Christopher Ward C70BE Belgium Limited Edition

Introduction

The C70BE ‘Ascari’ is a 500-piece Limited Edition watch which was part of the original six C70 Grand Prix models launched in 2009. The C70 was a brave move by CW, creating a series of very eye-catching motorsport-style models. It turned out to be a hit, paving the way for some 22 different C70 models over the years! 15 years on from the C70’s inception, they’re now very collectable pieces.

The C70 GP series celebrated the inaugural Grand Prix race at each of six different countries:

• France in 1906 with the C70FR Grand Epreuve

• Italy in 1921 with the C70IT Rosso Corsa

• USA in 1923 with the C70US Cunningham Stripe (a bit of artistic licence used on that one, what with the Cunningham Stripes not actually being used until the early ‘50s!)

• Belgium in 1925 with the C70BE Ascari

• Great Britain in 1926 with the C70GB Brooklands

• And finally Germany in 1931 with the C70DE Silver Arrow

The one for sale here is the C70BE Ascari, Named after Antonio Ascari who dominated the inaugural Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on June 25th 1925.

The C70s exposed alloy bezel and thinly applied paint make it notoriously delicate, so finding one in good condition is becoming increasingly challenging (CW has long since exhausted its supply of replacement bezels/cases).

The launch selling price was just £300 (!), but that quickly increased to £500 for the leather and £550 for the bracelet version by the time it had sold out.

The watch in this listing is dated July 2011, making it the youngest one I’ve seen.

Strap Option

It comes on an aftermarket strap in great condition that has the CW deployment fitted to it.

Condition

As mentioned above, all C70s have very delicate bezels, so it’s common to find them with lots of marks. This one is in reasonable condition, but it has been worn and enjoyed.

Supplied in the correct bespoke presentation case with engraved plaque which is showing some signs of wear. Also included is the 34 page owner’s book (with Certificate of Authenticity) which has details of all six models.

Specifications

• Case size: 42mm

• Lug width: 22mm

• Height: 10.7mm

• Waterproof: 50m

• Movement: ETA 251.272 quartz

User Manual

A PDF version of the owner’s manual is available on the CW website: https://www.christopherward.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-cw-library/default/dwa255857f/pdfs/Motorsport/c70_manual.pdf

Final Notes

• Note the first photograph is a library shot, the rest all show the actual watch and package.