Christopher Ward gets arty with a double-British collab, the Mr Jones Celestial limited edition moonphase
Nina Scally- Christopher Ward has called upon the artistic talents of Mr Jones to create a whimsical moonphase watch.
- The British duo’s Celestial watch sees a cartoon-like illustration of the moon peeking out from behind a pile of pastel blue marshmallow-like clouds.
- The offbeat design uses Christopher Ward’s ultra-accurate modified moonphase calibre to depict the positions of the moon as seen in the real sky at night.
I happen to own a Mr Jones Golden Hour watch. It’s a 45mm behemoth on my small wrist, but that’s the whole point behind this emotive and exuberant design. Its whimsical dial captures the tranquillity of our proud British gardens here in the UK in a bold but beautiful way, depicting the majestic worker bee hovering above a carpet of white jasmine petals. The pretty pollinator – the focal point of the design – sits atop a three-dimensional dial comprising rotating discs that represent the time via a red triangle and a delicate red flower. It’s a timepiece for fanciful visionaries like me: lovers of Alice in Wonderland memorabilia and quirky takes on the conventional layout.
Although unusual in design, arty, design-led dials are not a new concept for Mr Jones Watches. The British watchmaker creates designs that look like they’ve stepped right out of a modern art gallery. Designs similar to artist Andy Wilx’s Golden Hour watch have been met with a comparable level of curiosity and intrigue by fans. Examples include the Night Owl, designed by French author and illustrator Xavier Brioche, and the Number Cruncher, a collaborative design between Mr Jones and artist Onorio D’Epiro, featuring a Godzilla-like creature devouring time as he wades through London’s concrete jungle.
Now, Mr Jones Watches has designed the visuals for a new novelty named the Celestial in collaboration with British watch brand Christopher Ward. The watchmaker became the world’s first online-only premium watch brand in 2004, managing to avoid the overhead costs associated with traditional retail channels by selling directly to consumers.
The brand, notable for designs like the aggressively styled C60 dive watch series, has worked with several entities over the years. Some examples include YouTuber Andrew Morgan on their first-ever Bel Canto collaborative effort; and Synergies Horlogères, with whom it later merged in 2014 after designing the Calibre JJ series with master watchmaker Johannes Jahnke. CEO and co-founder of Christopher Ward, Mike France, also became one of the advocates for the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, helping to propel it forward alongside Mr Jones founder Crispin Jones – another nice tie-in to this collaboration.
The double-British collab is a limited edition of just 300 pieces and features some pretty cool visuals. The partnership between the two British brands sees Mr Jones Watches designing the visuals for the watch while Christopher Ward handles the assembly and production. Performance-wise, Christopher Ward’s in-house craftsmanship allows the cartoon-like moon to mimic the celestial body’s natural phases throughout each month, thanks to the company’s partly in-house-developed Calibre JJ04. In a parody that mocks the British skies at dusk, the luminous moon peeps out from behind a bed of pillowy 3D pastel blue clouds set against a deep blue and silver gilted starlit sky. If kept wound, the moonphase complication will keep its accuracy for a total of 128 years.
As is evident from just one glance at the dial, there are no traditional hour markers and hands involved in the timekeeping element of this watch. Instead, it enlists the help of two sweeping swallows – one on the outer edge of the dial for the minutes and the other on the inside for the hours. The purple birds are part of Bea Watts’ artwork, an assembly technician at Mr Jones, who enrolled herself on an internal competition held at the company, in which all employees were encouraged to participate.
“My design celebrates the beauty of the night sky in a playful way,” Bea explains, adding that she “was inspired by the magical feeling of sitting outside to watch the sunset, and staying there till day transitions into night. The moon begins to appear in the sky, swallows swoop and dive through the air, and in my design, you’re transported into the air too, hovering above a blanket of clouds. It’s a cosy, secret space from which to stargaze; my design captures a feeling of comfort and quiet, and encourages you to appreciate the fleetingness of a certain moment.”
The eccentric, almost galactic-looking dial sits inside 37mm proportions of stainless steel and marks something entirely new for Christopher Ward, whose traditional layouts are usually the three-handed type. The Christopher Ward x Mr Jones Celestial is powered by the Calibre JJ04, which uses a Sellita base combined with Christopher Ward’s in-house moonphase module. It’s the same movement used in the brand’s C1 Moonphase with an aventurine dial.
The Celestial watch puts the movement, with a 38-hour power reserve, on show through a special MJW-decorated sapphire caseback. The brand developed this module to link the moon with the hour hand. This, in turn, ensures both are in perpetual motion, causing the phases of the moon to be displayed in one smooth, continual movement instead of incremental clicks. Theoretically, the movement shouldn’t need adjusting for 128 years, so long as it’s kept wound, though you’ll likely want to get the watch serviced before then! Finally, the watch comes fitted on a five-link polished and brushed steel bracelet or a light or dark blue leather strap.
Christopher Ward x Mr Jones Celestial pricing and availability
The Christopher Ward x Mr Jones Celestial is a limited edition of 300 pieces and is available now from both Christopher Ward and Mr Jones’ online stores. Price: US$2,650 (strap), US$2,810 (bracelet).
| Brand | Christopher Ward x Mr Jones |
| Model | Celestial |
| Case Dimensions | 37mm (D) x 13.10mm (T) x 44.07mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Celestial-inspired artwork by Mr Jones |
| Strap | Light or dark blue leather strap, or five-link steel bracelet |
| Movement | Calibre JJ04, Sellita base with JJ04 module, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, moonphase |
| Availability | Limited edition of 300 pieces |
| Price | US$2,650 (strap) US$2,810 (bracelet) |