Christopher Ward Twelve X Review

To say Christopher Ward has been having a good last few years would be as massive of an understatement as could be made. The English brand has been releasing hit after hit starting with the original Genta inspired The Twelve and following it up with the stunning yet affordable chiming watch of the Bel Canto.

We have reviewed both original Twelve in titanium as well as the Bel Canto and were truly blown away by both of them. If there was one thing keeping Christopher Ward out of the ranks of the super respected independents and old money brands, it was their lack of in-house movements.



While Christopher Ward does use pretty much the best off the shelf movements in top tier Swiss made Sellita movements, only rarely has Christopher Ward used their in-house movement on production pieces. The Christopher Ward Calibre SH21 was released in 2014 and then used once again in 2021 on their limited edition C60 Concept.

The Calibre SH21 is the first production ready in-house movement from a British manufacture in over 50 years. The movement boasts 120 hours of power reserve when fully wound and is a certified chronometer. Christopher Ward also brought in industry experts Armin Strom, Chronode and Xenoprint to help create the skeleton masterpiece of the Calibre SH21.



Recently Christopher Ward decided to house their in-house Calibre SH21 inside the case of their wildly popular The Twelve. This alone was extremely exciting news, but personally I was even more interested to see the Twelve X in person since it had both a large case diameter and was also thicker. I found the normal 40 mm Twelve a little small as well as too thin for my tastes, so the Twelve X would be much closer to the size watches I prefer.

Since even before the Twelve X was properly announced, I had been asking Christopher Ward to send us one to review. Unsurprisingly the Twelve X has been a huge success with waiting lists extending four months out, so it's been hard for Christopher Ward to have review samples in stock to send to us. Finally Andrew notified me that a review unit was available for them to send to us. Happy day! Oddly enough a personal watch I had just purchased, a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 500 Fathoms, arrived the same day as the Twelve X, so it had to share my excitement for the day. I do have to say that I have worn the Twelve X much more than my new 500 Fathoms since they both arrived though.



The first thing I noticed when the Twelve X arrived was the amazing finishing work of the dial/movement. Christopher Ward has been able to achieve a level of machining via super advanced CNC machines that rival or surpass even the best hand finished movements. An Elara NS CNC milling machine is used by Paoluzzo on the Twelve X. Paoluzzo manufactures precision parts for the watch, aviation and medical industry using super accurate diamond cutters to achieve microscopic accuracy. The movement uses a nice mixture of flat dark grey surfaces along with brushed finishes that really give the Calibre SH21 a unique and stunning look when compared to some of the over the top finished skeleton movements.

Next the weight of the Twelve X really took me by surprise. Just playing around with the watch in your hands it's obvious how lightweight it is. On the standard titanium bracelet the watch weighs 102 grams with the head only weighing 51 grams. On my preferred rubber strap with a pin buckle the watch weighs in at 77 grams. With the case being crafted out of grade 2 titanium and the bezel being grade 5 titanium, the low weight isn't that big of a surprise.



The final thing I noticed about the Twelve X was its size. The Twelve X bumps up the case diameter of the Twelve by 1 mm up to 41 mm and the case thickness goes from 8.95 mm on the Twelve to 12.3 mm on the Twelve X. I know a lot of people like slimmer and smaller watches, but these two larger dimensions are much more to my preference.

With the initial thoughts out of the way, now we can move on to the technical specs of the Christopher Ward Twelve X. As mentioned before, the Twelve X is crafted out of a mixture of grade 2 and grade 5 titanium and has a case diameter of 41 mm. The lug to lug is 46.3 mm and the case thickness is 12.3 mm. The watch weighs 51 grams with no strap, 77 grams with the rubber strap and pin buckle and 102 grams with the titanium bracelet.



The Twelve X features a slightly domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating applied to it. The sapphire is crystal clear and allows a great view of the Calibre SH21. Since the Twelve X is a skeleton, there really isn't much dial to talk about. Along the outer ring of the dial is an hour and minute track in white, with the hour track covered in blue Super-Luminova which appears white in normal lighting. In low light conditions the hour track and the brushed and polished minute and hour hands glow blue. At 12 o'clock there is also an applied Globolight wedge that glows green in low lighting. The dial is finished off with a polished running center seconds hand.

Faithful to its Gerald Genta influences and its namesake, the Twelve X features a polished twelve sided bezel created out of grade 5 titanium. Grade 5 titanium was picked because it is harder than then grade 2 titanium which would be beneficial for a bezel likely to make contact with foreign objects. The bezel brings to mind such Genta classics as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus while being its own unique take on Genta's design philosophy.



The case of the Twelve X is crafted out of grade 2 titanium and has a satin brushed finish to it. The difference in finishes and metals between the bezel and case make for a really eye catching design. Taking a look at the Twelve X from the side you can see how the top twelve sided bezel is mirrored on the case back with the same design case back bezel. You can also see that the crown guards are mounted on to the case using exposed screw heads, which is a nod to Genta's design.

The crown of the Twelve X features the Christopher Ward twin flag logo and is scalloped nicely to help with grip. The crown does screw down and when un-screwed allows for manual winding. Winding the watch also gives a nice view of the mainspring being wound with the watch being a skeleton. Since there is no date on the Twelve X, the crown only pulls out one position which allows you to set the time. Pushing the crown back in causes no jump in the minute hand and once screwed in helps with the Twelve X's 100 meter water resistance.



Flipping the watch over shows off the back side of the Calibre SH21 movement though a sapphire crystal display back. Christopher Ward really maximized the size of the rear crystal, giving you an amazing view of the movement. You once again see the twelve sided bezel design on the screw down case back. The movement is powered by the large skeleton Christopher Ward branded rotor, which is the only place on the watch head where the name "Christopher Ward" appears. The back of the movement is finished just as nice as the front with a mixture of dark grey and brushed finishes. Through the front and back of the case you get a view of most of the Calibre SH21's 198 components.

The Calibre SH21 beats away at 28,800 vph (4Hz) and is quoted as having an accuracy of -4 to +6 seconds per day. On our timegrapher the Calibre SH21 showed a result of -2 seconds per day of accuracy, which is well within spec and chronometer standards. Adding the 120 hours of power reserve into the mix really makes this movement hard to match at the Twelve X's price point. The Blancpain 500 Fathoms I just picked up also has 120 hours of power reserve, but its retail price is five times that of the Twelve X.



The Twelve X comes on a brushed titanium bracelet that tapers down from 25 mm at the integrated lug down to 17 mm at the deployant clasp with Christopher Ward branding. The bracelet features a 1.5 mm micro-adjustment on each side of the clasp as well, allowing you to enlarge the bracelet by 3 mm total. Like most Christopher Ward watches, the Twelve X features a quick release mechanism on the bracelet where the spring bar is held in place with two pins you can push in to remove the bracelet. I did this soon after the watch arrived, switching the Twelve X over to the black rubber strap.

The black rubber strap tapers down from 25 mm at the lugs down to 18 mm at the brushed pin buckle. With the weather in Austin being well over 100 degrees every day, a rubber strap just seemed much more suitable than even a titanium bracelet with micro-adjustments. The rubber used by Christopher Ward is extremely supple and required zero break in. I really prefer integrated watches on straps be it rubber or leather, so my time with the Twelve X was mostly spent on the rubber strap.



With being under 80 grams on the rubber strap, I really enjoyed wearing the Twelve X out and about whether it be running errands or going out to dinner and drinks. The first night we had the watch, my wife wore it out to drinks since I had received my personal Blancpain 500 Fathoms the same day. She really loved the watch and said it fit her just fine. She's 5'2 and wears mostly either a Hublot Big Bang All Black 41 mm or a Rolex Yacht-Master 16622 at 40 mm, so the size is exactly what she's used to.

The first time I wore the Twelve X I thought it felt a bit small on my wrist based purely on looks, but after wearing it for a few hours I realized it actually fit my wrist well with the flare out of the integrated design, which makes the watch wear a bit larger than a standard round watch. The watch only appeared small because the black of the rubber strap hid this flair out and all you were left to focus on was the head of the watch. On the bracelet the Twelve X blends into the titanium bracelet and the visual effect is the watch looks bigger than the 41 mm case diameter and 46.3 mm lug to lug of the watch actually are. If you think the Twelve X will look too big on your wrist, just put it on the rubber strap and it'll look much smaller.



With such a low weight the Twelve X pretty became an afterthought while wearing it. I never once experienced any wrist fatigue and the watch was really only there when I thought about it or wanted to take a look at it. The watch sat centered on my 7.25 inch wrist with a 58.5 mm width. One thing I can't stand is when a watch favors either wise of my wrist, something the Twelve X did not do. The muted grey of the titanium and the black rubber strap really went well with my preferred dress of a black t-shirt, shorts and sneakers as well.

Out and about the watch seemed to attract a lot of attention, even on the black rubber strap. I feel if I had worn it more on the titanium bracelet the watch would have received even more looks and comments. Most people just were really curious of the dial and enjoyed starring at the little dance going on with the exposed movement. A few people had heard of the Twelve and Christopher Ward, even two people knowing of the Twelve X. Needless to say they were really excited to see it in the metal. I would definitely say the Twelve X is not an introverted kind of watch. Personally, if the Twelve X was mine, I'd probably put it on something more fun and obnoxious like a bright orange rubber strap. This watch just screams for attention and deserves a super fun strap.



One thing I've noticed some pushback on was the price of the Twelve X which is $4,865. With the Bel Canto being $4,210 and nobody batting an eye, I don't think it's pushback on a Christopher Ward being nearly five thousand dollars, but more a Twelve being that price. You can pick up a stainless steel Twelve on a strap for under $1,000, so naturally people take notice when the Twelve X is nearly five times the price.

In my opinion the price of the Twelve X is more than justified. You only have to take a look at the alternatives to the Twelve X to see why this watch is such an amazing deal at $4,865. Remember the Twelve X comes with an in-house Christopher Ward movement with 120 hours of power reserve, has its own case, an expertly finished skeleton movement and is crafted out of grade 2 and 5 titanium. To see the value of the Twelve X, let's compare it to some alternatives featuring in-house skeleton movements.



To me the watch I first think of when talking about the Twelve X is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked in stainless steel. This Royal Oak is crafted out of stainless steel (there is no option in titanium) and measures 41 mm in case diameter. The Royal Oak only offers 50 meters of water resistance to the 100 meters found with the Twelve X. The in-house calibre 3132 also only offers 45 hours of power reserve and beats at a slower 21,600 vph (3Hz) versus the 120 hours of power reserve and faster 28,800 vph (4Hz) movement of the Twelve X. The Royal Oak Openworked retails for $76,400 and goes for around $125,000 on the secondary market. I've spent a good deal of time with the frosted gold version of this watch and don't feel it's worth the premium over the Twelve X. Sure the Audemars Piguet name is huge and comes with tons of history and prestige, AP is also one of my three favorite brands, but if you're just comparing watch to watch, the value just isn't there.



Coming a bit down more to earth you have the ProPilot X Calibre 115 from Oris. This 44 mm watch is crafted out of titanium and also features a full skeleton dial. The Calibre 115 offers 10 days of power reserve from the Oris in-house caliber, which is double that of the Twelve X. The design of the ProPilot X is not based on any existing designs and might not age as well as the Genta inspired design of the Twelve X. The Oris also retails for about $4,000 more than the Twelve X at $8,900. There are pros and cons when you compare the Oris to the Twelve X, but I feel it comes down mostly to price and what design language you prefer.

Finally let's take a look at the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton in stainless steel. This watch has a case diameter of 42 mm and contains an in-house calibre GP01800. The GP01800 offers less than half the power reserve of the Twelve X's 120 hours at 54 hours. Once again like Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux has a long and storied history, but it really doesn't justify the price difference between the Twelve X when you're just comparing the watches leaving brand out of it. The Laureato Skeleton has a retail price of $43,600, nearly ten times that of the Twelve X.



Hopefully these three alternative watches illustrate just how much you're getting for the money with the Twelve X. Not only is there not a real alternative at or below the price of the Twelve X that offers an in-house movement with ample power reserve as well as being skeletonized, but many of the alternatives that don't even offer all the specs found in the Twelve X cost many multiples its price.

Ok, so is the Twelve X for me? I'd say of all the watches we've reviewed over the past months the Twelve X along with the Freak and Diver X Skeleton from Ulysse Nardin really bring something new to the table and I could see myself inserting them into my personal collection. If I had one small wish for the Twelve X, it would be for a slightly larger case. With my wrist being 58.5 mm wide, I do like to wear watches with just over 50 mm lug to lug. While with the flare out of the integrated design making the Twelve X wear a little bigger than lug to lug suggests, it's still just on the slightly too small size. Like I've told Christopher Ward, if they made a 44 to 45 mm titanium Twelve with some carbon or ceramic bits and kept the SH21 in-house movement (no need for a skeleton), they'd have made a pretty perfect watch for me.



All that being said, I'd recommend everyone check out the Twelve X if they wanted a high end integrated sports watch with a great in-house movement and styling. The movement finishing even rivals alternatives that cost north of one hundred thousand dollars. Christopher Ward did an amazing job with the original Twelve, taking Genta's designs and making something of their own with them. They then took what they learned from the Twelve and took it to the next level with the Twelve X including their in-house movement with five days of power reserve. By partnering with industry veterans and using cutting edge machinery they have also been able to make the fully on display movement extremely pleasing to the eye. All this for a price under five thousand dollars, I'm not really sure what else you could ask for or expect at even two to three times that price.



I'd really like to thank Andrew and the team over at Christopher Ward for sending us the Twelve X as well as the original Twelve in titanium. In the next week or two we're going to post an article comparing the Twelve to the Twelve X. Although both watches have their similarities, they also are very different.

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



Technical Specifications

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