Latest Review
Christopher Ward just announced the release of their new C9 Harrison Jumping Hour MKII. We were very big fans of the original C9 Jumping Hour as well as the C900 Mono-Pusher Chronograph, which we had the pleasure of reviewing, and we’re very excited to see this new version of the C9. The C9xx Harrison series by C Ward is gem in the watch industry that offers remarkable value for innovative mechanics and horology credibility normally reserved for watches of with much larger price tags. Needless to say, as a site focused on accessible timepieces, these are amongst our favorites.
The new C9 MKII utilizes the same extremely efficient JJ01 Jump Hour module as the original version, which is built onto a workhorse ETA 2824-2 automatic movement. For those new to this concept, a jumping hour watch has a mechanical-digital display for the hour and an analog minutes. 
At the stroke of the next hour, the hour display “jumps” forward to display the new hour. It’s a novel mechanism that dates back to the early twentieth century, and though uncommon these days, is a delightful complication to behold. For one thing, the watch is extremely easy to read, as the time is presented very clearly, and second creates a very unique appearance that is elegant while being a touch odd.
The big difference between the MKI and the MKII are the overall aesthetics. The MKI went for a classical look, with a guilloche dial and a delicately flared minute hand. The MKII follows the aesthetic of the C900 Chronograph, which has a more art deco, streamlined look. It has a very clean design that mixes dress and sport, with a larger than average case at 43mm, a mix of polished and brushed finishing for some elegance, and a sparse dial that features applied markers, printed Arabic numerals and a large aperture for the jump hour at 12. The minute hand is the same thin pointed needle that is used on the C900, which gives the watch a certain resemblance to tachometers.
The new C9 Harrison Jumping Hour MKII is currently available for preorder and costs $1,695. It is a limited edition of 250 units, so I expect they wont be available for long. We’re really looking forward to seeing what else C Ward comes out with in the C9 line, as they’ve yet to disappoint. They’ve already hinted at a Worldtimer, and a big day/date on the horizon.
By Zach Weiss
images from www.christopherward-usa.com
