The verdict, firstCyril Favre

Buy the Trident unless the Aquis's sculptural design and dealer-backed ownership are worth paying considerably more for.

Both watches are Swiss automatic divers rated to 300m, with a ceramic timing bezel, a screw-down crown and a sapphire front crystal. The C60 Trident Pro 300 40 makes the strongest value case: a 40mm case only 11.3mm thick, a Sellita SW200-1, full dive-watch capability and a bracelet clasp with real micro-adjustment. The Aquis Date 41.5 costs significantly more, but it brings a more sculptural, recognisable case design, a genuine authorised-dealer network, an Oris Calibre 733-1 with a slightly longer power reserve, and a collection that extends upward into the in-house Calibre 400.

This is the flagship value-versus-establishment matchup in affordable Swiss diving: one watch built to be bought unseen and adjusted on the wrist in seconds, the other built to be tried on, bought through a dealer, and worn as a more finished object.

Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300, 40mm

Christopher Ward · ~$1,350C60 Trident Pro 300

Oris · ~$2,600Aquis Date

The other case

The Aquis is not an overpriced Trident. Its case, ceramic bezel top ring and bracelet are designed as one unified object — short lugs, a shaped bracelet and a case profile that reads as recognisably Oris from across a room. If trying a watch on before buying, buying through a local specialist retailer, and having a clear path to a more advanced Aquis model matter to you, that premium is not merely cosmetic.

Where it is decided

4 arguments

Proportion and all-day wearability

The Trident Pro 300 40 is a genuinely thin dive watch: 40mm across, 11.3mm thick and about 47.4mm lug to lug on a 20mm lug width, with a case-head weight Christopher Ward states at 68g (around 160g on the steel Bader bracelet). The Aquis Date 41.5 is a bigger watch on paper — 41.5mm across, about 12.9mm thick and roughly 49mm lug to lug, with a 22mm interhorn width — though its short lugs and curved case-to-bracelet integration make it sit more compactly than those raw numbers suggest. That shaping narrows the gap; it does not erase it. The Trident is the thinner, lighter watch by a real margin and the easier one to slide under a cuff. Try both on rather than trusting a single wrist-size rule.

Goes to

Christopher Ward

40 × 11.3mm, ~68g head
41.5 × ~12.9mm, short lugs

Movement and daily ownership

Both movements share the same Sellita SW200-1 base architecture, not a single branded calibre. The Trident runs the SW200-1 directly, rated by Christopher Ward at 38 hours; the Aquis runs Oris's own Calibre 733-1, built on that same base, officially rated at 41 hours. Both beat at 28,800vph (4Hz) with 26 jewels, both date, and both use the kind of dependable, widely serviceable architecture any independent watchmaker can work on. Oris's three-hour reserve edge is real but not decisive — it will not change how either watch behaves after a weekend off the wrist. Christopher Ward states a standard, non-COSC timing tolerance of -20/+20 seconds a day for this reference; treat the Aquis's day-to-day accuracy the same informal way unless Oris publishes a specific figure. The meaningful mechanical step up in the Aquis family is the in-house Calibre 400, with a longer reserve and a different architecture — that is an upgrade path within Oris, not a reason to pay more for this 733-1 reference today.

Goes to

Draw

SW200-1, 38h reserve
Calibre 733-1, 41h reserve

Dive equipment, bracelet and tactile execution

Both are properly equipped 300m divers: screw-down crown, unidirectional ceramic bezel, sapphire front crystal, applied luminous markers and a date window. The Trident's bracelet is the practical standout — Christopher Ward's increased-taper Bader bracelet narrows to about 16.5mm at the clasp and adds an extended micro-adjustment system with screw links, letting you fine-tune fit through the day without tools. The Aquis's case, ceramic top-ring bezel and bracelet are designed as one cohesive object with short, curved lugs; its bracelet is a conventional 22mm-interhorn design finished with a folding clasp, tightly integrated in appearance rather than a literal integrated-bracelet construction. Judge the Oris premium here on finishing, bezel feel and how case and bracelet read together — that is an editorial, tactile call, not something a spec sheet settles. We do not describe either reference here as ISO 6425-certified or fitted with a helium escape valve; neither claim is confirmed for these exact references.

Goes to

Draw

16.5mm taper, tool-less adjust
22mm interhorn, folding clasp

Price, warranty and purchase model

Christopher Ward sells the Trident Pro 300 40 direct-to-consumer, with catalogued pricing from about €1,050 on rubber up to roughly €1,260 on the steel Bader bracelet, backed by the brand's 60-day free-returns and 60-month movement-guarantee policy. Oris lists the Aquis Date 41.5 in Calibre 733-1 on the steel bracelet at USD 2,800 through its own site, sold through authorised retailers with a standard two-year international warranty, extendable via MyOris registration — confirm the exact figure for your region and retailer, since authorised-dealer and configuration pricing can vary. The Trident is the far cheaper watch to buy into and carries an unusually long movement guarantee for something bought largely unseen. The Aquis costs meaningfully more, but that premium also buys the ability to try it on first and a local service relationship, which some buyers value more than the price gap. Neither is the more sensible choice in the abstract; it is direct-to-consumer efficiency against a more traditional retail relationship. We make no resale, depreciation or investment claim for either watch.

Goes to

Christopher Ward

From ~€1,050, direct
$2,800 MSRP, dealer network

Who should buy which

Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300

You want a thinner, more compact steel diver with full 300m water resistance
A 40mm case, 11.3mm thickness and the 20mm strap ecosystem suit your wrist and wardrobe better
A tool-less, multi-position bracelet clasp matters more to you than a single deployant fold
You want the strongest dive-watch specification for the money and are comfortable buying direct online, backed by the 60-day return window and 60-month movement guarantee

See the C60 Trident Pro 300

Oris Aquis Date

You want to try the watch on in person before committing to a bigger purchase
The Aquis's case shape, ceramic top ring and bracelet integration appeal to you more than a thinner, more conventional dive-watch silhouette
You prefer a more substantial 41.5mm diver with short, curved lugs
An authorised-dealer service relationship, Oris's independent-brand history, and a path up to the Calibre 400 matter to you

See the Aquis Date

Your personal verdict

The movement is not the deciding factor here: your wrist size, budget, need for clasp adjustment and preference for direct or dealer-backed ownership are.

Find which one fits you

Explore both dive-watch collections

Both ranges span several sizes and calibres. The pages below are the live, canonical entries the catalogue resolves for each.

Trident Pro 300 — 38 & 42mm

Trident GMT 300 — 40 & 44mm

Trident Lumière & Reef

Aquis Date Calibre 733-1 — 36.5 & 43.5mm

Aquis Date Calibre 400 — 41.5 & 43.5mm

Frequently asked

Is the Christopher Ward Trident as good as the Oris Aquis?

It depends what you're optimising for. The Trident is stronger on compactness, thickness, bracelet micro-adjustment and price. The Aquis is stronger for buyers who value in-person purchase, a larger sculptural design and Oris's authorised-dealer ownership ecosystem. Neither is objectively better — they trade differently between value and finished-object presence.

Do the Christopher Ward Trident and Oris Aquis use the same movement?

Not exactly. They use related movements from the same Sellita SW200-1 family, not literally the same branded calibre. The Trident uses the Sellita SW200-1 directly, stated at a 38-hour reserve. The Aquis uses Oris's own Calibre 733-1, built on that same SW200-1 base, officially stated at a 41-hour reserve.

Which is better for a smaller wrist, the Trident or the Aquis?

On confirmed case dimensions, the Trident is the smaller watch: 40mm and 11.3mm thick against the Aquis's 41.5mm and roughly 12.9mm thick. The Aquis's short lugs and curved case-to-bracelet integration do help it wear a bit more compactly than those numbers alone suggest, but it remains the larger watch of the two — this doesn't reverse for every wrist, so try both on rather than picking on diameter alone.

Is the Oris Aquis worth more than the Christopher Ward Trident?

That depends on what you value, not a resale calculation. If a more sculptural case, in-person buying and an authorised-dealer relationship matter to you up close, the premium is buying something real. If you weight thinness, bracelet adjustability and price more heavily, the Trident is the stronger case. We make no claim about future value for either watch.

Can you swim with the Christopher Ward Trident and Oris Aquis?

Yes, both exact models compared here are officially rated to 300m / 30 bar, which comfortably covers swimming and recreational water sports. That rating depends on the crown being fully screwed down, the case seals staying intact, and the watch being serviced according to the manufacturer's guidance — we make no ISO 6425 dive-certification claim for either reference, and neither should be treated as a certified tool for a specific diving activity without checking the maker's own documentation.