Christopher Ward continues to pump out news in this busy autumn for the watch industry, today unveiling the new C65 Sandstorm and Sandstorm Blackout Chronometers, produced in collaboration with Worn & Wound’s Windup Watch Shop. The two models boast a completely new design resulting from extensive collaboration between the retailer and the British watchmaker, with an overall tool-watch aesthetic, a multi-layered sector dial, an analog date indicator, unique color schemes, and a hardy timekeeping ability.
The news of the new C65 models comes after a string of releases by Christopher Ward over the past month, from the vintage-inspired C65 Chronograph to an ocean-conservation-focused dive watch, the C60 Blue. The limited editions are also Christopher Ward’s latest collaboration with Worn & Wound, coming on the heels of other brands’ partnerships with the retailer, notably the salmon-dial models produced by Baltic and a unique asymmetric chronograph produced by Lorier. The launch is also finding itself in the middle of Worn & Wound’s Windup Watch Fair, a virtual event going on now.
The new C65 Sandstorm models feature steel cases measuring 38 mm x 45.3 mm in diameter and 11.6 mm thick, with the regular Sandstorm opting for a brushed finishing and the Blackout model using a black DLC treatment. The cases are designed to evoke sturdy “little rocks,” as Christopher Ward has dubbed them, complete with large, screw-down crowns and 150 meters of water resistance.
Underneath the box sapphire crystal lies the central component of the new design, the unusual sectored dial, which takes its influence, according to the brand, from “rugged aesthetics and terrain of desert rally racing and overlanding… [from] vehicles meant to survive and strive in rough and inhospitable terrain.” This somewhat industrial and military influence can be found seen throughout, with the concentric rings, varying materials, matte and brushed colors, and other styles coming together to produce a watch with an adventurous spirit.
On the outer, double-layered minute ring we see bursts of color for each 5-minute mark, and an inner punched hour ring within, marked with vintage-style Arabic numerals for each quarter hour. Deeper toward the center of the dial, we find an analog-style date indicator, with the date revealed via a sliding red marker. At the very center is a crosshairs motif, once again speaking to the military styling of the model, along with a set of baton-style hands for the hour and minute and a thin, red-tipped pointer for the seconds.
Inside the C65 Sandstorm models is the COSC-chronometer-rated Sellita SW200 movement, accurate to -4/+6 seconds per day, capable of a 38-hour power reserve, and beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph. The automatic caliber is protected behind a specially stamped and numbered caseback, emblazoned with a vortex motif representing the “sandstorm” concept that inspired the design.
The C65 Sandstorm and C65 Sandstorm Blackout will go on sale today at 12 pm EST exclusively through the Windup Watch Shop. The C65 Sandstorm (steel case, black dial) will be limited to 200 editions and will sell for $1,085 on a canvas strap or $1,205 on a steel bracelet, while the C65 Sandstorm Blackout (DLC Case, crème dial) will be limited to 100 editions, priced at $1,130 on a black canvas strap.
For more information and to inquire for purchase, you can visit Worn & Wound’s Windup Watch Shop, here.
