Christopher Ward Gets Slim: The Twelve 660 Cuts to the Chase
Photo provided by Christopher Ward
Christopher Ward isn’t wasting any time. Not even a day after announcing that U.S. customers will see prices return to normal (tariffs be damned), the brand drops something entirely different: a razor-thin, two-hand dress watch called the Twelve 660. And no, this isn’t a watch destined for glass cases and white gloves, it’s a watch you can actually live with. At 6.6mm thick, it takes the integrated, geometric swagger of the Twelve and puts it on a diet, stripping away the seconds hand, the date, and anything else that might get between you and pure, quiet elegance. In other words, Christopher Ward has gone and made minimalism hot again.
The move back into dress watch territory is more than just another SKU in the Twelve lineup; it’s Christopher Ward flexing its ability to do restraint without losing identity. The brand could’ve taken the easy route: slim the case, slap on a leather strap, call it a day. Instead, the 660 feels deliberate. The sculpted twelve-sided bezel is slightly wider, adding wrist presence to this slim evolution. Even the bracelet had to go on a crash diet, with redesigned single links and a clasp that wouldn’t dare upstage the wafer-thin case. It’s not so much a dress watch in the traditional sense as it is a Christopher Ward in a tailored suit: fitted, confident, and g*ddamn stylish.
Photo provided by Mike Pearson of Christopher Ward - The 660 Range
The Dial: A Minimalist Smirk
If the case is the suit, then the dial is the smirk that makes you look twice. Christopher Ward has stripped the Twelve’s face down to its most essential parts: no seconds hand, no date, no visual clutter. Just a textured surface dressed in lacquer, flanked by brushed indices with diamonds polished facets, and hands that mirror this dance of textures and light play like they’re auditioning for a jewelry commercial. It’s clean in a way that doesn’t feel sterile, offering minimalism with real charisma. And then there are the colors: BLK, WHT, GRN, and BLU. Yes, they ditched most of the vowels, because when your watch is this thin, even the alphabet can go f*ck itself. The BLK variant, with its DLC stealth case and bracelet (my personal favorite of the bunch), leans full tuxedo mode, proof that sometimes less really is more, especially when “less” comes in at 6.6 millimeters.
Photo provided by Christopher Ward
What’s Under the Hood
Of course, slimming down a watch isn’t just a case trick; it’s what’s inside that really makes the 660 work. Christopher Ward went with the Sellita SW210 as the base, but calling this “stock” would be like calling a Bentley “just a Volkswagen.” The brand reworked the movement with custom skeletonized train bridges, rhodium plating, vertical brushing, and diamond-polished chamfers, all visible through the display caseback. Even the crown and ratchet wheels get special sunray brushing, tiny details most people will never see, but the kind of flex that makes enthusiasts nod in approval. It’s movement finishing that doesn’t scream for attention but rewards you when you look closer, very much in line with the watch’s whole philosophy. You’re not supposed to flash this thing under fluorescent lighting; you’re supposed to enjoy the fact that you’re wearing a slim, elegant piece of engineering that’s been thought through down to its bones.
Photo provided by Christopher Ward
The Bracelet Diet
And then there’s the bracelet, which might be the unsung hero of the whole project. At 2.9mm high, with a clasp that’s barely thicker than a stick of gum, it’s the kind of detail that makes you realize how seriously Christopher Ward took the “ultra-thin” brief. If they’d slapped the original Twelve clasp on here, it would’ve been like putting hiking boots on a tuxedo; functional, sure, but totally missing the point. Instead, the new butterfly clasp with inline push-buttons disappears into the design, letting the case and dial do the talking.
Photo provided by Christopher Ward
Price and Positioning
All of this slots the Twelve 660 into an interesting price pocket. Starting at $1,495 on rubber and $1,660 on bracelet (with the DLC version topping out at $1,790), it sits right between the steel Twelve and the titanium COSC model, but it doesn’t really compete with either. This isn’t about specs, depth ratings, or complication counts. It’s about mood. It’s about having an integrated watch that doesn’t need to shout, because it’s already whispering in a language that says you appreciate the details and a little bit of rebellion against the “bigger is better” crowd. In a market where “ultra-thin” usually means “ultra-expensive,” Christopher Ward is basically saying: why not both? Like they always do.
Photo provided by Christopher Ward
Final Thoughts
Taken together, the Twelve 660 feels like more than just another release on the Christopher Ward calendar. It’s a signal. The brand is doubling down on its reputation for value while flexing its design chops in categories it hasn’t fully owned before. First, they give U.S. collectors a break by rolling prices back down during a tumultuous time. Now, they wade into the two-hand dress watch arena with something lean, modern, and genuinely wearable. It’s not about breaking records or chasing bragging rights; it’s about proving that elegance doesn’t have to cost a fortune and that minimalism doesn’t have to be boring. If the standard Twelve was Christopher Ward in a bomber jacket, the 660 is the same guy showing up in a perfectly cut suit; still approachable, still confident, just a little sharper around the edges.
Above gallery photos provided by North American Brand Director, Mike Pearson
Transparency:
I wrote this article in collaboration with Christopher Ward. However, no one at Christopher Ward viewed, reviewed, or edited this article in any way.
REMEMBER, nerds…., to keep the comments clean. Please don’t make me pull out ole Abraham-Louis here.
