Christopher Ward C70 VW4 Limited edition User guide

C70 VW4 CHRONOMETER – Limited Edition
O W N e r ’ s H a N d b O O K

1
Your Christopher Ward watch has been designed
and engineered by highly talented craftspeople
to ensure not only accurate and precise
timekeeping but also to bring a real pride of
ownership that only luxury items of the highest
quality can ever hope to deliver.
You have made an investment, a good one,
and the aim of this handbook is to help you
make the most of that investment during what
I hope will be a lifetime of ownership.
Christopher Ward
TIME ON YOUR SIDE...
INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
THE VW4 STORY 2–3
C70 VW4 CHRONOMETER 4–5
THE COSC CERTIFIED
CHRONOMETER 6–7
TECHNICAL INFORMATION 8–9
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 10–25
THE CW360 WATCH CARE
PROGRAMME 26–27
GENERAL INFORMATION 28

2
THE VW4 STORY
A GREAT BRITISH SUCCESS
The 1957 victory at Aintree of the Vanwall
VW4 racing car started with Tony Brooks
behind the wheel and took the chequered
ag with Stirling Moss in the driver’s seat.
This was the rst time a World Championship
Grand Prix race had been won in Britain
by a British car, driven by British drivers.
Vanwall was the brainchild of Tony Vandervell,
a former racing driver and a wealthy industrialist
whose main product was the “Thin Wall” bearing
that was used extensively in the international car
and aircraft industries from the 1930s onwards.
Part of his name and his product’s name were
combined to form Vanwall.
Vandervell wanted to create a successful British
racing car that, he said, would be able “to
beat those bloody red cars”, a reference to the
striking livery of Enzo Ferrari’s vehicles. In fact, his
early efforts at developing a winning machine
involved him buying a racing car from Ferrari
in early 1949 and again in 1951 and modifying
them. There followed several years in which the
Vanwall team steadily improved their cars and
caught the motor racing world’s attention with
strong outings on international circuits.
Although the early Vanwalls were notorious for
mechanical unreliability, the Vanwall VW4 was
Above; Moss punches the air as he takes the chequered flag,
ahead of three chasing Ferraris.

3
A GREAT BRITISH SUCCESS
Left; Tony Brooks and
Stirling Moss share the
laurels after switching
their Vanwall cars on
lap 27.
viewed as a masterpiece of engine design in a
sturdy yet light chassis.
What made the achievement of Moss and
Brooks all the more laudable was that, despite its
speed and power on the straight, it was difcult
to steer. “A very heavy, ponderous, car to drive”
is Moss’s assessment. In the rest of the 1957
season after Aintree, a Vanwall helmed by
Moss also triumphed at a Grand Prix in Pescara,
Italy and then, for a hugely satisfying hat-trick,
at the Italians’ sacred circuit at Monza.
“IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD DREAMED ABOUT FOR YEARS;
WINNING A GRAND PRIX IN A BRITISH CAR. THEN, TO DO IT
AT HOME INTO THE BARGAIN... A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE.”
STIRLING MOSS ON THE 1957 VICTORY,

4
C70 VW4 CHRONOMETER – LIMITED EDITION
C70 VW4 CHRONOMETER
As the Vanwall cars were constructed in
Maidenhead, the home of Christopher
Ward, the astonishing story of how this
British team fought off and beat the then
all-conquering Ferrari’s is particularly close
to us, and we felt an overwhelming need
to create a watch of equal style and
panache to celebrate the achievement.
Inspired by the VW4’s success in the1957 British
Grand Prix at Aintree, this design blends retro
elements with the nest modern specications
of accurate timekeeping. Encompassing
the renowned ETA 251.233 COSC movement,
the C70 VW4 Chronometer comes with
certication from the Contrôle Ofciel Suisse
des Chronomètres (COSC).
COSC is the Ofcial Swiss Chronometer Testing
Institute responsible for certifying both accuracy
and precision of wristwatches in Switzerland.
The C70 VW4 Chronometer is, therefore, one of
the most accurate quality watches in the world.
The Number 20 of the winning car occupies
the 12 position on the face, while the 18 of the
second machine is highlighted in Vanwall’s
trim colour of yellow on the bezel. Moss’s
astonishing 90.61mph best average lap speed
is picked out in red on the tachymeter.
The reverse of the watch
enshrines the British
achievement with a
deep-etched engraving.

5

6
THE COSC CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER
COSC CERTIFICATION
To gain chronometer status, watchmakers
submit their Swiss movements to COSC,
an independent, non-prot making watch
accuracy verication organisation based
in Geneva, to be tested against the
international standards of ISO and DIN.
Certication follows exhaustive testing. In
achieving the coveted status of Certied
Chronometer, a movement must not only be
made from the highest quality components,
but also be the object of special care on
part of the nest horologists and technicians
as it is painstakingly assembled.
Only movements which meet the precision
criteria are granted an ofcial certicate.
Each uncased movement is individually
tested for fteen days, in ve positions,
at three different temperatures. Movements
are tted with a second hand for tests
and measurements are made daily with
the aid of cameras. Based on all of these
measurements, seven eliminatory criteria
are calculated, each of which must be met.
The exacting and rigorous nature of the
COSC certication process means that the
achievement of Certied Chronometer status
is extremely rare. In fact, of all the watches
produced in Switzerland each year, just 3%
bear the coveted COSC ‘bulletin de marche’
or certicate of watch performance. Which
is why, when you read the words ’Certied
Chronometer’ on a Swiss watch you can be
sure that the movement behind the elegant
dial is a rare example of ne Swiss watchmaking
which is accurate, precise... and extremely rare.

7

8
C70 VW4 CHRONOMETER
FEATURES
– Worldwide limited edition of only 1957 pieces
– Swiss made
– 27 jewel Swiss quartz movement and
COSC Certication
– Thermocompensated
– Convex sapphire crystal with
anti-reective coating
– Adjustable quick-release buttery clasp
– Screw-in crown and backplate
– Chronographic dials with split minutes /
seconds / tenths seconds
– Tachymeter bezel
– Water resistance – 10 ATM
– Spanish ‘Toro Bravo’ Italian leather strap
– Unique engraved individual serial number
TEchnicAl inFoRMATion
Diameter: 42mm
Height: 10.7mm
Weight: 80g
Calibre: ETA 251.233 COSC
Case: 316L stainless steel
Water Resistance: 10 ATM (100 metres)
Strap: 22mm Leather
TECHNICAL INFORMATION

9

10
HOW TO OPERATE
YOUR C70 VW4

11
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
DISPLAY AND CONTROL BUTTONS
Push-button A
Crown
Push-button B
DiSPlAy ElEMEnTS conTRol BUTTonS
Minute Hand
Tenths
60 Minute Counter
Hour hand
Hours
Centre stop-second
Seconds
Date Window

12
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
SETTING THE TIME
For a superior water resistance your crown is
of the screw-in type. To get to position
1 turn
the crown anti-clockwise until it releases itself.
• Pull out the crown to position
3 (the
watch stops).
• Turn the crown until you reach the
correct time e.g. 08.45 hr.
• Push the crown back into position 1 and
screw the crown in a clockwise direction
in order to maintain water resistance.
The crown should sit ush to the case.
1 2 3
1 2 3

13
• Pull out the crown to position
2
(the watch
continues to run).
• Turn the crown clockwise, the hour hand
moves in one hour increments until the correct
date appears.
• Pull the crown to position
3
• Push the crown back into position
1
until
ush with the case and screw in.
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
SETTING DATE (QUICK MODE)
1 2 3
1 3

14
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
SETTING THE DATE/TIME
Example:
Date / time on the watch: 17th / 01.25 hr
Present date / time: 4th / 21.25 hr
• Pull out the crown to position 2
(the watch continues to run).
• Turn the crown clockwise until yesterday’s date
appears ie. 3rd.
Crown
Date
1 2
1 2

15
• Pull out the crown to position
3
(the watch stops).
• Turn the crown clockwise until the
correct date ie. 4th appears (after passing
through midnight).
• Continue to turn the crown until the
correct time 21.30 hr appears.
• Push the crown back into position
1
until ush with the case and screw in.
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
1 2 3
1 2 3

16
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
CHRONOGRAPH FUNCTIONS:
• The hour counter measures
12 hours per rotation.
• The minute counter measures
60 minutes per rotation.
• The centre stop-second measures
60 seconds per rotation.
• The 1⁄10 second counter measures
1 second per rotation.
DiSPlAy ElEMEnTS
Tenths
60 Minute Counter
Hours
Centre stop-second
Seconds
conTRol BUTTonS
Push-button A
(Start / Stop)
Push-button B
(Reset)
PLEASE NOTE: Before using the chronograph
functions, please ensure that:
• The crown is in position
1
(screwed in).
• The 4 chronograph hands are at zero position.
Should this not be the case, the positions of the
hands must be adjusted (see the chapter
entitled ‘Adjusting the chronograph hands to
zero position’).
1

17
conTRol BUTTonS
Push-button A
(Start / Stop)
Push-button B
(Reset)
Push-button B
Push-button A
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
BASIC FUNCTIONS
(START / SToP / RESET)
Example:
1
Start: Press push-button A.
2
Stop: to stop the timing, press push-button A
once more and read the 4 chronograph
counters: 4 min / 38 sec / 7⁄10 sec.
3
Zero positioning:
Press push-button B. (The 4 chronograph hands
will be reset to their zero positions).
Example of use:
Timing a runner over 100m.
1
2
3

18
ACCUMULATED TIMING
Push-button A
Example:
1
Start: (start timing).
2
Stop: (e.g. 15 min 5 sec following
1
).
3
Restart: (timing is resumed).
4
Stop: (e.g. 13 min 5 sec following
3
).
= 28 min 10 sec (accumulated measured
time is shown)
5
Reset: The 4 chronograph hands are
returned to their zero positions.
6
Repeat: as necessary.
Example of use:
Overall time to complete a journey less
the coffee breaks.
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
Push-button B
5
1
2
3
4

19
Push-button B
Push-button A
HOW TO OPERATE YOUR C70 VW4
INTERMEDIATE OR INTERVAL TIMING
Example:
1
Start: (start timing).
2
Display interval:
e.g. 10 minutes 10 seconds (timing
continues in the background).
3
Making up the measured time:
(the 4 chronograph hands are quickly
advanced to the ongoing measured time).
4
Stop: (nal time is displayed).
5
Reset: The 4 chronograph hands
are returned to their zero positions.
Please note:
*Following
3
, further intervals or intermediates
can be displayed by pressing push-button B.
Example of use: 4 x 100m relay.
1
2
4
3
5