A compelling partnership in the world of independent watchmaking has emerged, uniting the British design and engineering prowess of Christopher Ward with the enthusiast-driven perspective of Worn & Wound. The result of this meeting of minds is a highly architectural and mechanically sophisticated timepiece named 'The Brooklynite'. This new release is not merely a co-branded exercise but a thoughtful reimagining of an existing, award-winning watch, viewed through a lens specifically focused on the urban landscape of Worn & Wound’s home base in Brooklyn, New York. It represents a shared vision between two entities that have carved out significant niches by challenging industry conventions.
The story of Christopher Ward is, in itself, a testament to a different way of thinking. It began not in a storied workshop in the Swiss Jura, but on a boat on the River Thames in 2004. The founders, Mike France, Peter Ellis, and Chris Ward, were united by a fascination with horology and a shared indignation upon learning about the immense mark-ups common in the luxury watch industry. They discovered that many prestigious brands were using similar components from the same suppliers, yet the final retail prices were inflated by factors as high as thirty or forty times the manufacturing cost, largely to cover massive marketing budgets and retailer margins.
Courtesy of Christopher Ward
This realization sparked an idea: to create a premium watch business that operated on a radically different model. The plan was simple yet revolutionary for the time. They would sell watches directly to consumers through their own website, cutting out the middleman entirely. They would cap their mark-up at a maximum of three times the production cost, offering transparent and fair value. Finally, they would forgo the costly celebrity endorsements that defined so much of the luxury market. On June 2nd, 2005, from a converted chicken shed in Berkshire, they launched the world’s first online-only watch brand, aiming to provide "the cheapest most expensive watches in the world."
The brand's ambition grew alongside its reputation. A pivotal moment came in 2008 with the beginning of a partnership with Synergies Horlogères, a Swiss watchmaking firm in Biel led by Jörg Bader. This collaboration gave Christopher Ward access to deeper manufacturing expertise and the talents of master watchmaker Johannes Jahnke. This relationship culminated in a full merger in 2014, a move that fundamentally transformed the company. Shortly after, they announced the creation of their own in-house movement, Calibre SH21. This was a monumental achievement, marking the first commercially viable mechanical movement from a British watch brand in over half a century and signaling Christopher Ward's arrival as a serious player in mechanical watchmaking.
On the other side of this collaboration is Worn & Wound, a platform that has become a cornerstone of the modern watch enthusiast community. Founded in 2011, it started as a place for people who loved watches to discover new brands and share their passion. It has since grown into a multi-faceted entity that includes in-depth editorial content, video, and audio programming, all produced from an enthusiast's point of view. Their approach has always been about making the world of watch collecting accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget or level of expertise. Their writing maintains an approachable tone while being extensively researched, covering everything from detailed reviews to industry commentary.
Courtesy of Christopher Ward
Worn & Wound’s influence extends beyond media. The Windup Watch Shop is a curated retail space offering a collection of watches and accessories that reflect their accessible ethos, allowing collectors of all types to find something unique. Perhaps their most significant contribution to the community is the Windup Watch Fair, an annual event that brings tens of thousands of enthusiasts together with their favorite brands. It’s a physical manifestation of their online community, a place for connection and discovery. As an independently owned and operated entity, Worn & Wound embodies a ground-level passion for horology that resonates deeply with its audience.
The canvas for this collaboration is the Christopher Ward C12 Loco, a watch that already carries significant credentials. It was recently named WatchPro's Challenger Watch of the Year and earned an official nomination for the prestigious 2025 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in the Petite Aiguille category. As Zach Weiss, co-founder of Worn & Wound, notes, "The C12 Loco isn’t trying to evoke a sports car or a yacht or a period or nostalgia or some faux-luxury concept. It is, refreshingly if perhaps unabashedly, what it is." This straightforward, confident identity makes it the perfect foundation for a project that celebrates authentic design and mechanical substance.
The primary source of inspiration for The Brooklynite is a true architectural icon: the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower. This Art Deco landmark has stood over Brooklyn since 1929, its grand four-sided clock a familiar sight for generations of New Yorkers, including the team at the Worn & Wound office. The watch translates the building's formidable presence and intricate details into a wearable format. The grandeur of the tower's soaring façade, with its limestone construction and geometric carvings, is directly mirrored in the watch's complex dial and case structure.
The dial is the most immediate expression of this architectural influence. It features a textured, off-white surface that evokes the limestone of the tower. A series of raised, vertical relief lines run down the main plate of the dial, creating a sense of height and structure reminiscent of the building's façade. The multi-layer construction gives the dial a remarkable depth, with a base featuring an opaline sandblast finish that provides a subtle, matte texture. The hour markers are particularly noteworthy, rendered as black-filled, diamond-shaped indexes that are a direct visual quotation from the graphic numerals on the tower's iconic clock face.
Courtesy of Christopher Ward
A floating, chapter-ring-style sub-dial carries the minute track and hour markers, creating a tiered effect that frames the central hands and the exposed mechanics below. This cascading series of rings draws the eye inward, towards the open-worked section at the six o'clock position. Here, the free-sprung balance wheel of the movement is displayed in constant motion, a dynamic counterpoint to the static, architectural elements of the dial. It serves as a window into the mechanical soul of the watch, revealing the beating heart that powers this Brooklyn-inspired creation.
At the core of The Brooklynite is Christopher Ward's in-house Calibre CW-003. This manually-wound movement was engineered with a focus on achieving the most symmetrical layout possible, a design philosophy that is evident from both the dial side and through the exhibition caseback. It is a complex piece of micro-engineering, built from 138 individual components and featuring 29 jewels. The movement's performance is as impressive as its appearance, offering a very long power reserve of 144 hours, or a full six days, once fully wound. This is achieved through the use of twin barrels, which are visible through the sapphire caseback.
The CW-003 is regulated to a stringent timing tolerance of -0 to +7 seconds per day, a specification that puts its accuracy on par with certified chronometers. It operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), a modern standard that contributes to its stability and precision. The dial-side visibility of the free-sprung balance wheel is a significant technical highlight. This type of regulating organ, which does away with a traditional index regulator in favor of adjustable weights on the balance itself, is typically found in higher-end movements and allows for finer, more stable adjustments.
Courtesy of Christopher Ward
The visual presentation of the movement is a feast for the eyes. Through the screw-down exhibition caseback, one can admire the hand-finished components, including the cantilevered bridges that secure the gear train and twin barrels. The finishing is industrial yet refined, with a mix of brushed and sandblasted surfaces that create a contemporary aesthetic. This level of mechanical transparency, showing the intricate workings from both the front and back, reinforces the watch's identity as a piece of functional, architectural art.
The housing for this intricate machine is the C12's distinctive 12-sided case, rendered here in 41mm of marine-grade stainless steel. The geometry of the case is emphasized by a sophisticated mix of surface finishes, with brushed planes meeting sharply polished facets that catch and reflect light from every angle. The dodecagonal bezel is similarly treated with a combination of polished, brushed, and sandblasted textures, adding to the visual complexity. A substantial 4mm thick, domed sapphire crystal caps the watch, treated with an anti-reflective coating to ensure clarity.
The case dimensions are well-considered for modern tastes, with a height of 13.70mm and a lug-to-lug measurement of 47.50mm, suggesting a strong but wearable presence on the wrist. The case itself weighs 70 grams, increasing to 151 grams with the full steel bracelet. While the design is highly stylized, it has a practical water resistance rating of 3 ATM, or 30 meters, sufficient for protecting against daily splashes and rain. The screw-down exhibition caseback not only provides a view of the movement but also features a unique engraved serial number for each of the 100 limited edition pieces.
The Brooklynite is fitted with an integrated stainless steel bracelet that flows seamlessly from the lines of the case, creating a cohesive and unified look. The links are carefully sculpted and brushed, continuing the architectural theme of the watch head. The bracelet secures with a butterfly clasp engraved with the Christopher Ward logo and includes a micro-adjustment system for a precise fit. It also incorporates Christopher Ward's Twelve quick-release system, allowing for easy removal and swapping of the bracelet without the need for tools. For those desiring a sportier look, the watch is also available with a compatible black rubber strap.
Courtesy of Christopher Ward
Legibility in various lighting conditions is ensured by the application of Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 BL C1. This high-performance luminescent material is applied to the brushed and polished hands as well as the hour indexes. This specific grade of lume provides a bright and lasting blue-green glow in the dark, ensuring that the time can be read at a glance, whether in the dim light of an evening in the city or in complete darkness. This functional detail underscores the watch's nature as a practical instrument, despite its artistic inspiration.
The Christopher Ward The Brooklynite is a strictly limited edition, with only 100 pieces being produced for worldwide distribution. Its launch is being handled in two phases to cater to both event attendees and the broader online community. An initial batch of thirty pieces will be made available for purchase exclusively at the Windup Watch Fair in New York City, held from October 17th to 19th, 2025. The remaining seventy pieces will be released globally on the Christopher Ward website on October 21st. The watch is priced at $5,260.00 and comes presented in an eco-friendly luxury case along with an owner's handbook, befitting its status as a special collaborative project.
Case: 41mm stainless steel case with brushed, sandblasted, and polished finishes. 13.70mm height, 47.50mm lug-to-lug. 30m water resistance. Anti-reflective domed sapphire crystal and screw-down exhibition caseback.
Movement: Christopher Ward Calibre CW-003; handwound mechanical. 144-hour power reserve, 29 jewels, 28,800 p/hr (4Hz) frequency. Timing tolerance of -0/+7 seconds per day. Features a dial-side free sprung balance wheel.
Dial: Warm grey multi-layer dial with opaline sandblast finish and vertical brushing. Floating time-telling chapter ring. Diamond-shaped indexes with Super-LumiNova® Grade X1 BL C1.
Strap: 25mm integrated marine-grade stainless steel bracelet with butterfly clasp, micro-adjustment, and quick-release system.
Price: $5,260.00
Reference Number: C12-41H6D1-WW-B0
Notes: A limited edition of 100 pieces created in collaboration with Worn & Wound. The design is inspired by the Art Deco architecture of the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower in Brooklyn, NY.