Dominate the Office With the New C65 Desk Diver

Just a few weeks ago now we published a feature on our favourite leather straps for the Rolex Submariner and, perhaps unsurprisingly, there were those amongst you who were perplexed by the idea of putting a leather strap on a watch that was born to be in the water. To be fair, I completely understand how one of our readers felt bewildered enough to ask us “Why would anyone use a leather strap on a dive watch?”, but honestly, it’s a tale as old as time.

We’ve had our fair share of dive watches come and go through the WatchGecko office, with capabilities ranging from the Baltic Aquascaphe GMT’s 100m water resistance rating right through to something like the Certina DS Super PH1000m STC which can go a whopping 1000m down into the depths, but how often do these very capable pieces of kit actually reach the water?

Granted, we might strap on our favourite dive watches and take them for a little splash in the swimming pool on holiday, but for an overwhelming amount of watch collector’s, that’s as far as their limits are pushed. With the affectionate term ‘desk diver’ having been making the rounds for what feels like forever, it’s no secret that for a lot of dive watch enthusiasts, the office is a more likely setting for showing off your CW Trident than the ocean. That’s where seconde/seconde/ comes in...

Known for his knack for playful, tongue-in-cheek collaborations with some of our favourite watch brands, artist seconde/seconde/ (or Romaric André as his family and friends know him), is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of traditional horology. This time around he’s pulled Christopher Ward right out of their comfort zone with a cheeky take on their C65 Aquitaine.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathom’s inspired dive watch has proved to be popular thanks to its elegant take on the retro dive watches of the 1950’s but its office-ready makeover demands it take itself just a little less seriously. After all, the biggest adventure the newly ‘improved’ C65 Desk Diver Limited Edition might see is the carnage of a morning commute on the underground through London or perhaps a particularly heated board meeting, and that’s okay.

Naturally, this is where the magic happens. Allowing wears to navigate the daily interactions and politics that come with working in an office setting, rather than diving scales, the C65 Desk Diver allocates time for the most important things in our working lives; doomscrolling, gossiping, making tea and dozing through meetings.

Complemented by a recommended daily unit for each activity, the rotating bezel of the C65 Desk Diver is finished with a commentary on how each interaction might affect your day, with doomscrolling very quickly leading you to a complete lack of faith in humanity and gossiping naturally spiralling into a healthy dose of backstabbing.

Teeming with quirky corporate details like coins on the 6 o’clock date-display signalling the arrival of payday by the first of every month and, the one thing none of us seem to manage without, a fluorescent yellow Post-it note, the C65 Desk Diver is finished with a healthy dose of lume on the indexes and handset to guide the way in case of a much welcomed office power cut.

Jokes and puns aside, this is still very much a reliable and respectable Christopher Ward offering. Kitted out with the familiar 316L Stainless Steel curved Light-catcher™ 41mm case, box-style sapphire crystal and a screw in steel caseback, the C65 Desk Diver is water-resistant up to 20 ATM (that’s 200m, not that you’ll need it).

Equipped with the upgraded Sellita S200-1 Automatic movement, the C65 Desk Diver boasts a date wheel, 26-jewels, a 4Hz frequency offering eight ticks per second and a 38-hour power reserve. The package is completed by an in-built anti-shock system to maintain accuracy when faced with any sudden jolts, so, thankfully, you’re safe from pesky laptop vs. wrist collisions too.

Available with a choice of Oyster-style bracelet for days when you need to command the boardroom or a Tropic-style black rubber strap for more relaxed moments daydreaming from the comfort of your desk. Each C65 Desk Diver is also provided with an additional yellow Delugs rubber strap but, if you really want to drive the point home that this is no typical dive watch, you can find a selection of perfectly complementary leather straps here.

The Christopher Ward x seconde/seconde/ C65 Desk Diver Limited Edition is inarguably a conversation starter. Causing a divide as disruptive as Marmite, it didn’t take long at all for word to reach our WatchGecko Author’s group chat where there were some concerns that CW had missed the memo that April Fool’s Day had been and gone.

Arriving in a custom box filled with the non-negotiable staples of every workplace (branded pencils, paper clips, Post-it notes, highlighters and board pins), this collab isn’t set to be a crowd pleaser, but if you’re someone who can appreciate a little tongue-in-cheek fun, the C65 Desk Diver is likely to be right up your street, as it is mine.

No matter what camp you’re in though, it seems that love always wins. Despite the naysayers, Christopher Ward have managed to sell out all 500 pieces of this collaboration in just a few days. Call it goofy if you like, poke fun at it if you will, but I think Romaric has already beat you to it, that’s kind of the point…

• Diameter: 41mm
• Height: 12.45mm
• Lug to Lug: 46.68mm
• Weight: 70g
• Strap Width: 22mm
• Material: 316L Stainless Steel
• Bezel: 120 click unidirectional rotating bezel
• Crystal: Glass Box Sapphire
• 20ATM (200 metres)
• Screw Down Crown
• Screwdown Closed Caseback
• Movement: Sellita SW200-1 Automatic
• Finish: Colimacone finish with twin flag pattern on the rotor
• Function: Hour, Minute, Central Second and Date
• 4Hz/28,800 Vph.
• Power Reserve 38hrs
• 26 Jewels
• Tolerance +/-20 seconds per day.