Hands-On The Twelve X From Christopher Ward

The new release is a 41mm by 12.3mm titanium, integrated-bracelet watch to celebrate Christopher Ward's 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the COSC-certified, in-house calibre SH21 automatic movement, now machine-finished and skeletonized to a strong, dramatic effect. The watch even has a fantastic quick adjustment mechanism on the clasp. But Christopher Ward has done several variations of The Twelve since the original announcement back in April of 2023. That includes the 36mm version and Ti 40 (40mm titanium version) shown below. So what took me so long?

The Twelve doesn't reinvent the wheel of design. With an integrated bracelet, angular case, and textural dial, The Twelve instantly reminds me of a number of watches, from the iconic (the Royal Oak comes to mind, as well as the Laureato and the Overseas) to the more recent and modern integrated bracelet designs like the Tissot PRX and – even more on the nose – the Czapek Antarctique. I don't mean that as a criticism, but a statement of fact.

When I first wrote about Christopher Ward, it was for their tour de force that is the Bel Canto. It's a watch that I still admire for democratizing the sonnerie au passage to an affordable price point. But it, too, had a striking similarity to watches from MB&F. And that's okay. We're talking about things at vastly different price points and in no way is Christopher Ward purporting to be MB&F, but those kinds of design elements don't need to be reserved for only the rich, so if Christopher Ward can crack the code, as it has frequently, then more power to them. 

When I saw the first edition of The Twelve, I immediately recognized the inspiration again. Looking back, I appreciate how Fratello approached the release. They highlighted the interesting similarities but arrived at the same opinion I have after playing with the Titanium 40 I'm sharing below. Yes, to me, the look and feel of the watch against the CHF 22,000 Czapek Antarctique is obviously similar (take a look at the dial texture, date window placement, and shape of the indices). But that doesn't mean the Twelve is a bad watch or a copy. I'll be clear: this watch is fun, comfortable to wear, a great achievement with solid finishing and a COSC-certified chronometer movement, and shockingly affordable at $1,895. The new model, The Twelve X, is all that and more.

The Twelve X takes where the original titanium model starts and takes it to a new level. There are changes beyond the obvious skeletonization. Any integrated bracelet watch, when properly sized, should wear comfortably to be successful and this release fits the bill to a "T." The case has been enlarged by 1mm in diameter and 3.35mm in thickness to accommodate the in-house SH21 movement. That's certainly a noticeable difference on the wrist, especially in thickness, but thanks to the rounded case and seamless integration from case to bracelet, it softens the bulk ever so slightly. 

The bezel and caseback are made out of Grade 5 titanium, with the rest of the watch in the slightly softer Grade 2. I find this a bit curious as the bezel, while generally the place you'd notice the most dings and dents on a highly polished surface like the Royal Oak, is less prominent. The chamfers on the side of the case and bracelet, however, seem ripe for a good wack if you're not careful, and running that very nicely done clean line on the watch would certainly be a shame. Whether the upgrade to Grade 5 would help there, I'm not sure. 

The flip side is that the use of Grade 2 titanium in these other places likely helped with the finishing of these polished edges and the brushed surfaces in between. That's one of the biggest strengths on The Twelve in general. Where titanium can often be handled in a way that accentuates the muted visual language of the material, when treated with the right level of finishing, you can bring out the subtleties of contrast of reflection and a deep grey depth that more brands are playing with in the material. 

The skeletonization is likely going to be one of the biggest selling points for The Twelve X and for good reason. To me, Audemars Piguet reigns supreme in their skeletonized movements, which in many cases are designed from the ground up with openworked display in mind. This is no Double-Balance Royal Oak, but for $4,335, the Swiss-made Christopher Ward gives you a bit of a taste of that feeling.

At the end of the day, we're talking about a watch that is an automatic COSC-certified chronometer, accurate and with five days (120 hours, for those not wanting to do the math at home) of power reserve. That is, very plainly, impressive. Including the two barrels to make that power reserve happen will obviously clutter up the openness of design, but it's a small price to pay for the benefit of the extra power reserve. The watch certainly suffers a bit in legibility as any skeletonized watch does, but the area at the edge of the dial has hours and minutes clearly indicated in luminous material, which helps.

The movement is – unsurprisingly considering the price – machine finished. The brand has simplified the bridges and shapes as much as possible and used contrasting colors on the bridges and other parts to keep the look punchy. The finishing is done with what the brand calls "custom-made diamond cutters" and using the "highest-quality CNC machines" because any vibration during that finishing will leave wrinkles and waves on the surface. These kinds of things will continue to be techniques applicable to this price range, however, and a nice value when executed as well as they are here.

The other fantastic inclusion on the new The Twelve X is the changes made to the butterfly clasp. The watch now includes an integrated micro-adjust clasp on each end of the closure for the bracelet, which means you can get an extra 3mm of space to adjust for any changes in humidity, weight gain, or even fix if the watch just barely doesn't fit right with a link taken out. The brand said this is something that "until recently [was] unknown on an integrated bracelet," which isn't the case. Vacheron has had a micro-adjust on their Overseas line now for the better part of 10 years. But now, it comes on a watch that's a fraction of the price. I'll be curious to see if this design makes its way to other versions of The Twelve, which have become increasingly enticing as I write this review for their lower price point and bold dial colors.

A big part of the ethos of Christopher Ward is something I appreciate the most: the brand feels strongly that a watch should never be sold for more than three times the manufacturing cost. It's also something that can really only be done with the brand's direct-to-consumer model, so if you're looking for The Twelve X, you should head over to the brand's website. At $4,335 the watch offers a lot of bang for the buck. Now that Christopher Ward is a year into having joined the ranks of brands offering integrated bracelet watches, it's only a matter of time before the Twelve becomes known not just as the best of different parts of other brand's designs but as something distinctly their own.

Christopher Ward The Twelve X, 41mm diameter by 12.3mm thick Grade 2 and Grade 5 titanium case, with 100m water resistance. Skeletonized Dial; Hours, minutes, seconds functions. COSC-certified Calibre SH21 Automatic movement running at 4Hz features and 120 hours of power reserve. Interchangeable titanium and rubber strap. Price: $4,865