While Christopher Ward has recently pushed into more high-end territory with impressive releases like the technically fascinating C1 Bel Canto or the Loco, the brand hasn’t forgotten what made enthusiasts fall in love with them in the first place: original, accessible, and genuinely fun watches.

The C60 Trident Reef feels like a perfect example of that philosophy. Bold, colourful, and refreshingly different, it takes the familiar Trident platform and gives it a much more playful personality without losing its capability as a proper dive watch.

Available in five coral-inspired colours — Helio Blue, Galaxea Black, Tuba Orange, Chalice Green, and Acro White — and offered in both 41mm and 44mm sizes, the Reef collection brings a welcome burst of colour into a segment often dominated by safe and predictable designs.

As this watch is inspired by the rich ecosystems of the world’s coral reefs, 2 percent of all sales proceeds will be donated to the Blue Marine Foundation as it battles to save these precious ecosystems and works toward its mission of putting 30 percent of the world’s oceans under effective protection by 2030. It’s great to see a brand actively supporting an important cause rather than just referencing it in name.

Now all that said before diving into the review, I want to mention I reached out to Christopher Ward myself to ask if they would be willing to loan me the watch so I could spend some proper time with it and write a hands-on review. For that opportunity, I’m genuinely grateful. That said, this is not a paid review, and as always, everything written here reflects my own honest experience with the watch after wearing it for a while.

Let’s see our Hero!

As usually I will start with the box that keeps our model. CW deserves credit for the presentation. The C60 Trident Reef arrives in the brand’s now familiar premium packaging, which feels far more refined than what you’d normally expect in this price category. The wooden outer box gives the whole experience a warm and modern feel compared to the usual generic watch packaging.

It’s clean, minimal, and thoughtfully designed, fitting the brand’s modern identity perfectly. It’s the kind of packaging you actually want to keep on display rather than immediately hide in a cupboard.

Now Let’s talk about the watch, shall we?

Once out of the box, the dial is what immediately steals the show. The version I received for review was the Galaxea Black, which in my opinion might be the most versatile of the lineup. While still playful and modern, the darker tones give it a slightly more understated and toolish, thought playful appearance compared to the brighter coral-inspired variants.

On this version of the watch, the black dial is balanced nicely by the contrasting inner ring around the dial edge, something not previously seen on the Trident line. It frames the dial beautifully while also improving visual separation between the hands, indexes, and bezel.

The handset remains unmistakably Trident, with large lume-filled hands that are extremely easy to read in all lighting conditions. Legibility is excellent. The deep-filled Super-LumiNova Grade X1 glows intensely in darker environments, making the watch perfectly usable as a real dive tool rather than simply a colourful desk diver. That said and this might be an unpopular I’m pretty confident about that, most people aren’t buying this watch with actual diving as their primary use case. Like many modern dive watches, it will likely spend most of its time on land, serving as an everyday piece rather than being pushed to its technical limits underwater. And that is completely fine!

One of the most interesting aspects of the Reef is the completely redesigned four-piece Light-catcher case. Measuring 41mm wide, 47.9mm lug-to-lug, and only 11.45mm thick, the proportions are surprisingly wearable. On paper it sounds like a fairly sporty diver, but on wrist it feels balanced and refined. The multi-part construction combines the caseback, mid-case, anodised mid-case sleeve, and bezel insert into a layered “sandwich” design that gives the watch a very modern personality.

Compared to the regular steel Trident models, some of the traditional finishing has been simplified, but in return the watch gains a far more interesting visual structure. The contrast between the polished steel lugs, crown guards, and coloured shrouded mid-section( in this version its black) works beautifully in person. It creates depth and character while opening the door for future experimentation with materials, textures, and finishes.

Turning the watch over reveals the open caseback with the custom Christopher Ward rotor. It’s always nice seeing a brand choose to display the movement instead of hiding it away, especially when the Sellita SW200-1 elabore grade remains such a dependable workhorse. The movement beats at 4Hz, delivering a smooth sweep to the seconds hand while also offering proven reliability and durability. The anti-shock protection is a welcome addition too, particularly on a watch clearly intended for active everyday use.

What stood out to me in daily use is how well-set and responsive the movement feels. The moment you pick up the watch, the seconds hand immediately comes to life and starts moving with that familiar automatic glide. It gives the watch a very “ready to go” character, like it’s always awake and waiting on the wrist rather than needing any encouragement to get started.

Comfort is another strong point. The AquaFlex rubber strap feels soft, flexible, and genuinely premium on the wrist. I love how it tapers down from 22mm to It conforms nicely without needing much break-in time, and the quick-release system makes swapping straps incredibly easy. Christopher Ward clearly designed this watch with versatility in mind. The only small criticism is the strap length. While it’s great that it accommodates larger wrists comfortably, on my 17cm wrist the strap feels slightly too long. It would be fantastic if Christopher Ward offered multiple strap lengths during ordering.

Despite being a colourful and playful watch, the Reef never feels gimmicky. Underneath the bright aesthetics is still a proper dive watch with 200 metres of water resistance, solid construction, excellent lume, and a proven automatic movement. The fact that 2 percent of proceeds support marine conservation through Blue Marine Foundation also gives the watch an extra layer of meaning beyond the design itself.

The C60 Trident Reef feels like Christopher Ward experimenting in the best possible way. It takes the familiar Trident platform and injects it with colour, texture, and personality without losing the core strengths that made the series popular in the first place. It’s modern, comfortable, visually striking, and still practical enough to wear every day — especially if you want your dive watch to stand out from the endless sea of black dials.

Final thoughts

All in all, the C60 Trident Reef is a great watch and, in many ways, one of the most enjoyable modern dive watches you can wear in this segment. It feels especially well suited for summer, with enough personality and colour options that almost everyone can find a version that matches their taste.

On the wrist it’s comfortable, well balanced, and easy to live with day to day. It doesn’t feel like a delicate piece either — it’s clearly built to handle real use, whether that’s swimming, beach days, or more active situations like jet skiing and other water sports. It has that reassuring “grab and go” character of a proper tool watch, just with a lot more visual flair than most.

If there’s one small area where I’d personally like to see evolution, it would be the power reserve. The 38-hour reserve from the Sellita SW200-1 is perfectly fine in daily use, but a bit more headroom would make it even more effortless for rotation between watches. Of course, that would likely come with a price increase, and part of what makes the Reef appealing is exactly where it sits in the lineup.

In the end, it’s a confident, colourful take on the Trident formula — still capable, still practical, but now with a much more expressive personality.

One final thought I wanted to share at the end of this review: during the entire time I wore the watch, I kept feeling like this would make an absolutely perfect first mechanical watch for someone just getting into the hobby. It’s fun, versatile, comfortable, reliable, and different enough to feel special without being intimidating or overly serious.

I could also easily see it being a fantastic gift for an important milestone, something like graduating high school or university, starting a first serious job, or marking a major life moment. The colourful design gives it personality, while the solid build quality and proper dive-watch capability mean it’s still a watch that can genuinely be worn for years and through all kinds of experiences.

Specifications:

• Case: 41mm or 44mm diameter, 316L stainless steel
• Thickness: 11.45mm
• Crystal: Sapphire crystal with AR coating
• Movement: Sellita SW200-1 (Elabore grade) with custom rotor
• Lume: Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 GL C1
• Strap: Rubber strap: AquaFlex quick-release system
• Weight: 108gram with strap
• Water resistance: 20atm, 200m
• Features: Anti-shock system, Twin-flags engraving over “Colimaçoné” finish on the rotor, Unique engraved serial number
• Price: 950 euro on the rubber strap
  

Link to the watch:

https://www.christopherward.com/c60-trident-reef/C60-44A3H31S0OO0-B0.html