Christmas Eve with the C8

Thank goodness we have finally had a few successive days of sunshine here in California.  More rain is on tap for tomorrow, so I hustled out to get some photos of the C8 in action.

As it often happens, some watches attract more attention - and in turn more questions and the C8 is no exception.  This nice person was struck by the look of the watch, but expressed concern as to how it might look on a female wrist.  And here it is -

Yes, it is a large watch, but I know that there are a lot of women out there who like larger mens watches.

But I think some more details of the C8's performance are due as we are now officially into the second week.

Accuracy - the C8 has been a remarkably accurate timekeeper, right out of the box.  After 7 full days it has maintained its "going rate" which appears to be between 6 and 7 seconds per day.   My suspicion is that it would "settle in" even more after a month or so of daily wear.  For a watch in this price range this is an exceptionally good result so far.  Having owned and worn several more expensive watches over the years, I wish that several of them had been this accurate - I might still be wearing them!

Legibility - the dial of the C8 is truly a pleasure!  The use of black numbers along with the white 12 o'clock triangle (which is lumed) is a very nice and thoughtful presentation.  The numbers and indices are painted/printed in such a way that they have some texture to them and not merely flat on the dial.  In addition, the utilization of the red second hand is a great touch - it really sets off the beige dial well and as this is a pilot's watch it really adds a nice "martial" touch.  The positioning of the date window is something that I am particularly pleased with.

Courtesy of Christopher Ward

With a lot of the pilot's watches out there, the date window almost seems to be at best an after thought, and at worst an inconvenience with the date window often cut right into the marker at 3 making for a sloppy look.  The dial was designed in such a way that the date window is clearly independent and does not infringe upon the rest of the dial.  The date window itself in not merely a hole in the dial, it has a nice depth to it  with an actual edge or frame surrounding the date itself which makes the date much easier to read.  I have borrowed one of Christopher Ward's photos to illustrate this as my own images cannot approach theirs.

The crown is smooth turning and sturdy, no wobble to it.  The setting has been easy and precise, no "jumping" of hands as the crown is pushed in.

Comfort/wearability - the overall comfort of the watch is quite good for a stainless steel watch of this size.  At 44 mm it is not an unsubstantial time-keeper.  Having said that, the finish of the case is smooth and clean - no burrs, no rough spots.  The back of the case is flat, and well-executed, allowing the C8 to sit nicely on the wrist.  The strap has been a true revelation - going from stiff and new to an old friend within a matter of days - it has become more and more comfortable with each wearing.  My only suggestion would be the option of a shorter strap as I did need to punch in an extra hole for a more optimal fit.

There is quite a bit more to go over - the case back with more detailed photos, as well as the packaging, etc.  so stay tuned.  But so far, so very good.