orologi occasione: Christopher Ward Watches Summer Sale 2014

The cheapest most expensive watches in the world.” That’s their mission statement if they’ve got one. Christopher Ward is based in the UK, makes their collection of automatics and quartz watches in Switzerland, and has amassed a good chunk of fans since their inception in 2004. But they aren’t cheap. Not by any stretch. They also use Sellita vs. ETA movements, and that can cause some consternation among some collectors, since some view ETA as the superior movement making company (there are others who just don’t care quite that much).
They rarely do sales, and their seasonal events that feature “nearly new” items are about as good as it gets (usually around 30% off). Each watch comes with a 60 month guarantee on the movement, and you’ve got 60 days to get it back to the UK for returns. Shipping is steep (try $25.00 for standard international shipping), but they’ll refund your shipping if you have to send it back. All picks below are from the “nearly new” section.
NOTE: These “nearly new” options move EXTREMELY fast, due to their being very little inventory. Take a look at the main sale page as well as the nearly new section to see what’s left, since they seem to be selling out extra quick.

C9 Harrison Silver Automatic (nearly new) – $409.50 ($585)

Created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of John Harrison’s H4 Chronometer (which after you read about it, it becomes clear how big of a deal that thing was). If you ever find yourself in London, it’s worth a trip to the Royal Observatory to seek out the H4 and Harrison’s previous models. The watch itself is aesthetically simple and feels great on the wrist. Exhibition case back. Nice touch with the blue seconds hand. Full review of the gold hands/white dial version over here.