C1 Moonphase

The C1 Moonphase is a true art piece, and sees Christopher Ward stretching the limits of the type of watch they’re willing to make. It’s very much not a straightforward diver, obviously, but it’s also not a straightforward version of anything else. It’s an exercise in design that someone watching the brand from afar in the forum days never could have expected.

Any conversation about the C1 Moonphase has to begin with the dial. It presents as a solid sheet of aventurine, but is actually, upon closer inspection, two pieces of aventurine on top of one another, allowing a gap through which the moon display can shine through. Aventurine is a partially translucent glass, with mineral inclusions that give it its trademark sparkling quality. The aventurine material used in watch dials is typically a synthetic, manufactured material (sometimes referred to as “goldstone”) and shouldn’t be confused natural aventurine quartzite, which is most often green, has similar shimmering qualities, and is also used frequently in the decorative arts. 

In any case, aventurine as used in the C1 Moonphase makes for a very impressive dial, with a high density of mineral inclusions that results in a dynamic and aesthetically appealing effect in all lighting conditions. Unlike some dial textures that can be lost and found depending on how light hits them, the aventurine makes its presence felt in the harsh light of day and in near darkness. The deep blue color is gorgeous, and while there’s something inherently kind of fancy about aventurine, I found myself not really caring as I wore this watch very casually during my time with it. It’s perhaps not an everyday piece, but I don’t think it needs to be reserved for formal occasions either. 

The aventurine shares billing on the dial with a very prominent moon display, which cuts across the top half of the dial and is partially obscured at various stages by the shape of aventurine disc above it. The centrally mounted moonphase has been a specialty of Christopher Ward since 2015, when they developed their moonphase module in-house to sit atop an ETA 2836. The caliber JJ04, as it’s known, links the moon display to the hour hand, and moves continuously, rather than in small incremental steps. The result, according to Christipher Ward, is a moonphase that is accurate to 128 years.

Writeup from Worn & Wound