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Hands On With The All New Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor |
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The Christopher Ward C65 family gets a little bigger today with the introduction of the new C65 Super Compressor. The newest addition revives a long dormant dive watch construction method and brings a healthy dose of retro styling cues to the table to create a watch that does more than just look the part. The C65 Super Compressor is, well, actually a super compressor, and it?s the first such example to feature a compression spring mounted in the caseback to be manufactured in decades.
The Super Compressor captures the iconic look you?re undoubtedly familiar with, placing two crowns on the right side of the case, an internal bezel ring, and a brushed cushion case. That look alone has been associated with super compressor watches, but while many watches utilize this case and dial layout, very few actually house the necessary components required to be a super compressor. This is where the C65 sets itself apart from its modern counterparts, as Christopher Ward went through the trouble of recreating the technology pioneered in 1956 by a company called Ervin Piquerez SA (EPSA). The resulting watch represents the first appearance of a spring compression mechanism in decades, and we went hands on with the C65 to see how it stacks up in a crowded field, including the Farer Aqua Compressor, which uses a different form of compression case (reviewed by Zach W here and here).
$1025
Hands On With The All New Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor
Case
41mm
Movement
Sellita SW200
Dial
Ocean Blue and Black Sand
Lume
Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 GL C1
Lens
Glass box sapphire crystal
Strap
Bracelet, tropic, or leather
Water Resistance
150m
Dimensions
41×47.12mm
Thickness
13mm
Lug Width
22mm
Crown
Screw Down
Warranty
Yes
Price
$1025
Historical Context
The need for a super compressor case arose in the late ?50s as recreational diving saw a boom in popularity. Along with it came a slew of dive watches from the likes of Rolex, Blancpain, and DOXA, not to mention more affordable skin divers from brands such as Elgin, Baylor, and Bulova. Materials of the era weren?t quite up to the specs we enjoy (and take for granted) these days, and error rates on watches experiencing high volumes of pressure were much higher than modern watches. In 1956, Ervin Piquerez SA presented a case with a built in compression spring, which would compress the watch under high pressure, creating a tighter seal in the process to minimize the risk of water intrusion to the case. Check out our full guide to Super Compressor watches right here.
COUNTER-CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: HAMILTON, WITTNAUER, BULOVA, BENRUS, ENICAR
As production methods and material sciences improved, the need for such a case has diminished. Much like the helium escape valve, its potential use cases are so small as to be insignificant to the needs of today?s consumer. But, we still see helium escape valves taking up prominent real estate along the cases of mode...
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articulo visto |
125 |
veces, esta semana |
Fuente de la noticia: wornandwound
Fecha de publicación: 28-08-2020 19:54
visto: 125 |
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