Christopher Ward The Twelve and Twelve X Comparison

Over the last month or so, we were in the lucky position to have both the Twelve and Twelve X from Christopher Ward in our possession. Both watches were sent by Christopher Ward for us to review and you can read our full in-depth reviews here: Twelve Titanium Review and Twelve X Review.

Having both watches in hand made me think that comparing the two models would make for a fun article. While Christopher Ward does offer the Twelve in smaller 36 and 38 mm models as well as models in stainless steel, we'll be focusing on the upper end titanium model in 40 mm. The Twelve X is also crafted out of titanium and comes in at 41 mm.



Christopher Ward was started in England just under twenty years ago and has been on the radar of independent watch lovers ever since. The last year has really just seen an unprecedented explosion in the popularity of the brand though. The model that started this huge uptick for Christopher Ward was the Twelve, which was released in April 2023.

The timing of the release of the Twelve couldn't have been better for Christopher Ward. The release was during the peak of the integrated sports watch craze spearheaded by watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. Both of those watches had multiple year waiting lists and sold for many times over retail on the aftermarket.



Both of these watches were originally designed by legendary Swiss watch designer Gerald Genta whose calling cards were pronounced geometric bezels, integrated cases and being crafted out of stainless steel. While not originally huge sales successes, both watches would soldier on for decades before finding their renaissance in the 2020s.

Although Gerald Genta passed away over a decade before the release of the Twelve and didn't have any input on the design, the designers at Christopher Ward went about designing the Twelve as a tribute to one of the most influential men in the long and storied history of watchmaking. Since not everyone could afford a plain Royal Oak or Nautilus that were going for at least $50,000 secondhand, Christopher Ward decided to put their spin on the Genta design and offer a comparable watch at a tiny fraction of the price of the Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe stainless steel sports models.



What they ended up with was the Twelve, an integrated sports watch that took inspiration from Gerald Genta and also brought the design up to today's tastes. Some of the Genta influences can be seen in the bezel, crown guard and bracelet.

Where the Royal Oak has an eight sided bezel set with exposed bolts and the Nautilus has a similar bezel minus the bolts and with a more rounded design, the Twelve has a twelve sided bezel without exposed bolt heads. It is sort of a marriage of the two designs, but with twelve sides that make the watch really look like its own thing and just not a simple homage watch.



The exposed bolts of the Royal Oak are one of the most famous design elements of any watch ever produced, so if you are creating a watch that honors Gerald Genta's designs, these would probably need to make it into the design. While Christopher Ward didn't place them on the top bezel, they did find two places where they could be used. The first place you see exposed bolts are on each side of the crown on the crown guards. It's subtle, but a really nice nod to the Genta design. The second place you see the exposed bolts are on the "bezel" of the case back, which is also twelve sided. This rear bezel uses six exposed bolts to fix the case back to the case. This is a nice touch as well and not in your face, really only the owner of the watch will know about this little nod to Genta.

Finally one thing the Royal Oak did better than just about anybody else was the execution of its bracelet. To this day the design and way the Royal Oak bracelet catches light and integrates into the case can't be touched by other brands. The bracelet of the Royal Oak can't be touched, but the bracelet of the Twelve is stunning and just blends into the case so seamlessly and has a great taper to it. Christopher Ward's designers obviously spent countless hours refining the bracelet until it became what you see on the production models today.



Finally for the Twelve, the chosen case materials were stainless steel and titanium. While titanium wasn't really used in watches until the 1980's and 90's, steel was a controversial choice for Audemars Piguet to make a luxury watch out of when the Royal Oak was released in the 1970's. Just like the original Royal Oak and Nautilus showed that you could make a luxury watch out of something so every day as stainless steel, the Twelve being released at under $1,000 showed that you didn't need to have near generational wealth to afford a well made and original integrated sports watch. How red hot the Twelve became showed that Christopher Ward's idea behind the Twelve was one of brilliance.

Not to rest on its laurels and leave the Twelve lineup alone, Christopher Ward launched the Twelve X a year after the initial release of the Twelve. The Twelve X kept the general design of the Twelve and changed it in a few very substantial ways. The smallest change was bumping up the size of the case from 40 mm to 41 mm. While not a massive change, the Twelve X does feel larger on wrist, partial because the thickness has also increased from 9.3 mm to 12.3 mm.



The increased thickness is due to the change in calibers between the Twelve and Twelve X. While the Twelve uses a Sellita SW300-1 automatic caliber with 56 hours of power reserve, the Twelve X uses an in-house Christopher Ward SH21 automatic movement with 120 hours of power reserve. Not only is the SH21 the first in-house movement made by a British watchmaker in 50 years, but it is also a skeletonized movement. The SH21 was developed with the help of industry experts Armin Strom, Chronode and Xenoprint as well.

Another noticeable difference between the Twelve and the Twelve X was the use of stronger grade 5 titanium in the bezel of the Twelve X. Since grade 5 titanium is an alloy and not pure titanium, this drives up the cost. Finally the bracelet of the Twelve X is an evolution of the Twelve's bracelet now featuring up to 3 mm of micro adjustments.

While you can get a stainless steel version of the Twelve on a rubber strap for under $1,000, we'll be comparing the $1,895 Twelve in titanium on a bracelet to the $4,865 Twelve X also in titanium and on a bracelet. While there is a $3,000 difference in price meaning the Twelve X is around two and a half times more expensive than the Twelve, we'll see if the price difference is warranted.



The story of the Twelve and Twelve X releases couldn't be more different. With the release of the Twelve, watch collectors saw a $1,000 alternative to the Royal Oak and Nautilus costing many multiples more. When the Twelve X launched people asked, why was a watch from Christopher Ward so expensive? Funny enough, when the Bel Canto launched a few months before the Twelve X at just under $4,000, everyone applauded Christopher Ward for making such an in-expensive chiming watch.

So a lot to unpack here… typically chiming complications can only be found in watches retailing well north of $100,000, so for Christopher Ward to release a watch that chimed under $4,000 was seen as a huge bargain. I do need to point out that the Bel Canto does not use an in-house movement, but instead an in-house chiming module in conjunction with a Sellita SW200-1 base caliber. This alone drastically reduces the cost of the Bel Canto versus the Twelve X which uses an entirely in-house developed movement.

Not only is the movement in the Twelve X developed completely in-house, but it is also skeletonized. Making the movement of a watch skeletonized is extremely time and labor intensive. Even though Christopher Ward was able to use CNC machines to finish the skeleton movement in the Twelve X, the machines needed to do this are so specialized they only exist in the medical and aerospace industries. You can only imagine the price of such machinery and can now start to see where the price delta between the Twelve and Twelve X starts to grow. A quick note, if the movements were hand finished, the price of the Twelve X would definitely be five figures at a minimum.



While the main importance of the Twelve is the Genta inspired integrated sports watch design, the main attraction of the Twelve X is the movement. So with the Twelve, Christopher Ward saved tons in production costs going with the tried and true Sellita movement. The SH21 movement found in the Twelve X has nothing to hide behind on the front or back and is on full display at all times. The difference between these movements is like saying the Sellita is like a dependable work truck, while the SH21 is like a purpose built sports car.

While power reserve might not be the sexiest of technical specs, at some point it really becomes a defining feature of a watch. With 56 hours of power reserve, the Twelve has a pretty much interchangeable power reserve length. Watches with 36, 42 or even 72 hours of power reserve really can't use their power reserve as a top spec of their watch. On the other hand, when power reserve numbers start to sail past 72 hours, something special is going on with the movement. The 120 hours, or 5 days, found in the SH21 inside of the Twelve X is starting to get into rarified air power reserve wise. I personally own two watches with power reserves of 5 days plus which retail for many times over the retail price of the Twelve X. So getting a 5 day power reserve in a sub five thousand dollar watch is a pretty big accomplishment, really only seen by some watches from Oris.



Now that I've spent a good deal of time going over the history of the Twelve and Twelve X as well as spending some time explaining their difference in price, let's get on to how the watches compare to each other in the real world. We've had the Twelve and Twelve X in our possession for a fairly long time now and feel like we know the watches pretty well.

Holding the watches in each hand it's actually pretty hard to tell much difference. The 1 mm in case diameter difference really doesn't come across when looking dial to dial. The biggest tactile difference between the two when looking at them in this situation is the weight difference. You can definitely feel that the Twelve X has some extra heft to it. The Twelve X is by no means heavy, but the extra twenty percent can definitely be felt.



When you turn the watches on their sides in hand, you can now really see a huge difference in dimensions. When the original Twelve in titanium first arrived, I noticed how incredibly thin the watch was. The Twelve was so thin it even made we wish for a bit more bulk, but I am used to larger watches. With the Twelve X, the watch is more in line with watches I tend to wear. When looking side by side, the Twelve X almost looks about fifty percent thicker than the Twelve. I know the difference isn't that big, but just by the eye test, that's how the difference in thickness looks.

Now this might be a bit controversial, but when comparing the dials of the Twelve and Twelve X, the Twelve's dial almost looks flat. This is crazy because of how much depth there is on the Twelve's dial with the repeating 3D textured pattern on it. The Twelve X and its skeletonized movement is just a different animal though. You can see straight through the movement and that kind of depth can't be replicated even with the most elaborate standard dial. Also the unconventional lume track around the outside of the dial on the Twelve X is just so unique to see lit up. Don't get me wrong, the dial of the Twelve, especially in Aurora Green is stunning, but the Twelve X is just in a different league.



Flipping the watches over also shows the difference as it comes to movements. While the Twelve has a true workhorse of a movement in the Sellita SW300-1, it just pales in comparison to the Christopher Ward in-house SH21. While I do love the Genta nod of the exposed bolts on the case back of the Twelve, the movement just looks tiny and not that decorated when compared to the SH21 in the Twelve X. While the bezel on the back of the Twelve is thick, the bezel on the Twelve X is minimal. The movement really takes up most of the back of the Twelve X, capped off with that massive black skeletonized rotor.

The bracelet is another area where I'd give the Twelve X another win. While the style and construction of the bracelets are very similar, the Twelve X's bracelet just feels more substantial. The bracelet on the Twelve X is also a little thicker than that of the Twelve and weighs more as well. While the clasps have a pretty much identical design, the Twelve X does offer expandable flip out links on each side of the clasp adding 1.5 mm of micro-adjustment each for a total of 3 mm of adjustments to the bracelet. The Twelve offers no micro adjustments, so the Twelve X just adds a bit more to the comfort of the watch with this added feature.



On the wrist, the Twelve wears rather flat given its very slim case profile. I know the slimness of a watch is seen as a feature, but unless it's a dress watch, I like my watches a bit more chunky. The Twelve pretty much sits flat against your wrist, while with the Twelve X, the watch sits up with the mid case being elevated off of your wrist by the thicker back bezel / case back. I prefer this look much more to the flatness of the Twelve.

The Twelve is around 2 mm shorter in lug to lug versus the Twelve X and it's only really noticeable when you're looking at the watches next to each other. Given the integrated design of the bracelet, the case really extends into the titanium bracelet making each watch look larger than it actually is. The 44.5 mm lug to lug of the Twelve and even the 46.3 mm lug to lug of the Twelve X are rather small to me, but the integrated bracelet design plays tricks on your mind. When I wore the Twelve X on a rubber strap, the watch felt much smaller. I have the same issue when wearing my IWC GST Aquatimer 2000 on a rubber strap that has an integrated design. While the watch feels good size when on the bracelet, it seems a bit small when on rubber.



With both watches weighing under 100 grams when sized, they are both extremely light on the wrist. Neither the Twelve nor the Twelve X will give your wrist any fatigue when being worn. The bracelets are also both very comfortable and never catch a random hair. With how thick the bracelets are when they meet the case, they also do a good job of keeping the watch centered on the wrist. Both watches offer a nice taper as well, which adds to their comfort.

While wearing both watches, I tended to get about the same number of comments on each. From a distance, I feel the Twelve with its crazy bright green dial attracts more attention. As you get closer to the watches, the Twelve X is probably more noticeable with its skeleton dial. I'd say neither is really a good watch for an introverted person, maybe a Twelve on a more subtle dial color.



We took both the Twelve and Twelve X on a weekend trip to a water park resort and both watches functioned flawlessly. While not dive watches, the 100 meters of water resistance was more than ample for splashing around with our young twin daughters. For that weekend I ended up wearing the Twelve X on the rubber strap and my wife wore the Twelve on the titanium bracelet. During our time there, my wife actually got more comments on the green dialed Twelve, which isn't too much of a surprise with how bright the dial is.

As for a daily wearer, the Twelve might be the better choice due to just being a traditional watch. The dial is much more legible on the Twelve than the Twelve X. It definitely takes a bit more time to read the time on the Twelve X, especially when you only have a glance to read the time. The Twelve X is really geared to a more seasoned collector that has a few watches in their collection, while the Twelve could be the only watch for a more novice collector, doing pretty much everything well.



When it comes to the intangibles, the Twelve X just feels like the more special watch. The added heft in the case and bracelet just give it an air of luxury. You can almost make the comparison of the Twelve X feeling like a new six digit Rolex sports model, while the Twelve has more of the feeling of a five digit model. The Twelve just feels more refined and as silly as it sounds, expensive. Without having the Twelve X to directly compare to it, the Twelve does fell very up market as well.

This should not come as a surprise since the Twelve X costs nearly five times more than a base Twelve in steel on a rubber strap. For how different the two watches are, you don't have to look hard to tell that they are from the same collection. The Twelve is a remarkable achievement and milestone for Christopher Ward and the Twelve X wouldn’t exist if it wasn't for the Twelve.



So which watch would I choose between the Twelve and Twelve X? I'm sure by this point you could probably guess that I'd pick the Twelve X. I have a decent personal collection of both daily watches and more special and unique watches. I don't really need another daily wearer in my collection. The quirky nature of a skeleton watch would fit in perfectly in my collection. The larger size of the Twelve X and also how special the SH21 in-house movement is to both British watchmaking and to Christopher Ward really seals the deal for me.

To most collectors, the Twelve would be the perfect watch though. The Twelve X only comes with one dial, size and material combination being skeleton, 41 mm and titanium respectively. The Twelve on the other hand comes in both stainless steel and titanium with just about any color dial you want and three sizes 36 mm, 38 mm and 40 mm. The price of the Twelve starts at just under $1,000 and tops out at right under $2,000. So as corny as it sounds, there is a Twelve for pretty much anyone. The dial of the Twelve is just stunning as well, even putting most five and six figure watch dials to shame. For most people the Twelve would make a perfect one watch collection. Both watches also offer 100 meters of water resistance, which is more than enough for 99% of situations the watches will ever find themselves in.



I do see why the Twelve X costs at least twice as much as the most expensive Twelve, but unless you really appreciate the work that went into the skeleton movement and research and development to even create an in-house 5 day movement, it might be hard to justify the price. At least the Twelve X does feel the part of a higher end timepiece when compared to the Twelve. It would be a bit strange if the Twelve and Twelve X were indistinguishable in a blind test, which they completely are not.

Now I do feel there is room for the Twelve collection to expand and offer the best of both worlds. I wouldn't imagine it would be much work for Christopher Ward to use the exact case of the Twelve X with a non-skeletonized version of the SH21 with a dial similar to that on the Twelve. I feel if they could offer a non-skeleton Twelve X with the SH21 for a bit less than the skeleton Twelve X, they'd have a real giant killer on their hands. The one thing holding the Twelve back was the off the shelf movement from Sellita, with the in-house SH21 Christopher Ward would really have a world beater on their hands when combined with a more traditional Twelve dial in the Twelve X case.



I'd really like to thank Christopher Ward for sending us the Twelve and Twelve X and letting us keep them for an extended period of time to review both as well as put together this comparison article. I've already asked them for the next watch to send in for review and can't wait for it to get here.

For more information about the Twelve and Twelve X please visit : Christopher Ward

Technical Specifications - The Twelve

Reference Number: C12-40ADC1-T00V0-B0

Retail Price: $1,895

Case Size: 40 mm

Lug to Lug: 44.5 mm

Thickness: 9.3 mm

Weight: 86 Grams

Case Material: Titanium

Bezel: Titanium

Strap: Titanium Bracelet with Deployant Clasp

Movement: Sellita SW300-1 Automatic Swiss Made Movement

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date

Power Reserve: 56 Hours

Water Resistance: 100 Meters



Technical Specifications - Twelve X

Reference Number: C12-41A5D1-T00K0-B0

Retail Price: $4,865

Case Size: 41 mm

Lug to Lug: 46.3 mm

Thickness: 12.3 mm

Weight: 51 Grams (Watch Head) / 77 Grams (Rubber Strap) / 102 Grams (Bracelet)

Case Material: Grade 2 Titanium

Bezel: Grade 5 Titanium

Strap: Titanium Bracelet with Adjustable Deployant Clasp

Movement: Christopher Ward In-House Calibre SH21 Automatic

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds

Power Reserve: 120 Hours

Water Resistance: 100 Meters