CHRISTOPHER WARD C60 TRIDENT ABYSS SH21 COSC

For several years the top of the C60 tree has been the Apex model. At £3,500, it was the most expensive watch Christopher Ward had ever made, but that didn’t stop all 100 pieces selling out relatively quickly.

Now imagine taking the C60 Apex, switching the face from machined metal to tinted Sapphire, turning everything black and then putting it up for sale at roughly the price of an Apex - that’s what CW did with the Abyss SH21!!

Should C60 Apex owners be pissed with the Abyss SH21? For me personally, I say “not at all”. Rather than devaluing my C60 Apex, I think these Abyss SH21s stand out as a great deal at £2,100 on a bracelet. And if a brand new one is great value at £2,100, what does that make a pristine eight month old one at £1,650?!

Anyway, enough about the price, what about the watch? It’s powered by an automatic, self-winding version of CW’s famous 120 hour reserve, in-house, COSC-certified, SH21 movement. The 9 o’clock sub dial gives you the current power reserve status and the 6 o’clock sub dial dial displays the seconds.

At 16.35mm high it’s a relatively tall watch, but the dark colours and the ‘light catcher’ case design do their best to disguise it.

You can see the date wheel and various workings through the semi-transparent face and you get a fantastic view of the rotor, double mainspring barrels and other workings through the huge exhibition case back.

Is it easy to tell the time? No, not especially - it’s a stealth watch after all!

Is it sexy as hell? Damn right it is!!

Condition:
It’s a used watch that’s still in like new condition. I can’t see any damage or blemishes, anywhere - not even a desk-diving scratch on the bracelet clasp to report! But being a used watch, you may find feint signs of use used magnified inspection.

It’s a March 2021 watch, so the transferable movement warranty is valid until March 2026 if serviced by CW between years 3 and 4, or March 2025 without that service.

On the timegrapher is measuring at approx. -2sec per day - comfortably within COSC specifications.

Offered as a ‘full set’ in the original CW bamboo case including user book, warranty card, unused polishing cloth, COSC Certificate and two removed bracelet links.

Specs:

• Diameter: 42mm

• Height: 16.35mm

• Movement: Automatic Calibre SH21 Chronometer

• Water resistance: 300m

• Strap: 22mm

Owner’s Book:
A PDF version of the owner manual is available on the CW website: https://www.christopherward.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-cw-library/default/dw8f938ad1/pdfs/RetroDive/c65-trident-bronze-sh21-manual.pdf

Final Notes:
The first six pictures are library photos, the rest show the actual watch and package.

Apologies for the finger prints on the watch and for the bezel not being centred - I’ll take a new set of pics with those fixed at some point!