Christopher Ward and The Dial Artist turns the Twelve into a hand-painted work of art
Tom Austin- The Christopher Ward Twelve Xander is limited to 150 individually hand-painted pieces, created in collaboration with British artist Chris Alexander, better known as The Dial Artist.
- Based on the titanium Twelve X, each watch features eight visible movement components that have been individually painted by hand, ensuring no two examples are identical.
- Powered by Christopher Ward’s in-house CW-001 movement with a 120-hour power reserve, the Twelve Xander is available on either an integrated titanium bracelet or a white rubber strap.
Few artists have become as closely associated with custom watches as Chris Alexander, better known as The Dial Artist. In recent years, his colourful, graffiti-inspired creations have turned familiar dials into one-off pieces of wearable art. With collaborations with the likes of Bamford, Sartory-Billard, and Artisan D’horlogerie under his belt, his latest alliance with British brand Christopher Ward is arguably his biggest yet. Rather than being restricted to using the dial as the canvas, the new Twelve Xander transforms the movement itself into the artwork, drenching the skeletonised internals in hand-painted, vibrant colours.
The Twelve Xander is built upon the existing Twelve X platform, which, importantly, helps us interpret the name; X, Alexander, Xander, get it? The watch utilises the Twelve X’s lightweight 41mm titanium case, constructed from a combination of grade 2 and grade 5 titanium. Measuring 12.3mm thick and with a compact 44.5mm lug-to-lug, it preserves the angular, integrated design that has become synonymous with the Twelve collection. Water resistance is rated to 100 metres thanks to a flat sapphire crystal on both the front and the back, and the crown is protected by subtle, screwed-on crown guards, giving the watch a truly sporty influence. This is further supported by the option of either a fully integrated titanium bracelet or a white rubber strap, making it a versatile, yet everyday-worthy sportswatch.
An unconventional dial deserves some unconventional decoration. Instead of embellishing a traditional dial as we’ve seen before, Alexander’s bespoke artwork has been applied to eight hand-painted components that span the bridges and architecture both beneath the Twelve’s front crystal and on the other side, beneath the exhibition caseback. Every component is passed through a meticulous, multi-stage process involving priming, airbrushing, hand painting, and finishing, with more than 1,300 individual parts completed throughout the production run. The result is that every single painted component in each of the 150 watches is completely unique, with the abstract patterns never repeating anywhere across any of the watches.
While the Twelve Xander perhaps isn’t the most legible watch in the sense of being an outright tool, it’s certainly not meant to be. Artwork like this is meant to be expressive, and the Xander does a great job of showcasing those bold, vivid colours and patterns. That’s not to say the watch is unreadable, though, thanks to the sharp, Super-LumiNova-filled hands and a distinctly bold white minute track that frames the dial.
Powering the watch is Christopher Ward’s in-house, chronometer-certified CW-001 calibre, displayed prominently from both sides of the case. Its twin-barrel construction delivers a substantial 120-hour power reserve and beats at 28,800 Vph, with both barrels taking up a considerable amount of visible space through the dial’s skeletonisation. Applying paint directly to functioning watch components introduced an additional engineering challenge, requiring careful control of surface preparation, paint thickness, and finishing to ensure the artwork didn’t hinder the movement’s impressive performance. Finally, the calibre is finished off with a fully decorated oscillating rotor featuring The Dial Artist’s contemporary, graffiti-style artwork.
Christopher Ward The Twelve Xander price and availability
The Christopher Ward Twelve Xander is limited to 150 pieces, and will initially be available at the brand’s launch event at the Windup Watch Fair in Chicago, then online from July 10th. Price: £4,325/US$5,995/€5,625 (rubber strap) £4,710/US$6,515/€6,125 (bracelet)
| Brand | Christopher Ward |
| Model | The Twelve Xander |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 12.3mm (T) x 44.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Grade 2 & 5 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Skeletonised, decorated by The Dial Artist |
| Lug Width | 25mm, integrated |
| Bracelet | Titanium integrated bracelet, white rubber strap |
| Movement | In-house CW-001, automatic, COSC-certified |
| Power Reserve | 120 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Limited to 150 pieces |
| Price | £4,325/US$5,995/€5,625 (rubber strap) £4,710/US$6,515/€6,125 (bracelet) |