CHRISTOPHER WARD C5 BATTLE OF BRITAIN (70) 6B/159 AUTOMATIC

Based on Christopher Ward’s first ever watch, the Mk1 Malvern Automatic, the C5 Battle of Britain Limited Edition is CW’s tribute to ‘the few’ - the airmen who fought in 1940’s Battle of Britain, during WWII.

The large 6B/159 on the rear case echos that of the 6B/159 RAF stores number stamped into the back of the original Omega, Longines and Jaeger Le-Coultre watches issued to the pilots and navigators at the time.

It’s a limited edition of 1,940 pieces (no prizes for guessing where that number came from) and this particular watch is of the the early ones, at number 21, dating from July 2010. With almost 2,000 in circulation, you’d expect to see plenty changing hands on the used market, but in reality, it’s a very collectable piece which only comes up very rarely - I’ve seen them change hands maybe once or twice a year in recent times.

Condition
It’s coming up for 11 years old and has seen regular use, so there are plenty of fine marks on the case and bracelet to say it’s been worn. The only ones that might warrant specific mention are on the left side of the bezel, clearly highlighted in the zoomed-in photograph. Although the polished case back looks almost perfect in the photo, there are actually lots of find marks which are difficult to photograph - I’m not trying to make it sound worse than it actually is there, it’s a very good condition watch, but it’s certainly not perfect.

Supplied in the original CW inner and outer presentation cases and including the original 20-page owner’s handbook with Certificate of Authenticity and the unused polishing cloth. Also included are two links removed from the bracelet.

Specifications

• Case size: 38mm

• Lug width: 18mm

• Height: 10.8mm

• Waterproof: 50m

• Movement: ETA 2824-2

User Manual
A PDF version of the owner’s manual is available on the CW website: https://www.christopherward.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-cw-library/default/dw9bc215df/pdfs/Aviation/c5bob_manual.pdf

Final Notes

• The first photo is a library shot, the rest all show the actual watch and package.