Christopher Ward C65: Vintage Dive Watch Heritage Reinterpreted

The C65 Trident is Christopher Ward's vintage-inspired dive watch — a collection that draws its design language from 1960s diving instruments while applying contemporary materials, movements, and manufacturing standards. Where the C60 Trident is modern and specification-focused, the C65 is nostalgic: its cushion-adjacent case, applied rectangular hour markers, and warm dial tones reference the dive watches that preceded Hublot, Oris, and the modern dive watch market by several decades.

The 1960s Dive Watch Context

The 1960s was the defining decade for dive watch design. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms (1953) and Rolex Submariner (1953) had established the basic template: unidirectional rotating bezel, high-contrast dial, luminous markers, screw-down crown. Through the 1960s, dozens of brands produced dive watches to this general specification, with variations in case shape, dial design, and bezel execution.

The era's watches are now among the most collectible in the market. A 1960s Rolex Submariner in original condition commands five to six figures at auction; Blancpain Fifty Fathoms originals have exceeded this. The visual language of these watches — patinated lume plots, warm cream dials, pencil hands — has become the reference aesthetic for a generation of watch enthusiasts.

C65 Design Language

The C65 does not replicate any specific historical watch but references the 1960s vocabulary generally:

The applied rectangular indices — raised metal pieces attached to the dial rather than printed — give the dial a three-dimensional quality at odds with cheaper watches' flat printed markings. Applied indices are a hallmark of more expensive watches; their presence on a watch at Christopher Ward's price point is noteworthy.

C65 Specifications

150-metre water resistance is the C65's practical concession to its vintage-inspired brief: the original 1960s dive watches typically rated at 200 metres, but the C65's case design — with its cushion proportions and vintage styling — prioritises aesthetics over depth performance. For recreational divers and watch enthusiasts who never dive at all, 150 metres is more than sufficient.

The Vintage Market and the C65's Position

The vintage dive watch revival that emerged in the 2010s created a new market segment: watches that look vintage but offer modern movements and materials. This category includes:

• Oris Divers Sixty-Five: Swiss, 300m, approximately £1,500–2,500
• Longines Legend Diver: Swiss, 300m, approximately £1,500–2,000
• Doxa Sub 300: Swiss, 300m, approximately £1,500–2,200
• Christopher Ward C65: Swiss, 150m, approximately £700–1,200

The C65's position is consistently at the lower price point with the same quality arguments: Swiss movement, sapphire crystal, exhibition caseback, applied indices. Where it concedes is water resistance (150m vs 300m) and heritage brand recognition (none).

For buyers whose interest is the dial and bracelet experience rather than the diving capability, the C65's price advantage is substantial. For divers who actually use their watches underwater, the 150m limit may be a genuine constraint.

C65 Colour Editions

Christopher Ward has produced the C65 in multiple dial colour editions, reflecting the 1960s practice of offering dive watches in tropical and regionally specific colourways:

• Navy blue: The default reference tone, referencing the deep water of professional diving
• Cream/aged white: The closest visual reference to genuinely patinated vintage lume dials
• Forest green: A colour that became fashionable in the enthusiast community from approximately 2018
• Black: The default high-contrast, maximum-legibility option
• British Racing Green: A limited edition connecting the C65's British brand identity with the racing colour tradition

Limited colour editions sell quickly through Christopher Ward's online store and occasionally appear at premiums in the secondary market — a sign that demand exceeds production in specific colourways.