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Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:29 pm
by reubicon
PS. LONG POST ALERT (I realise now it’s written and this bit just makes it longer)! :D

Hi everyone, still quite new here and honestly haven’t posted much as I’ve been busy with other things, particularly in the (FB) CWE... though perhaps of little interest to many here?

One of the guys tried to start a new CWE LE after several years’ hiatus and the usual, awkward and predictable cycle ensued: 5,000 members, 5,001 opinions; and he had to give up. Another chap agreed to take over but also faced the daunting prospect of trying to garner and unify opinion across a massively diverse membership base, so nothing really moved for a while.

Personally I wanted CW to make us 50-100 Batman-style C60s much like Prof. Glenn’s prototype but no chance unless we were making 100 or 300. Homages are a hard sell anyway! Moving on and I’d been considering the C60 Blue for quite some time but as with the Sapphire I just don’t get on with the little black screws that hold the dial in. Just personal preference but I do love the case and bezel - especially the lume - despite normally being a 42mm+ guy.

Enter stage left the C63 Sealander and a crisp white dial with no logo at 9 that would complement a blue bezel perfectly. I set about mocking up a few designs including the C60 Blue LE bezel, one with the C63 dial, another with a blue ombré dial and a third frankenwatch blue dial / red bezel combo I actually rather like but might mash together myself.

So I got in touch with CW and sent the designs over for ridicule but with the other two guys back involved we pushed until they finally found 30 spare C60 Blue LE cases and bezels hidden in Switzerland on top of the repair parts allocation they needed for future servicing.

The C63 dial was an obvious non-starter in the C60 case for reasons of mechanical fit but a white C60 dial was an easy win with no logo at 9, Twin Flags at 12, LE text at 6, standard SW200 date at 3 and a full sized index baton to replace the logo.
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Given CW have no white dial, blue bezel at the moment this is the perfect respectful nod to the original CWE Mk2 Trident in an updated Mk3 guise without the red, white and blue colourway - gone are the days of 50 spare red seconds hands lying around for us to snag!

We considered using the handset from the C60 Blue LE with pale blue seconds hand but then all we would have is effectively an existing LE redialled to white and there is already enough pale blue on the design. Orange highlights were considered but quickly excluded...

Finally an exhibition caseback with a new printed blue ‘halo’ that CW have been wanting to trial for a while was offered and accepted within seconds! So there you have it, the CWE 2.0 LE in all it’s mocked-up glory. Prototypes arrive in August with delivery in December.
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Sadly it is so highly limited that allocation will be a logistical challenge and we are already well over-subscribed with initial declarations of intention to purchase. I pondered the appropriateness of discussing this LE in here but one of your senior members agreed it made sense as we all have a common interest and it might spark new impetus for another FLE?

My advice, if worth anything, is just have someone with a unitary vision to spec up a cool watch and enough people will be there to buy it. How on earth you shift 100 or 300 for a fully bespoke design though I’d love to know, but always willing to help if I can. Cheers all!

PS. Our project code name was Evil Eye Trident (or Nazar Trident) although that doesn’t seem to have taken off with the masses just yet... 🧿

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:55 pm
by Soporsche
Thanks for posting. The process was interesting and the end design seems attractive and cohesive 👍

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:08 pm
by Amor Vincit Omnia
But...but...but...was not the last one a C60 with a white dial and blue bits as well?

Looks like imagination running riot. :lol:

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:19 pm
by welshlad
Thanks for posting the details for this. I know how much work goes into completing these designs. I'm sure several members here will be interested. I have the original CWE C60, which is a lovely design.

For clarity, is this going to be a 40mm model? I'm presuming so if you are utilising the same bezel as from the C60 Blue, but just wanted to be sure.

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:34 pm
by Noush
You've done a nice job for sure. I'd put my hand up but clearly no point in that.
However if that does indeed provide a bit of momentum towards resurrecting a new FLE then all power to the idea.

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 2:48 pm
by reubicon
Soporsche wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:55 pm Thanks for posting. The process was interesting and the end design seems attractive and cohesive 👍
Cheers Soporsche! Yes within the limitations of such a small run it’s come out OK! :thumbup:

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 2:53 pm
by reubicon
Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:08 pm But...but...but...was not the last one a C60 with a white dial and blue bits as well?

Looks like imagination running riot. :lol:
Yep! And the similarities are intentional, but just couldn’t pass on the LE bezels and this just worked. We had some lime green in there for a moment but it got booted! Think I mentioned the original CWE Trident in the post but we have, at least, dropped the red...

...the CWE 2.5 and 3.0 will be a bit more creative in the coming months! :lol:

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:03 pm
by reubicon
welshlad wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:19 pm Thanks for posting the details for this. I know how much work goes into completing these designs. I'm sure several members here will be interested. I have the original CWE C60, which is a lovely design.

For clarity, is this going to be a 40mm model? I'm presuming so if you are utilising the same bezel as from the C60 Blue, but just wanted to be sure.
Cheers Welshlad, yes precisely right, same 40mm bezel/case from the C60 Blue LE. Average size requested across the group was 40.7mm so this fit the bill. We considered a C65 and might return to that idea in the coming months... 8)

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 3:05 pm
by reubicon
Noush wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 1:34 pm You've done a nice job for sure. I'd put my hand up but clearly no point in that.
However if that does indeed provide a bit of momentum towards resurrecting a new FLE then all power to the idea.
Thanks Noush that’s very kind of you to say! Bring on the next CWL... :clap:

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:32 pm
by Mikkei4
40mm case, blue bezel, white dial, no 9o'clock logo - yep looking good, shame about the very limited availability as I'm sure several on here would have been interested.

As far as discussing the next FLE - I just can't see that happening UNLESS maybe Christopher Ward are not planning to release a blue dialled C63 in any of the models?

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:37 pm
by reubicon
Mikkei4 wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 5:32 pm 40mm case, blue bezel, white dial, no 9o'clock logo - yep looking good, shame about the very limited availability as I'm sure several on here would have been interested.

As far as discussing the next FLE - I just can't see that happening UNLESS maybe Christopher Ward are not planning to release a blue dialled C63 in any of the models?
Cheers Mikkei4, yep it ticks a lot of populist boxes and even a couple of the guys at CW like Mr. France would like to release more Twin Flag only models if marketing would allow it! :o

As for a blue C63 I think it’s inevitable: they’ve sold so many I expect a lot of variations; although when we discussed a Sealander-based LE they politely said ‘come back next year’...

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:55 pm
by iain
I like this and have been watching with interest on the CWE Facebook page. One difference which stands out is the different approaches to developing these limited editions between Facebook and the Forum.

The Forum tends to allow anyone to put forward ideas, some photoshop wizards mock up some pictures and then everyone votes until there is a final design.

Facebook tends to sort out the design behind the scenes and then say “This is what we’ve come up with, here it is, who wants one?”

Both routes have their merit, but I feel the more inclusive forum method has possibly led to some people not opting to buy because their preferred design elements fell during the voting. This in turn may have led to them feeling disappointed with the finished product as I their eyes it could have been better.

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:02 pm
by Amor Vincit Omnia
iain wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:55 pm
Both routes have their merit, but I feel the more inclusive forum method has possibly led to some people not opting to buy because their preferred design elements fell during the voting. This in turn may have led to them feeling disappointed with the finished product as I their eyes it could have been better.
Iain, I think you are perhaps right that we have erred on the side of TOO much involvement in the past. The last attempt fell though because there were not enough takers willing to commit to any one design. I would certainly not have opted to buy any of the more popular designs. The one that I was really keen on was not too popular.

I do think there's merit in the "Here it is. Take it or leave it" approach, on one condition...

...I get to design it! :lol:

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:14 pm
by Mikkei4
Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:02 pm
iain wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 6:55 pm
Both routes have their merit, but I feel the more inclusive forum method has possibly led to some people not opting to buy because their preferred design elements fell during the voting. This in turn may have led to them feeling disappointed with the finished product as I their eyes it could have been better.
Iain, I think you are perhaps right that we have erred on the side of TOO much involvement in the past. The last attempt fell though because there were not enough takers willing to commit to any one design. I would certainly not have opted to buy any of the more popular designs. The one that I was really keen on was not too popular.

I do think there's merit in the "Here it is. Take it or leave it" approach, on one condition...

...I get to design it! :lol:
I like it....My way or No way !

Re: Friendly Knowledge Share of the CWE 2.0 LE

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:20 pm
by iain
^^^^^^ Lets take the recent non GMT Sealander as an example. CW have said here’s the watch, it’s 39mm and you can have black or white. The logo is like it is, the hands are what we tell you, but you have a choice of straps. It’s a success but we’ve still had people on Facebook saying, “I’d prefer it in 42mm”

If the Forum wanted to do a limited edition based on this watch we’d be arguing over size, logo placement, flags or name, dial colour, colour of the seconds hand, whether the red tip on the seconds hand should be 2mm or 3mm...... Those who would vote for 3mm couldn’t possibly accept it with on a 2mm red tip, so they’re out.....

Too much choice. If there is ever going to be a other FLE we should take a leaf out of the CWE group and say “Here it is, there are only 30 available so best get your name in quick” they’d sell out.