Discerning diving watch enthusiasts have long coveted timepieces made with Super Compressor cases, but, for nearly fifty years, these have only existed on the second-hand market.
But now Christopher Ward has revived the Super Compressor case – and unlike recent retro reissues from other makers that only look like Super Compressors, the new Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor is the real deal.
If you've never come across a Super Compressor before, it's a specific design of watch case which increases in strength and integrity with depth, becoming even more water-tight. So, as the diver descends, greater external pressure is exerted on the case back, further compressing the O-ring gasket, giving the Super Compressor watch case a water-resistant rating of 600ft.
Despite being employed by a vast range of manufacturers, including IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Girard-Perregaux (to name a few), the Super Compressor case became uneconomical to manufacture and went out of production.
Christopher Ward, has “reverse-engineered” the design from an original, opting for the most distinctive format, with two crowns; one for time-setting and winding, the other for the rotating inner bezel.
The idea originated in October 2018 when customer Marc Schulteis first posited the idea.
CW claims this is the first new, true Super Compressor-cased watch in nearly a half-century.
A sapphire case back displays the Sellita SW200 automatic movement, as well as the 300-micron thick compression spring which gives the case its name.
The dial is designed for underwater legibility, and is available 'Ocean Blue' or 'Black Sand'.
The C65 Super Compressor is available on a steel bracelet, blue leather strap, orange leather strap, vintage leather strap, or black tropical strap.
What's perhaps even more amazing is that the Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor watch costs £895 / US$1,025 on a strap or £1,000 / US$1,145 on a bracelet.
Browse Super Compressor watches at Christopher Ward's website
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Christopher Ward C65 Super Compressor Specs
- Diameter: 41mm
- Height: 13.05mm
- Weight: 72g
- Calibre: Sellita SW200
- Case: Stainless steel
- Water resistance: 15 ATM (150 metres)
- Vibrations: 28’800 per hour (4 Hz)
- Time tolerance: -20/+20 seconds per day
- Dial colour: Ocean Blue or Black Sand
- Lume: Super-LumiNova Grade X1 GL C1
- Strap width: 22mm
- Swiss made
- 38-hour power reserve
- Internal rotating bezel (120 clicks)
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