What Happened to Christopher Ward? An Honest Take.
I finished university in 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Like many others, I spent the following year sending out applications and hoping for a break. In 2021, my partner and I decided to try our luck in London, and surprisingly, I landed my first job as a marketing assistant.
Around that time, I was getting more and more into watches. I remember spotting this brand called Christopher Ward on Google. They had a Swiss automatic with a Sellita movement that looked seriously good on the model on their site. Naturally, I wanted to look that cool too.
So I did what any responsible adult would do: I begged my mum to buy it for me “to celebrate my first job”. And bless her, she did. Thanks, mum!
That watch became my first proper Swiss-made automatic. I still remember unboxing it, peeling off the stickers, putting it on my wrist… oh my God, what a feeling. For £495 (they ran £100-off promos all the time back then), it felt like an absolute steal.
I wore that watch into the ground. The Tide strap it came with started fraying from sheer overuse. It became my daily driver and it felt special, not just because of what it was, but what it represented.
Fast forward a few years…
That Christopher Ward is still in my collection, though it doesn’t get much wrist time these days. My tastes have shifted, my collection’s grown, and the watch doesn’t quite sing to me the way it once did. But I’d never sell it. It’s the watch that marked my first real job.
Which brings me to the question I’ve been thinking about: What happened to Christopher Ward?
Before the die-hard fans grab their pitchforks, let me say this clearly: I like the brand. A lot. I think they’ve made some genuinely amazing pieces in recent years and they’re clearly doing well. But something feels… off. Or at least different.
Back when I bought mine, CW felt fresh, hungry, exciting. They were delivering serious specs at unbeatable prices - under £600 for a Swiss automatic, 60-day return window, 60-month warranty? Unreal.
Now? The exact same model I bought is £840 on the bracelet. And sure, prices go up, inflation, supply chains, politics, all that. I get it. But it’s not just about the money.
What I’m noticing is a shift in vibe. There’s innovation (the Bel Canto and C12 Loco are genuinely impressive), but there’s also a flood of limited editions, endless colourways, and frequent releases that feel more like marketing strategy than passion.
It starts to feel cheap. Not in quality - CW still makes solid watches - but in intent. When everything’s a limited drop, nothing feels special anymore. It starts to look like a money grab.
So where are they headed?
To me, CW seems to be shedding its “affordable luxury” skin and aiming for a more upscale customer base. Some of their latest models are pushing past the £3,000 mark. And that’s fine, brands evolve, but I can’t shake the feeling that they’re stuck in an identity crisis.
They’re no longer the value-driven disruptor they once were. But they haven’t fully established themselves as a high-end innovator either…yet.
I still cheer for Christopher Ward. I want them to succeed. But as someone who fell in love with the brand during its scrappier days, I can’t help feeling like something’s been lost along the way.
