Best Watch Straps for the Christopher Ward C60 Trident

Christopher Ward is the most significant British watch brand of the twenty-first century. Founded in 2004 by Mike France, Peter Ellis, and Chris Ward — three friends who set out to build Swiss-quality watches at honest prices by selling direct to consumers rather than through the traditional retailer markup chain — the brand has grown from a modest online operation into a company that now produces in-house movements, holds official Ministry of Defence licensing for military chronometers, and is reviewed alongside Swiss brands costing three to five times as much.

The C60 Trident is the watch that defines Christopher Ward's reputation. The name references the Royal Navy's Trident submarine programme — the nuclear deterrent fleet that has operated from HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland since 1968. The watch's design draws from professional dive watch tradition with genuine conviction: 300m or 600m water resistance depending on variant, helium escape valve on the Pro 600, ceramic bezel insert, COSC-certified movement, and the brand's proprietary "light-catcher" case finishing — alternating polished and brushed surfaces on curved case flanks that create a dynamic visual profile unique to Christopher Ward. The C60 Trident is a seriously specified dive watch at a price point that makes comparable Swiss watches appear expensive for reasons other than quality.

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Christopher Ward C60 Strap Sizes

The C60 Trident range uses two lug widths determined by case size. Always verify your specific reference before ordering.

C60 Trident Pro 300 38mm — 20mm lugs. The most compact Trident — 45mm lug-to-lug, 11mm thick.

C60 Trident Pro 300 / Pro 600 40mm — 20mm lugs. The most popular Trident size — 47.5mm lug-to-lug.

C60 Trident Pro 300 / Pro 600 42mm — 22mm lugs. The largest standard Trident — 49.3mm lug-to-lug.

C60 Trident Lumière 41mm (titanium) — 22mm lugs. 47.9mm lug-to-lug, 10.85mm thick — the slimmest Trident reference.

C60 Chronograph 42mm — 22mm lugs. 51.5mm lug-to-lug, 17.2mm thick.

Quick reference:

The most common ordering mistake: buying 22mm for a 38mm or 40mm Trident. The 38mm and 40mm use 20mm — a 22mm strap will be too wide and sit incorrectly.

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The British Identity — Why the MOD Connection Matters for Straps

Christopher Ward holds official Ministry of Defence licensing — producing chronometers to MoD specification for British military personnel. This is not a marketing claim or a heritage reference. It is an active manufacturing relationship with the British armed forces that connects the brand directly to the same British military equipment tradition that CNS's own strap range references.

The single-pass nylon strap — developed to Defence Standard 66-15, published by the British Ministry of Defence in 1973 — is the most specifically British strap choice for a British brand with active MoD licensing. A Christopher Ward C60 on a DefStan 66-15 specification single-pass nylon strap connects two pieces of British engineering heritage: the watch built to MoD standards and the strap specified by the MoD.

The RAF strap — the 6B/2617 specification issued to Royal Air Force personnel from 1954 — is the second most specifically British choice for a Christopher Ward. The brand's MOD chronometer heritage and the RAF strap's 1954 British military service history belong to the same institutional world.

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Best Rubber Straps for the Christopher Ward C60

FKM rubber is the most natural primary choice for the C60 Trident — a 300m or 600m rated professional dive watch suits rubber completely and Christopher Ward ships several C60 variants on rubber hybrid straps as standard.

Classic FKM rubber in black at 22mm for the 42mm and Lumière references — the most practical active choice. Black FKM on the C60's clean case creates a purposeful tool watch combination that suits the Trident's 600m professional credentials.

Classic FKM rubber in black at 20mm for the 38mm and 40mm references.

Tropical style FKM in black at 22mm — the most collector-appropriate rubber choice for the C60. The vintage basket-weave and honeycomb surface patterns reference the 1960s and 1970s professional dive watch rubber era. Black tropical FKM on the C60 Pro 600 is the combination that appears most frequently in collector photography.

Brown tropical FKM at 22mm — for the most vintage-inspired combination. Particularly effective on black dial C60 references.

Dial-specific FKM colour recommendations for the 42mm C60:

• Blue dial — blue FKM for tonal coherence; black FKM for contrast
• Black dial — black FKM for the most purposeful combination; black tropical FKM for collector aesthetic
• Green dial — green FKM for tonal coherence; black FKM for contrast
• Bronze variants — brown tropical FKM for warm vintage coherence with the bronze case

All at 22mm.

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Best Nylon Straps for the Christopher Ward C60

Single-pass nylon is the most appropriate and most specifically British strap choice for the C60 — and for a brand with active MoD licensing, the DefStan 66-15 construction carries genuine institutional resonance.

Single-pass nylon — Original at 22mm for 42mm and Lumière, at 20mm for 38mm and 40mm, with the CNS solid buckle. Most appropriate C60 colourways:

• Black — the most minimal and most operational. Black single-pass on any C60 dial creates a purposeful, professional combination appropriate for the watch's 300m or 600m credentials.
• Navy — for blue dial C60 references. Navy nylon creates tonal coherence with the Trident's nautical character.
• Admiralty Grey — the original MOD specification colourway. For a Christopher Ward with active MoD licensing, the Admiralty Grey single-pass nylon is the most institutionally coherent combination available.
• Olive / khaki — for the most military-adjacent C60 combination.
• Black and grey — the most collector-oriented combination.

RAF single-pass nylon at 22mm or 20mm — the most specifically British military heritage combination. For a Christopher Ward worn by anyone with a connection to the British armed forces, the RAF strap is the most direct heritage reference available.

Marine Nationale elastic at 22mm — the most comfortable C60 option for daily active wear. Navy or black.

Paratrooper elastic at 22mm or 20mm — the most comfortable daily-wear option.

Perlon at 20mm — for the 38mm and 40mm Trident in smart-casual contexts. The fine woven construction suits the smaller, more elegant proportions of these references.

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Best Leather Straps for the Christopher Ward C60

Leather on the C60 Trident creates the most dramatic character transformation in the range — shifting the professional dive tool into a refined sport-dress piece that suits office and smart-casual contexts.

Brown vintage two-stitch calfskin at 22mm — the most characterful C60 leather combination. The warm brown tone creates a temperature contrast with the C60's steel case and blue or black dial that reads as deliberately considered. On the blue dial C60, warm brown leather creates the contrast that watch collectors consistently identify as the most compelling C60 leather pairing.

Dark brown padded calfskin at 22mm — the most substantial everyday leather for the 42mm references. The padded construction matches the C60 Pro 600's 14.4mm case thickness proportionally.

Classic black calfskin at 22mm or 20mm — the most formal C60 combination. Black leather on the C60 creates a composed, powerful dress-sport combination.

Navy calfskin at 22mm — for the blue dial C60 references. Navy leather creates tonal coherence with the blue dial and the Trident's nautical character simultaneously.

Dark brown suede at 20mm — particularly effective on the 38mm and 40mm references in weekend and smart-casual contexts.

Tan suede at 22mm — for the bronze case C60 variants. The warm tan suede echoes the bronze case tone and creates a warm, earthy combination.

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The Lumière — A Specific Note

The C60 Trident Lumière in Grade 2 titanium is the most refined C60 reference — 10.85mm thick, COSC-certified movement, polished chamfers along the case flanks, and 300m water resistance in a lightweight package. At 22mm lugs despite the slim 10.85mm case, the Lumière uses the same lug width as the 42mm steel references but wears significantly lighter on the wrist.

For the Lumière's slim titanium case: black FKM rubber at 22mm for the most practical active choice — the lightness of FKM complements the titanium's own lightweight character. Brown vintage two-stitch leather at 22mm for the most elegant dress-sport combination — the warm leather against the cool titanium creates a material contrast that the steel C60 references cannot match.

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Recommended Combinations by Reference

C60 Trident Pro 600 42mm (22mm) — black tropical FKM for active collector aesthetic; black single-pass nylon in Admiralty Grey for MoD heritage; brown vintage two-stitch leather for dress-sport. All at 22mm.

C60 Trident Pro 300 40mm (20mm) — black FKM rubber for active; RAF nylon for British heritage; brown vintage two-stitch leather for everyday. All at 20mm.

C60 Trident Lumière 41mm titanium (22mm) — black FKM rubber for lightweight active; brown vintage two-stitch leather for elegant dress-sport. At 22mm.

Blue dial references — navy nylon for tonal coherence; navy calfskin for formal dress-sport.

Bronze case references — brown tropical FKM for warm vintage coherence; tan suede for warm casual.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What size strap does the Christopher Ward C60 Trident take? The 38mm and 40mm C60 Trident references use 20mm lugs. The 42mm references, the Lumière titanium, and the Chronograph use 22mm lugs. Always verify your specific case size before ordering — buying 22mm for a 38mm or 40mm is the most common ordering mistake.

What is the best rubber strap for the Christopher Ward C60? Black tropical style FKM at the correct lug width — the vintage basket-weave pattern references the professional dive watch rubber era and is the most widely discussed C60 aftermarket combination. Classic black FKM for the most practical active choice.

What is the best nylon strap for the Christopher Ward C60? Admiralty Grey single-pass nylon at the correct lug width — the most institutionally coherent combination for a British watch brand with active MoD licensing. RAF single-pass nylon for the most specifically British military heritage reference.

What is the best leather strap for the Christopher Ward C60? Brown vintage two-stitch calfskin at the correct lug width — the warm brown creates a temperature contrast with the steel case and blue or black dial that the collector community consistently identifies as the most compelling C60 leather pairing.

What does the Christopher Ward MoD licensing mean? Christopher Ward holds official Ministry of Defence licensing to produce chronometers to MoD specification for British military personnel. This is an active manufacturing relationship — not a historical heritage claim — that connects the brand to the same British military precision equipment tradition that CNS's Defence Standard 66-15 strap construction references.

All CNS straps for the Christopher Ward C60 Trident are available at 20mm and 22mm. Standard delivery worldwide. 30-day returns.