Christopher Ward C8 'Al Deere' TMB User guide

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB

Limited Edition

Owner’s handbook

Time on your side...

Introduction

Contents

Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere 2–3

TMB Art Metal 4–5

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition 6–7

Technical information 8–9

How to operate your

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition 10–14

Our watch care programme 15

Keeping in touch 16

Your Christopher Ward watch has been designed

and engineered by experts to ensure not only precise

timekeeping, but also to give you a sense of pride

whenever you wear it.

You’ve made an investment, a good one, and the

aim of this handbook is to help you make the most of

it during what I hope will be a lifetime of ownership.

Christopher Ward

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition

Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere

Born in New Zealand in 1917, Alan

Christopher ‘Al’ Deere is now recognised as

one of the most successful and distinguished

of all ghter pilots in the history of the RAF.

One of three brothers, the Deere family settled in

Wanganui, a semi-rural town north of Wellington,

where a chance encounter with a pilot landing

his aircraft on a nearby beach saw Al determined

to become one too. With New Zealand part of

the Commonwealth, Deere later signed up to join

the Royal Air Force, sailing to Britain in April 1937.

He began his ight training at White Waltham –

intriguingly, an aireld just two miles away from

Christopher Ward’s Maidenhead HQ – and was later

conrmed as a pilot ocer. He eventually joined RAF

No.54 Squadron, a unit tasked with home defence.

Just ahead of the Battle of Britain, Supermarine

Spitre Mk 1 X4276 was delivered to No.54 Squadron.

After a maiden ight with the squadron commander,

Squadron Leader James Leathart, Deere ew and

claimed X4276 as his personal aircraft ve days later.

Also known as ‘KIWI’ in reference to Deere’s heritage,

X4276 was involved in an unfortunate accident on the

28th December 1940 when a pilot Deere was training,

20 year old Sergeant Harry Squire, collided with him

midight. Both pilots bailed out safely, and Deere’s

phrase, ‘stick to me like glue’, took on a particular

irony.

Despite multiple bailouts and crash landings,

Deere survived the Second World War and eventually

rose to the prestigious ranking of Air Commodore.

A man so indelibly linked to the RAF that he was

chosen to lead a number of Battle of Britain pilots

at Winston Churchill’s funeral, Deere passed away

in 1995. Fittingly, his ashes were scattered from

a Spitre over the River Thames during a Battle of

Britain Memorial Flight.

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition

TMB Art Metal

We are always proud of the materials used

throughout our watches. However, when our

partners at TMB Art Metal get in touch, we

know something very special is in the pipeline.

This is because TMB Art Metal specialises in sourcing and

obtaining metals of historical signicance. The brainchild

of Christopher Bennett, who personally scours historical

records to locate these metals, TMB Art Metal then

incorporate them into items that further emphasise

their story. Bennett can go to fantastic lengths to

retrieve these artefacts; one excavation required a

planning permit to dig up a Hawker Hurricane from

underneath Buckingham Palace Road!

In the case of Al Deere’s Spitre X4276, or “KIWI”, 47

years were to pass before it was excavated from its

crash site in Kirklevington, North Yorkshire. Although

a variety of parts from KIWI, including its cockpit

controls, compass, instruments and propeller boss

were salvaged, the C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition

incorporates a piece of aluminium from its Rolls Royce

Merlin engine. There’s a neat symmetry that this piece

of material – one that helped provide a place as iconic

as the Spitre its heartbeat – sits at the core of this

watch too.

Actual metal from the Rolls Royce Merlin

engine of Al Deere’s excavated Spitfire. Sourced

by the specialists at TMB Art Metal, the engine

was melted down and formed into discs. The

metal discs were then engraved and lacquer

filled with Deere’s famous advice, ‘stick to

me like glue’ and takes pride of place behind

museum-grade crystal in the backplate of

the watch.

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition

A 100-piece limited edition designed in Britain

and hand-built in Christopher Ward’s Swiss

atelier to commemorate the 100th anniversary

of the Royal Air Force, the C8 ‘Al Deere’

TMB is a watch steeped in aviation history –

in particular, the experiences of the RAF-

revered Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere.

Most signicantly, a piece of aluminium from the

Rolls-Royce Merlin engine inside Deere’s Spitre,

X2476 KL-B, has been secured by our partners at

TMB Art Metal. Excavated in 1987, a cut and treated

disc of engine metal – showcased through museum-

grade sapphire crystal on the C8’s reverse – has been

engraved and lacquer lled with the famous advice

Deere gave to his trainee, Sergeant Harry Squire:

‘Stick to me like glue’.

Elsewhere, the dial recalls the Smiths Mk III clock

found inside the Spitre, with alternating Old Radium

SuperLumiNova®numerals ensuring excellent legibility

in all lighting conditions. A nice touch of detail sits

within the C8’s small second subdial: a ‘time of

trip’ message echoes the same view Deere would’ve

encountered in X2476.

Inside, a hand-wound version of our Calibre SH21

movement oers 120 hours of chronometer-certied

timekeeping, while the British design cues at its heart

– the C8’s crown references the Farnborough wind

tunnels that helped sculpt the Spitre’s body – reect

the history and service of all those who have served

throughout the RAF’s ranks since its inception in 1918.

C8 ‘Al Deere’ TMB Limited Edition

Features

–Swiss made, special limited edition of 100 pieces

–27 jewel in-house Calibre SH21 hand-wound

movement with small seconds complication

–Disc of Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1 X4276 KL-B

precious metal with Al Deere’s “Stick to me like

glue” quote engraving embedded below museum-

grade sapphire into exhibition backplate

–5 day (120 hour) power reserve

–Spitfire cockpit instrument-themed small second

subdial at 6 o’clock

–Original Spitfire instrument panel inspired dial

with Old Radium SuperLumiNova®markings

–Surgical-grade diamond-like carbon (DLC)

sandblasted stainless steel case

–Sandblasted crown stamped with Farnborough

wind tunnel profile

–Premium quality canvas webbing strap with CW

Technical information twin flag logo debossed in on reverse with black

DLC sandblasted clasp

–Additional camel vintage oak leather strap included

–Unique engraved individual serial number

–Deluxe presentation case and owner’s handbook

with signed Certificate of Provenance

Technical

Diameter: 44mm

Height: 11.68mm

Weight: 81g

Calibre: SH21 handwound

Chronometer

Case: 316L stainless steel

Water Resistance: 5 ATM (50 metres)

Vibrations: , per hour (Hz)

Timing tolerance: –/ secs per day

Lug to lug: 53.2mm

Strap: 22mm

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