British watchmaker Christopher Ward is consistently innovating the affordable watch market from top to bottom. My most recent coverage of CW announced the launch of the program "Club 995" (which I believe to be a step in the right direction for the industry). Other Swiss brands have taken note, and as seen in Baselworld 2015, more affordable offerings are on the way. Before I continue, let's be up front and get my bias out the way. I admit being a bit bullish on CW because I truly believe they care about making fine Swiss craftsmanship more accessible to the masses so, I return yet again to this brand for some more exciting news.

Watch straps have always been a point of contention for the industry from quality to size, and styling. With this latest announcement CW is addressing what I perceive as the biggest problem with watch straps- sizing. Across CW's entire range of watches, straps are now offered in three different sizes- small, medium and large, at no additional cost. Honestly, it seems too obvious that the watch industry just realized that one size does not fit all. In an attempt to bring Swiss watchmaking to the widest audience as possible, CW hit this one out of the park. While, I don't see this announcement truly impacting the demand for aftermarket straps, I do believe more sizes will lead to more appeal for a broader base of consumers. Kudos to CW!

Lastly, CW also announced the launch of an extraordinary limited edition timepiece - the C8 P7350 Chronometer 75-piece limited edition. The piece was commissioned to commemorate one of Britain's most iconic images during WWII, the Submarine Spitfire. Coming in at 44mm and powered by a hand wound version of the in-house caliber SH21, the C8 P7350 Chronometer is impressive to say the least. Produced in a limited quantity of only 75 pieces, each piece contains a fragment of original Dualumin from the oldest and most original and historically significant flown in the Battle of Britain, the P7350.

For the most dedicated historians among us, the launch of this watch also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. This decisive moment in British history turned the tide for the Allied forces during WWII. It comes as no surprise that British brand CW would commemorate such a momentous occasion with the launch of such a fine timepiece. While I do love CW, the C8 P7350 is priced a little out of my budget at $4800 USD. At that price there are a number of other watches I would rather purchase but then again for the Anglophile in us all, this would be a great collector's piece. Check out the technical specs below.

For more information visit http://www.christopherward.co.uk/new-releases/c8-44-p7350.html