Review: Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Yellow

First off, a rather obvious disclaimer, again:  I own this watch, and therefore I am already biased. Second, this review comes with a fair bit of backstory.  Head down to the 4th paragraph if you want to get to the actual review and TLDR the rest.  

I started watch collecting with Christopher Ward back in 2010.  The watch purchases came fast and furious in that first year, and I bought a dress watch, a quartz racing chrono, and a yellow-dial dive watch, the C60 Kingfisher. As I got deeper into the hobby, my collection also moved up market, and while I didn't forget about Christopher Ward as a brand, I definitely did focus on other brands and price brackets.    

As part of that shift, I sold the Kingfisher in 2021, but I found that I missed that yellow dial pretty soon after.  I started looking at CW watches again, not for a yellow dial (after all, I could get lots of great yellow dials from other brands), but for some affordable, quality watches for my groomsmen.  I zeroed in on the white dial C63 Sealander, and I was absolutely floored by the watch.  I was already aware of CW's capabilities and their focus on value, but with the C63 Sealander, it was obvious to me that the company had really stepped up their game.  The look, quality, and the attention to detail for the price made me take notice of CW again.  

Some months after the wedding, I learned that CW was putting out some limited edition colored versions of the Sealander at 36mm.  The promo pictures captured me instantly. The idea of getting some yellow back in my collection in the quality form of the Sealander was a very, very strong proposition.  I tried to resist and managed it for a couple of weeks, but my resolve was no match for that yellow!  

Now, a lot of ones and zeros have been written in the watch world about Rolex alternatives to the point where it gets to be a little numbing (and I am sure annoying to actual Rolex owners and fans). At the same time, I think it's pretty hard to look at the 36mm C63 Sealander and not think about a certain watch from Geneva that currently sells on the grey market for 15 to 20 times the price.  Am I here to tell you that the C63 Sealander 36mm is a Rolex equivalent?  No, of course not.  But I am here to say that you are getting a whole lot of watch for your money, and there's a whole lot of room to be satisfied with what's on your wrist as long as you're not insistent on the five-pointed crown appearing somewhere on the dial (you'll get the twin-flags instead, which is a welcome change for a lot of CW fans).  

Here's the bottom line: This watch packs so much value for $925, and while the yellow is sold out, green and red are still available as of 11/27 as are the non-limited white and black versions.  

The case design is really nice for the price point.  There's a lot of interesting faceting and on the flanks and the bezel that catches and plays with light very well.  The dial features are simple but well executed with nice applied markers and an interesting hand set.  The crown action is tight and succinct, which is a significant improvement on some older CW models.  The bracelet and add-on yellow leather strap both feature quick-release pins, and the bracelet comes with a pretty simple and effective quick adjust.  It's got a Sellita SW200 inside, and that might be a deal breaker for some, but I've had no reason to complain about it so far.  It's also 150m WR, which adds to the Sealander's all-around watch cred. 

And It's Yellow! (maybe that's the real bottom line). 

There are a few nitpicks.  The clasp on the bracelet is very long, and it does make the watch wear a little strangely, maybe a hair lop-sided.  The trident shaped counter on the second hand doesn't make a whole lot of sense with the overall design unless you're familiar with the brand overall.  Maybe the 38-hour power reserve is a problem, but it's an automatic, and I've found it still running after longer than that anyway.  

But these are minor.  The overall package is very compelling whether you're looking for a Rolex alternative or you're just looking for an all-around great watch for under $1,000.  Maybe if you squint hard enough, you can convince yourself that you've got a Rolex on, but really, you won't need to.