Christopher Ward Magazine - Summer 2015

C70GP CHRONOMETERS

CELEBRATING THE GOLDEN ERA

OF MOTORSPORT....IT’S THE

S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 - I S S U E 12

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There are many good things about summer: post-work drinks outside your favourite pub, competitive barbecues with your friends and lazy Sunday afternoons watching Formula 1. Ideally when it’s sunny outside.

And it’s the early days of Grand Prix that provide the inspiration for our latest motorsport collection, the C70 Grand Prix Chronometers. The perfect combination of Swiss watchmaking know-how and exquisite British design, it’s going to make a lot of people happy this year. Read the story behind it on page 10.

Away from watches, this issue boasts our strongest feature line-up yet. If you like music, you’ll love our account of the early days of The Rolling Stones in south-west London, while the concept of Daylight Saving Time is covered in a fascinating feature on page 38.

There’s plenty more, but we’ll let you discover it for yourself.

As ever, thanks for reading,

Peter, Chris, Mike

S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 - I S S U E 1 2

C H R I S T O P H E R W A R D M A G A Z I N E

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CONTENTS

CHRISTOPHER WARD MAGAZ INE

SUMMER 2015 - I SSUE 12

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Front cover: C70 British GP 1926 Chronometer

Christopher Ward (London) Limited, 1 Park Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1SL, United Kingdom. [email protected] Customer Services: [email protected] Editor: Anthony Teasdale Design and art direction: ToyasO’Mara Colour reprographics: JP Repro

CONTRIBUTORS

Jim Butler A former music journalist, Jim spent 15 years waiting for musicians in hotel lobbies. He now spends his time more wisely – curating playlists for Google, writing about sport for Virgin Media and raising a family in Sussex’s trendy (according to broadsheet newspapers) St Leonards-on-Sea.

Eamonn Forde The writer of this issue’s feature on the early days of The Rolling Stones, Eamonn Forde is a regular contributor to Q, The Guardian and The Big Issue. He used to work in academia – getting his PhD from the University of Westminster in 2001 – but ran away to become a journalist.

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CW | CWORLD

UK WATCH INDUSTRY TOGETHER FOR FIRST TIME IN 50 YEARSMore than 100 horology companies, including Christopher Ward, Bremont and Roger Smith, were in attendance for the first Watch Industry Strategy Conference in March, organised by the British Watch & Clock Makers Guild. At the event, moderator Steve Domb announced the main goal of the conference was to agree a general statement of intent:

“To return British horology to its historic position of pre-eminence in world markets for innovative design and manufacture of quality timepieces.”

Topics discussed included the issue of parts withdrawal by Swiss brands, the need for engineering in general – and watchmaking in particular – to form part of secondary school education, and the issues surrounding products branded as British when they may be made elsewhere.

“It can only be a good thing that the British industry comes together to discuss pertinent issues,” said Chris Ward. “The fact that this is the first time it’s happened in 50 years tells you there’s plenty to consider.

“For our part, we’re particularly keen to support the introduction of watchmaking in schools and colleges as part of the syllabus and were therefore happy to commit our support to Loughborough University, which is piloting an important initiative in this regard.”

Ford GT40 watch takes pole positionFollowing the Aston Martin DBR1 and Ferrari GTO Limited Editions, (each containing fragments of these cars), Christopher Ward has announced plans to release a watch containing metal from the Ford GT40 that won back-to-back Le Mans victories in 1968 and 1969. The launch date will be sometime later in 2015.

The design of the watch is a carefully guarded secret, but it’s expected to be a radical departure from previous motorsport designs, and will closely reflect design aspects of the car itself.

In a further departure, only 40 pieces will be produced, ensuring the watch will be as sought after as the car itself.

Trident: white here, white nowFans of the newly-launched C60 Tridents, including many women, have been vocal in their requests for more models than just the black bezel version with white dials.

No sooner said than done! CW is delighted to announce the arrival of three new white-dial versions in blue, red or green bezel trim in the Pro 600 and 300 models for delivery in May.

christopherward.co.uk

CWORLD | CW

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The C8 P7350, powered by a hand-wound version of the company’s SH21 movement, will contain a piece of the Supermarine Spitfire P7350 – the oldest airworthy Spitfire in the world.

It’s the only one still flying to have actually fought in the battle that proved a decisive turning point in the war against the Nazis.

Available in a limited edition of just 75 pieces, the design of the watch has been

inspired by the plane’s cockpit clock. “The Spitfire is probably the most important plane ever built in this country and we’re incredibly proud to present a watch carrying such an evocative piece of British history,” said Christopher Ward co-founder Mike France.

The watches will be on board the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s (BBMF) fly-past on June 18. They’ll then be given to their new owners.

The P7350 was the 14th Spitfire to be built at the Castle Bromwich ‘shadow’ factory in Birmingham, entering service with 266 Squadron in August 1940.

You can pre-order your C8 P7350 watch now from: christopherward.co.uk

The C9 Big Day Date, Jumping Hour Mk 3, Single Pusher Chronograph and 5 Day Automatic watches will all receive the solid-gold bezel treatment this autumn.

The impetus for this was the rose-gold Single Pusher Chronograph which sold out within weeks of its launch.

Each design will be limited to 50 pieces with prices starting from around £1,000 for the Big Day Date.

SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE! SPITFIRE WATCH TAKES TO THE SKY

CHRISTOPHER WARD HAS ANNOUNCED A SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PILOT’S WATCH TO COMMEMORATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN.

Switzerland has been investing heavily in recent years in watchmaking education and development, and the industry buzz surrounding CW’s progressive watchmaking team led by Johannes Jahnke and Frank Stelzer has proved a big draw for young watchmakers. As Synergies founder and Christopher Ward director Jorg Bader said “The word is definitely out that something special is happening here and we are always delighted to welcome new watchmaking talent to the business as we seek to establish Christopher Ward as one of the industry’s leading innovators.”

Synergies welcomes new watchmakersBIEL-BASED CHRISTOPHER WARD ATELIER, SYNERGIES HORLOGERES, HAS TAKEN ON FIVE YOUNG WATCHMAKERS IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND FOR THE BRAND’S FIRST IN-HOUSE MOVEMENT, CALIBRE SH21, RELEASED IN JULY 2014.

New watchmakers Raymond, Petra, Leandra, Jeremy and Alicia

Gold standard for CW legends

CHRISTOPHER WARD OF LONDON / 3

MOVEMENT(Features)

ACCURACY

CALENDAR DISK

MOVEMENT

CODE

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

NOTES

C8 PILOT - 44MM (AuTOMATIC) Project P---

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SH21 CHRONOMETER

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Hand wound chronometer

120 Power Reserve TBC31 Jewels TBC5 ATM (50 metres) TBC

-

-

Calibre SH21

CW | CWORLD


Hi Kelly. Tell us about HODINKEE…HODINKEE is a robust online magazine

featuring in-depth reviews, critiques and reports on watches of a particularly high quality. Uniquely, our team of writers are known for our innate understanding of both historical references and the most cutting- edge haute horlogerie. Of most importance to me is the fact that we talk about watches in a way that’s both entertaining and easy to understand.

What’s the score with the name?The name HODINKEE was created

on a whim. It’s a phonetic variation of the Czech word “hodinky”. Why Czech? In the early days of the blog, founder Ben Clymer searched online for foreign translations of the word “watch” in order to come up with an interesting name for the website. “Hodinky” (little watch) was included in the results, Ben changed the spelling a bit, and the rest is internet watchguy history.

What are the watches first got you into horology?

I can trace my horological passion back to my first vintage wristwatch: a Cartier

Santos Dumont from the 1960s. This small, yellow-gold, time-only dress watch caught my eye for a variety of reasons: Cartier’s deep history and expertise in watchmaking, the appealing obscurity of this particular model, and the handsome aesthetics. It was, at the time, the most expensive purchase that I’d made in my life and I wanted to be sure that the model was authentic. I searched online for every ounce of information that I could find, leading me down an endless vortex of watch enthusiast forums, brand/model fan pages, and online magazines like HODINKEE.

Why do you think mechanical watches seem to be growing in popularity?

It’s due in no small part to the expansion and growth of the men’s fashion market. The recent growth (particularly for younger people) can be attributed to the proliferation of forums, social media, blogs and other forms of enthusiast media. Also, watches offer another opportunity for men (and women) to express their individual aesthetic tastes and (usually more intangible) psychological values. In essence, in an age

where personal expression is highly valued, watches can offer the right means of self-expression.

Additionally, watches were always – and still are today – an important purchase that many men use to mark momentous occasions in their lives.

How do you think the Apple Watch will affect the ‘regular’ watch market ?

First, we need to acknowledge that the ‘regular’ watch market overwhelmingly consists of quartz watches. I think that in our niche world of mechanical watch collecting, we can lose sight of this but the numbers do not lie. In 2014, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry reported that quartz (electronic) watches comprised 71 per cent (20.4m units) of Swiss watch exports. Personally, I feel that this segment of the market – more specifically, for watches under CHF 500 – will be impacted the most from sales of the Apple Watch.

With regard to the market for mechanical watches I don’t think that there will be a huge impact. The real driver for mechanical watch purchases, in my mind, is an

KELLY JASPER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, HODINKEE

THE SPEAKING

CLOCK”‘‘

INTERVIEWS

WITH HOROLOGY’S TOP

INFLUENCERS

CWORLD | CW

orderline +44 1628 763040 7

appreciation for fine craftsmanship and a seemingly anachronistic need for discreet, non-back-lit, portable timekeeping.

What annoys you about the watchmaking industry at the moment?

I have a particular distaste for overwrought marketing exercises (including the seemingly endless sponsorships of second-rate sporting events and athletes.) I don’t believe that truly discerning consumers are really swayed by these marketing tactics. That said, I understand that this type of marketing is ultimately helpful from a commercial perspective to increase brand awareness in new markets.

Additionally, I think that a number of companies release model updates too frequently. In my opinion, the ‘updates’ have become increasingly trivial – mostly things like superficial changes to the dial or bezels. The corporate energy required to make such changes should be better directed toward achieving vertical integration, and, well, making better watches.

What’s the second-hand watch market like in New York and the US? Are there still bargains to be had?

It’s particularly robust in New York and the United States in general. The consensus from sophisticated dealers and collectors is that it’s getting increasingly difficult to find true bargains particularly on models in very good condition. This is reflective not only of an increasing collector base, but also of the increasing sophistication of the market.

At a more granular level, the market is rock-solid in New York City. The New York Times recently published a study, using data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey, showing that New Yorkers spend an average of 600 per cent more on watches than the rest of the nation. We’ll take credit for that one.

What’s your view on Christopher Ward? Any models you particularly like?

I like that Christopher Ward is so true to its market niche for (relatively) affordable mechanical watches. This area of the market is truly underserved. In particular, the C9 5 Day Automatic is priced well and includes an in-house movement – something nearly unheard of at this price point.www.hodinkee.com

IF YOU’VE JUST BOUGHT THE PERFECT DIVING WATCH, THEN IT PAYS

TO HAVE A QUALITY DECK SHOE TO GO WITH IT. STEP FORWARD

THE SEBAGO DOCKSIDES, THE IDEAL ACCESSORY TO THE NEW

C60 TRIDENT PRO 600.

Introduced in 1970, Docksides are a classic boat shoe, made from a single piece of leather that’s crafted and hand-sewn into shape before a rubber sole – essential for defying slippery decks – is added to the bottom.

While the Docksides can’t follow your Trident to the depths, they’ll happily pal up when it comes to recounting your sub-aquatic adventures in even the most exclusive of yacht clubs.

If someone questions you about your claims to membership, just tell them “Roman” sent you; the watch/shoe combo will smooth everything through.Sebago Docksides, £110 from www.steeplepine.co.ukC60 Trident Pro 600, £660

The perfect match

CW | CWORLD

orderline +44 1628 7630408

GIANNI AGNELLI

THE MOST FAMOUS ITALIANINDUSTRIALIST WORE MORE THAN

HIS HEART ON HIS SLEEVE

Elegance is not easy for a man to pull off. But former Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli had it in spades. Elegance in his hand-made suits, his Brooks Brothers shirts and of course, his watches. Specifically the way he wore them.

Before we get on to his watch-wearing, it’s worth knowing a little about the man. Born in 1926, he was the grandson of Fiat founder, Giovanni Agnelli, spending his privileged youth around Turin and Piedmont, where his family originated. Photos of him from the time show a young man dressed in beautiful suits, his hair slicked back like a matinee idol.

After World War II (during which he was shot in the arm), GIanni learnt the ins and outs of car production, and in 1966 was made president of Fiat During his period at the helm he made it the biggest company in Italy, opening factories in Russia and making alliances all over the world, including America. And it was on his travels, with his suit jacket taken off, that his unique way wearing of watches was shown.

Unlike seemingly every other man in the world, Gianni Agnelli wore his watch – either a Patek Philippe World Time or Omega Seamaster PloProf – over the cuff of his shirt. While it was thought that this was done to speed up the process of telling the time, the truth is a little more prosaic, as his friend, the journalist Taki, pointed out.

“In the day, he wore Brooks Brothers shirts and the cuffs were wide enough to fit the watch. But Gianni had his evening shirts hand-made by Battistoni, and it turned out the cuffs were so tight he couldn’t get his watch on. So he wore it on the outside.”

This way of doing things was typical of him. He was also famed for wearing the thin part of his tie longer than the thick part, and coupled his expensive suits with what looked like hiking boots. Like his way of wearing watches, this was caused by necessity.

After an argument with his mistress, Pamela Churchill, he went out for a high-speed ride around Monaco and ended up crashing his car. The severe injuries to his foot meant that from now he had to wear a brace, which could only be hidden by hiking boots, somehow making them an integral part of a formal outfit.

Agnelli stepped down from his role at Fiat in 1993, and died, aged 81 from pancreatic cancer ten years later. To this day, people copy his idiosyncratic style, which chimed perfectly with what Italians call sprezzatura – making the difficult look easy. And no one made it look easier than Gianni.

“I’D LIKE TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO APPLE ON BECOMING A PART OF THE WATCH INDUSTRY WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE APPLE WATCH, EVEN IF IT APPEARS THAT IT WANTS TO DESTROY THE REST OF US WITH ITS LATEST GADGET“

Apple Watch: Mike France’s verdict“Whether they succeed or not, only time (sorry!) will tell, and although Apple has a great track record of launching market-changing products – iPhone, iPod etc – there’s a tendency to airbrush from history failures like the Apple G4 Cube and iPod Hi-Fi.

“Meanwhile, the watch industry should welcome the attention the launch brings to wrist wear and the chance of convincing smartphone-carrying ‘millennials’ and Generation Z’ers that ‘proper’ watches are worth considering, too.

“I’m a huge fan of Apple designer Jony Ive and would never underestimate the power of the brand. However, this is the first of his designs that I haven’t wanted to own – and not just because I wear a CW on my wrist. It just isn’t beautiful enough.”

CWORLD | CWCWORLD | CW


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THE GREAT

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“Gianni had his eveningshirts hand-made by Battistoni, and the cuffs were so tight he couldn’t get his watch on. So he wore it on the outside”

9

CW | C70GP CHRONOMETERS

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Each watch

carries the

names of the

drivers, their

time and the

fl ag of the

country the race

took place in➸

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THE NEW C70 GRAND PRIX CHRONOMETERS COLLECTION COMMEMORATES THE PIONEERS OF GRAND PRIX RACING IN A SERIES THAT MERGES STUNNING

DESIGN WITH UNRIVALLED TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

T here’s something about motorsport and fi ne watchmaking that makes them natural bedfellows.

Like the best cars, great watches fuse mechanics with art, a combination that makes them endlessly fascinating, and, as many a depleted bank account can testify, annoyingly irresistible.

Ever since Christopher Ward was founded, cars have inspired the company’s timepieces. This isn’t

surprising. All of the company’s founders; Mike France, Peter Ellis and Chris Ward, are almost as nuts about cars as they are about watches.

From the C3 Chronograph, directly infl uenced by the look of early Aston Martin dashboards, to this year’s C70 D-Type and 3527GT Chronometers, complete

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THE

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YEARSwith a chunk of Ferrari GT panelling in the case, sports cars will always play a big part in what CW does.

Yet nothing that Christopher Ward has produced so far has brought the worlds of motorsport and watchmaking together so perfectly as the new C70 GP Chronometer range – the brand’s most ambitious automotive series yet.

The new range harks back to the original 2007 series which so enthralled motorsport fans. It sees subtle changes to dials, back-plates and straps and has been upgraded to chronometer status with the introduction of one of the fi nest Swiss quartz movements available.

Limited to just 500 pieces each, the range contains four watches, all of which pay homage individually to the early greats of Grand Prix and the races where they won their most signifi cant victories. Each watch carries the names of the drivers, their recorded time and the fl ag of the country the race took place in. And in a further act of homage to the seconds shaved off by these daredevils in overalls, every timepiece is a COSC-certifi ed chronometer.

“It’s about celebrating the birth of grand prix motor racing as we know it,” says Chris Ward. “We chose to mark four iconic European circuits in France, Great Britain, Italy and Belgium and the very fi rst Grand Prix held at each. Each race has its own special story and these are referenced on the different watches, while the colour schemes refl ect the national fl ag of the host country. These fl ags are also reproduced in

C70GP CHRONOMETERS | CW

MODEL: BELGIUM GRAND PRIX, SPA FRANCORCHAMP 1921

Ascari in Alfa Romeo P2, Belgian GP, 1925

It sees subtle changes to dials, back-plates and straps and has been upgraded to chronometer status with the introduction of one of the fi nest Swiss quartz movements available.

Limited to just 500 pieces each, the range contains four watches, all of which pay homage individually to the early greats of Grand Prix and the races where they won their most signifi cant victories. Each watch carries the names of the drivers, their recorded time and the fl ag of the country the race took place in. And in a further act of homage to the seconds shaved off by these daredevils in overalls, every timepiece is a COSC-certifi ed chronometer.

“It’s about celebrating the birth of grand prix motor racing as we know it,” says Chris Ward. “We chose to

MODEL: BELGIUM GRAND PRIX, SPA FRANCORCHAMP 1921

Ascari in Alfa Romeo P2, Belgian GP, 1925

CW | TRIDENT REDEFINED

“If there was an award for‘the people’s luxury watch’ then the C60 Trident would win every time”


“This is a complextiming instrument that can capture split-seconds with astonishing accuracy, making it equally useful at Brands Hatch as at your child’s go-kart track”

Talbot of Seagrave leads the fi eld in the 1926 British Grand Prix at Brooklands

MODEL: BRITISH GRAND PRIX, BROOKLANDS,1926

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ceramic beneath sapphire crystal on the back-plates. At a time when motorsport has never been safer – there hasn’t been a fatality in Formula 1 since Ayrton Senna was killed in 1994 – it’s easy to forget the early drivers faced down death, every time they got in their cars. The stories behind the watches are an antidote to the safety-fi rst society we live in today.

As Peter Ellis says, “We were inspired by the pioneering spirit, courage and adventure of the early racers, seeing something of them in our own approach to business. They weren’t afraid of taking risks and were constantly pushing the envelope of what was possible.”

To see exactly what Christopher Ward is trying to achieve with the series, let’s look at one of the models more closely, in this case, the C70 British GP 1926 Chronometer. The watch is inspired by the fi rst British Grand Prix at the famous Brooklands circuit in Surrey.

MODEL: ITALIAN GRAND PRIX, BRESCIA, 1921

C70GP CHRONOMETERS| CW

orderline +44 1628 763040 13

ceramic beneath sapphire crystal on the back-plates. At a time when motorsport has never been safer – there hasn’t been a fatality in Formula 1 since Ayrton Senna was killed in 1994 – it’s easy to forget the early drivers

The stories behind the watches are an antidote to the

risks and were constantly pushing the envelope of what

To see exactly what Christopher Ward is trying to achieve with the series, let’s look at one of the models

MODEL: ITALIAN GRAND PRIX, BRESCIA, 1921

Driver “Mariaux” in his Mercedes at the 1906 Le Mans Grand Prix

The British Racing Green colour scheme and ceramic Union Jack on the back plate pay deference to the fi rst home of UK motorsport.

The watch also pays homage to the French drivers Robert Sénéchal and Louis Wagner, who drove their French Delage 155B to victory in a time of 4hr 56sec. Their feat is etched into the side of the case.

If you like getting admiring (or jealous) glances from both friends and strangers then this watch is going to make you very popular indeed. All the other watches in the range boast similar credentials – and a large part of the attraction is that incredible face.

“The dial is one of our most complex yet,” says Chris Ward. “It’s got several layers and intricate detailing, especially around the sub-dials, and is covered by high-grade, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The C70 design has become a CW classic and the leather straps in particular are a key feature of the

watch, picking up the colour theme of the dial.”Up close, the dial really is incredible, a work of art

that captivates wearer and starer alike. Placed in the C70 case, with the solidity and mechanical fi nesse that this entails, it adds up to a timepiece you just can’t help but admire. Mike France: “As well as being a striking-looking watch with an enthralling narrative, it shouldn’t be forgotten that this is a complex timing instrument that can capture split-seconds with astonishing accuracy, making it equally useful at Brands Hatch as at your child’s go-kart track.”

The most signifi cant change from the original 2007 series is the addition of the thermo-compensated ETA 251.233 movement which has allowed the company to gain the highly valued (and still relatively rare) chronometer status from COSC in Switzerland, making these watches among the most accurate in the world.

“The movement isn’t new to us at Christopher Ward,” says Mike, “as it’s used in a number of C70 watches as well as the new C7 Rapide COSC. But using it in the new GP watches adds to the special quality of the series”

With the launch of the C70 GP Chronometers it’s clear that Christopher Ward’s obsession with bringing premium watches to the wrists of regular people is stronger than ever. Because the basis of the designs are from 2007, there was already a strong design base to work from, yet the range still took a year of tweaking before the company was ready to put the watches in production.

It’s this attention to the fi ner details that embodies the spirit of Christopher Ward and what places these four incredible watches on the front row of horology’s starting grid. Your only problem is choosing which one should grace your wrist.

Still, who said winning was easy?

The Ballot 3L at the 1921 Italian GP

MODEL: FRENCH GRAND PRIX, LE MANS, 1906

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CW | TRIDENTS REINVENTED

E X C L U S I V E L Y A V A I L A B L E A T christopherward.co.uk

Swiss movement, English heart

C9 5 DAY AUTOMATIC - 40mm £1375 / $1895

Incorporating Christopher Ward’s in-house movement,

Calibre SH21


3’03” T

his reached its climax with the launch of the iPhone in 2007, when Jobs used every one of his powers to unveil a gadget that really would change the world.

In the years previously, there’d been calls for Apple to stick mobile phone connectivity inside an iPod, but Jobs had always resisted making a phone. He was reluctant to tie Apple in with one particular carrier and felt that bandwidth was too slow to let anyone surf the internet on a mobile device without losing connection.

But by 2004, innovations in touchscreen technology and the opening up of the mobile phone market persuaded him to go ahead with the production of a phone. This venture would be called ‘Project Purple’, and employ the talents of 1,000 Apple staff members, including British design genius Jonathan Ive.

Fast-forward two-and-a-bit years later to January 9, 2007, and the Macworld conference in San Francisco. Steve Jobs appears on stage in his signature black turtle neck/faded jeans combination. He talks briefly about being involved in two revolutionary Apple products, the Macintosh computer and the iPod, and then carries the theme forward.

“Today, we’re introducing three revolutionary products of this class,” he says. “The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device.”

Cue cheers for each one, especially the phone. He carries on.

“So, three things: a widescreen iPod with touch controls; a revolutionary mobile phone; and a breakthrough internet communications device. An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator.”

The penny starts to drop, and applause fills the room.“An iPod, a phone… are you getting it? These are not

three separate devices, this is one device, and we’re calling it iPhone.”

And with that brilliant intro, the future of how we communicate is changed forever.

TIM

ESPAN

APPLE’S STEVE JOBS MAY HAVE BEEN A VISIONARY, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, HE WAS A SHOWMAN. HIS LAUNCHES OF APPLE PRODUCTS – GOING BACK TO 1984 – HAD A SENSE OF THEATRE THAT ELEVATED THE PRODUCT BEYOND THAT OF THE MERELY TECHNOLOGICAL.

THE IPHONE IS BORN

Incorporating Christopher Ward’s in-house movement,

Calibre SH21

The Rollin’ Stones, as they were then known,

had faultless timing, forming just before

The Beatles exploded and the British capital

slipped from its parochial moorings to

became a global player in the music business. As

interlopers, they cut their teeth and defined their

identity far from the greasy pavements of Soho and

Denmark Street where what passed for the British

music industry was centred.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards went to primary

school together but serendipitously re-met as callow,

blues-obsessed teens on the platform of Dartford

station just outside south-east London on October

17 1962 when Keith, lugging a guitar, spotted a copy

of One Dozen Berrys by Chuck Berry under Mick’s

arm. It was west London, however, that sculpted

them, drawing in the like-minded souls that formed

the classic line up of the band there.

Mick and Keith would educate themselves by

scouring record shops for obscure blues records, even

travelling to Manchester to see Sonny Terry, Muddy

Waters and John Lee Hooker play. Little Boy Blue &

Blue Boys was their stuttering first attempt at a group,

Stones SuburbsBritish R’n’B

the

the

and the triumph of

CW | THE STONES

EAMONN FORDE TELLS THE TALE OF HOW THE

ROLLING STONES WENT FROM WEST LONDON

NOBODIES TO THE BEATLES’ ONLY SERIOUS

LONDON RIVALS, SOMETIME EARLY IN 1962.


right The Stones in

their mid-’60s pomp,

playing up to their role

as the ‘anti Beatles’➸

17

It was west London that

sculpted them, drawing in

the like-minded souls that

formed the classic line-up

of the band there

CW | THE STONES

orderline +44 1628 76304018

the band was hatched and the Crawdaddy Club

in the Station Hotel in Richmond was where they

took flight. Giorgio Gomelsky, a wealthy Russian émigré

who made documentaries on the blues, had

opened the Crawdaddy as a conscious play

to have a scene he could nurture as far from

the interruptions of the West End as possible.

He acted as the band’s manager in all but

contract, plastering west London’s walls with

posters advertising “R&B with the Inimitable,

Incomparable, Exhilarating Rollin’ Stones”.

By the end of 1962, Bill Perks was in as bassist

because he had a Vox amp and money to buy

the others cigarettes and beer. Perks changed his

name to Wyman and they played their first gig at

Wetherby Arms near Edith Grove. Only one last

piece was needed to fall into place.

The Crawdaddy was also where the band were

first spotted by Andrew Loog Oldham, elbowing

out Gomelsky to seize the management reins,

something Brian was keen to see happen when he

spotted the plans for the band fizzing in Oldham’s

formidable mind. He pushed for the rest of the

band to sign with Oldham on May 6, 1963,

duplicitously carving out a deal to get paid £5

more a week than the rest of the band – an act of

betrayal and power-playing that was to eventually

catch him out. Oldham was a former assistant to both Mary

Quant and Beatles manager Brian Epstein,

straddling both the new wave of fashion and

the new generation of British music industry ➸

but it was a weekly blues night at the Ealing Jazz

Club that set them alight, This was where, as

Keith describes it in Life, his autobiography,

“rhythm and blues freaks could congregate”.

That night was run by Alexis Korner and Cyril

Davies. “Without them,” says Keith, “there might

have been nothing.”

This was where Mick and Keith first met

Cheltenham-born Brian Jones, then trading

under the soubriquet of Elmo Lewis and playing

slide guitar, a style then alien in the UK. Korner

was the spoke on which everything in the west

London blues scene turned, with Charlie Watts

playing drums in Korner’s Blues Incorporated,

a group that also occasionally featured lantern-

jawed Ian Stewart on piano. “Alexis Korner,” said

Keith with no sense of understatement, “was the

daddy of the London blues scene.” In the same

month that Keith and Mick met on Dartford

station, Brian had exchanged numbers with

Korner following a gig at Cheltenham Town Hall,

part triggering his move to London. The stars

were aligning. The first rehearsal by what became the Stones

might have taken place in the Bricklayers Arms

in Soho in May 1962, but when Mick, Keith

and Brian shared filthy flats in Powis Square in

Notting Hill and Edith Grove in Fulham, the

west became their epicentre. The Flamingo

Club and the Marquee on Wardour Street, the

Red Lion in Sutton, the Manor House in north

London and the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor

were on their gigging circuit but Ealing was where

top left: The Flamingo

club in Soho, London

above: The Stones

when they wore

matching outfits

bottom: Blues mecca

The Marquee club

on Wardour Street, W1

Mick and Keith met Cheltenham-born Brian Jones when he was trading under the

soubriquet of Elmo Lewis


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above: Stones manager

Andrew Loog Oldham, whose

skills took them to the top

left: The Rolling Stones in an

early TV appearance

below: Alexis Korner, the

godfather of British blues


CW | SPORTING IMAGES

Brian Epstein brought John Lennon

and Paul McCartney back to

the band’s flat in Edith Grove only

to find Mick and Keith on the sofa

trying to write songs together

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THE STONES| CW

21

luminaries. He would consciously use this

background in reshaping the Stones as the ‘anti-

Beatles’, dressing them in black and getting them

to grow their hair. “We were the instrument of his

revenge on Epstein,” said Keith. “We were the

dynamite, Andy Oldham the detonator.”

Oldham had clear ambitions for the band and

imposed his ideological rule by sacking keyboard

player Ian Stewart because he was a few years

older than the rest and his look didn’t fit. “He

had a Popeye torso, a William Bendix jawline and

a bad Ray Danton haircut,” was how Oldham

put it in Stoned, the first volume of his memoirs.

Stewart was, however, allowed to stay on as tour

manager and piano player, albeit behind a curtain

so that his stuffy look and prominent jaw didn’t

put off the screaming fans the band was now

starting to attract.

This was part of a wider play to change the

power structure of the band that jolted Brian

to one side and swung Mick and Keith to the

front. Oldham moved swiftly as newly installed

manager, getting them a deal in May 1963 with

Dick Rowe, the Decca label executive who had

infamously turned down The Beatles the year

before, arguing that guitar bands were on their

way out. Their first single was a cover of Come

On, fittingly a Chuck Berry song, as Rowe had

rejected songs that Brian had written, arguing

they weren’t commercial enough.

In that blow, Brian’s leadership was null and

void, but it was being chipped away at anyway

for months leading up to that. Before they were

signed, Brian Epstein had taken The Beatles to

see the Stones at the Crawdaddy. Mick button-

holed Epstein after the gig, quizzing him about

music publishing and royalties – which was telling

as the band were trading in obscure blues covers

at the time. Brian brought John Lennon and

Paul McCartney back to the band’s flat in Edith

Grove that night only to find Mick and Keith on

the sofa trying to write songs together. The crack

was audible. By February 1965, the band’s first single to

be written by Keith and Mick, The Last Time,

was number one in the charts. By June 1969,

Brian was out of the band. The following month

he was dead. But that was all to come. On September 29

1963, the band started their first national tour

supporting The Everly Brothers. The opening

night at the New Victoria Theatre in London held

700 people and was easily the biggest crowd they’d

ever played to – a huge jump from the sweatbox

backrooms of west London. Thereafter they were

no longer a London band. They were a national

band – and soon to be an international one.

top left: Jagger and

Oldham mid-meeting

facing page: Keith

Richards tries out

his keyboard skills

above: The band wrap

up against the cold

Oldham got them

a deal in May 1963

with Dick Rowe,

the Decca label

executive who had

infamously turned

down The Beatles

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CW | SPORTING IMAGES

CLUB

995PREMIUM WATCHES, REMARKABLE VALUE

Five of our finest watches, each priced at £995 / $1375


PERFECT FIT| CW

CH

ALLENGERPRO

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A L L E N G E R P R O

GR

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WATCH LOVERS COME IN ALL

SHAPES AND SIZES. SADLY, THE

STRAPS THAT HOLD THEM ARE

USUALLY AIMED AT A CERTAIN

WIDTH OF WRIST, THUS EXCLUDING

LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO’D LOVE TO

WEAR A QUALITY TIMEPIECE.

TAKING THIS ON BOARD,

CHRISTOPHER WARD HAS

LAUNCHED A RANGE OF

STRAPS THAT COME IN

THREE SIZES, SOMETHING

OUR TRIO OF ATHLETES

FROM THE CHALLENGER

PROGRAMME REALLY

APPRECIATE

CW | PERFECT FIT

The variety in wrist sizes shows that CW watches really can be worn by anyone

There are no longer men’s, and women’s watches – just watches. And they’re for everybody

Sam wears a C60 Trident Pro 600 42mm SKK with a black standard strap

Amber wears C60 Trident Pro 600 38mm SBB with a blue small strap

orderline +44 1628 76304024


PERFECT FIT | CW

25

Ever since Christopher Ward began, it’s had one aim: to bring quality Swiss watchmaking to as wide an audience as possible.

That goal has just been bolstered with news that the company is expanding its strap range to accommodate as many wrist sizes as possible.

From now on, most of our watches will come with the option of three strap sizes: Small; Standard and Large. For years, watch brands have only catered to a standard wrist size, leaving everyone else to fit a specialist strap after purchase. Now, that’s no longer a problem.

An easy to way to demonstrate this is with the help of three athletes who’ve been supported by Christopher Ward’s Challenger Programme: rower Will Satch, sailor Sam Brearey and shooter Amber Hill. All three are wearing watches with different sized straps, with Will sporting the Large, Sam the Standard, and Amber the Small. The variety in wrist sizes shows that CW watches really can be worn by anyone.

“This new offer helps us make superior Swiss-made watches accessible to absolutely everyone,” says Helen McCall, Christopher Ward’s Marketing Manager. “Not just in terms of the Christopher Ward Quality, Value and Service promise but now in terms of fit and suitability, too. There are no longer men’s, and women’s watches – just watches. And they’re for everybody.”

Looks like there’ll be some very happy wrists this summer.

From now on, most of our watches will come with the option of three strap sizes: Small; Standard and Large

Will wears C8 Regulator KVKT with large vintage leather strap

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CW | ICONIC CLOCKS

C9J

HM

K1CLASSIC C9 JUMPING HOUR MK1

IN ROSE GOLD

The design was completed, early samples looked fabulous, and the first pre-shipment models confirmed what the company thought: the rose gold version would, if anything, sell faster than the original.

All systems were go and Christopher Ward announced the impending launch during one of its regular online chat sessions with the CW forum.

“What followed was a lesson in consumer power we’re not likely to forget in a hurry,” says CW co-founder Mike France. “A number of owners of the original stainless steel version expressed their disappointment that a second limited edition of the same design (albeit in rose gold rather than stainless steel) was being introduced when we’d indicated in the marketing of the original that ‘only 200 pieces would ever be manufactured of this design’.

“Had we said ‘… of this version’ there would have been no issue but we were accused of misleading people who’d purchased the steel model. When we considered this view we decided it was right and that, unintentionally, we had been misleading.”

So, despite the investment and the prospect of another fast-selling watch the company canned the project, leaving just one example in existence.

That pre-shipment sample is one of Mike France’s most prized possessions although forum moderator Kip McEwen has on more than one occasion expressed his envy and desire to own it.

When we asked Mike if he’d ever part with his JH1, “No chance,” was the response. Sorry Kip.

AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE LIMITED EDITION, STAINLESS STEEL C9 JUMPING HOUR – THE WATCH CONTAINING JOHANNES JAHNKE’S CALIBRE JJ01 ADAPTATION OF AN ETA 2824-2 AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT – IT SEEMED THE OBVIOUS NEXT STEP FOR CHRISTOPHER WARD TO INTRODUCE A PVD ROSE GOLD MODEL…

ROSE

GO

LD


WARD

TIME MAKER | CW

Despite the investment and the prospect of another fast-selling watch, the company canned the project

orderline +44 1628 763040 27

orderline +44 1628 763040

CW | DIAL DESIGN

28

If the eyes are the window to the soul, then the design of a watch dial should distil the character of a timepiece and the company behind it.

The dial is where the complex micro-mechanics inside a watch are interpreted into something we can comprehend; putting numerical scale alongside measurement. But watches are no mere scientific instruments, and legibility, while important, is only half the battle for watch designers.

The watch dial is prime real estate, offering watchmakers one of the main opportunities they’ll have to not only announce their all-important logo, but also the design signatures they hope their customers will identify with.

Considering that a dial needs to, at the bare minimum, mark out 12 hours and 60 minutes/seconds, it’s astonishing how many different takes on it are available; horological complications only to add to the variety.

It was the dial of an early Christopher Ward model, the C3 Malvern Chronograph Mk1, which first drew my attention to the brand. The watch boasted a two-level dial with concentric circular guilloche work mapping out the sub-dials. I’d never seen a dial so involved at that price point, just £179, and ordered one immediately.

Christopher Ward co-founder Mike France explains the company’s thinking when it came to its early dial design. “Our earliest inspirations for dials came from a metaphysical view of time being ‘round’, hence the circular textures of the C3 and C5 Malverns and the round date windows. The C3 Malvern Chronograph was also heavily influenced by the dashboard dials of an early Aston Martin Chris and I discovered. We wanted a classic English sports feel.”

Each watch dial starts life as a simple brass plate, which has either been stamped or turned. If the dial

AF

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ON THE

OF IT…

C

➸

FROM THE C3 MALVERN CHRONOGRAPH TO THE C900 WORLDTIMER, CHRISTOPHER WARD PRIDES ITSELF ON TAKING DIAL DESIGN TO THE

LIMIT AS WATCH PRO’S JAMES BUTTERY FINDS OUT

ICONIC CLOCKS | CW

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Ken

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CW | DIAL DESIGN

30

requires no pattern, like the simple, elegant examples found within Christopher Ward’s C9 collection, then the plate is given a mirror-fi nish polish before dial feet are soldered into place, ensuring a perfect fi t onto the movement beneath.

The classic sunburst dial effect, found on the blue-dialled C9s, is achieved by placing the polished plates in rotating dishes on a rotating plinth and passing them under a number of brushes with a diamond paste.

Dial patterns, such as the neat nautical wave motif on Christopher Ward’s new Trident Pro 600, are achieved by pressing the pattern into the metal under extremely high pressure. Applied indices are then milled by CNC machine before having two feet soldered into place on the reverse, which are then riveted to the dial through the plate.

Jörg Bader, President of Synergies Horlogères, CW’s Swiss watchmaking partner, explains the often delicate balance between dial design and budgetary realities.

“Product managers are all very concerned about dials and their design. Often, the budget can represent a limit for a good dial, hence when real indices are replaced by stickers. Christopher Ward, with its unique distribution strategy can luckily afford to go very deep and does not allow shortcuts in order to bring forward quality dials which represent a strong increase in product value.”

As Christopher Ward has matured, its dial designs have increased in complexity, ambition and quality, reaching a pinnacle with the C900 Worldtimer. But

this milestone almost never happened. An incredibly intricate dial was required to translate master watchmaker Johannes Jahnke’s work in modifying the ETA 2893 automatic movement so that timezones could track the same 24-hour scale and indicators identifi ed both geographic global location and international airport code.

“The design of the Worldtimer was driven by the quest to have a world map with longitude and latitude lines as well as the world map in detail,” says Bader. “This is extremely challenging because this pattern is stamped. As you can imagine the stamping tool is diffi cult to create and can easily get broken in the stamping process.”

The design required so much machining that the fi rst production quote from one manufacturer came in at 300 CHF (£203) for each fi nished dial. Christopher Ward looked elsewhere for a dedicated dial manufacturer that could carry out the 64 different machining processes needed at a more realistic price. Luckily, it found one.

Mike France: “The C900 represents what is probably our fi nest dial to date. The 24 separate holes designating each time zone are all individually made by a CNC machine, one-by-one, as each has a bezel-edge rather than being fl at.

“Add in the 3D dimples we wanted to represent the sea, the blue varnishing and silver-plating

“The C3 MalvernChronograph was heavily infl uenced by the dashboard dials of an early Aston Martin we found”

below left: The dial of the C3 Malvern Chronograph: the perfect fusion of automotive and horological design below: The dial is rendered on CAD during the design process

DIAL DESIGN | CW

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THE GREATEST DIALS IN WATCHMAKING HISTORY

ROLEX SUBMARINERThe Sub wasn’t the first serious divers watch, it wasn’t even the first watch to use luminous paint on a matte black dial for ultimate contrast, but it was the first one to demonstrate a true understanding of practical design language. Rolex realised that, to the nitrogen-addled mind of a diver in trouble, the difference between circles and bars was easier to process than numerals; that less was, in this case, more. The result is a design icon.

SCHILD & CIE HEBDOMASAs the 19th century made way for the 20th this Swiss watch company used the ancient Greek word for week, Hebdomas, to describe its eight-day pocket watch. The design also put its watchmaking on the dial with an exposed balance wheel and balance cock. The visually theatrical technique continued to captivate the brand’s customers for decades and still works a trick for those of Frederique Constant and Zenith.

BREGUET SYMPATHIQUE Abraham Louis Breguet, the inventor of the tourbillon undoubtedly ranks as one of the greatest watchmakers of all time. His mechanical Sympathique table clocks with matching pocket watches were the world’s first dockable devices, almost 200 years before Steve Jobs presented the iPod. His engine-turned dials are relevant even today, having inspired George Daniels, his successor Roger Smith and of course, the modern-day Breguet company.

processes required for the dial colours – the silver-plating was especially difficult given the different levels – and you begin to understand the art and science that’s gone into its creation.”

The C900 has recently joined Christopher Ward’s Club 995, a collection of five of the company’s most premium models all being offered for £995, a saving of £580 over the original asking price. Mike believes that speaks for itself, saying: “If the C900 Worldtimer isn’t one of, if not the best value watch in the world, I don’t know what is.”

He also believes that CW’s work with one of the world’s leading dial manufacturers now means the company’s only limit is its imagination, a fact that will come in handy when he sets about realising two, as yet, unfulfilled dial concepts.

“I’d like to develop a fine porcelain dial for inclusion into the dress watch range. And with the high-tech carbon-based materials constantly being created and refined by the F1 teams, it would be fun to find a way of incorporating some of them into our motorsport collections.”

Whatever direction Christopher Ward takes on future dial designs, its carefully balanced approach to value-for-money and disregard for established industry mark-ups promises watches of a calibre far beyond that suggested by their asking price.

“The C900 represents whatis probably our finest dial to date. The 24 separate holes designating each time zone are all individually made by a CNC machine, one-by-one”

right: A close-up view of the C900 Worldtimer’s dial. When it was first proposed, one manufacturer quoted a price of over £200 per watch just for the dial, something that would have made the timepiece too expensive

CW | BRITISH WATCHMAKING

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THE ANCIENT SPORT OF CALCIO STORICO IS THE NEAREST THING TO GLADIATORIAL COMBAT YOU’LL SEE IN WESTERN EUROPE, AS WE DISCOVER ON A TRIP TO FLORENCE

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SPORT SPECIAL| CW

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They say football’s gone soft. That today’s players are better at diving or play-acting than they are at taking a tackle. In the old days, they’ll tell you, football was a real contact sport, where you hadn’t really made your bones until you’d broken a few.

There may be some truth in this, but even the likes of ’70s hardmen like Tommy Smith, Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris and Norman Hunter would surely wince at Florence’s ancient, and very brutal, version of football, calcio storico. It’s a game alright, but certainly not the beautiful one.

Calcio – also the Italian word for modern soccer – originated in the middle ages, but was regulated in 1580 when a count, Giovanni de Bardi, wrote the first set of rules. At the time, the sport was played by the aristocracy as a way to test their manhood away from battle. It disappeared in the 17th century, but was revived in 1930, and today is once again a key totem of Florentine identity.

Played on a large sand-pit ‘pitch’ in Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce, the aim of the game is simple: throw the ball into the netting at the end of the other side’s half to score a goal (or caccia). Each team has 27 players and, bar kicking in the head and gouging, all methods are allowed in order to facilitate victory. This gives the game an atmosphere edgier than regular football – both players and spectators know that blood will be spilt.

When the match kicks off, tussles immediately start with seemingly little relation to the position of the ball.


left: Strapping up before the match top left: Boxing and weight training is vital for playersright: Anything goes once the game starts

C A L C I OS T O R I C O

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The men – this is a strictly all-male affair – are stripped to waist, heavily muscled and, for the most part, covered in tattoos. Their martial arts training, which can be seen in the professional fighting stances they adopt, seems more useful than any dexterity with the ball.

In total, four teams take part in the event, each representing a different neighbourhood of the city: Santa Croce (the blue team), Santa Maria Novella (reds), Santo Spirito (whites), and San Giovanni (greens). All year, the squads train at gyms to make sure they’re in peak physical and mental condition for the tournament, which takes places in the third week of June.

Even the likes of ’70s hardmen like Tommy Smith, Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris and Norman Hunter would surely wince at Florence’s ancient, and very brutal, version of football, calcio storico

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CW | AMBER HILL

C60 TR IDENT GMT 600 £860 / $1185

S W I S S M O V E M E N T E N G L I S H H E A R T

Trident_ redefined.

THE NEW T R IDENT

CW CHALLENGER| CW

C60 TR IDENT GMT 600 £860 / $1185

After the sides have played a semi-final, the winners meet in the final on June 24, the feast day of St Giovanni, the city’s patron saint.

One player, Alessio Giorgerini, sums it up. “Fear is the engine that drives us. When you walk into the arena and the cage is closed, the fear becomes a pleasurable sensation. All my unnecessary senses are suppressed, and the necessary ones are intensified with an sole aim; to survive 50 minutes against 27 men that want to kill me on the arena.”

And that’s about as far removed from modern football as it’s possible to get. Probably for the best, too.

“Fear is the enginethat drives us. When you walk into the arena and the cage is closed, the fear becomes a pleasurable sensation”

C A L C I OS T O R I C O

THE NEW T R IDENT

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CW | HISTORY TIME


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RISE & SHINE

HISTORY TIME | CW

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➸

Time, so the saying goes, waits for no man. And despite the best efforts of plastic surgeons, healthcare professionals and keep-fit fanatics this is broadly true. However, on two

occasions every year it is man who bends time to his will. Not through any superhuman strength: merely the judicious use of forwarding and rewinding the instruments of timekeeping.

In practice, this exercise involves forwarding the clocks by an hour at the end of March each year, and then winding time back by an hour again to Greenwich Mean Time at the end of October (the helpful Americanism being “Spring forward, fall back”). In the UK we understand this annual manipulation of time to herald the start – and end – of British Summer Time. Across the globe it’s referred to as Daylight Saving Time (DST).

So why do we do it? Why do the majority of British people want to retain DST all year round? And why is Scotland so vehemently opposed to such a practice? Speak to most folk about the clocks going forward and back and you’ll generally get replies concerning lighter (and therefore longer) evenings in the summer and lighter mornings in the winter. Unsurprisingly, it’s a little more convoluted than that.

Why do we embrace DST for seven months (in most parts of America it’s actually in use for eight months) of every year then? Dr David Prerau, one of the world’s leading authorities on this very modern peculiarity, and author of Seize The Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time, is well versed in responding to this query.

“It saves energy, reduces automobile accidents and fatalities and cuts outdoor crime,” he tells us. There’s more. “Moreover, there are numerous public health benefits as people are outdoors more. It allows for a better quality of life as there’s more time to do things during daylight – recreation, shopping and the like. And this naturally acts as a stimulus for increased economic activity.”

Put it like that and it appears to be an open-and-shut case. Unsurprisingly, however, there is a yin to the advocates of DST’s yang. Those workers whose job is governed by the outdoors – farmers being a prominent group – are loathe to spend any more time in the gloom, while former leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond said moves in 2011 to adopt DST all-year round would “plunge Scotland into morning darkness”. Indeed, in some northern parts of Scotland the sun wouldn’t rise until 10am.

The debate concerning the shifting of time has raged for centuries, but intensified with the advent of the industrial age when the power of agrarian societies began to wane. In 1784, while an American envoy in Paris, Benjamin Franklin wrote a humorous essay noting that candle usage could be vastly reduced in the evenings if Parisians rose earlier in the morning.

“IT SAVES ENERGY, REDUCES AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS

AND FATALITIES, AND CUTS OUTDOOR CRIME”

RISE & SHINEJIM BUTLER TURNS THE CLOCK BACK TO UNCOVER

THE STRANGE STORY OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

CW | CYCLE MAKERS


C5 MALVERN SL IMLINE £399 / $550




HISTORY TIME | CW

41

II, the US in particular was thrown into confusion, termed a “chaos of clocks”, as states governed when DST was used. This arbitrary adoption meant that it was possible to travel through a number of time changes even on short train rides.

Since the energy crisis of the 1970s the benefits of DST have been adequately argued. Today, however, there are moves in the UK to adopt it all-year round, rather than just from the end of March till the end of October. Pressure groups point to the energy savings – researchers at the University of Cambridge recently pointed to an estimated £485m saving for consumers on energy bills.

There are safety benefits, too – in the three-year experiment with permanent DST between 1968-1971 there was an 11 per cent reduction in road casualties in England and Wales. The aforementioned Cambridge University report noted that an extra hour of evening daylight could save the NHS £200 million a year in accident-related costs. Health-wise we would be free to indulge in outdoor exercise for longer. Tourism would receive a much-needed shot in the arm too.

Earlier this decade, the Lighter Later initiative, which formed part of the 10:10 climate change campaign, pushed for a year-round adoption of DST. Dr Elizabeth Garnsey from the University of Cambridge, told Parliament: “We need better alignment with the way most people spend their time. At 4.30am on 21 June most people will still be asleep – that’s an average of three hours’ wasted daylight.”

DST still has its critics – Scotland still needs convincing. As do farmers, and construction workers. By their nature, lighter evenings in winter mean darker mornings. There are those that point to the increased dangers to children travelling to school in the dark.

So while Dr Prerau points to “the general benefits of DST far outweighing the negatives”, he isn’t convinced it will be adopted permanently in the UK. “Probably not,” he says when asked. “The negatives of DST in the darkest months of winter will probably see to that.”

For now, we’ve reached a state of unsatisfactory stasis. A 2011 YouGov poll found that 53 per cent of UK citizens wanted it permanently, as opposed to 32 per cent who were against it. The arguments for and against will carry on, while the only thing we can say with utter confidence is that against this backdrop, time will press on regardless.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WROTE A HUMOROUS ESSAY NOTING

THAT CANDLE USAGE COULD BE VASTLY REDUCED IN THE

EVENINGS IF PARISIANS ROSE EARLIER IN THE MORNING

RISE & SHINE

While a satire, Franklin’s point was echoed by some of the earliest proponents of DST. A New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson valued his after-hours work of collecting insects so much that he wrote a paper suggesting a two-hour time shift to extend daylight once the normal hours of factory work had finished.

In the UK, businessman William Willett was behind moves in the early part of the 20th century to embrace DST – his argument reaching Parliament. It wasn’t until World War I, though that DST was implemented. To preserve much-needed coal supplies, Germany switched to DST in April 1916. The UK and its allies followed suit thereafter.

After the cessation of hostilities there was no uniform global approach to its retention. The US dropped it as quickly as it had adopted it. The UK maintained it in various guises – including a double British Summer Time (during World War II) and an all-year BST between 1968 and 1971. And still the debate raged. In the 1930s Winston Churchill noted that DST allowed “the opportunities for the pursuit of health and happiness among the millions of people who live in this country”.

The second global conflict of the 20th century – World War II – prompted another widespread adoption in order to conserve energy and cut down on incandescent lighting in the evening. Post-World War


CW | CHALLENGERS


“Every writing book saysyou should write about what you know. All I knew was sitting in an office, virtually broke”

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CHALLENGERS | CW

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So far, the Christopher Ward Challenger Programme has concentrated on giving support to rising athletes like Amber Hill and Will Satch. This year, it’s expanding its range

into the arts, with fi lm director Chris Loizou being the fi rst to receive fi nancial and business advice from the CW team.

A veteran of the fi lm and TV world (he’s been both a screenwriter and producer), this year, 47-year-old Chris releases Untitled, a modern take on the fi lm noir genre which he’s written and directed. It’s his fi rst full-length feature.

Here, the Londoner tells us what the movie involves, the diffi culty in fi nancing it and just what a constantly connected world is doing to the stories of movies made today.

Hi Chris. You’ve written and directed a fi lm, Untitled. Tell us about it…

It’s fi lm noir, but it’s conceptual fi lm noir. It’s actually about a fi lm producer who comes back from Cannes and sees his day deteriorate from his offi ce. He’s actually on his own physically there. We only see the other characters when their actions play out on Facebook or they appear on Skype. That’s what makes it so interesting.

You say it’s “conceptual”. What does that mean?The movie is about a screenwriter trying to get

his fi lm made. There are lots of shots, which we’ve taken from Psycho. You may notice them, you may not. On top of wanting to do a gag about that, we also mention product placement in the script. We thought that would be a good way to show a classic watch and get away with it – that’s where Christopher Ward came in. The company gave us some funding for the fi lm as well as watch samples, one of which I’m wearing now.

What was the process of making Untitled like? Originally, I was set up to make another fi lm.

Basically, that fell apart, and I was sitting in my

studio, wondering what to do. Every writing book says you should write about what you know. All I knew was sitting in an offi ce, virtually broke. So that’s what I wrote about. It gave me some ideas and parameters to work within. My rule was, never go outside the room. And this fi lm has murder, sex and everything that sells, but it all happens elsewhere.

You mention the use of social media in your fi lm. Do you think the way we tell stories has changed because of that?

For me, it worked in my favour. The only way I could get size and scope from my location was through a computer screen. But you’re right. We’re so well connected, if you’re doing anything in the thriller or horror genre, that person would have a phone with them and be able to call the police or get in contact with someone at a time of danger. That’s changing fi lm-making, but we’re changing with it.

You’ve just joined Christopher Ward’s Challenger Programme. What’s its involvement in the fi lm?

Well, we were looking for a watch brand to lend us samples for the fi lm, and CW had that classic-but-modern thing we were after. The Challenger Programme has come on the back of that, and I’m looking forward to see how we can work together in the coming months.

What do you want to do after this?I’d like to fi nd more scripts from unsigned artists

and people who haven’t had the chance to move on with their fi lmmaking career. The Challenger Programme is the same, sponsoring and advising people like me who are going forward.

Finally, Are you a watch fan? I am. I love watches. If I had to pick one

Christopher Ward model out, I’d go for one of the new Tridents with the ceramic case. They’re modern but with a classic feel and colour – like my fi lm.

Untitled will be out later in the year

CHRIS LOIZOU OUR LATEST CHALLENGER TALKS ABOUT SHOOTING A FILM-NOIR THRILLER IN A TECHNICOLOUR WORLD

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CW | ICONIC CLOCKS

It’s easy to forget that until comparatively recently, access to timekeeping was limited. There were no watches in medieval Europe and if a peasant wanted to conduct a high level meeting about say, the price of turnips, then “when the sun strikes the oak tree” would be about as accurate as it got. That’s the thing about the old days, there was a lot of hanging about. For men of the cloth, specifically monks, things were different. Religious life, with its structured

days based around work and prayer depended on accurate timekeeping. It’s no surprise that the first clockmakers were monks, and the clocks they constructed often ended up in, or on the front, of the local cathedral. These timepieces can still be seen in cities as far removed as Strasbourg and Salisbury. According to historian Thomas Wood, “The first recorded clock was built by the future Pope Sylvester II for the German town of Magdeburg, around the year 996. Much more sophisticated clocks were

built by later monks. Peter Lightfoot, a 14th-century monk of Glastonbury, built one of the oldest clocks still in existence, which now sits in excellent condition in London’s Science Museum.”

Looking at these medieval cathedral clocks today, one is struck by the sheer complexity of the devices. Not only did they tell the time (though usually with only one hand) but also acted as constantly changing astronomical and astrological charts so observers could note the effect the heavens would have on them.

One of the pioneers of the age was Italian astronomy professor Giovanni Di Dondi, who presented a detailed description of mechanical clockmaking in his 1135 treatise Il Tractatus Astrarii. His work influenced the building of cathedral clocks all over Europe, one of which at Wells in Somerset, south-west England, is still a huge attraction.

Built in between 1386 and 1392, the timepiece tells the time using the 24-hour clock, but more interestingly also shows the pre-Copernican

MEDIEVAL EUROPE’S CATHEDRAL CLOCKS NOT ONLY TOLD THE TIME, BUT MADE SURE PEOPLE KNEW THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE ON EARTH, AND IN THE HEAVENS

HOLYORDERS

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WATCHMAKER | CW

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Not only did the clocks tell the time but also acted as constantly changing astronomical and astrological charts

45

The incredible astronomical clock at Wells cathedral, Somerset

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ICONIC CLOCKS | CW

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universe with the Sun rotating around the fixed Earth. To add to the spectacle, two knights revolve around a track every 15 minutes, which in the days before TV and iPhones was about as mindblowing as it got.

Another groundbreaking timepiece is at Salisbury Cathedral, also in the south-west. Built in 1386, it’s said to be the oldest working clock in the world, though interestingly it doesn’t actually have a dial. The purpose of the clock was to let worshippers know what time it was and what prayers they should be saying by the use of chimes only. God, who saw everything, was most certainly in charge here.

Across Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, ever more complex clocks found their way onto the walls of cathedrals and to a lesser extent town halls and public buildings. Prague’s astronomical clock (located on the side of the town hall), with its figures of the apostles, is still a huge draw today while the clock at Rostock Cathedral in Germany has a calendar that will be correct until 2017. Not bad for something that was built in 1472.

These timepieces not only look incredible but show the priorities of medieval life in Europe. At the centre of everything was Christianity, and people’s relationship with God: everything else was secondary. The clocks’ functions demonstrated this, but more interestingly, pointed to a world in which science, not God, would have an increasing influence on people’s life. Something that would have been unthinkable in those pious days of the 1400s.

right: The less spectacular exterior of the clock at Wellsopposite and below: The UNESCO-listed clock at Prague, famous for its complexitybelow right: The astronomical clock at the Cathedral St-Jean, Lyon

left: The Gros Horloge at Rouen is an astronomical clock that dates back to 1389 below: Enlightenment-era clockmaking on St Paul’s cathedral, London


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But what really showed just how thrilling the sport could be was Michael Thomas’s last-minute goal for Arsenal against Liverpool on a spring night in May 1989, winning not just the match but the

League Championship itself. With Liverpool at the top of the table, second-placed

Arsenal have to beat the reds at Anfield by two clear goals to win the title – a virtual impossibility.

At half-time, Arsenal are one-nil up thanks to a header by Alan Smith, but by 90 minutes it’s looking like their efforts are in vain. Even though a win will put the Gunners on equal points with Liverpool, they’ll lose out on goal difference.

Midfielder Steve McMahon is aware of this, patrolling the pitch, his index finger in the air, telling his teammates they have just one minute left to hold on. And that’s when things get interesting.

John Barnes goes on a sortie down the right wing, but as he approaches the Arsenal goal he’s dispossessed and the ball ends up with goalie John Lukic, who throws it out to full-back Lee Dixon. He in turn lobs the ball upfield to Alan Smith, who plays it through to Michael Thomas, and, thanks to a deflection from defender Steve Nicol, is suddenly bearing down on goal with the ball at his feet.

The ball seems to bobble, which enables Thomas to nudge it past Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. Most of Anfield is stunned into silence, while the section crammed with Arsenal fans becomes a jumping, throbbing mass of joy. They’ve won the league at the home of the most successful club in English football. It is unprecedented.

Though we don’t know it yet, they’ll talk about tonight’s match as the greatest climax to a League Championship ever. In the future, TV companies and football clubs will try and engineer similar occasions, skewing fixtures in a vain attempt at recreating this evening’s events. They will fail. The match tonight is a one-off, the final league game of the season played after Liverpool’s FA Cup Final victory because of the Hillsborough disaster a month earlier.

Usually, the cup closes the curtain on the season. This evening, the league will take prominence – and from now on this will increasingly be the case. Something, perhaps everything, has changed.

MICHAEL THOMAS WINS THE LEAGUE TITLE FOR ARSENAL AT ANFIELDTHERE ARE MANY CONTESTANTS FOR THE MOMENT WHEN THE MODERN ERA OF FOOTBALL BEGAN. SOME SAY IT’S THE WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL OF 1990 WHEN ENGLAND WERE KNOCKED OUT BY GERMANY ON PENALTIES. OTHERS POINT TO THE RELEASE OF NICK HORNBY’S FEVER PITCH, THE BOOK WHICH HELPED THE LITERARY MIDDLE CLASSES LOVE THE GAME.

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Christopher Ward Magazine - Summer 2015

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