Words: Charlie Thomas
London watchmaker, Christopher Ward, celebrates its ten-year anniversary with what is arguably one of the most radical innovations by a British watch company in the last half century.
The release of their new timepiece, the C9 Harrison 5 Day Automatic, would is notable enough to warrant its own write-up, but within the watch houses something particularly special. Lurking beneath the stainless steel case is the Calibre SH21 – the company’s first in-house movement. Making its debut in the C9 Harrison, it will pave the way for the forward-thinking, London-based brand, who hope to build upon its foundations in the future, creating more complicated variations.
Christopher Ward have teamed up with long time supplier, Synergies Horlogeres, to create this innovative movement, the likes of which is rarely seen at such an affordable price tag, let alone from a relatively new British brand. Constructed with a top quality hand finish that is normally reserved for watches of a much higher price point, the SH21 movement is a huge step forward for Christopher Ward.
Thankfully, the watches design doesn’t let down its technical brilliance. The clean, functional design, the 5 Day Automatic is similar to the rest of the revered C9 Harrison range. As such, it boasts a stylishly minimal aesthetic, which is both modest in its simplicity but elegant in its slim hour markers and Roman numerals at the twelve and six positions. The redesigned hands are a focal point too, offering an almost surgical-like precision and accuracy.
However, perhaps the most impressive part about the C9 Harrison 5 Day Automatic is the price point and, coming in at £1,500, Christopher Ward really are setting the bar on in-house affordable movements.
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