Christopher Ward has just launched the most significant overhaul of its Sealander collection in five years. We’ve got two watches, the Sealander GMT and Sealander Automatic, comprehensively re-engineered, but instantly familiar.
This isn’t change for its own sake. It’s the result of years of listening to customers. During the launch, Mike France compared these new watches to the Porsche 911 or Range Rover, which are slowly perfected over the years whilst keeping their distinct character.
I’ve been wearing and reviewing Christopher Ward watches for a decade. I’ve watched the brand evolve from producing somewhat confused homage pieces into something genuinely grown-up and confident. The new Sealander might be their best, most commercial work yet.
A week on the wrist
My review model was the 36mm Sealander Automatic with a white dial. It’s a comfortable watch, genuinely. Light on the wrist, perfect size, and easy to forget you’re wearing it.
The dial is immediately readable and distinctively Christopher Ward. I love the symmetry, with the date window sitting neatly at six o’clock rather than the usual three. Better still, every dial colour gets a colour-matched date window. It’s a small touch, but one that is very much appreciated.
Speaking of colours – they’ve chosen well here. White, black, sky blue, pistachio, and a 36mm-exclusive pink. I can see every single one selling well. They’re very commercial.
The crown is large and easy to use.
Ultimately, it’s a watch that can do anything, from a weekend hiking to a weekday sitting at a desk.
The GMT
The GMT is the more purposeful of the two watches. A circular-brushed fixed steel bezel with (much better looking, in my opinion) black lacquer-filled 24-hour markers makes it unmistakably a travel watch. Updates include bolder indices and a newly proportioned GMT hand sharpen legibility further.
It now comes in 36mm, 39mm, and, for the first time, 42mm. The Sealander name appears on the dial for the first time too, in a font that is very pleasing to my eye.
Inside sits the Sellita SW330-2, with 56 hours of power reserve and a dependable GMT complication.
The Automatic
The Automatic is the more subtle watch. There are no crown guards, and the bezel is fully polished. A re-designed Light-catcher case just 10.6mm thick. It wears closer to a dress watch than its sibling, but retains the 150-metre water resistance of a proper sports watch.
The real story is what’s inside. The Sealander Automatic is among the first watches to feature Sellita’s brand new SW200-2 Power+ movement. The power reserve jumps from 38 hours to 65, without sacrificing the 4Hz beat rate or timing accuracy. Sellita achieved this through a redesigned barrel, optimised gear train, and improved winding system. It’s a very meaningful upgrade.
A moment for the bracelet
Both models debut iLink, Christopher Ward’s new tool-free bracelet adjustment system. Press a discreet button, slide out a link, click it back. No screwdriver or jeweller needed, and no scratched steel, either.
I’ll be honest – I struggled at first. The button wasn’t releasing the link the way I expected, and I gave up and asked for help. But I came back the next day and found it immediately intuitive and easy.
Tool-free link adjustment isn’t a new concept – the Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti did something similar with its I-Size bracelet – but Christopher Ward has designed and built this themselves. That’s impressive for a brand at this price point.
The verdict
Priced from US$1150 / £850 for the Automatic and US$1395 / £1025 for the GMT, I’d struggle to point you towards anything this well made, this well designed, or this thoughtfully executed at a similar price.
The new Sealander collection goes on sale at online at 8am BST on 30 April.
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