Christopher Ward Vs Certina

I have read not so great things about Christopher Ward’s customer service. I am also not a big fan of their logo(s). Certina would be my pick. Its a more established brand as well.

I'm not sure where I've heard it but I have heard whispers that CW's aftersales has not always gone well and that the standards have dropped.

I don't want you to make a decision on that but please, research it if this is expected to be a long term relationship with that watch.

On looks alone, for me, CW wins it! LOL, my whole post is absolutely zero f*ckin help! 😜🤣

I’ll be bias cos I’ll always choose a smaller case size

What I have heard is that CW has a great quality of finishes, I have never had one in my hands since they are not very common in my country, even though Certina is not sold in Mexico, there are many out there, they are easier to get and give them service so I wouldn't go for the certina

This is a tough one because I’m a fan of both brands. I’ve got a Christopher Ward C60 Sapphire and think it’s incredible. I’ve had my Certina DS80 powermatic never had it serviced and it’s still running well at just +6 s/d. That and I’ve been talking about the amazing value of Certina for a while, and their QC is top notch.

I actually haven’t heard much in the way of negative reviews regarding Christopher Ward’s watches, I think most of the negative comments come from their aftersales if there is an issue. Having said that if you have a problem with your CW it’s got to go back to the UK if you want it fixed under warranty, whereas you can probably find a Certina AD not too far away.

What is the difference in price where you are? If they are a similar price I'd say CW hands down. However if you want something cheaper glycine is a great option.

Certina

Certina for me

Christopher Ward all the way.

I have a Hamilton Cooper, and five CWs. All of the CWs have finishing that is superior to the Hamilton, despite the Hamilton costing more than any of them at RRP.

That's not to say the Hamilton is bad, rather that CW nails the details in a way that other brands around their price just don't.

Here is a recent video about the Atoll that shows the finishing I mentioned.

(4) CW Is Lying About The C60 Atoll! #microbrand #divewatch - YouTube

Certina. Love mine.

That is a nice thought. And I should look into that too.

The amazing finishes are also what I hear a lot on YouTube. 👍

For me, the after sales service is an essential experience of purchasing and owning a great watch. It shows how much the company cares for their product and not just for the sales.

I think the prices are fair the same to the companies website. Since, CW, you can only get it online. For Certina, if I go to an AD usually I get at least 10% off RRP.

Glycine is a brand I have not look at great suggestion!

This is great insights to the brand since I won’t have the chance to try on a CW. Although their 60/60 program is great, you still need to pay for shipping and taxes/duties which will cost another $100+.

I hear you. I had a really bad experience with the customer service at Wise and it’s put me off of them completely, even though they make some great looking watches. I haven’t had to deal with CW’s customer service so they’ve still got me.

Wise is another company I've only heard good things about. It's important to remember that a faulty product is not a problem if its handled the correct way and everyone can have a bad day/bad employees. I guess some peoples problems just slip through the cracks.

I am not going to try to convince you of anything, this is your decision. But I will tell you I am a very happy and satisfied owner of 3 CW's. Here is my C60 Atoll LE.

Oh that’s a good insight into Wise. Thanks

Shipping is free on all CW purchases. They also pay shipping both ways for any service or warranty claim.

I have dealt with CW customer service on a number of occasions and never had any issues. They have had some growing pains recently with the popularity of the Bel Canto but I think they are sorting through them and things are getting better. The thing to remember is that CW is no longer the mom and pop company they were a few years ago. The personal touch service will not be the norm anymore I am afraid. They are just too big now.

Anyway, I have had some warranty work, a service and a back and forth with some half links and all were handled very well and hassle free. The end links were kind of funny because I went through 2-3 rounds of getting the wrong ones but to their credit they kept shipping me new ones until I got the right ones.

As far as the watches go (I am a big CW fan and own 5 with one more on the way in Dec) but I would say you can't go wrong with either one. They are both great watches. I would go with whichever speaks to you the most.

The way I see it:

Certina

pluses - Smaller Case, titanium, 80 hour power reserve

minuses - 19mm lug width, no micro adjust in bracelet

CW

pluses - better finishing on case and bracelet, 20 mm lug width, bracelet microadjust and half links included.

minuses - larger case at 40 mm (if that matters to you - it might also be a plus), probably owe import duty/taxes unless you can find one second hand.

I love CW and am ambivalent about Certina, but that titanium with those lume plots. They look like they're glowing even during the day! 😍