The Gentleman Magazine Issue 6 | December 2017 | Page 11

VINTAGE CLOCK INSPIRES LATEST LIMITED EDITION
TIMEPIECE FROM CHRISTOPHER WARD
New to Christopher Ward’s aviation collection, the C9 Me
109 Single Pusher Chronograph, draws inspiration from a
Junghans clock that played a momentous role in history.
It was during a business meeting at White Waltham airfield
that Mike France, Co-Founder of Christopher Ward,
encountered a vintage Junghans clock, taken from the cockpit
of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane (commonly referred
to as Me 109) of WW II vintage. The famous Luftwaffe fighter
plane was in use from 1937 in the Spanish Civil War through to
the end of World War II in 1945, during which time it was used
as a bomber escort plane in the Battle of Britain.
The striking look of the clock caught Mike’s attention, in
particular the Unitas 6497 movement inside, which had been
designed in the 1940’s by Jean Fillon.  Jean had previously
worked with Christopher Ward’s then master watchmaker,
Johannes Jahnke, to develop Calibre JJ02 - Christopher Ward’s
award-winning single pusher chronograph based on the same
Unitas movement.
Launched on November 1st, the C9 Me 109 Single Pusher
Chronograph will be a 100-piece limited edition range. The
black, diamond-like-carbon case, dial and hands pay homage
to the original Junghans clock – albeit it with the bi-compax
sub-dials of Calibre JJ02’s deign replacing the single sub-dial
at 6 O’clock and the 3D lume of the minuterie being obvious
differences to the original.
The balance bridge, chronograph bridge and chronograph
module of the new C9 Me 109 Single Pusher Chronograph
have all been finished in a black PVD coating with polished
chamfered edges that can be viewed through the pin-sharp
sapphire crystal glass of the back-plate. With the various
wheels of the movement retaining a steel finish, the beautiful
complexity of Calibre JJ02 has never been seen as clearly as
on this watch. This special timepiece is then completed with a
vintage oak leather strap with black DLC clasp.
Mike France, Co-Founder of Christopher Ward: “When I saw
the vintage Junghans clock it was obvious that a watch had to
be created based on the clock and using our own Calibre JJ02
movement.
The Junghans clock was found at the heart of one of the 20th
century’s most feared fighters, and we are proud that today its
legacy endures with the C9 Me 109 Single Pusher Chronograph.
With just 100 pieces being produced, this new piece represents
a truly unique opportunity to secure a piece of history.”
The Gentleman Magazine | 11