How a Christopher Ward led to a Junghans Max Bill...
(overly wordy post alert)
I bought four watches this year, much better pacing than last years 1st year newbie roller coaster of great buys and even greater disappointments as I clumsily stumbled around to what I seem to really love and what I feel meh about on my wrist. The perils of cheap (great or not) watches accumulating in a pile (or watchbox) are real! I think I got about 15 watches last year and truly love maybe 2 of them. Sigh.
AND to balance that with being a professional drummer and wanting the watch to be quartz and be able to withstand reasonable amounts of shocks.....while occasionally wearing a suit!
Earlier this year at the Windup Watch Fair in late April/early May I finally got hands on a watch I had been eyeballing for a long time, the Christopher Ward Sealander GMT and since I could buy it then and there, I did! This watch was a game changer in how I now saw watches. The finishing and overall performance and the care that CW takes in making sure all the details are just right was a revelation, and don't get me started on how much I love the quick release bracelet with on the fly adjustments!!! It was also, at around $1300 the most I had spent on a watch, and I don't make a ton of money, so it was a big purchase for me.
For better or worse, after that I realized that CW changed how I looked at all the other watches I bought, all the Islanders, the Seiko Speedtimer, the Tissot Gentleman, the Hamilton Khaki King quartz, a casio, a timex etc..
Eventually that led me to wanting a great watch, as well finished as the CW Sealander, but a little smaller, and lighter quartz watch that's within my budget and then I saw the Junghans Max Bill Mega Solar and fell in love (specially sexy online love, so intimate..woo!).
Over time I realized that I could save a some money by simply getting the plain ol' quartz version and let go of the zuper mega zolar....(say that with a fake german accent).
So with Thanksgiving deals abound, I found a bit of a deal through Windup watch shop and maaaaan, it's everything I was looking for - a watch I can dress up and down and it's super thin and light. Perfecto. There will be more watches for drumming cheap and moderately priced, but this is the first one that really hits it out of the park for me. Thanks for reading my long winded story!
Thanks Christopher Ward for making me lust after more expensive watches you big, well made watch, jerks!
Midlife crisis is hitting me in the watch face. Wife and daughter have zero interest in watches so here I am. Crisis started with a cheap HMT watch from eBay, then a spin of the dreaded “wheel” got me...
My CW C63 Sealander was what opened my eyes to what could be had for under $2K.
I had been lusting after much more expensive luxury watches, but the CW cured me of any real interest in more expensive watches. The amount of watch you get for the price you pay is outstanding.
I also have made more of a shift back to quartz recently. Mechanical movements are great, but the convenience and durability of quartz makes them interesting to me as well.
My CW C63 Sealander was what opened my eyes to what could be had for under $2K.
I had been lusting after much more expensive luxury watches, but the CW cured me of any real interest in more expensive watches. The amount of watch you get for the price you pay is outstanding.
I also have made more of a shift back to quartz recently. Mechanical movements are great, but the convenience and durability of quartz makes them interesting to me as well.
Totally!
I felt the same when I got my CW Dartmouth, it stopped me wanting to buy any other dive watch until I got my Seiko kinetic tuna, but that is a very different creature.
How is the quality compared between Junghans and CW?
I've been looking at the C63 Sealander in green for a while. It has everything I'm looking for in a everyday GADA-watch, and costs almost half at other watches that ticks all the boxes. Except from heritage, not being a European brand - and the part about wearing some guys name. On the other hand you seem to get so much watch for the money.
And they even had a "blue friday sale" donating 10% to some charity instead of the hopeless black friday sales, which leads me to believe that Christopher Ward might an OK guy 🤯
Also... Great read, thank you!
How is the quality compared between Junghans and CW?
I've been looking at the C63 Sealander in green for a while. It has everything I'm looking for in a everyday GADA-watch, and costs almost half at other watches that ticks all the boxes. Except from heritage, not being a European brand - and the part about wearing some guys name. On the other hand you seem to get so much watch for the money.
And they even had a "blue friday sale" donating 10% to some charity instead of the hopeless black friday sales, which leads me to believe that Christopher Ward might an OK guy 🤯
Also... Great read, thank you!
That's an interesting question, and a bit subjective since I've never had the experience of something in the $3000 and up to $10,000 range where I imagine the fit and finish of watches goes up in quality and sophistication of detail.
I will say that just as the CW felt like an obvious big step up from any of my watches prior, including a very nice Seiko Speedtimer, and my favorite "luxury" Islander, the Islander Republic. (lol)
You know that feeling of when you look at a watch in your hand and on your wrist and you're just like, damn....that really hits all the buttons! I had that with the CW for sure, and right out the box the same feeling with the Junghans - and it's a radically different feeling watch.
I would say in general, especially since CW has taken off the words "Christopher Ward" and only uses their brand symbol now, that you can't go wrong with them as a daily. I can say with confidence that if I could only have one watch, I would be cool with the CW being that watch. I would imagine a pre-owned one would also be a good route to save some $
Hope that helps!
That's an interesting question, and a bit subjective since I've never had the experience of something in the $3000 and up to $10,000 range where I imagine the fit and finish of watches goes up in quality and sophistication of detail.
I will say that just as the CW felt like an obvious big step up from any of my watches prior, including a very nice Seiko Speedtimer, and my favorite "luxury" Islander, the Islander Republic. (lol)
You know that feeling of when you look at a watch in your hand and on your wrist and you're just like, damn....that really hits all the buttons! I had that with the CW for sure, and right out the box the same feeling with the Junghans - and it's a radically different feeling watch.
I would say in general, especially since CW has taken off the words "Christopher Ward" and only uses their brand symbol now, that you can't go wrong with them as a daily. I can say with confidence that if I could only have one watch, I would be cool with the CW being that watch. I would imagine a pre-owned one would also be a good route to save some $
Hope that helps!
Very helpful indeed, thank you very much!
I have an Hanhart Pioneer Silva, and it's exceptionally finished to me. Can't imagine I'd have the need for more than that, but on the other hand it also sets your expectations accordingly 😬