Christopher Ward C1 Moonglow Watch

We’ve all heard of moon phase watches, of course, but chances are you won’t have seen one quite as striking and aesthetically pleasing as the latest offering from Christopher Ward. The brilliantly designed and crafted C1 Moonglow Watch from Christopher Ward is part of their premium dress watch family of timepieces but it is, quite frankly, unlike anything this well-respected watchmaker has offered before.

Priced between £1695 and £1725, the wonderfully dapper Christopher Ward C1 Moonglow Watch boasts the technical brilliance of the Calibre JJ04 movement, which is the Christopher Ward in-house moonphase modification, and this is complemented by a blend of smoked glass and ultra-bright Super-LumiNova, which moves the Moonglow into a contemporary territory that few other moonphase watches dare to tread.

Versatile Design

The Christopher Ward C1 Moonglow Watch has one face option but two strap options so you can change up the aesthetic when you feel like it. You can choose from a leather strap version or a Milanese strap and both are available for pre-ordering now for delivery in July / August. The Moon has fascinated humankind for millennia and, in the C1 Moonglow Watch, that ancient allure has been captured in a truly contemporary timepiece that will definitely be turning heads everywhere you go.

Stunning aesthetics and performance combine to make the Christopher Ward C1 Moonglow Watch one of the most impressive moonphase timepieces we’ve seen in some time here at The Coolector. Some 50 years after Neil Armstrong first disembarked from Apollo 11’s Lunar Module (LM) “Eagle” to become the first person to set foot on the Moon, the C1 Moonglow from Christopher Ward pays respect to our sublime lunar neighbour in uniquely evocative fashion.

Although part of the C1 Grand Malvern premium dress watch family, much like the minds at NASA who safely transported Armstrong to that dusty lunar surface and back, the C1 Moonglow is prepared to innovate. The most striking feature is, of course, the presence of the moon on the dial – two moons, in fact. These 3D moons, positioned opposite from one another, are coated with Grade X1 GL C1 Super-LumiNova that emits an otherworldly ‘moonglow’. Continuously rotating courtesy of the Calibre JJ04 movement, the phase of the moon is read through an aperture at 12 o’clock, while the other moon remains clouded through smoked glass.

Majestic Movement

When it comes to moon phase watches, the movement is imperative and the C1 Moonglow from Christopher Ward doesn’t disappoint in this regard as it is a technological marvel in its own right. Unlike some moonphase complications that transition once per day, the C1 offers a more dynamic approach. Using the ETA 2836-2 as a base, the date wheel, along with its spring-loading assembly, have been stripped out and replaced by four further wheels to drive the moon disc, with two more required for the setting mechanism. The result is a smooth perpetual action that sees the moon arc gracefully across the star-filled night sky, and if kept wound, Calibre JJ04 will remain accurate to a day every 128 years.

There are many delightful design details to the Christopher Ward Moonglow Watches which include a 38 hour power reserve, lumed date ring with shaded section, diamond-like carbon (DLC) finished rotor with twin-flag engraving, brushed and polished marine-grade stainless steel case, exhibition backplate with unique engraved serial number and a eco-friendly luxurious presentation case and owner’s handbook. Definitely one of our favourite moon phase watches here at Coolector HQ.