christopher Ward C60 Trident comes available on a variety of straps, including recycled #tide nylon straps and a three-link stainless steel bracelet with a quick-adjust clasp (though that will run you north of $1,000). Our sample came with the brand’s Hybrid Strap, and for our money, it’s the one to get. Satisfyingly sporty and waterproof, the flexible and comfortable strap mixes a top layer of tough CORDURA woven nylon with a lining of channeled rubber. It looks good, it feels great, and it gives that Light-catcher plenty of room to shine.

Christopher Ward had to cut corners somewhere on the C60 Trident, and the movement is where that shows the most. Now, there’s certainly not anything wrong with the movement: it’s a Swiss-made automatic Sellita SW200-1 with a 4Hz beat rate that is capable in some guises of earning COSC certification. But it’s obviously inferior to the in-house engines you’ll find in true luxury dive watches, especially when taking into account its middling 38-hour power reserve and accuracy rating of +/- 20 sec per day. But again, this watch costs less than a grand, so for that price point, the Sellita works just fine and is what we would expect to find under the hood.

On the wrist, the C60 Trident feels like a luxury dive watch. It’s hefty and it’s shiny, but not in an egregious or overly-blingy way. At 40mm, it’s a great crowd-pleasing size, and while it’s on the thick side at ~13mm, the finishing on the sides of the case does a great way of breaking up that thickness. This neither feels nor looks like a 13mm-thick watch on the wrist, so if that was the thing keeping you from buying this, we say you can put that worry to rest. Besides, that thickness contributes to the watch’s enormous 600m depth rating, a level of water resistance that’s two to three times that of most of its competitors.

It’s hard not to be impressed by Christopher Ward’s C60 Trident Pro 600 diver. After all, we’ve had some of the world’s greatest luxury dive watches in for review from the likes of Rolex, Omega, and even Blancpain, and while the CW obviously doesn’t compete directly with those brands, it holds up better than you might expect. So if you’re looking for a luxury-lite dive watch but don’t want to spend luxury prices, we’d definitely recommend giving the C60 Trident a look.

Purchase: $965+

The 20 Best Dive Watches

If you’re on the hunt for a dive watch but aren’t quite sold on the CW, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Check out our guide to the best dive watches on the market to discover 20 timepieces that are ready for the deep.