The new Christopher Ward C12 Loco is a Bel Canto killer
Russell SheldrakeChristopher Ward has become a bit of a beast over the last couple of years. Ever since the stratospheric rise of the Bel Canto, the half-British, half-Swiss brand has taken the industry by storm. Now, we have its follow-up, the C12 Loco, a conceptually simple watch, with an extremely complex execution.
I call this piece a Bel Canto killer in the best way possible. While I’ve been a big fan of the brand’s sonnerie au passage for a long time now, I have always seen it as a bit of a niche watch, despite its more than impressive sales figures. You have to have a certain level of understanding when it comes to complex watch movements and the history of chiming mechanisms to fully appreciate what this watch has accomplished. But to fully appreciate the C12 Loco, you only need to look at it. Of course, the work and innovation that the Christopher Ward team has done is more than just surface-deep here, but the visual impact of seeing a free sprung balance flying away on the dial, held in place by an elongated bridge, is captivating no matter your level of horological education.
So what makes this next chapter in Christopher Ward’s story significant enough to warrant such a long opening? It’s less complex from a pure functionality perspective than a Bel Canto, yet it offers more in terms of a classical watchmaking point of view. The CW-003 movement is an excellent demonstration of just how far the brand’s movement development capabilities have come in such a short time. With a balanced visual on both the front and the back, you can tell that a lot of work has gone into how this watch looks and what it means to make it as visually pleasing as possible. So let’s dive into the details on this watch that may cause even more noise than its chiming older sibling.
The movement
I have no choice but to start with the movement here. The CW-003 is a heavily reworked SH21, not only adding an enlarged free-sprung balance, but also creating an additional day of power reserve for a total of six. This is achieved through its two barrel system that are on full display through the sapphire caseback, held in place by bevelled cocks that allow full view of their industrially applied texture. A striking element, or lack thereof, with this movement is that you do not see the gear train. The winding mechanism and the twin barrels could not be more exposed, but the gear train has been completely hidden away underneath the large plates, with the timekeeping regulated to stay between -0/+7 seconds a day.
This movement is not only visible through the caseback. Its main attraction, the free sprung, open balance, dominates the dial at six. While it is spinning at the standard 4Hz, it appears to be achieving a higher beat rate thanks to the size of this balance wheel. Regulated by screws, this is an awesome display of what Christopher Ward can achieve in-house today thanks to its integrated movement development and manufacture in Biel. The development of this movement was not straightforward, nor was it done over a prolonged period. Once you have finished this read, I would suggest you go and watch the documentary on Christopher Ward’s YouTube channel called Freewheelin’ which follows the journey of making this watch, and how tight the timings were when it came to getting this large balance wheel fine tuned and ready for production.
Coming back to how aesthetics have been carefully considered at every step here, I mentioned that the gear train had been hidden, and so it is clear which parts of this watch’s movement Christopher Ward wants you to concentrate on. With the expanded power reserve afforded by the two barrels, and the captivating free sprung balance, the only aspects on display you are constantly reminded about are where the brand has put its R&D budget, and what makes this watch stand out.
The dial
We’ve already covered the main attraction on the dial, but I want to highlight a genius move from the design team of Christopher Ward, who are based in Maidenhead, as opposed to the movement development team in Biel, as they have produced this forced perspective-like effect with the diminishing size of the circles of the dial from 12 to 6. The ring of floating applied hour markers flows down to the spinning balance wheel, with the smaller escape wheel tucked away underneath. This only adds to the effect of motion on the dial that the balance already brings.
Besides these components, there is a lot of dead space on both the dial and the movement side. These are left intentionally featureless, given a brushing that plays with the light but can come in four different colours. A standard white and black, or the more vibrant options of orange and blue, which give the watch a far more energetic and youthful feel. While we are used to seeing vivid colours from Christopher Ward with the many iterations of the Bel Canto, these are two shades we are yet to see from them and feel fitting for such an edgy and modern-looking watch.
The case
While this watch might have made sense in the Bel Canto case, and become its natural successor, the decision to place it in the case of The Twelve, the brand’s integrated bracelet sports watch, gives it a far more authentic feel to me. This watch is edgy, modern, and youthful in its design, which I don’t think the Bel Canto is, and placing it in the multi-sided, multi-faceted Twelve case only amplifies this in my eyes. Measuring 41mm across, it wears extremely well thanks to a short lug-to-lug of 47.5mm, and while its thickness of 13.7mm makes it sound clunkier than it really is on the wrist as nearly 4mm of that thickness comes from the front and back crystals, so visually it remains quite light.
But the angular case here is merely acting as a frame through which the movement and dial can be viewed, but that doesn’t mean it is an afterthought. I appreciate the sloped lugs and angled mid-case that build a sporty aesthetic, but the bezel and case back material have been kept to a minimum. The crown is screw down, but the watch only achieves 30m of water resistance, which feels a little low for a watch in such a sporty case and for one that comes on a rubber strap. But the fact that there is a screw down crown makes me feel like this is a true 30m of water resistance, and not one that you need to feel nervous about when walking out into a light shower.
The strap
These watches are available on dial-matching rubber straps that come with deployant clasps. They are fitted via a quick release system that is pretty easy to use, as you pinch the spring bar ends in and if you want, can be replaced with a matching bracelet which is the same as the one found on The Twelve. A very comfortable option that drapes fantastically, and if I were buying one would be my choice as they are sold separately from the straps.
The verdict
As I mentioned at the top, I am dubbing this a Bel Canto killer. While the Bel Canto was visually and audibly interesting once every hour, the C12 Loco is interesting every time you look at it. The barrier to entry in terms of knowledge for this watch feels lower than the Bel Canto, and you also have to consider the platform on which the Bel Canto was launched and compare that to the one the Loco is launching from. The two companies are almost unrecognisable, mainly thanks to the success of the Bel Canto. To me, this means the Loco is better positioned for success, as the company has matured, its supply chain has too, and it now feels better prepared to deliver a watch that captures the market’s imagination.
The watch feels set to be a success and something that defines a new era for Christopher Ward as it moves forward from the Bel Canto in a watch that doesn’t feel derivative, but evolutionary. The brand has learnt what it means to create such a popular watch, and is now looking to capture that magic again. Time will tell if this “simple” time-only watch can do just that.
Christopher Ward C12 Loco pricing and availability
The Christopher Ward C12 Loco is being sold in drops to begin with, as 750 will be available for pre-order on Thursday 24th at 3 pm BST, with more being made available later in the year. Price: £3,795, US$4,595, €4,950 (on rubber strap), £3,995, US$4,825, €5,205 (on bracelet)
| Brand | Christopher Ward |
| Model | C12 Loco |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 10.37mm (T) x 47.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Black White Orange Blue |
| Bracelet Options | Dial matching rubber with deployant clasp Integrated bracelet with butterfly clasp |
| Movement | CW-003 |
| Power Reserve | 144 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Pre-order from April 24th 3pm BST |
| Price | £3,795, US$4,595, €4,950 with rubber strap £3,995, US$4,825,€5,205 on bracelet |