First Impression: Christopher Ward Calibre SH21

A mechanical movement’s complexity is something that’s truly astonishing. When a brand comes along with the know-how and the audacity to design their very own in-house calibre, it’s something to take note of. With Christopher Ward’s tenth anniversary upon us, the independent British watchmaker announced the newest innovation within their already strong collection, the Calibre SH21 – a new automatic movement that’s been in development for the past four years. Not only does this represent a significant next step for Christopher Ward, but it’s also a sign of the increasing pressure on brands to break away from ETA’s reigns, and to begin developing their own movements.

Blue C9 Harrison 5 Day Automatic from Christopher Ward

The SH21 is the creation of Johannes Jahnke, the same watchmaker behind the brand’s monopusher chronograph and worldtimer movement modifications. For his first movement, he’s certainly knocked this one right out of the park as it has a multitude of impressive qualities. Ward’s SH21 is a self-winding calibre that features an admirable 120-hour, or 5-day, power reserve. Additionally, the movement has been built to be quite thick, thus improving the SH21’s shock resistance and overall strength. Although it’s currently only available in their C9 Harrison, we expect it to be incorporated into the brand’s sports models due to its robust nature.

If we were to complain at all, it’d be the size of the movement. The added robustness of a thick movement is nice, but it’s at the expense of an overall thick watch, and in this case, it’s also rather wide. However, this doesn’t erase the fact that the SH21 is a wonderful achievement – it’s also where our complaints of the movement and watch, end.

For those who aren’t aware, “in-house”, along with “manufacture” are watch terms used to describe the origin and place of manufacturing of a movement. In the case of the new SH21, it is indeed an in-house calibre, but it does not qualify as a manufacture. This is due to the fact that manufacturing of movement parts has been outsourced to 9 different suppliers including Synergies Horologères (hence, “SH” in SH21), a similarly young watch manufacturer, and one whom Christopher Ward has just merged with. To a “movement snob” this news might not come pleasing, but here at Wound For Life we feel that this is ultimately beneficial, as it keeps the cost down and promotes a more innovative use of collective efforts within the watch industry.

The move towards in-house design and manufacture has become a sort of trend in the last decade. While consumers are becoming more educated on mechanical watches, and putting a higher value on unique movements, the true reason for this “in-house mania” is the now legendary watchmaking conglomerate, Swatch Group. The Hayek-headed corporation is the name behind notable brands such as Blancpain, Omega, and Longines, but more importantly, they are behind ETA – one of the largest manufacturers of Swiss mechanical movements. For years, small internet-based brands like Christopher Ward have relied upon ETA for their movements, but with Swatch Group’s looming 2019 cut-off of movement supply, several brands have chosen the in-house route. Although Swatch Group’s decision might be difficult for some to deal with, it’s sparked a new age of movement design within the industry.

Now, this may be a bit of speculation, but the SH21 may pave the way for another solution to the ETA problem. During the press announcement, it was hinted Ward could possibly share their movement with other brands sometime down the road. Whether or not this happens is not really the point. The point is, the thought highlights what the free market can do when faced with a supply shortage in the face of demand: innovate! Smaller brands coming together and sharing similar platforms is a great solution to continue producing watches while hedging on some of the additional costs associated with going at it alone.

C9 Harrison caseback, showing off the SH21

At Wound For Life, we couldn’t be more pleased with this announcement. This is a great indication the future of Christopher Ward is filled with promise, in that this movement has been designed to possibly accommodate additional complications down the road, and that their Swatch Group reliance is decreasing. The SH21 is nothing short of a stunning movement, with a lot going for it mechanically and structurally. Between its hand-finished accents and symmetrical design, we really can’t see how you’ll get tired of looking into that sapphire display caseback. For more information, check out Christopher Ward’s website (link), where you’ll see it cased beautifully in the C9 Harrison, available for pre-order at just £1,500 (~$2500).

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