Christopher Ward C11 Titanium Elite 500 LE COSC Chronometer

Here we have a rare and very desirable Christopher Ward C11 Makaira Titanium Elite 500.

Christopher Ward's C11 watches have long since sold out, but when they were available, the dive range consisted of five different versions: There were three 'standard' C11 Makaira 500 watches - white markers, blue markers and orange markers.

The above three models were make from steel and were not limited editions, however they're highly coveted and very desirable in CW circles, so they rarely come up for sale.

The 'top of the range' was the C11 Titanium Extreme 1000 which cost £995. This had green markers and was limited to 1000 COSC certified pieces. It was rated as suitable for 1,000 mtr dives. While awesome on paper, the Extreme model had an upgraded (thicker) back plate and crystal, making it 15mm tall - some 2mm thicker than the rest of the range and making it too tall for some.

Siting between Extreme and the Makiaras was the Titanium Elite 500 - which is the one listed here.

It has a light weight and corrosion resistant Titanium case and at its heart lives a Sellita SW220-1 COSC automatic movement. It's limited to 500 pieces. Its 500 mtr rating means it's just 13mm high and for many people (myself included) it sits better on the wrist than its Extreme 1,000 big brother.

Its yellow markers help identify it as by far the most desirable C11 model ever made (perhaps with the exception of the impossibly rare Royal Navy Fleet Diving special mentioned here).

One of the standout features for me are the three ‘crowns’. The one at 3 o’clock is the actual the crown, 2 o’clock rotates the internal bezel and 8 o’clock is the Helium escape valve.

The original selling price was £750, rising to £800 by the time it sold out.

Occasionally Christopher Ward run special offers on 'end of line' stock. This C11 was never subject to any special deals because it sold out at the full price.

Condition
This is number 499 of 500 and is a ‘one previous owner’ watch, so unusually for an eight year old watch, I know the full history!

It was bought new in July 2014 for £650 (the buyer benefitting from a £100 discount voucher available at the time). In October 2014 it was recalled by CW to have the Helium Escape upgraded. It was then used daily for several years being worn 24x7 - which makes for an unusual wear marks on the strap. These silicone straps were/are prone to splitting around the strap holes most often used. Because this watch was hardly ever removed from the wrist, the holes are in great condition with just the tiny beginnings of a split on one of the holes. Elsewhere, the high spots and corners on the outside of the strap are clearly ‘rounded’ from its time spent as a daily/nightly wearer (have never seen one like this before as the holes usually fail long before they can wear like this!). The tang buckle is alloy rather than Titanium - a common ‘mistake’ by CW with many Extreme and Elite models being mistakenly fitted with alloy tangs instead of Titanium.

More recently, it’s spent the last few years in a storage box as a result of the crown beginning to play up. It was then offered to and bought by myself in November 2021. Since my purchase, it’s been returned to Christopher Ward for a service and to have the crown looked at. A £191 invoice later (for a service, a new (steel) crown and another small repair), it’s now back with me and available for purchase.

Mechanically, it’s in great shape. It’s covered for any movement issues by CW until March 2023 and is keeping great time at approx. +6sec per day (just inside the COSC Certified window).

Cosmetically, there’s no hiding the fact that it’s been a well loved watch in its past life. There are light marks and scratches all over it. There’s nothing that I’d call out for specific mention, no dents from being dropped or anything like that, but this watch and strap have seen a lot of wrist time, so you’re buying a very honest watch in well used condition. With a re-brush or light shot blast I expect it could look much more like a new one. Note the new crown is stainless steel rather than Titanium, so it’s slightly lighter in colour than Titanium.

If you’re looking for a collection case queen, then maybe add a bit more money to your C11 Elite budget and wait for a tidier one to come up (be prepared for a long wait though!). But if you like the idea of being able to wear what is a very collectable watch without fear of marking it, this will be perfect for you.

Supplied as a ‘full set’ including original boxes, owner’s manual with Certificate of Authenticity, covering letter, original invoice and COSC certificate. I’ll also include the invoice from the recent service and repair (not shown in photos).

Specifications

• Case size: 42mm

• Lug width: 22mm

• Height: 13mm

• Strap: 22mm

• Waterproof: 500m

• Movement: Sellita SW200-1 COSC automatic

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/dw3074da03/pdfs/Dive/c11make_manual.pdf

Final Notes

• The first six images are library shots, the rest all show the actual watch and package.

• Having followed CW for many years, I’ve observed a few of instances of crowns being pulled out/off. It’s advised to take extra care when pulling the crown out to the time-adjusting position three.