INNOVATION
A leap in time
GERMAN WATCHMAKING WUNDERKIND
JOHANNES JAHNKE HAS CREATED AN EXCLUSIVE AND HIGHLY ACCURATE MOVEMENT ADAPTATION FOR CHRISTOPHER WARD’S EXTRAORDINARY C9 HARRISON JUMPING HOUR
WATCH. EVEN BEFORE ITS RELEASE, THIS INSTANT CLASSIC HAS BECOME A SOUGHT-AFTER COLLECTOR’S ITEM.
J
ust 200 examples of Christopher Ward’s most important watch yet are being made and it has already captured the attention of collectors worldwide. The C9 Harrison Jumping Hour is beautiful to look at and to wear, but it is also supremely accurate thanks to an exclusive movement adaptation. This was developed by a young German watchmaker, Johannes Jahnke, who is obsessed, appropriately enough, with fine British engineering products.
This striking watch, which has just a minute hand and a window in which the hour numeral is displayed, joins a number of Jumping Hour models in the world of luxury timepieces. Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, Bell & Ross, Baume & Mercier, DMH and Perrelet are among the brands that have added this distinctive option to their ranges in recent years. In keeping with Christopher Ward’s dedication to providing the finest watches at the keenest price, the elegant C9 JH is the most affordable of any Swiss-made Jumping Hour watch, costing only £1150. While this is somewhat higher than the brand’s previous price levels, it represents this young British company’s commitment to continually improving its offer. The conception of the Christopher Ward Jumping
Hour started with a beer and a pizza. Chris Ward was chatting to his Swiss watchmaking partner Jörg Bader
about the lore and legends of the classic watchmakers and the legendary models that entrance and intrigue collectors. The talk, perhaps inevitably, came round to the historic Jumping Hour movements, which consistently appeal to real watch connoisseurs and master watchmakers. Although the Jumping Hour concept has been around longer than many people realise, the pair agreed that it is still a rare watch and one that would enrich the Christopher Ward collection. But how to bring the Christopher Ward flavour to such a classic? Into the discussion came Johannes Jahnke, a 27-year-old German with a fast-growing reputation among the watchmaking elite of Europe. He has been working with Jörg Bader for three years on various projects and he hit upon a way of adapting the ETA 2824-2 calibre to incorporate a Jumping Hour. The vital change was to the way that the hour is made to “jump”. The numerals for the hours are carried on a revolving disc. When 7.59, for example, changes to 8.00 as the minute hand reaches the end of the 59th minute, the 8 “jumps” into the window to succeed the 7. Many Jumping Hour watches do not keep especially good time as the surge of extra power the watch needs for the hour to change puts stress on the movement. Johannes Jahnke’s ingenious solution has been to create a movement that ensures the watch uses a consistent amount of power throughout the course of an entire ¯
Orderline 0844 875 1515 13
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