Christopher Ward Specialists

The company's own account of its origins begins with a boat trip on the River Thames in May 2004, when Chris Ward, Mike France and Peter Ellis talked about starting a watch company. The idea was to sell good watches for less by cutting out the retail layer and skipping expensive celebrity endorsements. The name was chosen because the founders considered it the most English of their three names.

The first watches, the C5 Malvern Automatic and the C3 Malvern Chronograph, went on sale on 2 June 2005. The brand launched from a converted chicken shed in Berkshire. The direct model is still the core of the business, and it explains why so many owners deal with the brand itself for service rather than through a local dealer.

Because customers have always bought direct, the company's own team tends to be the first point of contact for questions and service. Keep your order number and email address handy, since the repair process asks for them.

The SH21 is Christopher Ward's own mechanical caliber, developed by Johannes Jahnke with Synergies Horlogères and introduced in 2014, the year the two businesses merged. The original automatic has twin barrels, a five-day power reserve and COSC chronometer certification. It isn't a renamed Sellita, but it isn't made entirely in-house either. The brand's own documentation names nine component suppliers.

Plenty of Christopher Ward watches use other movements, and the model name alone won't tell you which one you have. The C60 Trident Pro 300 uses a Sellita SW200-1. The earlier C60 Trident COSC 600 used the SH21, and later Pro 600 versions were documented with ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200-1 movements. Check the paperwork for the caliber before you book a service, because the parts and the watchmaker's approach depend on it.

Movement choice matters most once a watch is out of guarantee. An SH21 is built around its own supply chain and named component suppliers, while Sellita and ETA calibers are widely used across the trade. Ask the independent what they expect to replace, and whether the parts they plan to use are the ones the brand would use. Get the answer in writing if it matters to your decision.

Christopher Ward handles servicing and warranty repairs through its own team in Maidenhead. Its five-year movement guarantee covers qualifying mechanical faults free of charge, subject to inspection and exclusions. Accidental damage and straps or bracelets are excluded. The brand recommends routine service every three to four years, and it quotes chargeable work only after an inspection.

The most important rule is the one that's easiest to miss. Christopher Ward says third-party servicing invalidates its movement guarantee. While the guarantee applies, the brand's team is the sensible route. Once it has run out, an independent can be a good option, but ask about parts for your specific movement and understand that opening the watch elsewhere ends the brand's movement cover. The brand's published targets are a quote within three to five working days of receipt and a repair within eight weeks of quote payment, or up to twelve weeks for work that involves Switzerland. Treat those as targets, not promises.

A practical way to use the guarantee is to note the brand's recommended service interval, every three to four years, and keep the paperwork that proves the watch was serviced by the brand. If a fault appears while the guarantee still applies, you won't be arguing about history. That paperwork is the cheapest insurance you'll buy.

The guarantee is part of the value, so start with the paperwork. Ask for the order number and any warranty information, and find out whether the watch was bought from the brand, which makes the guarantee easier to confirm. The six-digit order number is what the brand asks for when a repair is booked, so a seller who can't provide it has given you a question to answer.

Whether the movement is an SH21, a Sellita or an ETA-based caliber, a specialist can usually confirm it by checking the caseback markings and the movement itself. Ask for the last service record and whether it was done by the brand. Check that the case and dial are consistent with the model and the paperwork, and ask the seller to explain any gaps.

Ask whether the seller can explain any service or repair on the watch, and whether the work was done by Christopher Ward or by a third party. Third-party work can end the movement guarantee, so a watch with an outside service record carries a different risk than one that stayed with the brand. Factor that into the price.

While the guarantee applies, the brand's team is the obvious choice, and its service form and contact details are on the site. Outside that period, an experienced independent with Swiss movement experience can handle a Sellita or ETA-based watch. For an SH21, check the parts situation first, since it's a caliber developed with a specific partner and the supply chain for it is narrower.

Whoever you choose, ask for a written estimate that breaks out movement, seals and any cosmetic work, and ask for the old parts back. Keep your order paperwork with the watch, because a future buyer, and the brand if you ever need a repair, will both want to see it.

If the watch has a dial or case problem that the movement guarantee doesn't cover, ask the brand's team for a quote before going elsewhere. Their inspection will tell you whether the issue is a movement fault, a cosmetic one, or something excluded, and that's useful even if you decide to take the work elsewhere later.