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The Christopher Ward C900 Single Pusher Chronograph

By on September 27, 2012 in Christopher Ward

The Christopher Ward C900 Single Pusher Chronograph christopher ward

British retailer Christopher Ward has been on a roll as of late. They have announced a series of interesting watches like their first COSC certified watch the C50 Malvern, and the innovative and quite exclusive C9 Jumping Hour. Adding to their growing list of noteworthy watches, Christopher Ward has just announced a pre-order for their newest limited edition, the C900 Single Pusher Chronograph. Exhibiting a reserved and very elegant design, this new chronograph from Christopher Ward is just as cool inside as it is out. Sporting a movement modified by one Johannes Jahnke, the C900 uses an ETA/Unitas 6497 movement customized to feature a monopusher chronograph complication. A monopusher (or single pusher) allows the chronograph to be activated, paused and reset from a single button, which on the C900 is cleverly built into the crown.

The Christopher Ward C900 Single Pusher Chronograph christopher ward

The Christopher Ward C900 Single Pusher Chronograph christopher ward

The C900 features a 43mm case with a thickness of 15.7 mm so the size should suit nearly any wrist. Inside, the JJ02 hand wound calibre features traditional timekeeping with a sub-dial devoted to a 30 minute measure for the chronograph, and one to display the running seconds. The dial design is a mix of thin baton markers, roman numerals at six and twelve, and lovely needle-point hands. The effect is luxurious yet muted  and can be matched with either a black or brown leather strap.

The Christopher Ward C900 Single Pusher Chronograph christopher ward

Christopher Ward is producing just 250 examples of the C900 Single Pusher with a list price of £2,450 (~$3875), which is a truly astounding price for a mechanical monopusher chronograph. Consider the Bell and Ross WWI Monopusher which sells for ~$7500 USD, the Longines L27764213 Single Push-Piece Column Wheel Chronograph at $4550, or even the Corum Centro Monopusher which will set you back around $9,000. The monopusher chronograph is a rare and expensive complication so it's noteworthy that Christopher Ward has produced one, let alone an example for less than four thousand dollars and still backed by a five year warranty. For those in the market for an interesting, rare and great looking watch, the Christopher Ward C900 should definitely make the cut.

Written by James Stacey

About James Stacey

Writer, photographer and picky collector of watches. Thoroughly addicted to Google Reader, numerous podcasts, and more television than he would like to admit. James can generally be found in Vancouver, BC glued to his Macbook Pro and reading about watches or the latest camera gear.
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16 comments
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DG Cayse
DG Cayse

Agree about the tiny hour & minute hand legibility. Would like to see that bit solved by adding some lume;that would necessitate a bit larger platform and solve that 'read in the dark' problem.

I view this as a "trophy" addition to the CW line. Something added just because Mr. Ward wanted to ad it. I like the CW line and what they have brought to market. I am just a tad concerned about the ever rising prices - but thats the nature of the beast nowadays. They still offer plenty of watch for a good value.

I look for more focus in the future. But this is a fine example of craftsmanship and vision from the company.

DG Cayse
DG Cayse

Agree about the tiny hour & minute hand legibility. Would like to see that bit solved by adding some lume;that would necessitate a bit larger platform and solve that 'read in the dark' problem.I view this as a "trophy" addition to the CW line. Something added just because Mr. Ward wanted to ad it. I like the CW line and what they have brought to market. I am just a tad concerned about the ever rising prices - but thats the nature of the beast nowadays. They still offer plenty of watch for a good value.I look for more focus in the future. But this is a fine example of craftsmanship and vision from the company.

MarkCarson
MarkCarson

Elegant looking, but I have to wonder if those very thin hour and minute hands will be too hard to read.

otaking241
otaking241

Not predicting great success for a company marketing itself as a budget brand trying to suddenly go up-market. As a "halo" product this watch does impress, but aside from mono-pusher fanatics I don't see many people handing over their $3K for a brand who usually sells in the sub-$500 range. Good thing it's a limited edition.

cluedog12
cluedog12

Really great design, with two minor flaws:

1) minute counter subdial should feature detailed markings, not running seconds subdial

2) no sub-seconds markings along outer dial

The first flaw should be fixed, for sure. There is good reason to consider leaving the main dial as-is though because it is very clean.

Finally, the watch would be much more versatile if the case thickness could be reduced to the absolute minimum given the movement.

Kris C
Kris C

Bu8t the minute counter has 30 marks, and it's a 30-minute counter, so what more do you need? Unless you meantjhat the sub-seconds dial should not be more detailled than the chrono minutes - one is 60 and the other 30, so a blank sub seconds dial might look good. Shoop, anyone?

Also, the main dial has 60 marks, so not sure what else would be needed there for chrono seconds.

nateb123
nateb123

@Kris C 5 minute markers make reading a 30 minute subdial way easier.  If it's a 60 minute counter, then the relative position of the hand is good enough.  But 30?  I have a well-marked 30 minute chrono that still requires a double take because reading it isn't a direct carry over from a clock face.

cluedog12
cluedog12

Really great design, with two minor flaws:1) minute counter subdial should feature detailed markings, not running seconds subdial2) no sub-seconds markings along outer dialThe first flaw should be fixed, for sure. There is good reason to consider leaving the main dial as-is though because it is very clean.Finally, the watch would be much more versatile if the case thickness could be reduced to the absolute minimum given the movement.

Kris C
Kris C

Bu8t the minute counter has 30 marks, and it's a 30-minute counter, so what more do you need? Unless you meantjhat the sub-seconds dial should not be more detailled than the chrono minutes - one is 60 and the other 30, so a blank sub seconds dial might look good. Shoop, anyone? Also, the main dial has 60 marks, so not sure what else would be needed there for chrono seconds.

Kris C
Kris C

Bleh. No fan of monopushers here, I like buttons.

Is this the 18,800 or 21,600 bph version of the movement? The former would make for a pretty nasty looking chrono in operation, I would think.

cluedog12
cluedog12

@Kris C While you can discern the individual "ticks"' it looks ok as long as the movement of the chrono hand isn't jerky. The low beat rate must have been adopted, so the watch looks historical, so I would have gone with a co-axial button on the crown instead, despite this approach being technically superior. The overall impression is clean and attractive and the price is reasonable. Ace.

PGL
PGL

@Kris C Specs on the CW site suggest it's actually a 18000vph movement.

Kris C
Kris C

Bleh. No fan of monopushers here, I like buttons. Is this the 18,800 or 21,600 bph version of the movement? The former would make for a pretty nasty looking chrono in operation, I would think.

steveal
steveal

Out of Stock!

PGL
PGL

@steveal This is a pre-order, they're shown as out of stock because it hasn't yet been released.  Scroll down the page on CW site and you'll see a pre-order button to click on.

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