The Genta-inspired integrated bracelet sports watch trend is showing some significant shifts. Prices on the original Genta designed Nautilus and Royal Oak, made of solid unobtainium, have been on a slide since the Covid mania peak, but are still well out of reach for the general public.
Watch brands have been digging into their archives to find those 70s and 80s models they can re-work and re-release, the upshot of which is bringing alternatives to different price points. You no longer need tens of thousands to own what is one of the most iconic and practical watch designs in modern times.
It looked like this shift hit a peak with Tissot’s PRX line. Full of the Genta design language, based on an original Tissot model from 1978, at a sub £1,000 price point. Design and finishing were well above what you would expect at the price alongside a modified ETA 2824.2 movement with 80 hours of power reserve. This rightly exploded onto the market and pushed Tissot back into the mind of watch enthusiasts everywhere. Surely nobody could top this?
Twelve minutes to midnight
Along comes Christopher Ward. The British watchmaker has been forging a path of great value dive watches in the sub £1,000 bracket for nearly 20 years. However, in 2019, it started to become apparent that everything at Christopher Ward was not as it seemed with the release of the C1 Moonglow. A genuinely unique approach to the moonphase, it showed a company willing to rethink more classical design language (compare the C1 to their previous moonphase the C9) and come out with an eccentric, but effective new approach.
This was amplified in 2022 when they dropped the Bel Canto onto a shocked market. You want a chiming hours (Sonnerie au Passage) in grade 5 titanium with a dial that wouldn’t look out of place on an MB&F, for under £3,500? Sure, why not?
With the Bel Canto, Christopher Ward highlighted what is most exciting about British watchmaking. Britain may not have the movement production (even Christopher Ward’s in-house movements are produced in Switzerland), but British brands have a great ability to lean into British design eccentricity and build and modify on top.
What makes The Twelve special?
The Twelve is Christopher Ward’s latest release and their new take on the integrated bracelet sports watch after the 2008 C20 Lido. They didn’t have a 70s model to fall back to and rework, so have taken slightly different inspirations. While the Genta influence is certainly there, it doesn’t ape the all too familiar designs of the Nautilus and Royal Oak. In fact, the closest reference may be the Czapek Antarctique, a much more modern entry into the Genta school.
The Twelve hints at its reference points instead of copying directly. The twelve-sided (dodecagonal) bezel reminds of the GP Laureato. The caseback’s screws reference the Royal Oak. Also from the Royal Oak is the textured dial, but implemented using a repeated design from Christopher Ward’s logo. What this leads to is a watch that avoids homage and has its own identity, a difficult task given the limited design space of ‘Genta inspired’.
The Twelve is available in steel or titanium on either a rubber strap or bracelet. It has a 40mm case with a 44.5mm lug-to-lug. The titanium model is 9mm thick and the steel 10mm thick. The difference in thickness is due to the movement underneath. The steel model has a Sellita SW200-1, an automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve, whereas the titanium model has a COSC certified Sellita SW300-1 automatic with 56-hour power reserve.
There are four different dials available in steel, Nordic Blue, Arctic White, Glacier Blue or Basalt Grey. In titanium the dials have a fumé effect in Astral Blue or Nebula Purple, much bolder colours fading to black at the face edge.
The Twelve starts in steel at £850 on a rubber bracelet and £1,050 on a steel bracelet. In titanium it is £1,225 on a rubber bracelet or £1,595 on titanium bracelet.
But what about Tissot’s PRX?
Tissot’s PRX blew this space open bringing Genta inspired design to an affordable price point. With the automatic version at £610, it offers a great design and build quality and a very solid movement. It is the obvious competitor to The Twelve.
Side-by-side, the main stand-out on The Twelve over the PRX is the finishing. The Twelve makes the PRX look flat in comparison. The PRX is fully brushed on the case and bracelet, with a polished bezel and a slight polished chamfer along the top side of the case. The lack of chamfer on the bracelet is one of the PRX’s downsides, leaving some sharp feeling edges on the bracelet sides.
The Twelve has chamfered edges on both the top and underside of the bracelet, giving a smoother feel and an extra angle to reflect light. The Twelve’s bezel has three different finishes on the dodecahedron design, sand-blasted, brushed and mirror polished. With the Genta inspired sports watch, it’s the details and finishing that lift the watch and Christopher Ward have executed to a level unexpected at the price point.
Under the hood they are comparable, however the PRX’s 70-hour power reserve stands out above The Twelve.
So which is better, the PRX or The Twelve?
The Tissot PRX and Christopher Ward’s The Twelve are both targeting the same two main markets. These are first-time watch buyers looking for a high-quality, do-everything mechanical watch, that will last a lifetime and either be their only watch or start them on the hobby. The other audience is the watch enthusiast looking for that Genta-inspired look but not willing to spend tens of thousands.
Both watches deliver, but The Twelve holds the edge in its premium and luxury feel. The level of finishing and design is a step above and well worth the additional cost, especially for the watch enthusiast. What may be the deciding factor for many is the dial. The PRX has a much more reserved dial that may appeal to many. The Twelve is bolder in colour and busier in design, which may put some off.
Overall, both Tissot and Christopher Ward should be applauded for bringing the Genta-inspired sports watch to the masses. Both the PRX and The Twelve offer fantastic value for money whether as your first ‘real’ watch or just to add that integrated style into your collection.
