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 made 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 1,000 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 lightweight and corrosion resistant Titanium case and at its heart lives a Sellita SW220-1 COSC automatic movement. It's limited to 500 pieces. Its 500m 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 in 2014.

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.

The watch for sale here is an ‘archive find’, meaning CW dug it up from under their sofa well after the watch was officially retired, sold out. It actually dates from August 2016, so is over two years younger than most.

Condition
This is number 431 of 500 and is fantastic condition - one of the best I’ve seen. There’s just the occasional tiny blemish on the case (visible only when you get in very close) - no scratches or real damage to report.

The silicone rubber straps from this era are prone to splitting around the holes which are used regularly, so most have failed and gone in the bin years ago. This strap is in perfect condition, no signs of any splits starting - clearly a watch that’s not seen much wrist time. 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.

Mechanically, it’s in awesome shape - working exactly as it should and keeping perfect time.

Being an archive find watch, CW had run out of user books, so instead it comes with a covering letter directing you to the PDF version mentioned below. It comes boxed with standard covering letter, unused polishing cloth and Certificate of Authenticity. The COSC Certificate is unfortunately missing - another victim of being found down the back of the CW sofa a couple of years after this model sold out!

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 photo is a library shot, 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 of some C11 models. It’s advised to take extra care when pulling the crown out to the time-adjusting position three.