Christopher Ward has just announced a new timepiece, and it's quite a special one.
It's called the C9 P2725 TM-B Limited Edition, and it was created to honour the 100th Anniversary of the RAF.
What makes this collection so special, is that they include aluminium from a Hurricane fighter that heroically defended a raid on Buckingham Palace on 15th September 1940, later known as Battle of Britain Day.
On that day, after having intercepted an air raid on central London by German Dornier bombers, a Flight Lieutenant named Ray Holmes noticed one enemy bomber heading in the direction of Buckingham Palace.
His Hurricane fighter plane, with the serial number P2725, had ran out of ammunition, so Holmes rammed it into the German bomber.
P2725 sliced through the bomber's fuselage with his wing and forced it to crash-land on the forecourt of Victoria railway station.
Holmes’ Hurricane nosed vertically downward, burying itself deep into the ground beneath Buckingham Palace Road (after Holmes safely bailed out).
Christopher Ward worked closely with TMB Art Metal, who excavated the historical crash site to recover pieces of aluminium wreckage from the Hurricane fighter plane P2725. The result is the C9 P2725 TM-B Limited Edition.
Mike France, Co-Founder of Christopher Ward said, “When Chris Bennett, from TMB Art Metal our precious metal partner, put the disfigured piston of Hurricane P2725 TM-B’s engine on my desk several years ago, the hairs on my neck stood on end.
I knew immediately we would one day find the right moment to incorporate the historic metal into a watch. The RAF’s centenary in 2018 is that moment and we are proud and privileged to mark this momentous year in such a unique way.”
A skeleton panel on the rear displays a plate made from the Hurricane's Rolls Royce Merlin engine which has been treated and laser-engraved with a map of the crash site.
The face is inspired by the plane's instrument panel, featuring an extra matte black dial and alternating white and old radium numerals in a vintage inspired, san-serif font.
If you fancy buying a piece of history (and a fetching timepiece) head over to Christopher Ward's website.
The C9 P2725 TM-B Limited Edition is priced at £2,495 and is available today.
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