“Our twofold mission is to build the most mesmerising coloured everyday watches at affordable prices…and for a beautiful purpose. That purpose is to help 1+ million children & young people in need around the world by donating 10% of our profits to charities helping them.”
Edward Christopher is “a new British premium watch brand” that has won the international GOOD DESIGN Award for their first (as of now, only) watch, the Manta. The award comes 9 months after the brand was founded. The Manta is inspired by the Manta Ray.
The Manta is a 40 mm versatile guilloché sports & dive watch. It is presently available in 5 dial versions. It “was one of only two watch brands to win a GOOD DESIGN Award in the latest annual prize awarded to the “best of the best” in new global design for consumer products and other goods.”
Image: Sky Blue version. Header image: Royal blue version.
“Thousands of submissions were received from more than 56 countries. An international jury of design experts evaluated the submissions on four key design qualities:
- Product function
- Aesthetics
- Ease of use
- Responsibility & Sustainability
And, from a short list of over 4,500 submissions, the entries were then judged on nine criteria, including degree of innovation, functionality, formal quality, ergonomics, durability, ecological compatibility, and symbolic & emotional content.”
Image: Midnight Black version.
“The company’s Founder Seán Brickell said: “This is as flattering as it is unexpected – especially considering the global competition we were up against…and also because, when the award was announced, we’d only been in business 9 months!”
Image: Rose Red version.
“Due to feedback from our growing international customer base, the watch & lifestyle media, watch content creators & reviewers, and others we meet at watch fairs, we’ve been made to feel we’ve designed something special with the Manta. They love its mesmerising kaleidoscopic guilloché dial, in particular, as well as the strong colour range we’ve produced them in.”
Image: Forest Green version.
Key Features
Functions and Operation
Image: Royal Blue version. Same as header image.
Centre hours, minutes, and seconds.
Stop-seconds for precise time setting.
Crown at 2 o’clock is for the internal rotating unidirectional bezel. One must rotate the crown clockwise or anticlockwise.
Crown at 4 o’clock is for time setting. It operates via a push-pull mechanism.
Dial
Image: Midnight Black version dial closeup.
There are five dial versions. Sky Blue, Royal Blue, Midnight Black, Rose Red, and Forest Green.
All five colour-coded dials are “painted with a hydraulically stamped 3D kaleidoscope guilloché style pattern.”
Hour, minute, and seconds hands are custom made. They are painted matt black and white and coated with blue-green Super-LumiNova BGW9.
The 12 hour-markers are applied on the dial and coated with blue Super-LumiNova BGW9.
The numerals on the internal rotating unidirectional bezel are coated with blue-green Super-LumiNova BGW9.
Image: Bright Lume. The bezel numerals not yet lit up in this pic.
“EDWARD CHRISTOPHER” and the brand’s logo are displayed at 12 o’clock.
“AUTOMATIC” and 200M-660FT (in red) are displayed at 6 o’clock.
“BRITISH MADE” is displayed discreetly on the left and right of the 6 o’clock hour-marker.
Movement
Powered by Sellita SW200-1, a Swiss Made mechanical automatic movement. It drives the hours, minutes, seconds, and stop-seconds function.
Jewels: 26. Frequency: 28,800 vph or 4 Hz (according to online sources).
Power reserve: 38 hours.
Case and Strap
Image: Midnight Black version’s case details.
4-piece case is made from marine grade stainless steel 316L.
Diameter: 40 mm. Thickness: 11.30 mm.
Lug to Lug distance: 47.60 mm. Lug width: 26.18 mm.
Internal rotating unidirectional bezel is made from aluminium.
Dial side has a sapphire crystal that is flat, scratch resistant, and features triple coated with anti-glare coating on both sides. It “is fitted with hidden O-ring gaskets.”
Image: Sky Blue version caseback. Notice the quick-release mechanism for the strap.
Closed caseback is screwed to the main case. It features an embossed image of a manta ray and mentions “MANTA” on the centre. Typical watch text is engraved on the circular side.
Image: Colour coded crowns.
The crown at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock are colour coded. The 4 o’clock crown features the brand’s logo. Both crown’s “are fitted with triple O-ring waterproof gaskets.”
Water resistant up to 200 metres / 660 feet / 20 ATM.
Image: Sky Blue version wristshot.
Watch comes with a “custom made quick-release 2-piece FKM vulcanised rubber strap with 2 keepers fitted with a branded stainless steel buckle. Fits wrist sizes: 13 cm-20 cm.”
FKM is short for Fluorine Kautschuk Material and is a fluorine-based rubber, known for its high density, great temperature resistance and stability, especially when exposed to all kinds of chemicals. The strap colour is the same as each individual version’s dial.
Our Thoughts
My first impressions of both the brand and the watch are positive. A horological startup with a charitable mission that has created a sports and dive watch with impressive features that highlight an abundance of thought and execution. All at an affordable price point. The world of watchmaking always benefits with brands such as Edward Christopher. We look forward to other dial versions of the Manta, subsequent models, and do a hands-on review of the Manta.
Image: My personal favourite, the Sky Blue version.
We congratulate the Edward Christopher team on winning the GOOD DESIGN Award and wish them all the best for the future.
Additional Details
Name: Manta – Sky Blue
Price: Great Britan Pounds (GBP): 875 / United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED): 4002
Limited to 100 pieces.
Name: Manta – Royal Blue
Price: Great Britain Pounds (GBP): 875 / United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED): 4002
Limited to 100 pieces.
Name: Manta – Midnight Black
Price: Great Britain Pounds (GBP): 875 / United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED): 4002
Limited to 100 pieces.
Name: Manta – Rose Red
Price: Great Britain Pounds (GBP): 875 / United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED): 4002
Limited to 100 pieces.
Name: Manta – Forest Green
Price: Great Britain Pounds (GBP): 875 / United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED): 4002
Limited to 100 pieces.
Image: The Manta presentation box.
“While the vast majority of packaging for high end and luxury watches is voluminous and makes an often appealing and grand design and size statement, we’ve chosen instead to make a greater packaging statement!
Because ours is based on a reduced use of packaging (we try to use as much recycled paper and cardboard as possible) while keeping up the highest practical and style standards.
So, your watch is still beautifully presented on a cream cushion in our elegant box (in the Edward Christopher brand colour) that contains everything else you need: your cloth watch bag, your watch cloth and your warranty card, as well as the styled protective elements. All contained in one smaller, but still beautifully packaged presentation box.”
Please visit the Edward Christopher website and Instagram page for more information and online ordering.
Photo Credits: Edward Christopher website.
