Christopher Ward really does release a lot of new timepieces each year. A few of them are real winners in my opinion. One of those which is interesting is this new C9 Harrison Jumping Hour watch, which is actually the most expensive watch Christopher Ward has every offered at $1,585. Not for everyone, this is a great piece for those who have been fascinated by jumping hour complications – one of the first types of watches to experiment with digital displays.

A jumping hour watch basically has a disc with numerals on it for the hour. This disc “jumps” each hour to show the correct hour digitally. The minutes are still indicated via a traditional analog hand. The idea of this watch is to improve legibility by reducing the confusion that can occur from having two hands to read. The primary feature here is the “jumping” disc which does not slowly move from one hour to another (but rather jumps a whole disc position).

For their jumping hour watch Christopher Ward uses a specially modified Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic with a module they call the JJ001. This means it should work well being based on a reliable work-horse movement. Under the guilloche machine engraved dial sits a large disc that displays the hour indicators using Roman numerals – you usually don’t see that as they are often done with Arabic numerals.

Christopher Ward uses a 43mm wide steel case for the C6 Harrison. The case is brushed with a rounded and polished bezel. The dial design is good, with little to distract you, but enough decorative elements to keep it visually appealing. The interesting mixture of modern and classic design elements on the dial is also a welcome refresh given that most watches of this nature are stuck in the past when it comes to looks. Initially the C9 will be available with the silvered dial matched to a Louisiana alligator strap. The watch will also be a limited edition. Christopher Ward will only produce 200 pieces of the C9 Harrison Jumping Hour initially and again, price will be $1,585. Look for availability in October of 2011.