A staple accessory for more than a century now, countless events in social history have defined both the types of wristwatches that have been popularised over the past 125 years.
The decades have seen them evolve from the original secret jewellery watches worn exclusively by women, to the ‘tool’ watches of the First World War that popularised the wrist-worn timepiece for men.
These were followed by the dress watches of the 1930s and 1940s inspired by the great Hollywood era and the dive and pilots watches of the 1950s that reflected the new post-Second World War freedom bestowed on the world.
But no watch style has captivated devotees’ desires as much as the steel, sports-luxe watch created by Gérald Genta in the 1970s and since adopted by almost every watch brand in existence.
And today, Christopher Ward has joined the ranks with its own take on the sport-dress watch in the form of The Twelve.
Developed in-house, the new launch embodies the functionality, versatility, and aesthetic charm of its 50-year-old cousins – including the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Nautilus and recently revamped IWC Ingenieur.
Since those three ground-breaking originals, every notable manufacturer has put its take on the intoxicating idea of a watch that can be worn on any occasion and in any situation.
Few watch buyers have been able to resist the allure of a timepiece that is equally appropriate in a beach club or a boardroom and that will take them from a sports game to a gala event.
With The Twelve, Christopher Ward remembers that it wasn’t just the novelty of fusing sporting necessities and stylish savoir faire that gave the genre its shock value when it first appeared half a century ago.
The most disruptive act of all was putting a stainless-steel watch in the same price range as one made of precious metal.
And Christopher Ward has gone a step further in modernising the sporty outlook by creating an additional model in super-light titanium, ideal for the more serious sportsperson or anyone that struggles with the heft of steel-on-steel.
The appeal of having two timepieces in one has made the sports-luxe watch a well-established competitor to both the pure dress and overtly sport categories. And Christopher Ward has used all of the sports-luxe genre’s key features for The Twelve, while bringing a distinctly fresh flavour to it.
A strong, easily recognised bezel, a tough and robust case and a seamlessly integrated bracelet are features shared by all of these models and The Twelve collection addresses each issue with a creative solution.
The Twelve’s takes its name in part from the 12 hours marked on the dial, as well as its 12-sided bezel that sits atop a 40mm case with faceted edges and contrasting brushed and polished surfaces.
With water-resistance of 100 metres, the time-and-date watch features a screw-down crown with protective shoulders. The movements powering the watches can be seen through the exhibition caseback – again framed by a dodecagon shape. Within the steel models is the Sellita SW200-1, while the titanium pieces are powered by Sellita SW300-1 COSC-certified chronometer calibres.
The bracelet links are solid and full-width, their size and shape carefully chosen to achieve both strength and comfort. To provide better flexibility, these single-piece links are also thin, measuring between 4.2 and 6.2mm. The bracelet has ten removable links that are secured with screws so that it can be adjusted for size.
And no self-respecting sports-luxe watch would be complete without a textured dial. For The Twelve this comprises a twin-flags design, adorned with applied indexes. Slender dagger-shaped hands and a thin sweep seconds, plus a date window at 6 o’clock complete the simple layout.
Following another current trend, The Twelve comes in a variety of dial colours. In the steel range there is Nordic Blue, Glacier Blue, Basalt Grey and Arctic White. In the titanium collection, Astral Blue and Nebula Purple fume also join the line-up.
If a rubber strap is chosen over the metal bracelets, they are available in black, dark blue or light blue.
The Twelve in steel retails for £1,050 on bracelet, £850 on rubber strap. The Twelve (Ti) in titanium retails for £1,595 on bracelet, £1,225 on rubber strap.
