A Week on the Wrist with the Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT – stealing the Rolex crown with a modern Pan Am collaboration

Last week, Christopher Ward unveiled its latest limited edition watch. The C60 Clipper GMT is a collaboration with Pan Am – the iconic American airline, which once inspired the Rolex GMT Master II 'Pepsi'.

While the airline may no longer exist, its legacy can be seen all around us. That's no less so than in the iconic red and blue hue of the aforementioned Rolex, which is also mirrored on the new Christopher Ward collaboration.

I've had the piece on my wrist for the last week, to get a feel for what it's like and whether it's worthy of your hard-earned cash. Let's dive in and take a closer look.

Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT: key specs

The C60 Clipper GMT is bright and colourful from the first glance. That makes use of saturated red and blue tones on the bezel, rehaut and hands.

To contrast this, the dial is a slightly off-white, eggshell hue, while the indices and hands are filled with an aged yellow lume. It's a really nice design, and one which feels timeless and worn in, but modern in the same breath.

You'll find a host of nods to the history of both Pan Am and Christopher Ward here, too. That includes the inclusion of Key West and Dallas on the bezel, and a blue 26 on the date wheel to denote the date of the first Pan Am flight.

The case measures 42mm across, and is crafted from stainless steel. That also sits 12.45mm tall, which suggests a slightly larger than usual wearing experience is in order.

The piece is powered by a Sellita SW330-2 movement, which offer 56 hours of power reserve and a 4Hz beat rate. The case also offers a stellar 300m of water resistance, making this a very capable dive watch, as well as a GMT watch.

Other noteworthy appointments include the limited edition packaging, and a choice of two watch straps. Users will get both the Bader bracelet, and a seatbelt nylon NATO in the box, which can be freely interchanged.

What is the Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT like on the wrist?

As you'd probably expect from a watch which wears such a familiar influence so proudly, there's an instant feeling of status with this watch on the wrist. No, it's not an homage to the Pepsi, but it definitely has some of the same magic, and that makes you feel good.

I spent most of my time wearing it on the NATO strap for ease, and it was very comfortable indeed. It's nothing more or less than I've come to expect from the brand, but still worth confirming here.

That NATO does add a little heft though, as the built-in strap pins case the strap to bow a little. It's not the end of the world, but for a watch which is already chunkier than many of its stablemates, it's unfortunate. If I owned the piece, I'd be wearing it on the bracelet, which would likely mitigate that effect.

Beyond that, though, I really encountered no issues. The size was fine – bigger than I'd usually wear, but not abhorrently so – and everything felt nicely balanced.

The GMT layout is easy to read, and the worldtimer – once I'd reminded myself of exactly how to use it effectively – was easy to use. It's a very handy complication to have access to, though practically I found the alternative country codes took a little getting used to.

Is the Christopher Ward C60 Clipper GMT worth the money?

At £1,450 / €1,895 / US$1,995 (approx. AU$2,850) this model is a little more expensive than others in the brand's catalogue. Still, that's sort of to be expected – the model is a collaboration with another brand, and limited to just 707 pieces worldwide.

Taking that out of the equation for a second, I'd say that the piece is worthy of its price tag – though it perhaps doesn't represent the same impeccable value which much of the range does. Of course, once you add those points back in, this looks like tremendous value once again, but it's worth noting that you don't have to be a collector or an aviation fanboy to appreciate what's on offer.