Big reveal

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
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watchstudent
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Re: Big reveal

Post by watchstudent »

ept55 wrote:
watchstudent wrote:All very good but the C9 is still too big for a dress watch!! ](*,)
In conventional terms you are correct but when the convention was started all wrist watches were on the small side. Nowadays to wear oversized stainless steel bracelet watches (Rolex and Omega to name two I blame the bond movies) in formal dress watch settings ie Black tie events seems to be acceptable, I've never heard of or seen anybody refused entrance to a black tie event because they were wearing an oversized tool watch. So my point being are we being a bit pedantic about the size of a perceived style of watch.
Yup it is all personal opinion and also depends on wrist size. On my 7" wrist the C9 looks daft IMO, because the face makes up the full 43mm, now a 43mm Bremont with a bezel etc looks fine, as does my 42mm c60. I do just think it is strange that CW would make their main dress watch 43mm. Especially when successful brands like the ones you've mentioned rarely get their sports watches over 42mm.

On the whole though this is a ambitious and good move by CW. I like it. And for those moaning about the price, I am sure they will continue with bought in movements, no way CW could compete with the likes of Tag if £1500 was a normal price for them.
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akirk
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Re: Big reveal

Post by akirk »

Tooks wrote:Maybe if the new movement wasn't the only news being trumpeted, it would be less of an issue?

What are the other benefits of the merger other than the movement, there must be some?

What, exactly (other than writing a cheque) was CWL's involvement in the development of SH21?

Others may not care, and are happy to accept what can be gleaned from the carefully worded official info, but I'm interested in knowing so that I can form an accurate picture of the company I would be dealing with as a customer. Not so that I can pick holes in CWL.

Isn't anybody interested whether their SH21 equipped CW can be serviced in house at CWL HQ, or if it will need to be shipped back to SH in Switzerland?

As far as I know, the maximum extent of repairs at CWL prior to the merger was re-casing of a watch. They didn't even refit bezels when I asked. Will this be changing?

I can certainly see the attraction of a UK service centre, not just for SH21 models, but all CW's. What about a US based service centre, that would be very attractive to our American cousins wouldn't it?

Tooks - you make some good points - esp. ref. service centres, I suspect that it opens that door for CWL - whether they will do it may just be based on the economics of it... if they can do it, and it is financially sensible I am sure they would look at it - great PR news if they could, and would give a much greater feeling of confidence for customers - I suspect though that a USA service centre would only come after a USA ditribution centre so that there isn't the current north america postage timescales etc. After all if you have a base, it might as well hold some stock, even if just the most common...

I suspect that CWL will have been deeply involved in the development of the movement, and in many ways it will have been a full partnership - CWL will have wanted to make sure that it would be a movement which had maximum functionality and usefulness to them in the future...

Do there have to be advantages beyond the movement? Yes it is a merger, but... it is still a company called Christopher Ward and in effect Christopher Ward has acquired a technical department - that is a huge deal for them and they don't need much more than that - it will on the one hand ensure future survival and on the other allow the copmany to build bigger and better

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asqwerth
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Re: Big reveal

Post by asqwerth »

Sifion wrote:Guys,a quick question.

Someone mentioned that the SH21would make it's way into the C60, but it's been said that it doesnt fit smaller cases, so what about the C61? They can't just make the C60 in-house and the smaller brother with a outsorcedmovement....i don't think this would look well for them.....

So if it goes into the C60 most likely it would be able to fit into the C61, no? and everyone that dislikes the C9 size (a fair complaint) for being oversized for a dress watch might get a better fitting one in the future.

And about that prototype with 40mm? I dont think that there are any CWs with that size right now, so does that means there will be a C91, like the C60 and C61? A 40mm C9 would look much better IMHO for a dress watch since it already wears larger for not having a bezel.


And someone talked about having no competitors with a similar movement.... but the Tissot Powematic 80 is about that same principle.....COSC,80hour power reserve and it's in-house in a sense that is exclusive for Tissot and it's cheaper(granted that SG has a lot more firepower to develop a movement)
The movement is 14 ligne and based on Google, that's 31+ mm in diameter. So it should be able to fit in a 38mm case.

Current 40mm watches - the Slimline.

Previous 40mm watches - C3 Mk1, C1 (I think)
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Re: Big reveal

Post by Sifion »

Yeah, theres is the recenty added slimline,true.Then, again, it's way to thick for a slimline aparently...

Current C3s are 39mm and C1 is discontinued... but if the C1 was 40mm (got to know CWL after C1 was already gone) and they said that the SH21 can be made with sub seconds (and this was on the C1,right?) the new 40mm might be a comeback...

But i would like it better a 40mm C9 tho.
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Re: Big reveal

Post by Dooku »

ok, finally managed to read through all 17 previous pages, some interesting comments have been made so far.

I feel that CWL made a very good business decision with this merger and albeit they're growing and changing -or maybe just evolving...?-, after all it's a business and they can't akways stay that small, well funded businesses are intended to grow and find new ways to appeal to a wider audience.
I like the fact that they take the risk to invest in an 'in-house' movement and a young watchmaker like JJ and this is what a relatively small company should do and they do it well. CWL will have a bright future if this new movement proves it's reliability over the coming years.

On the other hand I (like so many others here) hope that they also keep making good quality but yet affordable watches, which is still what brings most of us here.
With this in-house development there is a risk that all their new launches will be >1k£ as they will prefer to invest time and money in their own watches first. We'll have to wait and see...

Looking forward to what will happen in the near future like the announcement in 2 months time as being referred to on one of the other pages...
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Re: Big reveal

Post by gwells »

those are all good questions.
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Re: Big reveal

Post by teestech »

Sifion wrote:But i would like it better a 40mm C9 tho.
Looking at the style and size, the new C5 slimline case is effectively a 40mm C9, isn't it?
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Re: Big reveal

Post by gbbird »

teestech wrote:
Sifion wrote:But i would like it better a 40mm C9 tho.
Looking at the style and size, the new C5 slimline case is effectively a 40mm C9, isn't it?
Just what i was thinking, and at the moment a good £1100 cheaper too!
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Re: Big reveal

Post by Lavaine »

Macca wrote: I sincerely hope everyone that does enjoys it and the ridiculous new logo
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Seriously? We're back to the new logo now? In the words of my wife, get over it! It's not coming back, so either accept it, or move on and buy from another brand. I think the Mk III GTI was the best looking of the bunch, but I'm not whining about it on every forum I can find. I had a choice: buy a used Mk III, buy another car, or buy a Mk VI and be happy. I bought the Mk VI, and I'm happy. You have the same 3 choices. Pick one and stop bitching about the new logo years later.
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Richard B
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Re: Big reveal

Post by Richard B »

Wow, that was a BIG reveal.

Thank you for the reports. I enjoyed catching up with the news late last night.
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Clarky

Post by Lamps »

Clarky,

Please post the PM.

Everyone is brilliant at something, am good at a lot of stuff but I truly believe the one thing I am brilliant at is poking and poking and poking until I get a reaction.......am not big headed but am recon I'm brilliant at it, given enough time i could **** off The Dalai Lama, I could probably get him to knock me out!
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Re: Big reveal

Post by Sea60 »

I, like many on the forum, blew the surprise for myself the night before the big reveal by perusing the postings and didn't know quite how I felt about the C9 "surprise." As with many I expected a new timepiece(s) (I remembered one posting that said upwards of three new ones.) After sleeping on it for a night, watching the interviews with Chris and the boys, and then reading all the postings (negative vs positive) and I have to say I'm very happy with the direction of CWL and I don't think they have lost anything, rather, it's all an improvement. I get it.

The only thing that bothered me about CWL in the past was the fact they were so dependent on ETA and/or Sellita (as are most of the other entry level companies) for their movements (I recently purchased a C60 and they had difficulty telling me what's in it (probably Sellita I was told and would have to send it back for them to open it up to see). The merger positions them for the future and does not detract from anything they have been doing.

I like classic clean watches without too many complications (date and maybe a day) so I like the new C9 (really like the white dial and blue hands, the hands disappear on the others) and not too worried about the size. I get frustrated by a 30 to 40 hour power reserves, so 120 is nice. Chronometer, alligator strap, boom, boom, boom... All pluses in my book. Price, while I'm not that thrilled it's up around 2k, I think it's a deal for what your getting and still competitive. I don't feel like I would be gouged by buying one. (Might wait to hear initial reports, or I might just hit that pre-order button!)

It's growing pains for some around here. It might hurt a little...
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Re: Clarky

Post by asqwerth »

Lamps wrote:Clarky,

Please post the PM.

Everyone is brilliant at something, am good at a lot of stuff but I truly believe the one thing I am brilliant at is poking and poking and poking until I get a reaction.......am not big headed but am recon I'm brilliant at it, given enough time i could **** off The Dalai Lama, I could probably get him to knock me out!
huh?
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Re: Big reveal

Post by teestech »

Sea60 wrote:I get frustrated by a 30 to 40 hour power reserves, so 120 is nice.
I understand what a technical achievement it is to produce the 120 hour power reserve, but I don't quite get how you are frustrated by a 40 hour power reserve? Do you regularly wear you watch on a rotation of 1 day's wear and 4-5 days in the the box?
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Re: Clarky

Post by gatehealing »

asqwerth wrote:
Lamps wrote:Clarky,

Please post the PM.

Everyone is brilliant at something, am good at a lot of stuff but I truly believe the one thing I am brilliant at is poking and poking and poking until I get a reaction.......am not big headed but am recon I'm brilliant at it, given enough time i could **** off The Dalai Lama, I could probably get him to knock me out!
huh?
Um. 8O

J
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