Somehow, in a year where most brands are playing it safe or playing catch‑up, Christopher Ward is out here dropping mechanical mic drops like it’s routine. The Christopher Ward C1 Jump Hour Mk V continues the brand’s 2025 hot streak and reinforces its status as one of the most relentlessly ambitious independents operating today.
This release marks the return of the JJ01 module, a mechanical jump hour movement originally developed by Johannes Jahnke during his time with the brand. Now paired with a Sellita SW200‑1 base, the complication delivers a true mechanical jump hour with instantaneous switching at the top of each hour. The mechanism stores torque throughout the hour and releases it with sharp control—an achievement that remains rare even among far more expensive offerings.
The design language stays consistent with Christopher Ward’s recent catalog. The 39 mm stainless steel case blends brushed planes and polished chamfers, measuring 14mm thick with a box‑style sapphire crystal and 47.3 mm lug‑to‑lug. The dial construction layers a stamped center, metallic framing, a sapphire minute track, and a stepped sapphire minute hand. The jump hour window is enhanced by a ceramic Globolight insert for improved contrast and visibility.
Two versions are available: the blue Noon and the warmer‑toned Dawn. Both can be configured on the Consort steel bracelet with quick‑release integration or a supple Italian leather strap. The watch is rated at 30 meters of water resistance and operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a 38‑hour power reserve and an accuracy rating around ±20 seconds per day.
Pricing comes in at $3,165 on the bracelet or $2,975 on leather. For a mechanical jump hour with this level of finishing and complexity, the value is hard to dispute. More importantly, the design feels resolved. It doesn’t rely on nostalgia or mimicry, and speaks to the brand’s own evolving language.
That language has already been heard loud and clear. The C1 Bel Canto introduced a chiming complication into the accessible luxury tier and earned major press praise and a GPHG nomination. The C12 Loco followed with a full dial view of the movement’s beating heart and a sub‑$5,000 price tag—something the mainstream still struggles to deliver. These weren’t one‑off experiments, and served as major statements from a brand that, not long ago, was still viewed as a budget gateway for new collectors.
The C1 Jump Hour Mk V arrives on the heels of those hits, but it feels like something else entirely. Not louder. Not bolder. Just more confident. At this point, the question isn’t whether Christopher Ward can surprise us. It’s whether anything they do still counts as a surprise. That might be the most impressive part of all.
Christopher Ward can’t keep getting away with this. But I want them to. Maybe they already have. And if this is the new standard, you have to wonder what comes next. I can’t wait.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.