If you can carry sunshine in your pocket, you’re a happy and lucky person. But if that’s not possible, or if that’s too abstract, why not carry sunshine on your wrist? Just wear the Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor Elite and you’re perfect. This watch will help you embrace the summer vibes and keep those gloomy Mondays at bay.
Say what you will about the Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor Elite, it certainly has flair. This watch will not go unnoticed. Sure, some will shy away from the striking orange and blue hues, while others will embrace it with the excitement of catching a rainbow. What you think of the C65 Super Compressor Elite is up to you, but this is a diver’s watch with class and character. And personally, I love the flamboyance and vibrancy that comes with quality thanks to the watch’s robust build and chronometer certification.
The Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor Elite is more than just a colorful creature
The foundation of the C65 Super Compressor Elite is a classic case in point. Four years ago, Christopher Ward released the first C65 Super Compressor, and senior designers Adrian Buchmann and Will Blackfield, together with technical director Frank Stelzer, completely reverse-engineered the classic Super Compressor case from the 1950s. Here’s a simplified explanation of the original and new construction: As the name suggests, the case of a diver’s watch compresses under water pressure as you dive deeper, making it a waterproof watch.
In the updated “CW” case, the 300-micron-thick compression spring that presses everything together was visible through the caseback, further accentuated by an orange aluminum ring, which remains the case today. While the C65 Super Compressor Elite’s bird-of-paradise style may be hard to overlook, there are plenty of technical features to go around.
It’s also a chronometer!
In addition to being waterproof to 150 meters, the C65 Super Compressor Elite is a COSC certified chronometer. The orange ring, the prominent spring and the Super Compressor medallion dominate the caseback, but underneath it lies the automatic Sellita SW300-1 movement. The chronometer-certified caliber at 4Hz runs to an accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day and will keep that accuracy for 56 hours after being fully wound (and then resting). Now, back to the steel coin with the original EPSA Super Compressor diving helmet logo. This embossed logo recalls vintage watches, where the helmet was the proof of a genuine Super Compressor watch. But enough about today’s specifications. You can find all the information you need in Jorg’s excellent and detailed introduction to the watch.
Equipped with the flashy C65 Super Compressor Elite
Thankfully, I’m not afraid of color. I don’t mind color combinations, and I don’t shy away from bright hues. And that’s the good thing about the vibrant C65 Super Compressor Elite, paired with an equally bright light blue and orange rubber strap. It’s bright! It’s vibrant. Good thing it’s not big. The case is a moderate 41mm in diameter, a moderate 13.75mm thick, and 47.12mm lug-to-lug. The only thing that’s rather large is the strap width, at 22mm, which amplifies the visual impact of the light blue Tropic-style strap with its bright orange sides.
Wearing this watch is a pleasure. At 72 grams, it is light enough that you don’t physically notice it, yet heavy enough to give it a premium feel. The watch is well-finished, mostly brushed, with a slim polished outer bezel and bevels on the sides of the case. The case shape is elegant and dynamic, and when combined with a dial with a colorful center and a bright outer ring, it creates vibrancy and brilliance.
This is no ordinary watch
One of the visual elements that makes wearing the C65 Super Compressor Elite a great experience is not the vibrant colors. Rather, it is the presence of two crowns on the right side of the case. The look is classic, striking, and inviting to tinker. You start with the bottom crown, which has the brand’s logo (do you still recognize it as the logo of a software company and not a watch brand?). This allows you to set the time. Once set, you’ll probably want to leave that screw-down crown alone. The top crown with an orange ring controls the white internal dive time bezel with large dark blue numerals and a prominent orange triangle as the 60-minute marker.
The distinctive look of the Super Compressor case blends well with the bright colors of the dial and strap. The watch shown in these photos is available in its most daring attire for 1,795 euros. You can soften the bold look of the watch by removing the Tropic-style strap and replacing it with a light blue Aquaflex rubber strap, or a sturdy steel brushed three-row bracelet that Christopher Ward has named the Bader bracelet. The first option slightly increases the price of the watch to 1,805 euros, while the second option brings the total price to 1,960 euros.
At heart, it’s more than just a tool watch
Looking at the press release photos, my pick is the light blue Aquaflex strap. The Tropic Style strap is comfortable, but the orange on the sides is too flashy for me. With this blue and orange Super Compressor diver’s watch, I prefer to see all the action on the dial. The steel bracelet is a bit too heavy for my taste, but this is essentially a tool watch, so a little over-engineering is okay. I prefer the soft color and contemporary look of the smooth rubber Aquaflex strap.
When I say “essentially a tool watch,” I’m referring to the historical context of the C65 Super Compressor Elite’s design. But this watch could also work as a proper tool watch. Sometimes, light is the only thing that can brighten your mood during the dark winter months. I’m not the only one to say this. Harvard Health states that “bright light therapy can help relieve SAD (seasonal affective disorder).” Admittedly, I’m not a doctor or an expert in the field of SAD, and I know that the C65 Super Compressor Elite is not a light box that bathes you in 10,000 lux of light. However, it is coated with Superluminova so that you can read the time in the dark. Still, the brightly colored summery dial could work wonders in the winter. I’ll test it myself and let you know the results around mid-January 2025.
For more information on the C65 Super Compressor Elite, check out the official Christopher Ward website If you think this watch will help you get through the dark and gloomy autumn and winter, let us know in the comments section.
