Christopher Ward The Twelve 38 Nordic Blue

Christopher Ward's 38 mm integrated-bracelet watch in Nordic Blue: 9.95 mm, Sellita SW200-2 Power+ with 65 h, date, 100 m. €1,555 on the bracelet. My #1 watch on the radar.

Table of Contents

Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward The Twelve 38 in steel with a Nordic Blue dial: a textured pattern of small pyramids, polished faceted indices, the twin-flags logo at 12, AUTOMATIC under the centre and a colour-matched date at 6, on its integrated tapered bracelet
The Twelve 38 in Nordic Blue on the steel bracelet, reference C12-38ADA1-S00B3-B0.

The Twelve 38 is the middle size of Christopher Ward's integrated-bracelet watch, The Twelve. It has the same 12-sided case and bracelet as the 660 I like so much, see Christopher Ward The Twelve 660, but it keeps the 2 things the 660 drops: a seconds hand and a date. Since autumn 2026 it also runs on Sellita's new SW200-2 Power+, with 65 hours of power reserve.

Overview

  • What it is: a 38 mm steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet, in the 1970s tradition of the Royal Oak and the Nautilus. Automatic, 3 hands and date.
  • What stands out: the Nordic Blue dial with its 3D pyramid pattern, the bezel finished 3 ways, and a bracelet with a micro-adjust clasp.
  • Price: €1,555 on the steel bracelet, as shown to a visitor in Germany on 21st October 2026. The page lists it as pre-order, with free delivery and 60 days of free returns.
  • Value: the specs of a much more expensive watch (100 m, screw-down crown, display back, 65 h) for about €1,500.

Specifications
Reference C12-38ADA1-S00B3-B0 (Nordic Blue, steel bracelet)
Case Stainless steel, 12-sided, sandblasted, polished and linear-brushed
Diameter 38 mm
Thickness 9.95 mm
Lug to lug 43.3 mm
Bracelet 23.3 mm at the case, tapering to 17 mm, single links, screw links
Clasp Butterfly clasp with micro-adjust, 1.5 mm per side, 3 mm in total
Weight 60 g for the case, 157 g on the bracelet
Crystal Sapphire, anti-reflective, plus a screw-down sapphire display back
Water resistance 10 ATM (100 m), screw-down crown
Movement Sellita SW200-2 Power+, automatic, Swiss made
Movement data 26 jewels, 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 65 h typical, 60 h minimum
Accuracy -5/+12 seconds a day, regulated by Christopher Ward
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, date at 6
Lume Super-LumiNova X1 BL C1 on the hands and indices
Warranty 60 months on the movement, 60 days of free returns

Dials and straps

The 38 mm comes with 3 dials on this page: Nordic Blue, Glacier Blue (a pale ice blue) and White. Each is available on the steel bracelet or on The Twelve rubber strap in black, white or light blue. The bracelet and the rubber share a quick-release system. Engraving costs €40 and a bracelet resize to your wrist size €15.

The Nordic Blue Twelve 38 on a man's wrist against a dark background, the bracelet sitting close and the case not overhanging the wrist
On the wrist: 43.3 mm lug to lug, the same as the 660.

Background

The Twelve, then the 38

Christopher Ward launched The Twelve in 2023 in 40 mm, then added a 36 mm. Customers kept asking for the size in between. The 38 mm arrived on 20th February 2025, in Nordic Blue, Glacier Blue, Arctic White and a Midnight Sun dial only for this size. At launch it cost US$1,225 on the bracelet, with a Sellita SW200-1 and 38 hours of power reserve.

The designer is Will Brackfield. The dial pattern is made of small pyramids that echo the "plus" shapes of the twin-flags logo. 6 exposed screws hold the 12-sided caseback surround: a nod to the Royal Oak.

Macro view of the Nordic Blue dial: rows of small raised pyramids in several shades of blue, polished faceted hands and indices, the white twin-flags logo and the word AUTOMATIC
The pyramid pattern catches the light differently at every angle.

The 2026 movement upgrade

In February 2026 Sellita announced the SW200-2 Power+: same size, same 4 Hz, but 65 hours of power reserve instead of 38. Christopher Ward put it first into the C63 Sealander in April 2026, then into The Twelve and the Trident Reef. Gear Patrol reported the new Twelve on 28th September 2026, starting at US$1,350, about US$140 more than before.

The changes for The Twelve:

  • 65 hours of power reserve: it survives a weekend off the wrist. The old 38 hours was the main criticism of reviewers, Time+Tide included.
  • Better accuracy: -5/+12 seconds a day, regulated in-house.
  • A new skeletonised rotor, sandblasted with raised Christopher Ward text.

That is probably why the Nordic Blue 38 shows as pre-order: the Power+ version is new stock.

The caseback of the Twelve 38 through the sapphire display back: the SW200-2 Power+ movement with a skeletonised rotor engraved Christopher Ward, the 12-sided surround with 6 screws, and the words Swiss Made, Stainless Steel and 10 ATM
The SW200-2 Power+ and its new rotor, behind 6 exposed screws.

Against the 660 and its siblings

Watch Size Movement Seconds, date Water resistance Price (DE)
The Twelve 38 38 mm, 9.95 mm Automatic SW200-2 Power+, 65 h Yes, yes 100 m €1,555
The Twelve 660 38 mm, 6.6 mm Hand-wound SW210, 42 h No, no 30 m €1,925
The Twelve 40 40 mm, 9.95 mm Automatic Yes, yes 100 m €1,555
Nomos Club Sport 37 mm, 8.3 mm In-house automatic DUW 3001 Yes, no 200 m ~€2,800

The 38 and the 660 share the diameter and the 43.3 mm lug to lug. The 38 is 3.35 mm thicker and nearly twice as heavy on the bracelet (157 g against 85 g). In return it adds seconds, a date, automatic winding, 70 m of water resistance and a micro-adjust clasp, for €370 less. The Nomos is thinner and has an in-house movement, at almost twice the price, see Nomos Club Sport neomatik.

Three-quarter view of the Nordic Blue Twelve 38 on a black background, showing the 12-sided bezel, the screw-down crown at 3 and the polished chamfers of the case
Sandblasted, polished and brushed surfaces on the bezel alone.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • The size: 38 mm with a 43.3 mm lug to lug suits most wrists. T3 called it "the Goldilocks watch" of the range.
  • The dial: 1 reviewer called Nordic Blue the prettiest of the colours. The pyramid texture keeps it alive in any light, and the date wheel matches the dial.
  • The bracelet: tapered from 23 mm to 17 mm, screw links and a micro-adjust clasp. Time+Tide called the bracelet "simply superb".
  • Everyday toughness: 100 m, a screw-down crown and 65 hours of power reserve.
  • Finishing above the price: 3 finishes on the bezel, faceted indices, a decorated rotor.

Cons:

  • Sellita inside: a good movement, but the same base as in watches at half the price.
  • 9.95 mm and 157 g: fine for a sports watch, but it won't slip under a cuff like the 660.
  • The textured dial is busier than the 660's flat grained dial. It is a sports watch dial, not a dress dial.
  • The price keeps moving: US$1,225 at launch in February 2025, US$1,350 and up after the Power+ upgrade.
  • Pre-order: no stock in Germany on 21st October 2026, so expect a wait.

Who it's for

People who want one integrated-bracelet watch for everything: office, weekend, travel and a swim. At 38 mm it suits small and medium wrists especially well, and it doesn't look small on a larger one.

Nordic Blue works with grey, navy, white and denim. It is brighter and more playful than the 660's deep navy. On the rubber strap it turns into a summer watch.

Buying considerations

  • Where: only directly from Christopher Ward, with free delivery and 60 days of free returns.
  • Bracelet: take the bracelet. It is the point of the watch, and the micro-adjust clasp gives 3 mm of play for warm days. Order the €15 resize with your exact wrist size.
  • See it first: there is no showroom in Germany or France. The nearest is in Mayfair, London (2 Mill Street, W1S 2AT), with others in Maidenhead and Liverpool. The full options are in the 660 note, see Christopher Ward The Twelve 660. From Munich, the practical route is to order it and use the 60-day return window as a try-on at home.
  • Alternatives: the 660 for a real dress watch, or the Nomos Club Sport neomatik for an in-house movement.
The Twelve 38 in the dark, with the hands and indices glowing blue-green from the Super-LumiNova X1 BL C1
Super-LumiNova X1 BL C1 on the hands and indices.

Verdict

21 Oct 2026 my #1 watch on the radar.

The Twelve 38 in Nordic Blue is the closest thing to my perfect watch that I have found. It takes the design I love in the blue 660 (the 12-sided case, the bracelet, the blue dial) and adds back what the 660 leaves out: a seconds hand, a date, automatic winding and 100 m. With the Power+ movement, the last real weakness, the 38-hour power reserve, is gone.

What I give up against the 660 is the 6.6 mm profile and the quieter flat dial. I am not sure the thinnest watch is what I want, so that trade works for me.

Next to my Sinn 856 UTC (see Sinn 856 S UTC), it would be the polished one: same size class, but integrated, blue and dressier. Before I order, I want to see the Nordic Blue next to the 660 in Mayfair, or order it and use the 60 days.

Low front view of the Nordic Blue Twelve 38 on a black background, the light picking out the pyramid texture of the dial and the polished bevel of the bezel
Nordic Blue from a low angle.
Close-up of the edge of the Twelve 38: the brushed and polished bezel facets, the colour-matched date window at 6 and the transition to the first bracelet link
The date at 6, colour-matched to the dial.

Further Reading

The Twelve 38mm Nordic Blue | Christopher Ward
Product page, specifications and configurator
https://www.christopherward.com/the-twelve/C12-38ADA1-S00B3-B0.html
Christopher Ward releases The Twelve 38, a Goldilocks-sized take on its integrated sports watch
Time+Tide, launch article, 20 Feb 2025
https://timeandtidewatches.com/christopher-ward-the-twelve-38-introducing/
Christopher Ward's Trident Reef and The Twelve get the Sellita Power+ upgrade
Gear Patrol, 28 Sep 2026
https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/chrsitopher-ward-trident-reef-the-twelve-sellita-power-plus-upgrade/
NicAI
Written by NicAI, Nic's AI assistant, for his personal knowledge base. Researched and drafted by the model, not hand-written by Nic. Verify anything you plan to act on.