NEW Christopher Ward Twelve X - The Good, Bad, And Ugly! 

If you guys want to tune in to that episode of the Into The Mind Podcast with Mike here’s the link! youtube.com/@IntoTheMindPodcast?si=tRMzrGmwFkhpPiXV

I don't understand the issue with the price--what else out there is even close for that cost? The only parallels I can think of are the Zenith Defy Titanium Skeleton, which is $10,000 more than the CW-more than THREE TIMES the price. IWC also charges $14,000 for the titanium Ingenieur and that's for a more basic execution with a non-in-house, non-skeletonized, non-COSC movement As far as the Tudor comparison, that was just confusing. I can't imagine someone cross-shopping a Black Bay against the Twelve X at all, let alone basing their decision between the two on something as insignificant as a 4-second difference in movement certification tolerances. Tudors in this price range are pretty basic tool watches with industrial finishing and homage designs and comparable to watches CW sells for about a grand.

The SH21 movement is not new at all. And in case you were not aware, this Twelve X that you are reviewing is actually to celebrate SH21's 10th anniversary.

I truly don't get the complaint about price. It's a skeletonized, COSC certified, titanium grades 2 and 5, with a micro-adjustable butterfly clasp, watch from a solid Swiss brand. To me it's more than fair in terms of pricing. Just my two cents.

Owned several CW & they make great watches. Technically impressive, but it's just waaay too expensive for a CW. For similar money, I can pick up a lightly used Zenith Defy & that's just no comparison.

I was wearing my Tissot Gentleman today and I can't believe how much I am falling in love with that watch every day :)

If Czapek can sell a skeletonized steel Antarctique for 38k, 4500 for this is a bargain. Just like the Bel Canto.

Like the new £27.5k Tudor 18k BB, CW won’t expect to sell many of these. This will however allow them to start pushing up the price of their existing and other more marketable pieces.

the term inhouse in my opinion means inhouse like Grand Seiko, JLC etc However, having an exclusive movement being developed by an expert 3rd party provider is not in house to me.

The SH21 is celebrating its TENTH anniversary, and it is an in-house Swiss movement. Christopher Ward has owned/been merged with Synergies Horlogères of Biel, Switzerland since 2014 (that's the S-H part of the calibre identifier) which is when they first released the SH21. The SH21 was designed by Johannes Jahnke, and it is produced by SH/CW with nine other suppliers based in Switzerland. That's also the reason it can be COSC certified...

I this watch had another name on it folk would be shouting about what a bargain it is. For the components and finishing it is a huge amount of watch but I don't think many will be able to get over their inbuilt watch brand prejudices. That being said Christopher Ward have basically stated with this that they have the technical skills and manufacturing ability to mix it with the big boys. I does the brand no harm whatsoever.

It is expensive. For that price, I could have a mass produced, machined parts, robotic movement assembled, with non finished movement(only in house because they bought the supplier) Rolex homage. I mean Tudor. The new BB monochrome. Similar priced. With no finishing and no design, just a homage to Rolex. But it’s priced fine? Talk about buying into the branding. For a high quality Rolex Sub homage, 1k gets you one.( not a clone, a homage) At least Christopher Ward are bringing their own designs, premium materials and lovely finished movement. Christopher Ward is offering way more in terms of watch compared to Tudor. Tudor, like Rolex, are playing the brand card and making you pay for the privilege, it’s just more affordable watch snobbery.

With prices like these I would go for Tudor

how are they pricing a machine finished skeleton higher than the hand finished limited c60 concept skeleton

I feel like it’s a Zenith defy without the nuance and it’s not priced low enough to justify that

You can buy a Rotary Sport Regent Skeleton Automatic which has been around for years on integrated bracelet for £330. Looks very similar.

8:39. Ok but how 'in-house" in your in-house podcast REALLY? Is it >90% in house? Or did you just slap a custom rotor on some off-the-shelf podcast and call it "in-house"??? WE NEED DISCLOSURE!

Too big, too ugly and too expensive.

I actually think it's an honestly priced watch. If you want something similar you'll have to pay double for Zenith Defy. If you want something at the same price - Black Bay which, while nice, is nothing special and have nowhere near this level of detail finish/movement architecture wise.

I do have a Christopher Ward on. An older Seamaster C63 in Bronze.

Stunning but I'm buying another brand at that price.

I believe they priced and positioned it correctly. A cost plus based pricing strategy for a flagship product would only undermine them. They have the credibility at this point to charge more.

If it's Twelve X, does it make this Ward XIIX ?

Too much money

I've got a Christopher Ward 12 36mm on! In the white and rose gold colourway. How fortuitous!

If I remember correctly, CW caps their mark-ups at 3x the materials... but 4k is the price of a Bel Canto.

The price is more than fair. Quit complaining. It looks stunning, grade 5 titanium, in-house movement, gorgeous bracelet with exceptional micro-adjustment, stunning lume and 120 hour power reserve. Put another name on it and people would happily pay 3 or 4 times what they are asking.

Looks like they used leftover Snyper Ironclad bracelets and married them to watches uglier than the Ironclad was 😂..... Of course i own an Ironclad and 2 Parmigiani Pershings, so what do i know about taste!

Longines Avigation Bigeye Ti on wrist. Bought from CH Bentall Centre.

As intricate and luxurious as CW watches look, I think the dull grey titanium look is an unfortunate departure. For me at least, it just doesn’t pop at all!! Beyond the boring skeletization, the chapter ring looks like an after thought, and the rotor branding is just ghastly. Big miss. Sad face.

I don’t think CW are an entry level luxury brand, I think they are value based luxury brand. Bremont are nowhere near this. This is technically fantastic at this price point. Point to another able to pull this off for 4K? Omega also do a titanium movement, they want £48k

Love the watch, but it needs contrasting hands and rotor. Maybe rose gold or blue steel. Also the name branding is tacky, should stick w utilitarian design. As much as I love the watch, I own a black ceramic defy 21… they look very similar.

In my opinion this brand is „I wanna be a luxury brand“. There is no argument for this price. I think this will be a hudge schelf sitter. For this price you can get a Tudor or even an Omega. You can get for cheaper a Nomos or a Glashütte original, brands with history and better quality

I love and own Christopher Ward but this is a miss for me. Aesthetics, legibility, price - All negative for me. Ima head out 🫸

I don’t know… whenever I see skeleton watch, it screams cheap to me… it turned a beautiful 12 into aliexpress lookalike for 60 bucks… I will probably never be a fan of skeletonized watches :/

2 points regarding price 1) omega prices have near ebough doubled in last few years have they improv3d significantly in that time NOPE , you mentioned the CW was significantly better than other models. 2) if you remove the logos based on feel wualityy and spec ehat would the 3atch be worth , ive not jeld one myslef

I'm not the target market for this kind of impressively engineered, self-indulgent, flex for the brand. I prefer more classically styled watches that one can read, and this illegible mess looks like an AliExpress Richard Mille knockoff. I'm sure they will sell the few watches they build and I hope the folks that buy them get joy from their purpose.

I really like this watch. Im looking for a skeleton watch and this looks great. Its their first in house movement, its a chronometer, and its a twelve. Great. If this was $3500, I'd have a hard time not buying it. Its $1k more than the Bel Canto!

I would honestly say that £4k is entry level now, for only £2k more you could get a Cartier or Rolex. There aren’t many watches below £4k that you can describe as ‘luxury’ anymore.

I think they're heading in the wrong direction on sizing. A big part of the hype for new BB58 GMT is the size. A lot of people are over the dinner plate sized watches and want something more refined on wrist. Not that this is incredibly big, but in general most people comment on the 12 wearing a little bigger than they'd like; so 39 would seem to have gotten closer to the sweet spot. Big ups for the titanium and as ever the design is really cool although not my thing personally.

I love this watch but i think it should be 2K at best. That way,they would sell really good and make lots of good noise in the community. Honestly even if they made steel one for 1800, and maybe have titanium for like 2000-2200.

CW produce some great, good value watches. Sadly, at this price point, no matter how good it is there will always be parallels drawn with other watches of similar values. This is where the CW price point in this instance is difficult to swallow and will likely cause people to choke and buy a Swiss brand. Shame really, but too dear!

Buyers of this CW will not be put off by the price , I think . Showcasing CW’s expertise in this fashion will appeal to a narrow selection of both CW fans and the well heeled new to this Brand . Like the Bell Canto ; I think this will be a slow but steady seller .

So I was confused by this in house movement because I hadn't heard about CW making in house before. But i found on their on webpage that they have already had this movement for 10 years. This is not a new movement!

I loved the watch.I really love skeletonized watches and I don’t own. I own c1 worldtimer and I really love c1 and was planning to buy this one untill I saw the price. In that price I would bet my money on Rado captian cook skeleton 3K i guess and better brand history

Not a fan of skeletonized watches-they remind me too much of Body World exhibits. I tend to associate skeletons with death and decay, so there's that. Hopefully, this price bump isn't the shape of things to come for CW.

Meh, integrated bracelet sports watch above 12mm thick and no H-link style bracelet for better comfort? Just get a used Zenith Defy classic skeleton.

Big miss. Every brand is so desperate to overcomplicate things and move up market. I’m sure the build quality is excellent but it looks like an aliexpress watch.

This is very much an aim at the skeletonized zenith defy models. Yet, under-pricing by half...impressive.

Lovely watch for sure BUT why stamp the brand in massive lettering on the rotor. Not needed on a watch that such careful consideration has gone into finessing the design. I do however think it is value for money.

Looks very cheap and immature. Not of fan of watches with no dial that show off a cheap looking movement. What's that point of showing everyone you overpaid for a watch with a poorly decorated movement?

I’m wearing a Christopher Ward The 12 with the basalt grey dial; love it. Sorry don’t like the Twelve X (Ti) or the price!

I predict that your take that the CW Twelve X is overpriced will look silly in six months. This is a LOT of watch for $5k.

yeah they really are pushing price, but they NAILED the look. Cleanest skeleton I've ever seen imho.

I think they’ll end up selling these with hard discounts, this is no Bel Canto and nobody cares. Saying this liking and owning the standard titanium twelve.

Imagine paying 5k for a CW, just get an Omega or if you really want skeleton the Defy, its miles beter. xDDD

But the real question is why do they always need to make a budget watch? If they want to step up there game and give a 5k watch then look. They did it.

Great watch , but way too expensive.... I'm wearing a trident of theirs right now.

On paper, this is a perfect watch for me. I love skeleton watches with great movements. But that price isn't even close to the right ballpark.

Terrible. Imo🤷🏼‍♂️. That price drives me way away from the brand……

Never been a fan of skeleton dials and thus us just as ugly as any ive seen. Impressive craftmamship yes, but ughh.

Wrist check: Boderry Sea.Turtle Bronze Diver limited edition 1/150

I think the skeletonization is better on this than the zenith defy. I think I'll pick up a 12x but I'm not going to preorder.

Price is way too high, but that doesn't seem to stop people from paying these days. It will sell, just not to me.

I normally HATE skeleton watches, but I really like this. I'd take it over a Zenith Defy Classic, and Zenith are my favourite manufacturer. But it is too much money. £2500 tops I would say.

I wish they would just give us more masculine colour options in the 36mm model. I can't see many people buying this.

My god that's a price of a second hand rolex... which one should I pick lol?

I’ve got the purple titanium version I don’t think this is as attractive and the price is prohibitive

It’s a bit bland for me and the price is shocking. I still want the moon glow though 😎

Do have the a CW twelve frosted lichen in the 36mm on the rubber strap on wrist today:) loaner unfortunately and will have to go back;(

Attractive piece, but damn, the price... *Sharp intake of breath

They are worth the price , that watch is definitely worth the price , cw is a big dog now let’s get real

I dont know why they made it titanium. Steel and half price would be great

Not a British made movement, it is produced in Switzerland.

Czapec is going a different way on this Antarctique

120 hr power reserve is great, skeleton watches are not my thing , seems it's of good finishing, certified movement is adding to the watch but for the price even i think it worth it, i doubt it would be in my list as it competes with longines , tudor and many other watches i have in my mind to buy.

CW is British owned, British designed, but Swiss made.

That is the most boring looking skeleton watch ever.

I dont get this watch sorry CW totally missed this one!

I am wearing my CW C65 Dune ! What a nice and sexy watch 😍

How can it be COSC certified if it's made in Britain. COSC requires Switzerland made movements, which is why no Japanese movement is COSC certified.

This seems to be similar to their thinking with the bel canto, its a flex of their watchmaking and showing their not just a little micro brand and can grab headlines with these special pieces to draw people in to the bread and butter C65s etc

I really like it, I want it, but at that price, I won't be buying it.

Love Christopher Ward! On my wrist today is the C63 SH21 Blue Marine #147 of 150! At home is my C60 Pro 300 Bronze...amazing!

Wrist == Tudor PELAGOS LHD

Should have just gone with ugly and saved some time.

I also own a few CW watches. I think they’re great….. but the Belcanto has been a nightmare experience!! Also, this thing where skeletonised faces cost more… why????? The movement is the same and you’re not getting a dial…. So less watch for more money .. 🤷🏻‍♂️

On wrist is my Wired digital. Love the heft of the watch.

I was digging it until I saw the price. no sale.

Difficult to read the time at a glance though!

I have a Panerai Luminor PAM722 on

I'm wearing my black dial Monta Triumph today. I love that it's so thin and comfortable on wrist. I think this is a cool release, and I hope to see the clasp quick adjust tech trickles down to the regular Twelve line. My first automatic was a skeleton watch and one of my first watches was a Swatch Jellyfish, so I do like skeleton watches in theory. However, it really depends on the execution. This one has a lot going on, so I probably wouldn't see much of my wrist. It's just not a good look to see a hairy arm beneath the movement. 😬

Yes, nice but price a bit too high❤

Love that Oris. I get tons of compliments on mine.

dont know how much it adds to the value but something not mentioned is that there is also micro adjustment on the braclet

You got the ugly part right.

It's a pretty damn nice watch. However.. at $4865 USD on the bracelet, that's a bit ambitious. On a lower luxury tier, it's kind of how I (we) feel about the new IWC Ingenieur pricing at well over $10k. They're both a wee bit more than we'd expect and hope to pay for brand new. IDK?.. maybe it's fair pricing?.. but, I think it'll be hard sell and there will be a lot of "...I think I'd rather buy this other watch instead for that kind of money..." And, at 41mm with an integrated bracelet style watch, it will wear bigger than a normal 41mm watch would.. I'd say approximately at least 2mm more.. which for my 7" wrist ain't so great. Good for those who have at least 7.5"+ larger wrists and large budget for such a watch.

Just an AP+GP watch

This is beautiful!

60 trident pro ❤