Christopher Ward has been laying a detective trail across the internet in the lead up to their newest watch release, the C1 Loco Classic. The first hint came right at the start of the year when they launched the C1 Loco 7326 for British Watchmakers’ Day, a special edition with a case never seen in the Loco range before. Then, in the late summer if you happened to delve into the depths of watches submitted for consideration in the GPHG you could find the name Loco Classic, a model that at the time did not exist within Christopher Ward’s collections. Now they are finally unveiling that watch in all its glory, and yes, it has been successfully shortlisted for a GPHG award.
Taking things right back to the British Watchmakers’ Day special edition, the most significant detail of the C1 Loco Classic compared to the standard C12 Loco is the updated case. The original C12 Loco features a case inspired The Twelve, sporty and facetted with an integrated bracelet – the Loco Classic swaps that for a case inspired by the Lightcatcher design at 41mm x 14.1mm. A much more restrained and dressy design with a smooth, round shape, curving lugs, and a combination of brushed and polished finishes.
With just that one update, the whole character of the watch changes. It’s no longer a bombastic, in your face attention seeker and is instead a much more serene display of Christopher Ward’s inhouse watchmaking skills. The updates to the dial follow a similar philosophy. The bridges that hold the suspended balance wheel at 6 o’clock are now smooth and rounded instead of angular and layered. The timekeeping subdial at 12 o’clock is now a complete ceramic disk with Roman numerals instead of an openworked display that wouldn’t look out of place on a spaceship.
The super bright colours of the standard C12 Loco with light-catching brushed finishes have also been swapped for less intense shades with a frosted finish. Either gold (as seen in the GPHG nominated version) light blue or black. The light blue is my personal favourite, it’s the most charming of the three with its gentle powder blue tone that makes the watch feel light but playful, in comparison to the gold that leans more towards traditional luxury and the black, which is the most serious of the three.
Powering the C1 Loco Classic is the same CW-003 manual winding movement used in the standard Loco. It still provides a 144-hour power reserve and has the signature dial-side free-sprung balance. Though as noted, some of the aesthetic architecture has been updated to fit the classic vibe. The finishing through the exhibition caseback is similarly refreshed.
The C1 Loco Classic is presented on a choice of suede strap at £4,295 or five-link Consort bracelet at £4,495. That does make it more expensive than the C12 Loco to the tune of £300 across both strap and bracelet. That’s due to the updated movement architecture, finishing, and dial design. The sentiment that I’ve already seen among collectors who have followed the online breadcrumb trail to discover the C1 Loco Classic early is that this is the watch that the Loco should always have been. The C12 with its integrated sports aesthetic was the wrong model on which to base a new in-house suspended balance collection. Let’s see if that sentiment is followed up by sales not that the watch is available to buy.
Price and Specs:
More details at Christopher Ward.
