Christopher Ward C11 Makaira Pro 500 Special Build

There’s a bit of a story behind this watch - it’s not a hugely exciting one, but allow me to tell it anyway!

Here I have a C11 Makaira Pro 500, but with a twist: it has the face from the blue marker model, but the bezel from the white marker model. How did that come to be? Well, in 2015, Christopher Ward called time on the C11 model and by April/May of that year, all remaining stock had been sold… However, they still had a few spare parts, so managed to assemble seven last Pro 500 watches - making this colour combo considerably more ‘limited’ than the 750 piece Makaira Elite or 1,000 piece Makaira Extreme Limited Editions!

I managed to buy one in June 2015 via Customer Service extraordinaire, Wera Mettes - who also happened to be Chris Ward’s wife! I kept it in new and unworn condition as part of my collection for several years until I got an offer I couldn’t refuse: £750 - which was pretty strong money considering the Titanium Limited Edition models were changing hands around the same level. Then fast-forward to November 2020 and I spot one of these final blue/white builds on the eBay in the US, fitted with a CW Hybrid strap from the current C60s etc. It looked in good condition, so I take the plunge and buy it because I’ve always missed mine. By the time it’s in the UK and import duties have been paid, it’s cost me almost £650. I open up the box and there it is, the covering letter addressed to my name - it’s actually my old watch, back from it’s travels half way around the world!

I’m not sure what happened to the original silicone rubber strap (they’re becoming increasingly rare because they don’t last forever and CW has long sold out), but this watch arrived back to me on a new CW Hybrid strap. Because I’m a bit of a hoarder (!) and also a stickler for originality where possible, I happened to have a new original strap in my collection, so that’s what’s now fitted to the watch. If you’d rather swap it for the more modern (and likely much longer lasting) Hybrid strap I can certainly accommodate you.

I know £900 is a LOT to ask for a watch which I originally bought for just under £500, but the asking price reflects its rarity, its condition and the fact that I’ll be more than happy to keep it as part of my collection for another four years if I can!

Condition
I sold the watch as being in brand new, never worn condition. It’s come back to me in almost the same condition - the only blemish I can see is a tiny (and I mean tiny) mark on the left side of the case, impossible to photograph with my old iPhone 8! As I mentioned above, I’ve fitted a brand new original rubber strap.

To give the watch the home it deserves, I’ve also put it into a CW Deluxe wooden case, which I seem to remember was a £50 upgrade option when they were available. The outer cardboard box has a few scratches and scrapes, but the inside wooden case is mint.

Supplied complete with covering letter, unused polishing cloth and owner’s handbook with Certificate of Authenticity.

Specifications

• Case size: 42mm

• Lug width: 22mm

• Height: 12.5mm

• Waterproof: 500m

• Movement: ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200-1 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/dw234255e3/pdfs/Dive/c11mak_manual.pdf

Final Notes

• Note the first photograph 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 MSL versions. While I’ve not seen it on a Makaira, it’s still advised to take extra care when pulling the crown out to the time-adjusting position three.