Christopher Ward Collaborates With The Dial Artist To Create The Twelve Xander
We know Christopher Ward as a brand that always keeps new releases coming. With most of them, CW raises the bar of affordable timepieces time and again. But it’s not always about pushing the boundaries of technical development and production quality. If there is one thing that the brand understands well, it’s that it should also sometimes be about the sheer joy of creating something fun. The perfect example is the new Christopher Ward Twelve Xander, a collaboration with Chris Alexander, better known as The Dial Artist. For the occasion, Alexander had the freedom to create a vibrant version of the Twelve X that is truly unique.
Take one glance at the Christopher Ward Twelve Xander, and you’ll know that this is not merely a colorful version of the Twelve X (Ti), the brand’s skeletonized flagship watch powered by the in-house caliber CW-001. Turn the watch around, and you will be amazed to see the amount of work that went into creating this new LE. Christopher Ward gave Alexander the chance to hand-paint parts of the movement in addition to applying his graffiti-style art to the dial side of this 150-piece limited edition. This was a first for The Dial Artist, whose custom work we know from different projects, including many for IFL Watches.
The idea behind the Christopher Ward Twelve Xander
Let’s go over the specifics. Usually, you will see customization on the front of a skeletonized watch. Maybe a customized rotor will further up the visual attraction, but that is about it. For the new Twelve Xander, Christopher Ward gave The Dial Artist the chance to hand-paint eight visual components of the movement.
As mentioned, it was the first time Alexander applied his street-style art to something more than the dial. Christopher Ward sent him the eight parts from all 150 calibers so he could hand-paint them in his studio in Perth, Scotland. As a result, he had to work on more than 1,300 components, which all look unique.
If you are familiar with Alexander’s work, you will know that he takes inspiration from graffiti and street art to create his colorful dials. But for movement parts, that turns into something different. As Alexander explains, “It’s meant to look chaotic. It’s meant to look fast. It’s meant to look as if I’ve just taken a paintbrush and splattered paint.” While that may sound simple, the reality is rather different. Every part goes through multiple stages of priming, airbrushing, hand-painting, and finishing. As you will understand, it is a lengthy process. All in all, it took Alexander approximately 900 hours to customize all the components.
The details of the Christopher Ward Twelve Xander
Among the parts that Alexander worked on are the chapter ring, the movement’s bridges, and the oscillating weight. His artwork results in a multilayered experience that gives the Twelve Xander a look unlike anything else. Now, let’s go over the details to find out more about the watch.
As mentioned, this is a customized version of the Christopher Ward Twelve X. It features an angular 41 × 44.5 × 12.3mm case crafted from titanium, with Grade 2 used for the mid-case and case back and Grade 5 for the bezel. The modern case displays a vertically brushed finish with contrasting polished chamfers, and the polished, brushed, and sandblasted bezel adds more detail.
But the star of the show is Christopher Ward’s in-house caliber CW-001. This 26-jewel automatic movement operates at 28,800 vph and offers a 120-hour power reserve thanks to its two barrels. Additionally, this caliber is a certified chronometer with an accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day.
As you will understand, applying the artwork to the movement’s parts makes this project a technical challenge, not just a creative one. That’s why Alexander shipped the individual parts to Christopher Ward’s atelier in Biel, Switzerland, where the watches were assembled. This allowed the watchmakers to check whether the different layers of paint would affect the caliber’s performance. The tolerances were checked, and the movement’s performance was tested to ensure that every part functioned properly.
Wearing the Christopher Ward Twelve Xander
On the wrist, the Twelve Xander is a wonderful explosion of colors. I am usually not the biggest fan of skeletonized watches, but this one genuinely excited me. Before I even put the watch on my wrist, I took the time to check out all the little details and found The Dial Artist’s work spectacular. It’s hard to imagine that he applied all these colors and details by hand on more than 1,300 individual parts. That takes dedication and is worthy of much respect. Especially with a loupe, you can get a good idea of the work that went into this.
Once on the wrist, I noticed how easily the titanium Twelve wears. With its 41mm case, the watch sits really nicely on my 18.5cm wrist. It feels very solid and well made, as watches by Christopher Ward typically do. In terms of build quality and attention to detail, they really give brands that charge twice as much for their watches a run for their money.
On top of that, despite the colorful backdrop, reading the time is very easy. Thanks to the large arrow-shaped hour hand and the long minute hand, I could read the time in a split second. Honestly, though, I was constantly distracted by the explosion of colors, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Final thoughts on the Christopher Ward Twelve Xander
The Christopher Ward Twelve X is a striking visual spectacle, and the artwork’s depth and layering make this a truly unique work. While I generally am not the biggest fan of skeletonized watches, there are some great exceptions.
And I am happy to say that this collaborative Christopher Ward Twelve Xander is on that list of exceptions. It transforms the very technical-looking Twelve X into a fun, colorful watch that would have easily made my list of summer picks for 2026. That made it hard to take it off my wrist and send it back to Christopher Ward, and experiences like that don’t happen often with loaner watches.
The Christopher Ward Twelve Xander will be available on an integrated titanium bracelet or a white integrated rubber strap. Usually, I would pick a bracelet over a strap, but for the Xander, I think the rubber strap is the way to go. With it, the watch will cost €5,625 / US$5,995 / £4,325, and on the titanium bracelet, it will retail for €6,125 / US$6,515 / £4,710.
The Twelve Xander will first be available to attendees at an exclusive launch event hosted at Christopher Ward’s new Chicago showroom on Thursday, July 9th. It will then be available to purchase via Christopher Ward’s official website starting Friday, July 10th, at 16:00 CEST. The Twelve Xander will also be available to view and purchase at Windup Watch Fair Chicago from July 10th to the 12th, where The Dial Artist will join the Christopher Ward team throughout the event.
