Christopher Ward was founded in 2004 by three friends - Christopher Ward, Peter Ellis, and Mike Lowe - in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The founding thesis was simple and disruptive: Swiss-made watches sold through authorised dealers carry enormous retail markups, often 300–400% above manufacturing cost. By selling direct to consumer online, cutting out the dealer entirely, a brand could offer comparable specifications at half the price. In 2004 this was an almost unheard-of model in watchmaking; in 2024 it is widely imitated.
The early Christopher Ward catalogue used ETA and Sellita movements in competently finished cases - honest specification, honest pricing, no pretence. The brand built a devoted community through a transparent forum (the "Watchmakers Workshop") where customers could communicate directly with the founders and later with the watchmakers. This community became a competitive advantage: Christopher Ward had real customer relationships that no retailer-dependent brand could replicate. The C60 Trident dive watch, launched in 2014, became the brand's commercial and critical breakthrough - an ISO 6425 certified diver at a price that made many Swiss competitors look expensive.
The pivotal moment came in 2017 when Christopher Ward partnered with Swiss movement manufacturer Synergies Horlogères to develop the Calibre SH21 - an in-house movement with a 60-hour power reserve, column wheel chronograph, and manufacture status. Christopher Ward became one of the few direct-to-consumer brands to develop its own calibre, validating the entire model: you can sell direct, keep prices honest, and still invest in genuine horological development. Today the SH21 powers multiple collections and the brand's ambitions extend to further in-house development.
