CHRISTOPHER WARD C7 RAPIDE AUTOMATIC (2020)

With the exception of a few military specials, the Christopher Ward C7 (and C70) range has always been home to their sport/motorsport inspired watches. The C7 Rapide first arrived in 2008 as a quartz chronograph and that battery chrono theme continued with the launch of the Mk2 in 2012, which was essentially a Mk1 case with some new face designs.

It wasn’t until 2017, when the C7 Rapide range got a complete overhaul, that an automatic movement became available in a C7 for the first time. The watch for sale in this listing is one of those ‘Mk3’ C7 autos - although CW never officially called it the Mk3.

Apart from the name and the fact that it’s a 42mm watch, the Mk3 (2017-on) C7 Rapide range has very little in common with the previous C7 models. The standout feature of the automatic watch has to be the multi-part case construction with its contrasting case/ring colours and its hollowed out lugs. Both those made it a pretty expensive watch to manufacture and pretty unique to look at.

Just two years after the launch, much of the C7 Rapide range was retired toward the end of 2019, with the remaining stock sold in 2020.

The watch for sale in this listing is one of the later C7 Rapide Autos to be sold, with it being bought by its original owner in January 2020. It features a silver case with brushed and polished details, mated to a contrasting black case ring. The blue face with its subtle yellow details works perfectly with the blue CW hybrid rubber strap, which has quick-release spring bars.

Condition

The watch and strap are in fantastic shape. I can’t see any marks or defects at all on the head - although being a used watch, you may find odd tiny blemishes under magnified inspection. The only thing that gives it away as being a used watch are the occasional spec of dirt/dust and some very subtle signs of use on the strap. It’s clearly had very little wrist time and with a careful clean it would likely pass as being brand new.

Supplied a s a ‘full set’ including the current bamboo box, owner’s book, warranty card and unused polishing cloth.

Specs:

• Diameter: 42mm

• Height: 11.15mm

• Calibre: Sellita SW200

• Water resistance: 10ATM (100m)

• Strap lugs: 22mm

• Lug-to-lug: 48mm

Owner’s Handbook

A PDF of the owner’s book is available on the CW website: https://www.christopherward.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-cw-library/default/dw543007a4/pdfs/Motorsport/c7-rapide-auto.pdf

Final Notes:
Note the first pic is a library shot. The rest show the actual watch and package.

The watch is currently with Christopher Ward undergoing a warranty repair. It’s expected back some time in May.