Christopher Ward C8 'Al Deere' TMB User guide

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB
Limited Edition
Owner’s handbook

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Time on your side...
Introduction
Contents
Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere 2–3
TMB Art Metal 4–5
C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition 6–7
Technical information 8–9
How to operate your
C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition 10–14
Our watch care programme 15
Keeping in touch 16
Your Christopher Ward watch has been designed
and engineered by experts to ensure not only precise
timekeeping, but also to give you a sense of pride
whenever you wear it.
You’ve made an investment, a good one, and the
aim of this handbook is to help you make the most of
it during what I hope will be a lifetime of ownership.
Christopher Ward

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C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition
Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere
Born in New Zealand in 1917, Alan
Christopher ‘Al’ Deere is now recognised as
one of the most successful and distinguished
of all ghter pilots in the history of the RAF.
One of three brothers, the Deere family settled in
Wanganui, a semi-rural town north of Wellington,
where a chance encounter with a pilot landing
his aircraft on a nearby beach saw Al determined
to become one too. With New Zealand part of
the Commonwealth, Deere later signed up to join
the Royal Air Force, sailing to Britain in April 1937.
He began his ight training at White Waltham –
intriguingly, an aireld just two miles away from
Christopher Ward’s Maidenhead HQ – and was later
conrmed as a pilot ocer. He eventually joined RAF
No.54 Squadron, a unit tasked with home defence.
Just ahead of the Battle of Britain, Supermarine
Spitre Mk 1 X4276 was delivered to No.54 Squadron.
After a maiden ight with the squadron commander,
Squadron Leader James Leathart, Deere ew and
claimed X4276 as his personal aircraft ve days later.
Also known as ‘KIWI’ in reference to Deere’s heritage,
X4276 was involved in an unfortunate accident on the
28th December 1940 when a pilot Deere was training,
20 year old Sergeant Harry Squire, collided with him
midight. Both pilots bailed out safely, and Deere’s
phrase, ‘stick to me like glue’, took on a particular
irony.
Despite multiple bailouts and crash landings,
Deere survived the Second World War and eventually
rose to the prestigious ranking of Air Commodore.
A man so indelibly linked to the RAF that he was
chosen to lead a number of Battle of Britain pilots
at Winston Churchill’s funeral, Deere passed away
in 1995. Fittingly, his ashes were scattered from
a Spitre over the River Thames during a Battle of
Britain Memorial Flight.

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C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition
TMB Art Metal
We are always proud of the materials used
throughout our watches. However, when our
partners at TMB Art Metal get in touch, we
know something very special is in the pipeline.
This is because TMB Art Metal specialises in sourcing and
obtaining metals of historical signicance. The brainchild
of Christopher Bennett, who personally scours historical
records to locate these metals, TMB Art Metal then
incorporate them into items that further emphasise
their story. Bennett can go to fantastic lengths to
retrieve these artefacts; one excavation required a
planning permit to dig up a Hawker Hurricane from
underneath Buckingham Palace Road!
In the case of Al Deere’s Spitre X4276, or “KIWI”, 47
years were to pass before it was excavated from its
crash site in Kirklevington, North Yorkshire. Although
a variety of parts from KIWI, including its cockpit
controls, compass, instruments and propeller boss
were salvaged, the C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition
incorporates a piece of aluminium from its Rolls Royce
Merlin engine. There’s a neat symmetry that this piece
of material – one that helped provide a place as iconic
as the Spitre its heartbeat – sits at the core of this
watch too.

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Actual metal from the Rolls Royce Merlin
engine of Al Deere’s excavated Spitfire. Sourced
by the specialists at TMB Art Metal, the engine
was melted down and formed into discs. The
metal discs were then engraved and lacquer
filled with Deere’s famous advice, ‘stick to
me like glue’ and takes pride of place behind
museum-grade crystal in the backplate of
the watch.
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C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition
C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition
A 100-piece limited edition designed in Britain
and hand-built in Christopher Ward’s Swiss
atelier to commemorate the 100th anniversary
of the Royal Air Force, the C8 ‘Al Deere’
TMB is a watch steeped in aviation history –
in particular, the experiences of the RAF-
revered Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere.
Most signicantly, a piece of aluminium from the
Rolls-Royce Merlin engine inside Deere’s Spitre,
X2476 KL-B, has been secured by our partners at
TMB Art Metal. Excavated in 1987, a cut and treated
disc of engine metal – showcased through museum-
grade sapphire crystal on the C8’s reverse – has been
engraved and lacquer lled with the famous advice
Deere gave to his trainee, Sergeant Harry Squire:
‘Stick to me like glue’.
Elsewhere, the dial recalls the Smiths Mk III clock
found inside the Spitre, with alternating Old Radium
SuperLumiNova®numerals ensuring excellent legibility
in all lighting conditions. A nice touch of detail sits
within the C8’s small second subdial: a ‘time of
trip’ message echoes the same view Deere would’ve
encountered in X2476.
Inside, a hand-wound version of our Calibre SH21
movement oers 120 hours of chronometer-certied
timekeeping, while the British design cues at its heart
– the C8’s crown references the Farnborough wind
tunnels that helped sculpt the Spitre’s body – reect
the history and service of all those who have served
throughout the RAF’s ranks since its inception in 1918.

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C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition
Features
–Swiss made, special limited edition of 100 pieces
–27 jewel in-house Calibre SH21 hand-wound
movement with small seconds complication
–Disc of Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1 X4276 KL-B
precious metal with Al Deere’s “Stick to me like
glue” quote engraving embedded below museum-
grade sapphire into exhibition backplate
–5 day (120 hour) power reserve
–Spitfire cockpit instrument-themed small second
subdial at 6 o’clock
–Original Spitfire instrument panel inspired dial
with Old Radium SuperLumiNova®markings
–Surgical-grade diamond-like carbon (DLC)
sandblasted stainless steel case
–Sandblasted crown stamped with Farnborough
wind tunnel profile
–Premium quality canvas webbing strap with CW
Technical information twin flag logo debossed in on reverse with black
DLC sandblasted clasp
–Additional camel vintage oak leather strap included
–Unique engraved individual serial number
–Deluxe presentation case and owner’s handbook
with signed Certificate of Provenance
Technical
Diameter: 44mm
Height: 11.68mm
Weight: 81g
Calibre: SH21 handwound
Chronometer
Case: 316L stainless steel
Water Resistance: 5 ATM (50 metres)
Vibrations: , per hour (Hz)
Timing tolerance: –/ secs per day
Lug to lug: 53.2mm
Strap: 22mm

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