Christopher Ward The C12 Loco Outlet

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Architecture and artistry

For all its intricate, whirring elegance, you never for one moment forget that The C12 Loco is a sports watch, with everything that implies: technical ability; a crisp, clean contemporary confidence. It’s nothing less than the spiritual child of Louis Cartier and Le Corbusier working in unlikely but delightful harmony…

Dialled up

The C12 Loco’s dial is a thing of beauty, with three vertically stacked circles from twelve to six, held by strong horizontal lines: bridges supporting the floating balance, small toothed escapement, and a just-off-centre step to accommodate the time-telling dial. There’s depth and detail everywhere—from visible gears in the trench beneath the hands to the ‘ski-jump’ drop-off, above which a vertical brushed finish contrasts with the lightly grained grené surface below. The white has different hands and grené throughout.

Your beating heart

The C12 Loco’s brand new, custom-designed, free-sprung balance wheel and particularly fine 0.045mm hairspring (that’s less than the width of most human hairs) constantly oscillate before your eyes. Regulated by tiny screws (replacing traditional pins for extra precision), it oscillates at a frequency of 4Hz, which amounts to 28,800 vibrations (or beats) per hour.

The big finish

From the large and incredibly clear time-telling dial at 12 o’clock – featuring generous amounts of lume on both hands and markers for maximum legibility – to the intricate, ever-moving floating balance just below it, The C12 Loco is a feast of just-so facets and endless delicate hand-polishing, creating a watch with such considered visual depth it’s a delight from every angle, (Hey, there’s over five hours of hand-finishing on the bridges alone.)

Case study

The C12 Loco takes Christopher Ward’s Twelve case and re-invents it, with a redesigned mid-case and a steeper downturn from case into bracelet, helping the watch contour more closely to the natural curve of the wrist. Best of all, you can see right into the heart of the watch through a gorgeous 3.35mm high glass box sapphire crystal at the front, and another to the rear.

Charm bracelet

Think ‘integrated bracelet sports watch’ and you think, of course, of finely-finished metal bands – and have we got a doozy for you. The much-admired Twelve bracelet is presented here in a new slimmed-down form which, with its 16mm taper, wears beautifully and suits the watch to a tee.

Strap battle

The C12 Loco’s rubber FKM straps come with our Bader Buckle and offer a striking alternative look, in a range of colours to match or – dramatic! – contrast with your dial. There’s no bad combination here, quite frankly, and the joy of Christopher Ward’s quick release technology making switching between them a breeze, why wouldn’t you consider buying a handful…?

A revolution in motion

The C12 Loco is Christopher Ward’s most ambitious watch to date – featuring a new in-house movement, the company’s highest-ever levels of finishing, and a dial design the watch world’s going to go mad for.

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