Christopher Ward’s C1 Jump Hour Mk V brings the JJ01 back to the core collection
Jason Lee- Christopher Ward revives Johannes Jahnke’s JJ01 modular jump-hour system with the C1 Jump Hour Mk V, offered in Dusk Gold or Noon Blue.
- Framed by a luminous sapphire ring, the dial reveals a three-dimensional sunray-brushed surface bordered by a circular-brushed ring; the outer metallic band shifts subtly with the light, creating a sense of depth and layering.
- At the centre, Christopher Ward debuts a sapphire minute hand—arched to clear the minute track and coated with Super-LumiNova on its underside—producing a gentle internal glow that keeps the minute reading crisp after dark.
Christopher Ward has spent two decades proving that serious watchmaking doesn’t have to live behind boutique walls. Founded in 2004 as the first premium brand to sell exclusively online (although they’re now in store at our Time+Tide Studios!), the Anglo‑Swiss maker has grown into what it describes as the UK’s largest watch company, headquartered in Maidenhead with technical operations in Biel. That set‑up blends British design pragmatism with Swiss manufacturing, an approach that produced the Calibre SH21, the first commercially viable mechanical movement by a British brand in more than fifty years. The momentum has been recognised beyond the enthusiast world: the Bel Canto took the GPHG “Petite Aiguille” in 2023, followed by T3’s “Brand of the Year” in 2024.
That context frames the new C1 Jump Hour Mk V, the fifth generation of its jumping-hour wristwatch. This line began in 2011 with the C9 Harrison and continued through the C1 Grand Malvern of 2017. The common thread is Johannes Jahnke’s JJ01 modular jump-hour system, which converts a conventional three-hand automatic into a digital hour display without compromising everyday practicality. The Mk V brings it back to the main range with an emphasis on modern materials and night‑time legibility.
The dial architecture is where the watch departs most clearly from its predecessors. Two colourways—Noon Blue and Dusk Gold—are offered, chosen to highlight the dial’s layers and the distinct lume treatment. The outermost element is a translucent sapphire ring printed with minute markers and five‑minute hashes. Super‑LumiNova is applied to the underside of that ring, so after dark it reads as a cool halo while remaining translucent enough for the hidden hour wheel beneath to charge. Four polished, domed pins secure the ring and add small highlights that read as mechanical punctuation around the perimeter.
Inside the luminous ring sits a three‑dimensional stamped dial with a sunray finish, set off by a circular‑brushed ring. The outermost portion carries a high‑grain metallic texture that shifts with the light, so the dial presents as layered rather than flat. Even though only the current hour numeral is visible through the aperture, the translucency allows the hour wheel underneath to take on charge from ambient light for a consistent jump at the top of the hour.
At 12, the hour window is a two‑part construction. An inner ring is circular‑brushed with polished facets, while the outer ring mirrors the dial’s metallic grain, so the opening reads as integrated rather than cut‑out. The hour disc is lumed and uses Art Deco numerals. At the centre, Christopher Ward introduces a sapphire minute hand—a first for the brand. The hand is arched to clear the minute track and carries Super‑LumiNova on its underside, which gives it a faint internal glow and keeps the minute read‑off crisp in low light.
The case is compact and deliberate in profile. It measures 39mm across, 47.3mm lug‑to‑lug, and 14mm thick, the height reflecting both the JJ01 module and a box‑domed sapphire crystal. Finishing alternates between brushed flanks and polished facets, and the crystal’s height softens the transition from mid‑case to bezel. Turn it over, and the caseback shows a motif denoting the twelve-hour stops of the jump‑hour wheel, with surfaces alternating between heavy sandblasting and fine polishing. Water‑resistance is 30 metres.
Under the dial, JJ01 sits atop the Sellita SW200‑1. The base calibre runs at 4 Hz and offers a 38‑hour power reserve, with a stated tolerance of ±20 seconds per day. In practice, the module’s point is not to create a showpiece complication, but to reconfigure how the time is presented while keeping the underlying movement robust and serviceable. The hour snaps forward at the top of each hour; the rest of the time, the mechanism is quiet, and the minute hand carries the legibility work.
Closing thoughts
The Mk V suggests both continuity and reset. The continuity is the return of JJ01 to the core collection and the clear nod to the 2011 original and subsequent iterations; the reset is the material palette and the focus on light—how it plays across textures by day and how the watch communicates after dark. Christopher Ward’s design team describes the project as a modern reinterpretation rather than a revival, and the use of sapphire for both the minute ring and the minute hand supports that claim.
If you’ve followed the brand’s climb since SH21, the C1 Jump Hour Mk V feels consistent with the pattern: a complication that’s been part of the firm’s identity is revisited with tighter execution and a few smart flourishes, priced in a way that keeps it competitive with mainstream alternatives. The watch doesn’t try to be all things. It’s a piece with a distinctive display, compact dimensions, and a dial designed to reward a closer look. The fact that the jumping hour returns to the main range rather than staying confined to a collaboration or special project suggests confidence that there’s an audience for a digital‑hour watch executed in this way. For a company that has been steadily broadening the perception of what an accessible complication can be, that seems like the point.
Christopher Ward C1 Jump Hour Mk V pricing and availability
The two Christopher Ward C1 Jump Hour Mk V models are available directly from the brand’s online boutique, as well as from our Time+Tide London Watch Discovery Studio. Price: £2,150 (on leather), £2,285 (on the five-link Consort bracelet)
| Brand | Christopher Ward |
| Model | C1 Jump Hour Mk V |
| Reference | C01-39AJH4-S00B0-B1 |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 14mm (T) x 47.3mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 30 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Blue or gold stamped texture with sunray effect |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Fine Italian leather strap Five-link Consort steel bracelet |
| Movement | Sellita SW200-1 with JJ01 module |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Jumping hours, minutes |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | £2,150 (on leather) £2,285 (on bracelet) |