It's been a hot minute since I last took a proper gander at a Christopher Ward watch, and there seems no finer option to take a look at that the lovely Christopher Ward The Twelve Ti.
This was one of the first releases I'd really taken notice of from the British-Swiss brand from last year with a news piece, and a piece that combines both modern design with the sensibilities of a watch from yester-year.
Priced at £1595 in the titanium variant on its bracelet, it's competitively priced amongst other watches of its quality and type, and makes for a compelling choice if you want a stylish, integrated bracelet piece with heaps of character.
Christopher Ward The Twelve Ti Design - Sublime finishing and an intricate dial
The Twelve Ti, as I'll refer to it from now on, is beautiful. I don't know what it is specifically about this model, be it the Genta-esque design or the brushed look of the titanium on the case and bracelet, or its clever dial, but this is one of the best-looking pieces in the Christopher Ward canon.
This titanium variant is available with either a purple or blue gradient dial, which fades from the bold, bright colour out to black where the markers live. This, on its own, may not seem exciting, but pair it with the raised pyramids across the dial in a waffle-type pattern, and it means The Twelve Ti has one of the most engaging dials on a watch at its price point.
Combined with this, the titanium variant is also therefore more interesting to simply ogle at compared to the standard steel version, which sticks with tamer colour choices such as grey and silver, and goes without the gradient altogether. The markers on this Ti variant are beautifully executed with precise application and a generous helping of lume, while the handset also carries a brushed finish, integrating well with the rest of The Twelve Ti's execution. Dial furniture is otherwise minimal, with a raised twin-flags logo at 12 o'clock and the word 'Chronometer' at six o'clock along with a colour-matched date wheel unifying the dial nicely.
The other big thing here is the use of grade two titanium, which not only helps The Twelve Ti stand out from the crowd but also makes it supremely light at just 24g. The case also has a mixture of brushed, polished and sandblasted finishing which meld together wonderfully, and look sublime across the 40mm case diameter.
Of course, with its integrated bracelet and dodecagonal rim around the edge, it's hard to ignore comparisons to a pair of Gerald Genta's most iconic designs with both the Patek Phillipe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Both of those lines have garnered celebrity status among watch people and non-watch folks, adorning the wrists of the great and good for decades. The Twelve Ti may not outright copy those pieces, but Will Brackfield's design offers a modern, forward-thinking iteration compared to other integrated bracelet pieces in its price bracket.
Elsewhere, The Twelve Ti also offers sensible proportions, notwithstanding its marvellous sub-10 mm thickness, as well as its 44.5mm lug-to-lug, which fits a range of wrist sizes well. It certainly sat well on my 18.5cm wrist, but more on that later. The bracelet's brushed links seamlessly integrate with The Twelve Ti's case and flow wonderfully. It also comes with a lovely butterfly clasp which bears the CW branding where it opens, while this is also a quick-release option if you want to swap it out with a strap that fits the 20mm lug width.
The crown on offer is large and grippy, and is screw-down to help with the 100 metres of water resistance, while it also comes with the twin flags logo on its edge. As is traditional with CW's pieces, The Twelve Ti also features an exhibition caseback where you can see the elabore decorated rotor, complete with custom finishing, which is a lovely touch. There is also some small text, which reiterates that this is a titanium piece, and comes with a 10 ATM water resistance rating.
Christopher Ward The Twelve Ti Performance And Wearability - Comfortable and precise
With The Twelve Ti's modest 40mm case diameter and 44mm lug-to-lug, it wears wonderfully and fitted my 18.5cm wrist especially well. While I'm perhaps more used to slightly smaller pieces in the 32-36mm range, 40mm is always a useful case diameter to have for a mid-sized piece.
The titanium bracelet and 24g mass make this an especially lightweight watch, and one that was comfortable to wear all day. The bracelet didn't pinch either, which is always nice. In addition, it's a piece that works wonderfully on sunny days, and can be worn casually with shorts and a t-shirt, or dressed up with a pleasant, brightly coloured shirt.
The movement inside is a Sellita SW300-1, which is a step up from the SW200-1 calibre usually found in CW pieces, offering a 56 hour power reserve to keep it ticking for several days of wear, as well as an accurate tolerance of -4/+6 seconds per day. In addition, the SW300-1 also has the benefit of being a COSC-certified one, lending The Twelve Ti to be a certified chronometer - a testament to its accuracy.
Verdict
The Christopher Ward Twelve Ti is a fantastic integrated bracelet watch that elevates CW further into the realms of a proper independent watch brand deserving of all the plaudits they receive. It looks and feels fantasic with sublime finishing, wearable proportions and one of the best dials on a watch at its price. The movement inside is also reliable and accurate, while the integrated bracelet is also one of the most comfortable I've tested. If you want a gorgeous integrated bracelet piece for the summer, or indeed any time of year, this is the one to go for.
Rating: 4.5/5
You can purchase the Twelve Ti from Christopher Ward here. Christopher Ward provided a sample for this review.
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