Reply With QuoteA new watch model . . . sorry figured I'd go for the obvious!!!
See this at Christopher Ward.
Anyone like to guess what the big reveal will be?
A new watch model . . . sorry figured I'd go for the obvious!!!
Interesting.
i hope it is actually something significant, not "The first nylon gasket to be made in England for 50 years" or some such nonsense.
i applaud what they are trying to do, just *cannot stand* the ChRwARD guff. If it was just Christopher ward that would be just fine.
the videos certainly seem very dramatic (sounding!) Im interested to see if there really is something significant and interesting about to happen. they are not normally a brand i am parrticularly interested in but i am easily hooked with a bit of drama!
Rumour has it that CW are going to reveal the new watch to celebrate their upcoming 10 year anniversary.
Yeah, I think that's a given. However it's what is inside it that people (myself included) are curious about. All these teasers are hinting at in-house movements, but that seems far too big a move for a company so relatively young that specialize in affordable watches.Originally Posted by chester
But I'll refrain from overblown speculation and see what they announce tomorrow. I am a fan of the brand so I look forward to what it is they're up to.
They have form with a couple of forays into more higher-priced territories. I wouldn't put it past them to have collaborated with a Swiss specialist to make CW-exclusive customisations to movements or build them up from ebauches. I'm sure if you threw money at DD or one of the increasing number of specialists they could put together a movement for you.
They will reveal their plans to overtake Patek Philippe as the most wanted luxury brand...............
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Oh do behave. :-)
I've got a soft spot for CW - Chris is a thoroughly nice bloke and I like what the company is doing, especially when considering the most recent releases. I have an early C60 Trident GMT and it's a really nice and weighty piece for the money. I don't like the revised Chr. Ward branding - I think it's clunky - and the company's marketing could be better (happy to help with that if you're reading this Chris!) but they're trying hard to carve out a unique position and that's to be commended in my book.
SGR
I'm with you on the logo on the watch face. It was far better with Christopher Ward. It even sounds better and not trying to emulate anything else.
Mr Ward has hinted that it will be priced at about £1,300 but only time will tell what makes the cogs go round in it (whatever IT may be)
I really like some of their designs, but like kungfugerbil, I just think the Chr.Ward logo cheapens the look of their dials.
Interesting....
But they need to get someone better to make their promo videos.
Someone like me actually - a day or so and I could make them something really eyepopping*
I'll have a look tomorrow though to see what they are hyping up.
*I used to make TV progs, special FX for movies, music videos and adverts in a previous life.
So clever my foot fell off.
I personally thought the slimline one was quite nice until someone on the CW forum pointed out the text across the dial now I just cant get past it. Take that off the dial and you have a pretty nice watch.
Another Anglo-Swiss movement announcement?
There's lots that it *could* be. How about a coaxial escapement using LIGA technology that drops in to a standard ETA / Sellita? A meca-quartz powered by a tactical nuclear penguin? Nanobots?
Last edited by Broussard; 1st July 2014 at 16:28.
Isn't tactical nuclear penguin a beer? In which case, I'm not sure I'd fancy the running costs.
SGR
CW in-house calibre SH21.......
http://issuu.com/runwildmedia/docs/c...024588/8419359
Interesting, I just took a trip over to the CW forum, doesn't look like too many are impressed. Would like to know a bit more about the movement though.
Chronometer rated auto with 120hr reserve.... Not bad.
It may be a spcially modified movement but in-house?
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
that is a great looking thing, very nice indeed.
i dont mean to be a cynic but i wonder how inhouse it really is, ie, is it ground up new or a modified movement by someone else?
Indeed - although they don't use the words "in-house" but just say it's "our own movement".
Again, doing good stuff but really anyone can take a chequebook to a low-volume manufacturer and just say "change enough to make it uniquely ours"...
I'd love to be pleasantly proved wrong though.
That sounds like a bit of a cock-up if there's meant to be a "big reveal" of news that is out in the public domain anyway.
They do. Third line on the pic above
I'll be launching some watches later this year fitted with a Unitas 6498 with Glucydur screwed balance wheel, Nivarox hairspring, swan-neck regulator, 3/4 top plate decorated with Geneva stripes and blued screws. Can I call it "in-house"? It certainly doesn't look like a Unitas. What gives me the license to do this?
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Oh yes - ignore me :)They do. Third line on the pic above
Is "in-house" is as clearly defined as "Swiss made"?
I'm more interested in the C5 slimline manual wind they announced recently. http://www.christopherward.co.uk/men...5-slm-sbt.html
A big power reserve on an automatic watch seems a bit unnecessary - albeit technically impressive.
Well this saved me a load of typing! My thoughts too on all points. :)
It's called 'in house' because you keep it 'in the house'.
Some will get that reference, some won't... ;-)
The tone of the literature seems almost deliberately antagonistic toward the Swiss - can that ever be a good idea? (Especially the day they're knocked out of the World Cup in the dying moments of ET...)
That's in t'house.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
The SH movement number suggests it's another one made by Synergies Horologères:
http://www.synhor.ch/products/?lang=en
In house - perhaps in house to SH, though they supply movements to many other folks so can't see how CHrWaRd can claim it as their own?
Maybe they don't / won't with the sh21? I can't find much in the way of information about it at all...
A search for the SH21 takes me to a *different* movement on the Synergies Horologères 'site.
I do like the fact that they are trying to do something new - didn't Meridian try something similar with their 100 hour PR, twin-barrel version, for example?
Up until now, Chr Ward has been *very* careful to refer to the base calibre when talking about its mods. Indeed, almost meticulously so. If they are *not* referring to a base movement here, it's either a change in policy (seems unlikely) or this doesn't have a base calibre...
One of the things to Chr Ward's great credit is their honesty and openness. I'm sure all will be more fully revealed at the #cwbigreveal tomorrow.
They have labelled the movement in that advert as the SH21. Hopefully all will become clear :)
It’s amazing that they haven’t managed to get a proper logo or brand sorted out. No matter how good the watches might be, I just wouldn’t buy one something with that “Chr.Ward” on the dial.
In Christopher Ward's opinion that is a better brand and logo than 'Christopher Ward London' was. Go figure. Perhaps he's right; perhaps it's just conservative WISs who hate the new brand.
For what it's worth, I tried a blind brand/logo preference test on my mother back when the new brand was introduced and she preferred the old one, never having seen either one before. Not sure what that proves though: She's not a watch buyer, not even for presents.
I'm not sure there is a right or wrong when it comes to (re)branding - only successful or unsuccessful; I would hazard it was largely neutral in this instance...
There have been big debates about the change of logo on the CW forum. As a relative newcomer to the brand, Chr Ward, is the logo and I know I'm not alone in saying I far prefer the new logo when compared to the old. In fact when I visited their showroom in Maidenhead, although it was mainly to look at the then new Typhoon (they only had the RAF roundel version at the time), I passed on another watch I took a fancy too as they only had it with the old logo. I ended up walking out with a Bluebird!
What puts me off them in general is it says London in large letters...and then "swiss made" in little ones.
And the advertising...
Seems CWL and SH are to merge, which I guess makes the SH21 an in house movement that may eventually be sold to others.
One plus point, the SH21 seems designed to be somewhat versatile in application... and it has no dependency on Swatch :)
That's very interesting. Thanks for that perspective.
Agree - their marketing strategy has always seemed very scattergun. I'm not bothered wither way about "ChrWard" but think that any further changes would devalue the brand. They just need to stick to it now.
Wow. Well, it certainly makes the SH21 genuinely in house! :-)
Hats off to them. Regardless of how they did it, they have created something that's rather interesting. I'd like to see more technical details - they speak of looking at the automotive industry, for example - and should certainly like to see more of the materials used in the manufacture. From what Mike France says, it also seems to be modular, so one assumes they will port the Jump Hour, etc over from Sellita / ETA movements. Fascinating stuf...
Chr Ward London, manufacture.
I recall there was some talk over their jump hour watch and other companies using the same movement, from what i understand from the article this is more accurately assembled by CW.
That being said, it's a nice looking watch IMO just suffers from the same problem as the jump hour and single pusher, far too big.
Yes, its a bold move - but clearly one that is going to benefit them... and possibly other independents; MF appears to be at least open to the idea of supplying others.
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