What We Know
Cabot Watch Company (better known as CWC) has launched a new take on its classic military-spec dive watch, this time inspired by some of the earliest watches CWC supplied to the British Ministry of Defense. The result is the CWC Navy Eighty CD-1 Diver, which blends one of the most sought-after and rare early CWC unit watches with a host of modern updates to make for a compelling — and spec-heavy — take on a classic formula.
At a high level, this latest release from CWC is not a radical departure from previous CWC offerings. You still get the familiar (and wonderful) 41mm fixed-bar Royal Navy Diver case, with its shrouded crown, chunky rounded lugs, and broad, grippy bezel. You also still get the familiar dial layout originally prescribed by the MOD for watches in the 1950s, plus a handful of vintage-inspired details that help the watch stand apart from the standard Royal Navy Diver available today.
These include a handset as close as I’ve seen to the original 1980 CWC-issued divers, including the diamond-tipped luminous seconds hand (a feature largely replaced over the years by a Speedmaster-style teardrop second’s hand) and an old-school, non-serif, non-oval CWC logo. There are big changes here, but they largely come down to finishing and material choices.
Possibly the most dramatic update is the move to applied markers with metal surrounds, but the switch to a ceramic bezel is also impactful. To my knowledge, this is the first time CWC has used a ceramic bezel on a Royal Navy Diver, and it should appeal to a small (but vocal) contingent of potential buyers for whom an aluminum bezel has been a real barrier to entry. The addition of new dial text at 6 o’clock and the use of X1 Super-Luminova in various shades (namely, Light Vintage, Vintage, and BGW9) further serve to set these watches apart from their vintage counterparts.
Inside the Navy Eighty CD-1, you get a Sellita SW200-1 Top Grade automatic movement, chosen as a spiritual and practical successor to the ETA movements originally used in CWC-issued divers. It’s a practical choice and suits the Navy Eighty CD-1.
The CWC Navy Eighty CD-1 is available in five different configurations. These are split across two base colors and differ by the color of luminous material and the finishing on the hands and surrounds of dial furniture. If you opt for the black Navy Eighty CD-1, you get Light Vintage colored lume with either white or silver hands. If you go blue, you can have either silver hands with BGW9 lume, or white hands with your choice of Vintage or BGW9 lume. The black watches come on a black single-pass ribbed strap with a tan centerline, while the blue watches come fitted with a navy blue stretch nylon strap.
Pricing for all five configurations is consistent: £2,500 (or £2,083.33 — about $2,700 — without VAT). The CWC Navy Eighty CD-1 isn’t limited, but it’s produced in small batches, so if you don’t jump, you may have to wait a while to get your hands on one.
What We Think
It’s been a minute since we properly covered a watch from CWC, but please don’t take our lack of coverage as a lack of interest. Actually, I’d hazard a guess that if you polled the Hodinkee office, you’d find CWC is, by and large, a brand that earns serious praise on our team. What they aren’t is a brand that plays actively in the novelty game. In fact, there is a credible argument that if CWC were constantly dropping new models for us to cover, they’d be something other than the brand so many of us admire.
CWC is a brand built to be steadfast and reliable in their offering. This is a company built on MOD watches, and the expectations that come with that are clear: a consistent, stable lineup of rock-solid watches on offer so that whenever the Ministry of Defense needs the next batch of divers or field watches, they know exactly what they’re getting. That we, as civilians, are allowed to get in on the fun occasionally is just a pleasant concession.
This reality does mean, though, that it is worth noticing when CWC does something expressly geared towards the consumer market, and I think with the Navy Eighty CD-1, they’ve managed to strike an interesting chord in blending their most vintage of styling with a lot of the modern “quality of life” features a certain class of enthusiast seem to demand these days. On paper (and in photos), I’m inclined to think they’ve largely succeeded in walking that tightrope, and I am certain this will be the CWC to own for many who haven’t quite connected with previous offerings from the brand, and that it will be a great next CWC to own for those at the other end of things.
The Basics
Brand: CWC
Model: Navy Eighty CD-1
Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 12.7mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Dial Color: Blue or Black
Indexes: Applied luminous markers.
Lume: Yes, X1 Super-Luminova on hands and markers.
Water Resistance: Yes, 300m
Strap/Bracelet: Fixed bar construction for pass-through straps. Comes with either a navy stretch strap or a black ribbed single pass strap with a tan centerline.
The Movement
Caliber: Sellita SW200-1, Top Grade
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds.
Winding: Automatic
Pricing & Availability
Price: £2,500 (£2,083.33 without VAT)
Availability: Available now through CWC.
Limited Edition: No, but low production.
For more, click here.
