Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT Review

Christopher Ward has honestly been one of my favorite brands since starting Hourstriker. Prior to starting the site, I hadn't even heard of the brand. Hourstriker introduced me to a ton of brands that I never would have been exposed to otherwise, including Christopher Ward. We started covering new releases from Christopher Ward right off the bat and a few months in I reached out to the brand to see if there was a chance they would send us a watch to review. Much to my shock they said they'd be more than happy to send a watch our way.

Since then we have reviewed a ton of watches from Christopher Ward ranging from their more affordable divers all the way up to their in-house high watchmaking models. One thing that has remained consistent through all the different models that we have reviewed is the high build quality of each and every watch. Today we'll be looking at one of Christopher Ward's newest releases which straddles the line between their entry level pieces and their more high-end offerings.



Before we get into that watch, let's first go over a brief history of Christopher Ward. Christopher Ward has just celebrated their 20 birthday after being founded by Mike France, Peter Ellis and Chris Ward in May of 2004. Christopher Ward came about after a boat trip down the River Thames where the three friends discussed starting a watch brand. France and Ellis were business partners who had recently sold their successful business, the Early Learning Centre, and were looking for a new venture that would let them avoid an early retirement. Chris Ward was looking for a more interesting and challenging project than his t-shirt importing business as well.

The three friends all appreciated watches, but their decision to start a watch brand wasn't purely romantic. After doing hard market research it was discovered that some high-end watch brands enjoyed as much as a 34 times markup from production costs. This discovery was earth shattering since the trio knew that even a 3 times markup would generate excellent profits for their watch company. One critical part of having this small markup allow for large profits was to use a direct to consumer model for selling. By cutting out distributors and authorized dealers, Christopher Ward would be allowed to keep much more of the profits for themselves.



With the business model firmly in hand, the friends decided on the name Christopher Ward since out of the three founders' names it sounded the most English. The brand's first office was actually a converted chicken shed in Cookham Dean, Berkshire. Christopher Ward released two initial watches, one being a quartz chronograph and the other an automatic, both housed in robust cases and retailing for just £179. With such a low price, the watch collector world was rather suspicious of the brand.

This all changed when in late 2005, Dave Malone, who was a very respected member of the TimeZone forum purchased a Christopher Ward watch. Malone's intent was to get the watch in for review and just tear it apart. What ended up happening was that the review was extremely positive, sparking a huge tidal wave of interest in the brand. Christopher Ward points to that moment as the single most important event in the brand's history.

The years that followed showed good growth for Christopher Ward, but in 2008 the world was hit with a major financial crisis and soon after ETA decided to stop selling the brand movements. Instead of folding under the pressure of these two events, Christopher Ward soldiered on. With ETA off of the table, the brand formed strong relationships with Synergies Horlogeres and Sellita for their movement needs.



While Sellita movements would power most of the brand's watches, Synergies Horlogeres actually ended up merging with Christopher Ward in 2014 forming Christopher Ward London Holdings Ltd. This was a crucial move for the brand and now meant that Christopher Ward was essentially a vertically integrated manufacture, controlling the production of nearly every component found in their top level timepieces. The debut in-house movement was the SH21 which was the first production level movement produced in Britain in over 50 years.

I'd argue that the single biggest moment for Christopher Ward occurred in 2022, when the brand came out of nowhere and released the Bel Canto. Up until this point, Christopher Ward was using JJ Caliber modules on top of ETA or Sellita base calibers for their jump hour, single button chronographs, worldtimers and large moonphase watches. Christopher Ward was able to modify the prior jump hour complication to chime on the hour instead of changing the hour to create the Bel Canto. By using an existing and not terribly complex module, the brand was able to create an hourstriker at the fraction of a price of what traditional chiming watches are sold for. The watch collecting community instantly caught on and the Bel Canto became not only a huge sales success for Christopher Ward, but also a halo product.



Recently Christopher Ward has brought all of its high watchmaking timepieces under the umbrella of their Atelier Collection. This collection is made up of the Bel Canto and other exceptional pieces from the brand. The Atelier Collection is made up of the C1 Jump Hour, C12 Loco (free sprung balance), C1 Moonphase (large moonphase) and Twelve X (skeletonized high power reserve).

Initial Thoughts

The watch we will be taking a closer look at today is not part of Christopher Ward's Atelier Collection, but a more general release closer to the roots of the brand. A few weeks ago Christopher Ward released the stunning C63 Sealander Extreme GMT and I was instantly blown away.The Sealander Extreme is a true "Go Anywhere Do Anything" (GADA) watch which features a robust anti-shock system. After putting up the release article for the watch, I contacted Christopher Ward and asked if they could send one over to review, which they graciously agreed to.



When the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT arrived, the first thing I noticed about it was the unique and colorful fabric strap. Christopher Ward calls the strap a "V-Strap" which is basically a two part orange Cordura strap with the top piece having a steel fastener and the bottom piece fitted with industrial strength Velcro. To secure the watch, you loop the bottom piece through the steel fastener and then adjust the fit to your exactly liking with the Velcro. This allows you to precisely size the watch and ensured if your wrist swells or contracts that the watch will always be comfortable. There was a bit of a production wait on the orange strap, so the review piece did take an extra week or two to come in, but this was the combination that really interested me the most.

The second thing I noticed about Sealander Extreme GMT was the 3D Globolight indices and hands. This revolutionary ceramic lume created by Xenoprint and is very similar to what is seen on the dial of the C60 Trident Lumiere. Not only does the Globolight lume provide much superior low light performance and glow, but the lume also last longer than traditional luminous material. The Globolight also gives the dial added depth with the blocks of lume making up the entire applied hour markers.



The final thing that I took note of during my initial time with the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT was just how lightweight the watch was. For having a 41 mm case and being crafted out of stainless steel, I expected the watch to be a bit hefty. It turns out that the Sealander Extreme only weighed 83 grams on our scale. Personally anything under 100 grams is in my preferred weight and being nearly 20 grams less than that meant that the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT just completely disappeared on the wrist. When combining the low weight with the super comfortable and adjustable V-Strap, the watch really becomes one of those pieces you can wear all day and never get a hint of wrist fatigue.

Technical Specifications

Having gone over both the history of Christopher Ward as well as my initial thoughts of the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT, let's now go over the technical specifications of the watch. The Sealander Extreme has a case crafted out of stainless steel with a 41 mm case diameter and 47.7 mm lug to lug length. On our scale the watch on the V-Strap weighed in at 83 grams with a thickness of 12.4 mm.



The Sealander Extreme has a slightly raised flat sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. Underneath the crystal clear sapphire is the highly textured matte black dial. Around the outside of the dial is the minute ring printed in a yellowish off-white color. Each five minute interval is represented by an Arabic numeral with each other minute being represented by a thin hash mark. Moving in are the 3D ceramic Globolight bars which make up the hour markers. 12 o'clock gets a double marker, with each other marker getting one block. The 6 o'clock marker is shortened to have the black backed date window sit above it. In low light the lume glows a glorious and bright bluish green. At 12 o'clock is also the applied 3D block lume Christopher Ward twin flag logo.

There are four centrally mounted hands on the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT being the hour, minute, seconds and GMT hand. The hour hand is a large arrow and the minute hand is fence post style, both are done in matching block lume to the hour markers. The seconds hand is slender and done in black with an orange tip. Finally there is the GMT hand which is done in orange with a lumed tip. The lume of the GMT hand glows a contrasting green to the other dial markers. Finishing off the dial is "Automatic-GMT" and "ANTI-SHOCK" printed above the date window at 6. Swiss Made is also printed at the bottom of the dial at 6 o'clock.



Moving on from the dial is the fixed sandblasted black ceramic bezel with the 24 hour GMT scale. Each even number from 2 to 24 is represented by an Arabic numeral which is filled with Super-LumiNova which glows a matching green to the lume found on the GMT hand. This makes using the GMT complication quick and easy in low light situations.

The C63 Sealander Extreme GMT uses the latest generation of Christopher Ward's Light-catcher case. In this model there are no polished areas, but the fully brushed case still looks very visually interesting. Looking at the profile of the watch you can see a pretty decent curve to the case, which helps the watch form to your wrist better. You can also see that the lugs are rather short, helping with the multiple wrist size friendly 47.7 lug to lug length.



The right hand side of the case features the nicely scalloped screw down crown topped off with an engraving of the Christopher Ward twin flag logo. The screw down crown aids in the 150 meters of water resistance, which is more than enough for pretty much any situation. Un-screwing the crown lets you wind the automatic movement in the resting position. Pulling the crown out to position one lets you set the date by turning the crown towards you and independently adjusts the GMT hand by turning the crown away from you. Pulling the crown out to position two stops the seconds hand and allows you to set the time. Pushing the crown back in causes no jump in the minute hand and getting the crown to catch doesn't take any extra care.

Flipping over the Sealander Extreme shows off the solid steel caseback with a stamped motif of a 20th century style globe. Important information about the watch is engraved around the outside of the caseback as well. Beating underneath the solid caseback is the Swiss made Sellita SW330-2 automatic movement. The movement beats away at 28,800 vph (4Hz) and has a power reserve of around 56 hours. On our timegrapher the SW330-2 showed an accuracy of +6 seconds per day when averaged out over several positions. This is more than accurate enough and would require minimal time adjustments over the month.



It also must be mentioned that Christopher Ward has employed a new shock absorbing system inside the case of the Sealander Extreme. The movement is actually secured to the case with a rubberized mount that works in conjunction with the movement's Incabloc system to let the movement absorb shocks while maintaining accuracy and safeguarding the movement's components. Basically the system allows the movement to float for the highest level of shock protection.

The lug width on the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT is 22 mm, which is a very common size, meaning the watch can accept a host of aftermarket straps. The supplied orange nylon V-Strap is a great strap and if the watch was mine, is something I'd leave on the Sealander Extreme. The Cordura strap is a rather muted orange and doesn't scream for attention like some orange hues would. The top part of the two piece strap tapers down to 17.5 mm and ends with a brushed steel fastener. The bottom side of the strap has stitched on industrial strength black Velcro. When the bottom part of the strap is looped through the top fastener, you can then adjust the watch to fit your wrist perfectly and then use the Velcro to fasten it. The strap is a bit stiff, but after an hour or so of wearing it fit my wrist nicely and was very comfortable.



On The Wrist

The Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT is just a treat to have on the wrist. The combination of the infinitely adjustable Velcro strap and super low weight means that the watch really disappears on the wrist. Christopher Ward markets the watch as true adventure watch and a huge part of that is that the watch shouldn't get in your way and really shouldn't even be noticed while being worn. While I haven't taken the watch on any adventure more exciting then dropping our girls off at pre-school, I can attest to saying the watch is only really there when you need it to be, otherwise it's an afterthought when on the wrist.

On my 7.25 inch wrist with a flat area of 55 mm, the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT wears a bit smaller than I prefer being a few millimeters shorter in lug to lug length than my optimal 50 mm. This does mean that the watch will wear great on a larger variety of wrist sizes though. I know I have a fairly dated taste of preferring larger watches and the rest of the watch world has swung the other direction. The nylon strap and Velcro fastener did do an excellent job of keeping the Sealander Extreme centered on the wrist though. The thickness of the watch is also very proportionate to the case diameter and the watch looks balanced on wrist.



I wore the Sealander Extreme out to run a host of errands the watch was a great wrist companion. Even after hours of being on my wrist, there was never even a hint of wrist fatigue. As I've mentioned before, the watch just fell into the background and was only present when I either wanted to look at the watch or check the time. The black and orange aesthetic of the Sealander Extreme also went perfectly with my typical dress of a black t-shirt, shorts and sneakers. The watch is very casual looking on the orange nylon strap, which goes well with my relaxed lifestyle. If you wanted the watch to be more formal, you could get it on the stainless steel bracelet which would give the watch a more grown up look.

To test the legibility of a watch, I use a very simple test where I see how easy it is to tell the time with just a glance while driving. In this test dive watches with their high contrast dials and large dial markers do the best, while complicated and skeletonized watches do the worst since they tend to value design over legibility. I knew right away that the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT would do very well in this test and the result didn't surprise me. The 3D Globolight hour markers are very large as are the matching hour and minute hands. It just took a quick glance to quickly get my bearings and decipher the time. Only changing the markers from bar to Arabic numerals would have helped out with legibility, but that also would have ruined the design of the dial. Also with the extreme amount of luminous material on the dial, telling the time in low light situations is a breeze.



While wearing the watch out running errands and also out to dinner and drinks, I did notice the Sealander Extreme get a decent amount of looks. I had a few people comment on the watch very favorably and it also seemed to be a hit with the friends I showed it to. Being in Austin, orange is pretty much the un-official color of the city, so most people just loved the strap color as well as the bold GMT hand. Everyone was very impressed by just how lightweight the Sealander Extreme was as well. Based on the attention the watch received while out and about, I'd say if you wanted a watch that flew a bit more under the radar to stay way from the orange strap. I personally love a bold watch, so the orange strap was paramount when asking for a spec of the Sealander Extreme to review.

Value and Position in the Market

To me, the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT represents a great value for what you get. On the orange V-Strap the Sealander Extreme goes for $1,785. For that price you are truly getting a watch that can take more than anything you can throw at it running on an accurate and reliable movement. The Sealander Extreme also takes the amazing Globolight lume found on the C60 Trident Lumiere and pairs it with a very robust shock absorbing system. Finally Christopher Ward debuts their awesome V-Strap on the Sealander Extreme as well. Now is the time in the review where we take a look at other watches with similar specs and features to see how the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT stacks up value wise.



Up first we have the Black Bay Pro from Tudor which has a 39 mm case crafted out of stainless steel. The Black Bay Pro is pretty much the benchmark for a rugged GMT watch. The Black Bay Pro is powered by a manufacture movement with 70 hours of power reserve and has 200 meters of power reserve. The Black Bay Pro also has a GMT complication like the Sealander Extreme. The Tudor is much more expensive than the Christopher Ward at $4,375 though.

Moving on is the Reef GMT from Formex which has a 42 mm case made out of stainless steel. Formex watches are well known for being rugged like the Sealander Extreme. The Reef is powered by the same Sellita SW330-2 automatic movement with GMT functionality and 56 hours of power reserve. Being a true dive watch, the Reef does have 300 meters of water resistance. On a strap the Reef GMT is a bit more expensive than the Sealander Extreme at $2,355.



Next up is the Super Sea Wolf GMT from Zodiac which has a 40 mm case made out of stainless steel. The Super Sea Wolf has an STP 7-20 GMT automatic movement with only 40 hours of power reserve. The Super Sea Wolf has a classic dive watch style mixed with a playful design and has 200 meters of water resistance. The Zodiac is also a little bit more expensive than the Christopher Ward at $1,995.

Finally we have the Aquis GMT Date from Oris which has a 43.5 mm case crafted out of stainless steel. The Aquis GMT Date is powered by a similar Sellita SW330-1 automatic movement with a GMT function and only 42 hours of power reserve. The Aquis GMT Date does have a full 300 meters of water resistance though, but does cost a lot more than the Sealander Extreme at $3,500.

Looking at the above four GMT watches, you can see that the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT offers tremendous value for the money. In reality, most offerings from Christopher Ward are great values in their respected genre of watch. The Sealander Extreme was near the top of all the compared specifications but was by far the least expensive, showing it's truly an exceptional value.



Closing Thoughts

So in the end, is the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT for me? I really love what Christopher Ward has done with this watch in terms of design and functionality. The usage of Globolight lume blocks not only gives the dial great depth, but it is also extremely beneficial to low light usage. The newly designed shock absorption system ensures that the Sealander Extreme can take a beating and keeping going as well. I also really love the orange hue of the new V-Strap and that you can endlessly adjust it with the Velcro closure.

I am a huge fan of watches made out of titanium, carbon and ceramic, so there is a bit of a personal ding to the Sealander Extreme since the case is made out of stainless steel. Most collectors actually prefer steel to those other three case materials and you could argue that stainless steel would hold up better to the abuse an adventure watch might see. A big reason I prefer those other materials over steel is that they weigh much less, but in the case of the Sealander Extreme I doubt that would matter with how lightweight the watch is. I also like watches to have a lug to lug length a bit longer than what is seen on the Sealander Extreme, but honestly, the watch looked great on my wrist.

For those reasons, I really feel like the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT would be a nice addition to my collection. I could see it filling the void of a true GADA watch, which I really don't have. I think it would be pretty fun to take the Sealander Extreme out on a few mild adventures and really not worry too much about what I do with it on, knowing full well the watch would be just fine. I have way too many watches in my collection that give me anxiety about even thinking about getting a hairline scratch on them or getting wet while washing the dishes.



Would I then recommend the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT to somebody looking for a rugged automatic GMT timepiece? While I'm not a huge fan of the GMT function, it's something that doesn't get in the way of using the watch and generally doesn't bother me. I know most collectors actually love the complication and put it to good use though. The execution of the GMT function is nicely done and laid out well on the dial of the Sealander Extreme, which would be a big positive to a lot of collectors. The watch is also a very a very handsome piece with its textured black dial and large Globolight markers. The Sealander Extreme offers tremendous value for the money, coming in much less expensive than other watches with similar features. I've been around a ton of Christopher Ward watches and the Sealander Extreme is once again a great reminder of the quality of watch they produce. I really would have zero hesitation in recommending the Sealander Extreme to somebody looking for this kind of watch.

I'd really like to thank Christopher Ward for sending us this C63 Sealander Extreme GMT to review. I knew right after seeing the press images that the watch would be awesome in person, which it was. There is already another new release from Christopher Ward that I have asked to review, hopefully I can get it in sooner than later to give my opinion on. This particular model is from their Atelier Collection and a crazy take on one of their most popular watches.

For more information about the C63 Sealander Extreme GMT please visit : Christopher Ward

Technical Specifications

Reference Number: C63-41AGM4-S0KK0-NO

Retail Price: $1,785

Case Size: 41 mm

Lug to Lug: 47.7 mm

Thickness: 12.4 mm

Weight: 83 grams

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Bezel: Black Ceramic with a 24 Hour Scale

Strap: Orange Nylon V-Strap with Velcro Closure

Movement: Swiss Made Sellita SW330-2 Automatic Movement

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date and GMT

Power Reserve: 56 Hours

Water Resistance: 150 Meters