Christopher Ward C8 Power Reserve Chronometer

Watch complications…we love them. Yes a certain purity exists in a three-hand timepiece that soberly tells the time, but mechanical complications add intrinsic complexity and value. But perhaps more importantly from an operational point-of-view, complications substantiate the canvas on which they are built. One such watch is the Christopher Ward C8 Power Reserve (C8 PR), which implements a power reserve complication on CW’s in-house calibre SH21.

I will unabashedly say that although the C8 PR is neither my first CW nor my most worn CW, the C8 PR is unquestionably the favorite CW in my collection.

The details:

• Watch: Christopher Ward C8 Power Reserve Chronometer
• Diameter: 44mm
• Height: 11mm
• Weight: 81g
• Movement: SH21
• Power: Hand-wound
• Power Reserve: 120 hours
• Jewels: 27
• Lume: TC-1 Super-Luminova
• Frequency: 28,800 bph (4Hz)
• Crystal: Sapphire, Flat w/AR
• Case: Stainless Steel, Brushed
• Water Resistance: 50m/150ft
• Strap: Tiber leather, black, 22mm
• Retail Cost: $1,875

The mini-review video: [https://youtu.be/bC3AikD_XEA]

The review:

As indicated by the watch name, the focus is the power reserve complication in both function and design. The power reserve is one of the most useful complications for a hand-wound movement. Sure a Moonphase complication, especially as presented by CW, is beautiful and I have one, but let’s be honest it is not the most useful of complications. A power reserve borders on essential for a hand-winder.

For those of us who prefer hand-wound movements over automatic or quartz, we often live with a nagging neuron in our brains asking “how long?”. I love a watch that answers the question playing second to “what time is it?”. Speaking of seconds, we cannot ignore the small seconds complication on the C8 PR. Still, even with a great movement and great complications, presentation matters.

Generally, I am not into aviation, but some aviation watches do get my senses going for unknown reasons. I am not into large watches, as 40mm-42mm is my preferred size, though I do have a couple 43mm specimens. At a seemingly large 44mm diameter, the C8 PR is an aviation watch with what I consider to be a large diameter. So why did I get one?

The answer is multi-faceted. The Christopher Ward C8 Power Reserve brings important elements together into a wonderfully cohesive product. Yes it has a larger diameter, but the fact that it is hand-wound keeps the height at a reasonable 11mm, so it does not feel overwhelming on the wrist. The 22mm leather Tiber strap contributes to the sturdiness, but for a warmer day, one can switch to a nato strap. Either way, it is comfortable, given you like a little weight. A matte dial paired with a brushed case with lugs cut to provide smooth edges and curve to boost comfort. The red markers opposed to the white indices and black dial.

Consider the color pallet for a moment…

• Brushed steel (case)
• Black PVD (bridge)
• Black matte (dial)
• Gun-metal tipped in white (hands)
• White (indices)
• Red (markers at 12 and 60, date, tipped small hands, tipped minute hand, 1-day power)

These colors, given their shading, work together brilliantly.

The face is nicely balanced with the extended date window at 3, the small seconds at 6, the power reserve at 9, and the ever-debated CW logo centered at 12. The placement of “Christopher Ward” fits nicely in this layout. The lower left of the dial does draw attention due to the complications’ subdials, intentionally so, but the large crown tips the scale back to center.

The date window provides pros and cons. Though the date is altimeter-inspired, it can be hard to read sometimes due to the font choice with the cutout. Yet, having an enlarged window showing the blackened pre and post dates, coupled with a lumed date wheel, is an excellent design touch.

TC-1 Super-Luminova coats the hands and indices, which depending on proximity lighting can appear blue or green in color.

The watch back is superbly engineered, showcasing the star complication as twin turbines connected with a black PVD bridge. Again, the colors of black, red, and white work well together. The two barrels provide about five days of power. Being able to switch to another watch for a day or two and have this watch still running when you pick it up again is a great benefit. And being COSC, it typically only loses/gains a few seconds a day.

Other small touches are that the crown is stamped with the turbine motif, while the dress-style clasp is etched with “Christopher Ward.” Also, the indices at 5, 7, 8, and 10 are trimmed to a point to accommodate the subdials.

All of the elements have been combined into what I believe is one of CW’s best designs. I also believe that the C8 PR is one of the most important implementations of their in-house SH21 movement, as it shows multiple complications extending from their canvas.

Many watch reviews are only a direct review of a specific watch. Although a product review is an indirect review of the company that produces it, in this review I want to take things a step further and also provide a more direct review of the company, more specifically CW customer service. The reason for doing so is twofold.

One, with a mechanical watch, service matters. Reading a review and salivating over a watch is great, but what happens a few weeks, months, or years down the road when that touted watch needs servicing? That brings up the second reason…the pictures throughout this review are of two different C8 Power Reserves, most are of the new one that arrived two days before the review deadline. Let me explain…

I purchased my first C8 PR in January 2018 as “Nearly New,” which means it came at about a $500 discount. As far as I could tell, it looked brand new. About a month into owning the watch, something broke, turned out to be the first barrel arbor. I shipped the watch back to CW HQ in February via USPS, which turned out to be a terrible idea because the watch went on a three-month journey, only to do two big circles and end up back at my door in May. I then shipped it to CW via DHL and it arrived in two days. Katie from CW customer service was so very helpful and responsive through the whole ordeal.

The repair and regulation took a little longer than I had hoped, but I got the watch back in July. I wore it once or twice a week, and on September 10th I did my normal wind to about 2.5 days, set the time, it was ticking fine, I put on the watch and went about my day. Mid-day, I looked down and noticed it was stopped, very strange, the seconds hand was not moving. I took it off and noticed that even when the balance wheel was moving, the escape wheel was not moving. Winding it a little more and pressing the crown back in did not help. I would say likely candidates are that the pallet fork was out of alignment, or perhaps one of the wheels. The watch had not suffered any jolts of any kind.

So, I emailed Katie and explained the situation. I set up a DHL pickup and Katie reimbursed me immediately for the shipping as the watch was on its way back for another repair. Obviously I was quite gutted that since January I was able to spend so little time wearing the watch. I was also extremely concerned about the overall state of that particular movement, sentiments I expressed to Katie and another representative named Robert. After a few quick email exchanges, a decision was made that they would simply send me a new watch. The watch was dispatched the next day and at my door September 28th.

Let me distill the main point. I bought, at discount, a nearly new C8 PR. After having the two breakages (CW’s responsibility), plus a three-month shipping fiasco (not CW’s fault), they decided to send me a brand new C8 PR. CW took care of the situation in a way I did not expect and now I have a new C8 having only paid for a nearly new C8. Sure I had to deal with the situations, but CW held to their end of the bargain and more.

Not only am I impressed with the technical and design characteristics of the C8 Power Reserve, which is a star in my collection, but I am equally impressed with the ethos of the company and efforts on the part of their customer service to take care of customers and their watches.