Reviewer: Don aka Tattoo Chef
Watch provided on loan for review.
Watch Being Reviewed: Christopher Ward C900 HARRISON SINGLE PUSHER CHRONOGRAPH
Company Website: http://www.christopherward-usa.com/
About/History: The Christopher Ward watch company was founded on a boat on the River Thames in 2004 by Mike France, Chris Ward and Peter Ellis. From the start this has always been about finding a way for everyone to enjoy the truly visceral pleasure derived from owning and wearing a premium quality Swiss made watch.
Having learned from insiders in the Swiss watch industry just how much of the cost of a typical luxury Swiss watch is marketing hype, the three friends set out on a mission to turn the traditional model on its head and create a revolution in watchmaking.
The phrase they instantly came up with that encapsulated the mission they were about to embark on was that they wanted to create..."the cheapest most expensive watches in the world."
Chris was the man with the watch making expertise, Mike and Peter, who previously owned the renowned Early Learning Centre chain of educational toy stores, brought the retail know-how.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/christopherwardwatches?fref=ts
Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/ChrisWardLondon
Description:
"The C900 Single Pusher Chronograph is beyond question our most complicated watch to date and will make an entirely new level of sophistication accessible to more people than ever before because of the unique Christopher Ward value equation.
However, it's the magnificence of the movement that really moves me. I was completely transfixed when I first saw what Johannes Jahnke had accomplished and I don't mind admitting that I almost cried with a combination of joy and pride. We may produce even more complicated watches in the future but the C900 will always be a very special watch for me".
Chris Ward.
Specs:
Bespoke Unitas 6497 hand-wound mechanical chronograph by Johannes Jahnke with Jean Fillon
40 hour power reserve
Continuous seconds and 30 minute totaliser sub-dials operated through central crown function
Worldwide limited edition of 250 pieces
Personally assembled by master watchmaker, Johannes Jahnke
Handfinished, surgical grade, stainless steel case and crown
Museum-grade sapphire crystal with AR08 coating
Optic white one-piece 3-9 bi-compax dial
Screw-down transparent case back with full diameter anti-reflective crystal
Serial number engraved on both case and movement
Premium Louisiana alligator deployment strap
Personalised authenticity certificate signed by Johannes Jahnke
Luxury presentation case and owners handbook
Diameter: 43mm
Height: 15.9mm
Calibre: JJ02, hand-wound chronograph, highly modified from Unitas 6497
Vibrations: 18,000 vph
Case: 316L stainless steel
Water resistance: 5 atm/50 metres
Strap: CITES approved, premium Louisana alligator deployment strap
5 YEAR MOVEMENT GUARANTEE
Price:$3,365
Watch provided on loan for review.
Watch Being Reviewed: Christopher Ward C900 HARRISON SINGLE PUSHER CHRONOGRAPH
Company Website: http://www.christopherward-usa.com/
About/History: The Christopher Ward watch company was founded on a boat on the River Thames in 2004 by Mike France, Chris Ward and Peter Ellis. From the start this has always been about finding a way for everyone to enjoy the truly visceral pleasure derived from owning and wearing a premium quality Swiss made watch.
Having learned from insiders in the Swiss watch industry just how much of the cost of a typical luxury Swiss watch is marketing hype, the three friends set out on a mission to turn the traditional model on its head and create a revolution in watchmaking.
The phrase they instantly came up with that encapsulated the mission they were about to embark on was that they wanted to create..."the cheapest most expensive watches in the world."
Chris was the man with the watch making expertise, Mike and Peter, who previously owned the renowned Early Learning Centre chain of educational toy stores, brought the retail know-how.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/christopherwardwatches?fref=ts
Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/ChrisWardLondon
Description:
"The C900 Single Pusher Chronograph is beyond question our most complicated watch to date and will make an entirely new level of sophistication accessible to more people than ever before because of the unique Christopher Ward value equation.
However, it's the magnificence of the movement that really moves me. I was completely transfixed when I first saw what Johannes Jahnke had accomplished and I don't mind admitting that I almost cried with a combination of joy and pride. We may produce even more complicated watches in the future but the C900 will always be a very special watch for me".
Chris Ward.
Specs:
Bespoke Unitas 6497 hand-wound mechanical chronograph by Johannes Jahnke with Jean Fillon
40 hour power reserve
Continuous seconds and 30 minute totaliser sub-dials operated through central crown function
Worldwide limited edition of 250 pieces
Personally assembled by master watchmaker, Johannes Jahnke
Handfinished, surgical grade, stainless steel case and crown
Museum-grade sapphire crystal with AR08 coating
Optic white one-piece 3-9 bi-compax dial
Screw-down transparent case back with full diameter anti-reflective crystal
Serial number engraved on both case and movement
Premium Louisiana alligator deployment strap
Personalised authenticity certificate signed by Johannes Jahnke
Luxury presentation case and owners handbook
Diameter: 43mm
Height: 15.9mm
Calibre: JJ02, hand-wound chronograph, highly modified from Unitas 6497
Vibrations: 18,000 vph
Case: 316L stainless steel
Water resistance: 5 atm/50 metres
Strap: CITES approved, premium Louisana alligator deployment strap
5 YEAR MOVEMENT GUARANTEE
Price:$3,365
First Impressions:
When I opened the box, I was shocked at the large size of the watch. Not that this is an over sized watch by any means, but appears much bigger than your average dress style watch. For many who know me and the type of watches I normally wear, this is not exactly in my wheelhouse. With that said I honestly was captivated by this watch at first inspection. While it may be very similar in appearance to a certain high end brand, at that point it didn't matter if it was an homage, I just wanted to soak in the beauty and class of this mono pusher.
Packaging:Very substantial packaging. I think the box weighs about 2 lbs. Outer white cardboard box with , inside is a huge padded leather covered wood box, and inside the watch sits on a vinyl watch pillow. The packaging is very adequate , but is bigger than it probably needs to be and I think with this being CW's first upscale model, maybe I would have liked to have seen a nice lacquered walnut wood box. Presentation and packaging is not a big deal, more so that it is safely packaged for transit, but it still would have been a nice touch. That said, it is still nice packaging.
When I opened the box, I was shocked at the large size of the watch. Not that this is an over sized watch by any means, but appears much bigger than your average dress style watch. For many who know me and the type of watches I normally wear, this is not exactly in my wheelhouse. With that said I honestly was captivated by this watch at first inspection. While it may be very similar in appearance to a certain high end brand, at that point it didn't matter if it was an homage, I just wanted to soak in the beauty and class of this mono pusher.
Packaging:Very substantial packaging. I think the box weighs about 2 lbs. Outer white cardboard box with , inside is a huge padded leather covered wood box, and inside the watch sits on a vinyl watch pillow. The packaging is very adequate , but is bigger than it probably needs to be and I think with this being CW's first upscale model, maybe I would have liked to have seen a nice lacquered walnut wood box. Presentation and packaging is not a big deal, more so that it is safely packaged for transit, but it still would have been a nice touch. That said, it is still nice packaging.
Dial:There is no doubt that the dial is very comparable to a certain high end brand. With that said though, it is a beautiful white simplistic dial, with no more on it than needs to be. Roman numerals for the 12 and 6 , large hash marks in between , hash second marks all around the dial and two subdials, one for the constant second hand and one for the 30 minute chronograph. You have your 3 hands, hour, minute, and chronograph second, Christopher Ward signature at the top and the movement caliber above the 6. Overall a very elegant and striking white dial, and in this case, simple is beautiful.
Case dimensions:Case 43mm
Thickness 15.9mm
Crown 8mm
Dial 38mm
Lug 20mm, strap tapers to 17mm
Lug to Lug 51mm
weight 105 grams
Case, Bezel and Crystal:The case is your typical round style dress case, but on steroids as I like to say. A very beefy case for this style of watch at 15.9mm. The outer bezel area is high polished, and so is the outer edge of the case back, with a fine brush finish on the center of the case. I love the contrasting finishes , and feel it makes the watch pop a little more . I think it also makes it not seem as thick as it is, as opposed to if it was all brushed or all polished . The lugs have a very nice curve to them, and for the brief time I wore it, I did not have any issues with it digging into my wrist, and it lays very well on the wrist as you will see in the wrists shots down below. A very pronounced crown engraved with the CW logo sits at the 3 o clock position, the crown is very sturdy and easy to grip to set the time and wind. One issue is, there s no indent on the underside of the crown to be able to pull it out easily. It does take a nail to get underneath the crown to be able to pull it out , and can be a bit difficult.
The crystal is a slightly domed sapphire crystal, that has a great AR coating to it, making it very easy to tell the time at almost all angles.
Thickness 15.9mm
Crown 8mm
Dial 38mm
Lug 20mm, strap tapers to 17mm
Lug to Lug 51mm
weight 105 grams
Case, Bezel and Crystal:The case is your typical round style dress case, but on steroids as I like to say. A very beefy case for this style of watch at 15.9mm. The outer bezel area is high polished, and so is the outer edge of the case back, with a fine brush finish on the center of the case. I love the contrasting finishes , and feel it makes the watch pop a little more . I think it also makes it not seem as thick as it is, as opposed to if it was all brushed or all polished . The lugs have a very nice curve to them, and for the brief time I wore it, I did not have any issues with it digging into my wrist, and it lays very well on the wrist as you will see in the wrists shots down below. A very pronounced crown engraved with the CW logo sits at the 3 o clock position, the crown is very sturdy and easy to grip to set the time and wind. One issue is, there s no indent on the underside of the crown to be able to pull it out easily. It does take a nail to get underneath the crown to be able to pull it out , and can be a bit difficult.
The crystal is a slightly domed sapphire crystal, that has a great AR coating to it, making it very easy to tell the time at almost all angles.
Case back and Movement:The case back shows off the gorgeous movement of the watch.
While the movement is of course the crown jewel not only of the case back but of this watch, the rest of the back is very simple. The high polished steel outer edge is engraved with Swiss Made and the serial number at the very bottom. This being the sample piece it is 000/000. I believe they were going for the minimalistic design, so I don't see that being any different on the production models. The case back is is listed as a screw down case back. As you can see, there are four screws , one at each corner of the stainless back. I do not believe the actual case back is threaded at all, but that these 4 screws are holding down the back. Now while you can see in the photos it looks very secure, even though this is not a dive watch , sport watch or any kind of watch that you would be subjecting abuse to, I think having a threaded case back would make it more secure and give more piece of mind. I believe this would look better as well, as the screws do look a little out of place, taking away from the clean aesthetic of the watch. Also as was pointed out to me by Mark(Andrema) the screw slots do not line up with each other. In reality , not a big deal, but at the price point of this watch, something you would like to see. I believe that this is because it is the sample model, and hope that production pieces all are lined up perfectly.
Here is an excerpt about what is done to this movement, and what makes it so special:
This new movement has taken almost three years to develop following Jahnke's discovery of a prototype chronograph in 2009 which was based on the well known Unitas 6497 calibre. Jahnke was immediately taken with the thinking behind the mechanism, recognising similarities with the single pusher movement he had developed at Lang & Heyne for the aforementioned King Albert single pusher chronograph.
Jahnke did not, however, want to realise this new mechanism entirely alone and it is for that reason that he sought the collaboration of Fillon, whose knowledge of creating and manufacturing parts for chronograph movements had become the stuff of legend.
Working together, the pair deconstructed the Unitas base and effectively re-designed its chronograph function with hand-drawn, annotated sketches that enabled Jahnke to then reconstruct the module using a CAD programme. The result was an extensively reworked movement with a new main plate, bridges, winding mechanism, centre and second wheels.
A swan neck adjustment system was added and a clean, uncluttered dial designed at the Christopher Ward studio that allows for the inclusion of a continuous seconds sub-dial and a 30-minute totaliser. Inverting the watch, however, reveals the beauty of the new movement in all its glory. A wide transparent case back allows the function of each component to be seen from the instant the single push piece is depressed to activate the clutch, sliding gear and intermediate wheel which engage the minute counter. Press the pusher again and the clutch separates, a brake lever is activated and the minute counter instantly stops.
The full story on this collaboration and this movement can be read here:
http://www.christopherward-usa.com/singlepusherarticle.html
While the movement is of course the crown jewel not only of the case back but of this watch, the rest of the back is very simple. The high polished steel outer edge is engraved with Swiss Made and the serial number at the very bottom. This being the sample piece it is 000/000. I believe they were going for the minimalistic design, so I don't see that being any different on the production models. The case back is is listed as a screw down case back. As you can see, there are four screws , one at each corner of the stainless back. I do not believe the actual case back is threaded at all, but that these 4 screws are holding down the back. Now while you can see in the photos it looks very secure, even though this is not a dive watch , sport watch or any kind of watch that you would be subjecting abuse to, I think having a threaded case back would make it more secure and give more piece of mind. I believe this would look better as well, as the screws do look a little out of place, taking away from the clean aesthetic of the watch. Also as was pointed out to me by Mark(Andrema) the screw slots do not line up with each other. In reality , not a big deal, but at the price point of this watch, something you would like to see. I believe that this is because it is the sample model, and hope that production pieces all are lined up perfectly.
Here is an excerpt about what is done to this movement, and what makes it so special:
This new movement has taken almost three years to develop following Jahnke's discovery of a prototype chronograph in 2009 which was based on the well known Unitas 6497 calibre. Jahnke was immediately taken with the thinking behind the mechanism, recognising similarities with the single pusher movement he had developed at Lang & Heyne for the aforementioned King Albert single pusher chronograph.
Jahnke did not, however, want to realise this new mechanism entirely alone and it is for that reason that he sought the collaboration of Fillon, whose knowledge of creating and manufacturing parts for chronograph movements had become the stuff of legend.
Working together, the pair deconstructed the Unitas base and effectively re-designed its chronograph function with hand-drawn, annotated sketches that enabled Jahnke to then reconstruct the module using a CAD programme. The result was an extensively reworked movement with a new main plate, bridges, winding mechanism, centre and second wheels.
A swan neck adjustment system was added and a clean, uncluttered dial designed at the Christopher Ward studio that allows for the inclusion of a continuous seconds sub-dial and a 30-minute totaliser. Inverting the watch, however, reveals the beauty of the new movement in all its glory. A wide transparent case back allows the function of each component to be seen from the instant the single push piece is depressed to activate the clutch, sliding gear and intermediate wheel which engage the minute counter. Press the pusher again and the clutch separates, a brake lever is activated and the minute counter instantly stops.
The full story on this collaboration and this movement can be read here:
http://www.christopherward-usa.com/singlepusherarticle.html
Alligator Strap: The Louisiana alligator strap is a black padded alligator strap with a suede backing. It is marked genuine alligator and has a signed Christopher Ward dual deployant clasp. It also has quick change pins , which is nice if you want to make easy strap changes. I think this is a very nice strap for this watch and it balances very nice on the wrist. The strap should fit up to an 8" wrist no problem, but anything more than that, and you will have to look for an after market strap. One thing I want to point out is the lack of engraving or perlage work done to the deployant clasp. It is a highly polished clasp, but no CW engraving or decoration of any kind. While this of course adds no function to the watch, I feel it would have been a nice touch , and make it feel a little more high end.
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