I may have appeared disgruntled earlier in this thread, but I promise I am generally gruntled! This looks well received and I hope it's yet another successful release from CW.

My personal preference for chronographs is mechanical, but CW have yet to produce a mechanical chronograph in a reasonable size/package that would suit me. I was just personally hoping for a different chronograph release. Farer has been doing some really nice manual wind chronos, and I've been secretly hoping CW follows suit. It would make sense with CWs partnership with Team Brit racing, to make a racing chrono. We'll see if that's maybe one of the other chrono releases this year that appears to have been teased!

OllyW wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2024 12:14 pm On the Instagram announcement it says it’s “the first chronograph of 2024” so there may be more on the way this year?

And I've got a suggestion for the next marketing theme. I'm not much of a fan of MOD branded watches, and CW have already covered cars and quartz chronos. So I was thinking about what most people will probably use their Chrono for, and I've come up with the perfect collab....

All showing as preorder for the end of April.

Looks like brisk sales already, or were no watches in stock on launch day?

Neil

ajax87 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:25 pm @missF Didn't you have an Alex sport chronograph?

Doh! You're right - there's one there in the trinket-box-of-lovely-things-that-no one-would-want-to-buy
It's a great watch. I've never even regarded it as a chrono tbh- the big date and brilliant case and bracelet are the main event here

nbg wrote:All showing as preorder for the end of April.

Looks like brisk sales already, or were no watches in stock on launch day?

Neil

I think they were all on pre-order from the outset.

nbg wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:36 pm All showing as preorder for the end of April.

Looks like brisk sales already, or were no watches in stock on launch day?

Neil

I don’t think any were available, I clicked the link when the email arrived at 8:18am and it was showing preorder for the end of April.

CW once again finds new ways to make me spend my money (usually not that hard). They had me at a reverse panda dial and a chronograph at 11.5mm thick, I have the C65 chronograph at 15mm and love it. But what sealed the deal, “Powered by a thermo-compensated quartz movement that’s accurate to +/- 10 seconds per year.” This is Grand Seiko 9F and Citizen Chronomaster level but for quite a few dollars less, watch logic, “I will be saving money if I buy this watch!”

Well? Somebody has to buy one instead of pontificating or sitting on the fence.

There's a lot to like about the C63 Valour;- Military connection, Panda dial, HAQ movement, reasonable size; I'd prefer it a mm or two larger but hey ho, 39mm works okay.

For those that qualify the Defence Discount Service & Blue Light Club applies bringing the price on Bader bracelet to £607.50.

I don't need the Consort bracelet as I have one for my C63 FLE that will fit. The rest of the time I'll wear it on any number of NATO straps that I have.

All that remains is to see if 'End of April 2024' is correct for delivery.

Guy

I can fess up to working through the "Quartz allergy - I've discovered autos thing" in the past. Suffice to say I learned the wisdom of @Amor Vincit Omnia to not be so bothered and currently own a number of CW quartz chronos, included in which is the C30 COSC LE chrono and which I might fancy in my own deluded way is some kind of precursor /legacy model.

I'm going to spend time dawdling over the gallery photos and specs for this new model not least because panda/reverse pandas have been on my
wrist for longer than auto dive watches!

Well done CW.... give us what we don't currently have.

And maybe an auto model in the months to come?

UPDATE: a 30 minute chrono? I can't even time the battery-operated car I don't have charging up partway along a 3-hour journey, never mind timing the whole danged journey.

I'd love to know what drove that decision.

I’ve taken the plunge. Ticks a lot of boxes for me (size, chrono, reverse panda, a splash of colour, thinness). Looking forward to April 2024*

* ok, some day in 2024

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:40 pm Well done CW.... give us what we don't currently have.

That’ll be a super slim rose gold tonneau with black dial, hand wound.

Guy, you just answered my question! Like you, I already have a Consort bracelet for my C63 FLE & don't need another. I was thinking that since both are using the same C63 case, my Consort bracelet would surely fit the newly released Chronograph. I will most likely order it on the black canvas strap & might pick up another third-party strap to swap out on occasion. Another real positive with this one is the respectable water resistance rating.

Delmar

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:40 pm
Well done CW.... give us what we don't currently have.

They don’t currently have it either!! I’m not sure I agree with launching a watch that isn’t currently available to ship immediately.

I do like the watch however, good looking and great proportions. Yes it is quartz but a superior spec with the HAQ accuracy.

A quartz movement like the Bulovo Precionist with a sweep second hand would have satisfied those who don't like the "tick".

Thegreyman wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2024 3:00 pm

tikkathree wrote: ↑Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:40 pm
Well done CW.... give us what we don't currently have.

They don’t currently have it either!! I’m not sure I agree with launching a watch that isn’t currently available to ship immediately.

^^^
They probably went ahead and launched it after the leaks.



I have thought for a very long time that the Military collection was missing a chronograph. It isn't surprising to me that it is a quartz option because there is a price ceiling on the official MOD offerings. Remember that the Sandhurst bronze was never offered as a package with the bronze bracelet. You always had to buy it separate and that is because the package would have put the total cost over the cap. Knowing this, a mechanical chronograph would never fall under that cap.

From Guy (in the past):

As part of their agreement with the UK Ministry of Defense for the sale of their range of Military watches CW have an agreed price cap.

To sell the C65 Sandhurst on a Bronze bracelet would take it over this cap hence, if you want the Bronze bracelet you have to buy it separately; currently listed in Straps and Accessories here.

Guy

As for the watch itself: I don't think it is ultimately for me.

I do like the HAQ. I had a Lunar Pilot at one time that was well under 10 sec per year. It was amazing. Similar subdial layout too. I am not sure how useful the 1/10th second is though.

From the straight on render it looks like the hour hand can get a little lost in the subdials at times. I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt until I see real world pics.

It has some elements of the older motorsports chronos which is an interesting throwback.

I can't decide whether or not I think the styling for all three branches was the way to go. Part of me thinks they should have gone with an aviation themed chrono but my mind is not made up there either.