Another useful feature of this watch is a date display. It’s not complication of the century but again a subtle touch. The COSC Chronometer grade movement definitely has some neat tricks and touches to it, but for a full run down of just what it can do, take a closer look by clicking here.
50 Years ago having a timepiece bear the COSC logo legitimately i.e. Rolex meant that it was a big deal as it’s accuracy was much higher than competitors without it. Unfortunately now it’s usefulness is debated as manufacturing techniques have advanced over the years, but it certainly doesn’t detract from the watch either so that’s fine by me.
So now we move onto the most important aspect to take into consideration. What do you wear it with? It’s 43mm in diameter so a little large to be taking into the boardroom. But neither does it have the standoffish styling of say a Royal Oak Offshore, which means isn’t the place for it either. It is waterproof to 50 metres though so it’ll be a-ok for a dip in the pool with you.
The C9 5 Day Automatic is presented in what Christopher Ward calls a Luxury Presentation Case. Whatever that means. As it stands you can pick up one if these for £1500 all included which is a good deal for an in-house movement. For an extra £25 you can get the Deluxe Presentation Box which Christopher Ward states will “Ensure your gift makes a lasting impression”. Unless you buy it for yourself. For another £25 you can have it engraved by Christopher Ward themselves with your personalised message, however if you want to be a bit more creative I recommend going to an independent engraver with a good reputation if you want something a bit more customised as the manufacturer doesn’t like to stray too far from the basics without you forking over a large sum of money. Also for another £10 you can have the bracelet (assuming you bought one) resized to your exact needs. Remember the C9 5 Day Auto isn’t a super luxury Patek beating watch, a giveaway is that if it were it wouldn’t cost anything to resize the bracelet.
What this is, is the man who punches below the belt when no one’s looking. It may not be able to take on other brands’offerings, but it’s certainly effective. If you’re into classicism in your watches I’d recommend the Christopher Ward C9 5 Day Automatic, it’s one hell of a bargain. For more info, please visit christopherward.co.uk
Pages: 1 2
Harlan Chapman-Green – Contributing Writer
First introduced to horology with the Patek Philippe Calibre 89 by his father two years ago, Harlan enjoys his passion for fine horology. He prefers to spend his time in the boutiques of upmarket brands, trying out new pieces constantly. His preferred 3 brands are A. Lange & Söhne, Breguet and Vacheron Constantin. Although not much for the smaller brands, he still finds the complications intriguing and wishes to own one watch from each of his three favourites. Read his articles here.
