While dozens of watchmakers are tapping their back catalogs for vintage reissues and reinterpretations, Christopher Ward has little room to work with. Founded just 20 years ago, the British brand has done well to add meaningful contributions to the modern world of dive watches while still having a healthy eye on the past.
Back in 2020, we saw the debut of the C65 Super Compressor which had a style similar to its namesake divers from the ‘70s. And then in 2021, the limited-edition C65 Divetimer debuted with a decompression scale on the dial. Both models shared the fun blue and orange colorway and have now been combined to form the C65 Super Compressor Elite.
A Briefing on the Super Compressor
The recreational diving boom of the 1950s led to a slew of new dive watch innovations, including ones from the likes of Blancpain, Zodiac, and Rolex. What resulted was the blueprint of the modern diver, still very much utilized today, which includes rotating timing bezels and gaskets to help keep out moisture. However, this era also spawned other innovations as well, such as the super compressor.
Invented in 1956 by EPSA case extraordinaire Ervin Piquerez, the super compressor featured an O-ring inside of a spring-loaded caseback that tightened as you went deeper underwater, thus increasing the case’s water resistance. It also featured two crowns instead of one, with the top used to turn the bezel — which was under the crystal instead of surrounding it — and the bottom used to set the time.
Popular with names like Hamilton, Bulova, and Longines, the super compressor had its heyday into the 1970s but became somewhat obsolete as watchmaking advanced and high water resistance not only became a niche category for professional divers but obviated the need for super compressors outright. Nevertheless, the style of watch is still pretty darn cool and has maintained its fans even today.
Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor Elite Basics
For its own super compressor, Christopher Ward has a water resistance down to 150m but we’re guessing that’s without the super compressor feature tightening. Employing the same case as its previous Super Compressor, the Elite is 41mm across with a favorable 13.75mm thickness. It also retains the sloped timing bezel around the dial, which is quite wide and removes the notches between every ten numerals.
Within the bezel is a decompression scale, which features shades of blue and orange over the sunray blue base to help you figure out how much time you should spend at each depth before it becomes unsafe. The colors not only give the watch character but are fantastic for summer wear. Three strap options are available as well: a stainless steel bracelet, an FKM rubber “Aquaflex” strap, and a tropic rubber strap.
Swapping out the Sellita SW200-1 for a COSC-certified Sellita SW300-1, the Elite also gets an improvement in power reserve (38 to 56 hours) and accuracy. You can view the movement, along with the compression ring, through the sapphire caseback. In the center is a stainless steel medallion featuring the EPSA logo.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 41mm
Lug-to-Lug: 47.12mm
Case Thickness: 13.75mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 150m+
Movement: Sellita SW300-1 automatic
Band: Stainless steel bracelet, FKM rubber strap, or Tropic strap
Limited Edition?: No
Pricing & Availability
Not limited in edition size, the C65 Super Compressor Elite ranges in price from $1,675 to $1,840, depending on which strap you choose. It’s currently available for pre-order from Christopher Ward’s website.
Recap
Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor Elite
Christopher Ward combines its C65 Super Compressor with a decompression scale for this blue-and-orange Elite model, which oozes with summer-friendly style.
