Christopher Ward and Studio Underd0g Team Up for the Year’s Most Unexpected Watch

Christopher Ward and Studio Underd0g are perhaps the two hottest independent watch brands in the affordable space right now. They also both happen to be British.

Given Studio Underd0g‘s propensity for collaboration and Christopher Ward‘s constant desire to innovate, it felt like it was just a matter of time before these two horological titans of the UK joined forces.

Now, that day has arrived, and while the resultant watch undoubtedly serves up vibes from both brands equally, it does so in a way that I don’t think anyone expected.

Christopher Ward

Out of pocket

The first collab between SU and CW is a pocket watch called The Alliance 02. Didn’t see that coming, did you? But not just any pocket watch. This is a pocket watch unlike any that’s come before.

I’ll start with the case. Made of stainless steel, it’s executed in CW’s familiar Light-catcher style, and outside of the 12:00 crown and the lack of a second set of lugs, this looks a lot like some of the brand’s wristwatch cases.

Even the size, 44mm across by 13.25mm thick, would be plenty wearable on-wrist (if a bit oversized). What’s more, it boasts a 50m water resistance, meaning you could technically take this pocket watch swimming. Why you would want to, though, is anyone’s guess.

Christopher Ward

Moving to the dial, here’s where Studio Underd0g’s influence comes in. Borrowing the layered and lumed sapphire dial construction from the brand’s 02Series field watch, the dial here features a gradient “Lemonade” colorway that changes from yellow at the top to peach on the bottom, and the entire dial is fully lumed with seven layers of Super-LumiNova, making this the most-lumed pocket watch ever made.

The dial printing — which consists of a railroad minute track, Roman numeral hour markers, a 6:00 power reserve indicator, and the two brand logos at 12 and 6 — is all printed on the underside of a 1.4mm-thick sapphire dial, giving the illusion that everything is floating above the gradient-lumed base.

Christopher Ward

Flip the watch over, and a sapphire caseback shows off the pocket watch’s engine: Christopher Ward’s in-house, manually wound Calibre CW-001 movement, which is a COSC-certified chronometer with an impressive five-day power reserve courtesy of two mainspring barrels.

The watch comes on a brown leather strap, which is braided to resemble a traditional pocket watch chain. I think that’s a smart choice, as it matches the casual vibe of the watch more than a goofy chain would.

Christopher Ward

Pricing and availability

I’ll be the first to confess that I am not drawn to pocket watches in the slightest. But even I have to admit this thing is cool as hell. The perfect blending of these brands’ two styles has resulted in a shockingly contemporary pocket watch whose ingenuity makes a solid case for its existence — something most modern pocket watches fail to do.

Christopher Ward

The watch is assembled in Great Britain, which is a change from CW’s usual Swiss-made production, but there’s a good reason for the switch. The Alliance 02 was created for the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, the trade body helping to rebuild British watchmaking through initiatives like British Watchmakers’ Day.

As such, all profits from the watch will be donated to the Alliance. Furthermore, the watch — which retails for a not-insignificant $4,150 — is limited to 100 pieces and is only available to members of the Alliance, who must pre-register at britishwatchmakers.com and then register on CW’s website for the chance to place an order when the watch goes live on December 11.

Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward x Studio Underd0g The Alliance 02

Specs

Case Size	44mm
Movement	Christopher Ward Cal. CW-001 manual-wind
Water Resistance	50m

• $4,150 at Christopher Ward

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