Founded in 2004, Christopher Ward was one of the earliest pioneers of the affordable, direct-to-consumer watch segment. Fourteen years later, the British brand is still at it, taking its mission statement even further by offering some incredible watches — including 600-meter titanium divers, and COSC-certified watches with in-house movements — for a fraction of the price of its Swiss contemporaries. Now add to that list of high-value watches a crazy thin watch a crazy low price: the $680 C5 Malvern 595.
The 595 moniker refers to the watch’s scant 5.95mm thickness. Christopher Ward managed this thanks in part to the ETA/Peseux 7001 movement inside, a mechanical hand-winder that’s just 2.5mm thick and has been used in countless watches over the last few decades. Yet few of those watches seem to match the Malvern’s lithe proportions. For example, Junghans’ comparable Meister Hand-Wind uses the caliber 7001 and but is 7.3mm thick and costs a heftier $1,290.
In addition to the slim case, the watch features a minimalist, domed dial available in two brilliant finishes: opaline white and a cool slate gray. There are multiple leather strap options, too, and for an extra $95 you can get the watch on a Milanese mesh strap.
