On Tuesday 21st January the WatchGecko team made the pilgrimage from Tewkesbury to Maidenhead with an invitation in hand to spend an entire day snooping around Christopher Ward’s shiny new HQ.
Graduating from the former solicitor’s office turned home of the brand at No. 1 Park Street to a three storey outfit a stone’s throw away from Maidenhead Station, the “20-year overnight success” that is Christopher Ward have at last spread their wings and landed smack bang in the heart of the action. Having moved in just a few months back, the sprawling and seemingly never-ending expanse of boutique showrooms, office space, board rooms and a servicing and repairs centre that sees 5,000 watches per year, is a far cry from the maze-like corridors and bedroom-turned-showrooms of their former residence.
The primary reason for this timely visit from WatchGecko was of course the new Christopher Ward C65 Dune Aeolian Collection and, in honour of the first major launch of 2025, the evening’s festivities saw around 40 guests (made up of journalists, creators and faithful forum members) come together to witness its unveiling at the Maidenhead HQ.
The evening began, as it so often does, with excited chatter and nibbles but we soon got down to business as our attention was directed to COO Sarah Baumann, and Trading Director James Hillard, as they sat down for a presentation which was to be led by Senior Designer Will Brackfield.
Other than the palpable excitement in the room and the sense of being in on something special, what struck me most about spending time at Christopher Ward HQ was the undeniable relationship the brand have built with their customers. Although CEO Mike France was absent, Baumann began the evening by addressing the audience (in the room as well as online via live stream) with a few choice words on his behalf:
“In 20 years of doing this we’ve never had a leak. Please don’t let this be the first.”
Baumann, as somewhat of a newbie amongst the team, then went on to joke that if a leak did occur, she might not make it to a six month anniversary with the company.
Here’s the thing though, aside from handing out NDA’s alongside the champagne and canapés (which were phenomenal by the way), there wasn’t much that could actually be done to prevent attendees from leaving the event and sharing the news with whomever they pleased. Perhaps that’s why then, that in a digital age where internet leaks are an almost unremarkable daily occurrence, it was genuinely extraordinary to experience first-hand the sincere bond Christopher Ward have fostered with their audience. No gimmicks, no incentives—just good old-fashioned trust.
Sharing insights into the design, inspiration, and evolution of the new collection, the three spoke candidly about the process and fielded questions from the audience on the Dune collection’s glossy new facelift for 2025.
For those potentially unfamiliar with the original Dune line-up, it all began with an automatic luxury field watch. Appearing with instantly recognisable Christopher Ward DNA, such as the Trident second hand and dual flag logo, the C65 Dune channelled a vintage well-travelled look whilst maintaining undeniable style and contemporary charm.
Hailed as the perfect GADA (‘Go Anywhere Do Anything’) watch, the Christopher Ward C65 Dune Automatic has earned praise over the years for not only its versatile good looks, under-the-radar sizing (38 mm diameter and 11.7 mm thickness) and astonishingly low price (£750) but also its ability to transform the brand entirely in the eyes of those who thought, up until this release, that they’d seen it all from Christopher Ward.
The Dune Automatic was at that point regarded by many as the British brand’s finest achievement thus far and, for the briefest time, it almost seemed like things couldn’t get any better.
Mike France, Peter Ellis and Chris Ward, as always, had other ideas. Throwing the C65 Dune GMT into the mix around a year later, the GMT version led us into all out adventure watch territory, adding rugged utilitarianism to what had otherwise been a more subtle and refined collection. Yet somehow, the itch still wasn’t sufficiently scratched.
This is where the new C65 Dune Aeolian Collection comes into the things…
Christopher Ward C65 Dune Aeolian
With textured dials inspired by the rippling aeolian sand patterns of the Dune du Pilat in southern France, updated straps, and a vibrant palette of fresh colours, this revamped collection highlights Christopher Ward’s dedication to creativity and craftsmanship—all while keeping things refreshingly accessible.
“Three-dimensional textured dials are not something we’d done much before The Twelve but they’re exciting and can truly bring a watch to life. Dune Aeolian’s dial is very different to the Twelve’s, though: with no sharp corners, it’s undulating and organic.”
Following the sold-out release of The Shoreline, a recent limited-edition iteration of the Dune which was created in collaboration with Oracle Time, the brand realised they might have missed a trick. Feedback on the evocative dial and unique colour scheme got the design team thinking about where they could take the Dune next and the Aeolian collection builds on that foundation, offering more refined details with versatile colours and optimised straps.
Discontinuing the Dune models from the debut series for good, the replacement collection consists of three distinct models; the C65 Dune Aeolian Automatic in four nature-inspired colours (including eternally popular White Sand), the C65 Dune Aeolian Bronze which features a COSC-certified movement housed in a patina-developing bronze case and finally the C65 Dune Aeolian GMT which boasts dual-time functionality. All three models are water resistant to 150-metres thanks to a tactile, screw-down crown and are powered by Sellita movements which can be seen at work through sapphire casebacks. Prices start from £750.
Shirking off the instantly recognisable Trident counter-balance on the seconds hand in favour of owning the moment as its own established line-up, the newly face-lifted Aeolian collection is something that needs to be seen in the metal to be fully believed.
If, like us, you fancy a nose around the impressive Christopher Ward HQ, you can book a visit to the Maidenhead showroom and earn yourself some hands-on with the Aeolian models here.
Technical Specifications
C65 Dune Aeolian Automatic
- Movement: Sellita SW200-1
- Case: Steel
- Diameter: 38mm
- Height: 11.9mm
- Weight: 55g
- Strap width: 20mm
- Lug to lug: 43.7mm
- Water resistance: 15 ATM / 150m
- Timing tolerance: -20/+20 seconds per day
- Power reserve: 38 hrs
C65 Dune Aeolian GMT
- Movement: Sellita SW330-2
- Case: Steel
- Diameter: 38mm
- Height: 11.9mm
- Weight: 56g
- Strap width: 20mm
- Lug to lug: 43.7mm
- Water resistance: 15 ATM / 150m
- Timing tolerance: -20/+20 seconds per day
- Power reserve: 56 hrs
C65 Dune Aeolian Bronze COSC
- Movement: Sellita SW200 COSC
- Case: Bronze
- Diameter: 38mm
- Height: 11.9mm
- Weight: 57g
- Strap width: 20mm
- Lug to lug: 43.7mm
- Water resistance: 15 ATM / 150m
- Timing tolerance: -4/+6 seconds per day
- Power reserve: 38 hrs
