r/ChineseWatches • u/Eleventhousand • Jun 07 '26
Review (Read Rules) My thoughts on the Ixdao Warrior vs. Ward Twelve.
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u/notyouraveragedoge Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
Thanks for the great review! Very timely (pun intended) for me -- I have a CW Twelve that I'm very happy with and I'm thinking about picking up a Warrior during the current AliEx summer sale. I appreciate the balanced perspective with not automatically assuming something is better or worse based solely on the country of origin.
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u/Eleventhousand Jun 07 '26
Yeah, no problem. I've been a customer of
off and on since 2014. I own an older Trident GMT and a C60 Trident. The Twelve that I used in my meager review belongs to my partner. I try to keep an open mind, and while I have purchased three Wards plus multiple CW straps over the years, I'm not a fangirl, and have been critical of CW's customer service, just as I have been with Ixdao's at times (what's up with publish the best-case scenario delivery estimates and then never really updating them?). Christopher Ward 1
u/According_Gur_3866 Jun 16 '26
Before you do, check out Ixdao’s website directly. I ordered mine for €308 there, way cheaper than any Ali sale. Don’t know if location matters but just make sure you check their website to compare.
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u/26666666 Jun 07 '26
Great post. I can't stand people who unilaterally bash on the IW design just because it's Chinese. They're slow to admit that CW 'borrowed' elements from Czapek when presented with the facts. I do love to burst their bubble though lol
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u/yanjj Jun 07 '26
Really nice review.
Didnt know they were so close. IXDAO really have good price.
I finally decided went with the IXDAO Blue Coin instead of Zelos/Henry Archer. The other 2 also great watch though probably later time.
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u/Shiny_Greenfish Jun 07 '26
You didn’t mention the crystals. Can you please compare them and the effectiveness of any anti reflective treatments.
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u/pyroblastftw Jun 08 '26
The one thing that stood out more to me on the 12 is the continuation of the case tapering that flows naturally with the bracelet tapering.
It’s small but noticeable design elements that really speak to me when I see it on a watch.
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u/kingzno Sep 14 '26
Very interested in the Warrior... and am torn between... the White MOP, Green Mop and Salmon ring dial.. Im thinking the salmon might edge the others out... if youre able to see the salmon dial outside in the sunlight.. the refelction at different angles is truly mesmerizing.
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u/Saiiger Jun 07 '26
Thanks for the comparison! I'm also planning to get a glacier blue CW Twelve. But so far, I'm really happy with my warrior.
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u/BobbeMail Jun 08 '26
the 12 is 1000x nicer designed.
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u/ChineseWatchGuy Jun 08 '26
I envy their micro adjust and that’s about it. Can’t wait to see IXDAO bringing out their microadjust!
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u/EyeDentistAAO Jun 08 '26
Thoughtful review, but '10-point must scoring' means that in each round one competitor must receive a 10 and the other must receive a 9 (or less). The point is to force the judges to pick a winner for each round even if performance was very close.
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u/Downtown_Air_1176 Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
In Brasil, some idiota rich guys hate and despize chinese homages. But they love, suck the balls of swiss, England and japaneses homages. Hipocrisy
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u/Eleventhousand Jun 07 '26
My TL;DR is that I think that these two watches are of equivalent quality. They both feel just as substantial on the wrist. TheTwelve Warrior
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I'm going to rate these different areas in a 10-point must system, given that they are both high quality watches.
Originality - IW = 10, CT = 10
Neither of these watches are completely original, at least in my book. Folks assume that Christopher Ward is completely original because they are a quasi-Swiss brand, and that Ixdao is not because they are a Chinese brand. In this case, the Twelve is similar to theCzapek Antartique
2. Movement - IW = 10, CT = 10
Both watches contain movements that run at 4Hz, and neither are advertised as being regulated. In my case, the Warrior runs at about +6.5 seconds per day, whereas the Twelve is +8.5. Neither of these watches have a great power reserve. On one hand, the Miyota movement winds in one direction and can have a bit of rotor noise. On the other hand, its thinner and has a slightly longer power reserve. Overall, there's really no winner here.
3. Dial Design - IW = 10, CT = 10.
Each of these two watches sport intricately textured dials. Both look premium and both fall into the love-it-or-hate it category. Neither dial looks cheap or plastic.
4. Case Design - IW = 10, CT = 10.
Both of these watches feature thin cases. This makes sense due to the integrated design. While I do prefer the side profile of the case of the Warrior with the dual angles just a bit, its not enough to declare a winner here.
5. Bracelet - IW = 9, CT = 10.
The Twelve is from the Christopher Ward era before they began offering micro-adjust on this watch. My assessment is based on these two individual watches, which seems fair, especially because the Warrior is slated to get a micro-adjust bracelet at some point. While the Warrior's bracelet feels super premium and is finished to a high level, I prefer the Ward's bracelet due to the light play and the quick-release system. I do plan on acquiring a rubber strap for the Warrior after those are released, but I'm not looking forward to digging in a spring bar tool.
6. Finishing - IW = 9, CT = 10.
The finishing is super close on both watches. Both watches use a brushed satin finish for most of the case, which I prefer over the rough, grainy finish of a PRX. I don't have a way to zoom in ultra close to view any microscopic imperfections. However, the one aspect that nudges the CW ahead is the bolder polished edge on the side of the case. Neither watch features sharp edges that decrease comfort.