Christopher Ward The Twelve 38mm

For me the sizing on these integrated bracelet watches is always a bit of a problem. For the PRX I’m in between sizes, the 40mm is too big, the 35mm is too small. For the Twelve, I haven’t tried the 40mm version but this 38mm fits me like a charm. I have a 6.5in wrist btw.

The Twelve has a great design that speaks to me, there is a lot of detail to discover and admire on the case as well as the dial things that I look for on watches. There is a price premium compared to the PRX but its well deserved.

One thing I’m not sure about is the tapering of the bracelet. It feels a bit too much on the wrist, like the bracelet is a bit too narrow at the clasp but then when you look at it off the wrist it has a nice flow to it. I’m a bit conflicted here.

The bracelet also has on the fly extensions on both sides of the butterfly clasp, a feature I’m sure people will appreciate since this type of clasp usually doesn’t have any micro adjustments.

I think this watch does a great job competing with watches priced well above its own price point. For example have a look at the Frederique Constant Highlife, which I’m also a fan of. Its quite a bit more expensive but I’m not sure its necessarily better.

I wasnt expecting to like this watch as much as I do.

Integrated bracelet sport watches have been de jour over the past few years, with every company scrambling to make their version of the style that rose to fame through designs penned by a certain Gerald Genta. I never really got drawn in by these, perhaps due to my preference to wearing straps over bracelets; bit of a downside when the bracelet is kinda the whole point if an integrated bracelet watch. That said, Christopher Ward's approach has charmed me.

Design is subjective, but I like this one a lot. There are 12 (surprise!) Facets to the bezel, a bracelet that seems to shimmer on one link at a time as you rotate the watch around on wrist, a stylich but unintrusive crown guard, and a textured dial that offers more visual depth and complexity compared to the grid dial on, say, a Tissot PRX (a close competitor). The deployant clasp has a small friction fit micro adjust (why does noone else do this????) And I appreciate how close the dial and hands get to the crystal; its an underrated design feature that slims a watches visual profile and makes it feel, for lack of a better term, more premium.

The 38mm size is a tweener for the 12, also available in a 36 and 40mm variant. With a 7.25' wrist, I was worried the 38mm was going to be just a little too small, but for my wearing preferences I've decided it's just about perfect. If you like watches to fit slightly larger and have a similar wrist size you may prefer the 40, but I prefer slightly more compact designs so the 38 feels bang on for me.

If you're after an integrated design and are working in this price range, the 12 is a no brainer. The finishing is great for the price, it has thoughtful features absent in competitors at twice the price, and is a clean, cohesive design that just works great. I think this one will be sticking around for a while...

To me this watch is a 5/5 stars. The watch just melts into your wrist and the bracelet (as well as the rubber strap you can buy for it) is extremely comfortable.

On days when it's a bit gloomy outside the blue dial is deep and rich and has really good legibility. But when its sunny, the watch just comes alive with that rich-colored texture dial and light-catcher case.

and the quality? Truly amazing. I haven't been able to take it off my wrist for 2 months now lol