Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to questions we often recieve
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Kip
The Administrator
The Administrator
Posts: 35173
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:45 pm
CW-watches: 150
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Location: New Hampshire, USA

Frequently Asked Questions

Post by Kip »

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General Forum

Who owns this forum?
The forum is owned by Christopher Ward London and independently operated by Administrator Kip McEwen

Who is the administrator and how contact?
Kip McEwen is the forum administrator and may be contacted via private message (pm) or email. Click on his name and click either pm or email Kip on the lower left.

Who are the moderators and how do I contact?
This forum has four moderators. downer, Bahnstormer_vRS,welshlad or Amor Vincit Omnia may be contacted by clicking on the name and click either pm or email on the lower left.


Forum abbreviations frequently used

AFAIK: As Far As I Know
AKA: also known as
ASAP: as soon as possible
ATM: at the moment
BNIB: Brand New In Box
CW: Christopher Ward
CWF: Christopher Ward Forum
CWL: Christopher Ward London
FAIK: For All I Know
FLE: Forum Limited Edition
FYI: For Your Information
IMO: In My Opinion
IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
IMLAO: In My Lame Ass Opinion
IIRC: If I recall correctly
LMAO: Laughing My Ass Off
LOL: Laughing Out Loud
MIB: Mint in box
NN: Nearly New
NR: No Reserve
OBO: or best offer
OHPF: On Hold Pending Funds
PIF: Paid In Full
PITA: Pain in the Ass
PML: **** Myself Laughing
RMSD: Royal Mail Special Delivery (UK post service with insurance and guaranteed delivery)
ROFL: Rolling On the Floor, Laughing
RTMF or RTFM: Read the manual first
SOTC: State of the Collection
SWMBO: She Who Must Be Obeyed
TADTS: They All Do That, Sir.
TBD: To Be Determined
TX: Thanks
WIS: Watch Idiot Savant

How do I change my settings?
Click on the User Control Panel on the upper left side of the forum header. Then click on profile or preferences to make changes.

How do I correct the forum time? It is possible the time displayed is from a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, visit your User Control Panel and change your timezone to match your particular area, e.g. London, Paris, New York, Sydney, etc. Be sure you have set Summer Time/DST correctly as well.

Why is a sent private message still in my outbox? A message remains in your outbox until it is picked up by the recipient.

How to find info about older models?
For detailed information regarding models, specifications, variations and original pricing, please check out CWArchives.

What is COSC?
This is the abbreviation of "Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres" the most important Swiss institution responsible for the functioning and precision tests of movements of chronometers. Tests are performed on each individual watch at different temperatures and in different positions before a functioning bulletin and a chronometer certificate are issued.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COSC
In short, A COSC mechanical watch should run within -4 to +6 seconds per day. A COSC quartz watch should run -.07 to +.07

How accurate should my watch be?
In general, automatic watches should be in a range of -10 to +20 seconds per day. Each manufacturer has their own specifications and you should check before determining you have a problem. For Chronometer (COSC rated) specifications please see above link. Most mechanical watches can be regulated to improve accuracy.

What is WR and what does it mean?
This is the abbreviation for “water resistance”.
Usually measured in increments of one atmosphere (atm or bar, equal to 10 meters of water pressure) or meters and is often noted on the dial or case back. Swimming or snorkeling require 5 atm whilst scuba diving needs 20 atm to be sure. The record is held by The Hydromax by Bell & Ross which was developed for professional deep sea diving and is resistant to 11,100 meters!
Watches are often classified by watch manufacturers by their degree of water resistance which, due to the absence of official classification standards, roughly translates to the following (1 meter ≈ 3.29 feet):[5]
Water resistance rating Suitability Remarks
Water Resistant 3 ATM or 30 m Suitable for everyday use. Splash/rain resistant. NOT suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkeling, water related work and fishing. NOT suitable for diving.
Water Resistant 5 ATM or 50 m Suitable for swimming, white water rafting, non-snorkeling water related work, and fishing. NOT suitable for diving.
Water Resistant 10 ATM or 100 m Suitable for recreational surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing and water sports. NOT suitable for diving.
Water Resistant 20 ATM or 200 m Suitable for professional marine activity, serious surface water sports and skin diving. Suitable for skin diving.
Diver's 100 m Minimum ISO standard (ISO 6425) for scuba diving at depths NOT suitable for saturation diving.
Diver's 100 m and 150 m watches are generally old(er) watches.
Diver's 200 m or 300 m Suitable for scuba diving at depths NOT suitable for saturation diving. Typical ratings for contemporary diver's watches.
Diver's 300+ m for mixed-gas diving Suitable for saturation diving (helium enriched environment). Watches designed for mixed-gas diving will have the DIVER’S WATCH L M FOR MIXED-GAS DIVING additional marking to point this out.
Manufacturers water resistance classifications are interpretations and are not part of any ISO standard definition.

Can I put other straps on my CWL watch? Yes you can. You may also put CWL straps on other watches. You must start by measuring the lug width to determine the proper size The only restrictions are with the CWL model C2/C20 Lido. This case requires a special strap. Aftermarket straps would have to be cut to fit. CWL fitted straps that were designed to fit a certain case may not fit other CWL watches or other brands despite being the same size.

History of CWL
The history of Christopher Ward London can be read here and followed on the timeline in the CWArchive.

You will also find a comprehensive breakdown of photos, useful and technical information and fun facts about the company in the CWArchives.


What is meant by a Nearly New (NN) watch?
"Nearly New" watches are mostly returned PR samples, and returned photography / Video samples.
There may be the odd one that CWL have marked internally ( i.e. small scratch whilst putting bracelets on etc ) that are include in a NN Sale.

Returned watches are thoroughly inspected, and scrutinized. If they are in 100% mint condition they will, of course, go back to stock. If there are any blemishes, it entirely depends on which watch it is, what the problem is, to allow CWL to make a decision whether the watch will be broken down for component stock, or perhaps can be classed as Nearly New.

CWL never specifies the marks on a Nearly New watch, as this would simply be an administrative nightmare. Thus they will be able to reject the watch even at the packing stage if they are not happy with it, and replace it with another one. As such NN watches are sold “sight unseen”.
Kip

"Asylum Administrator"


Visit the CWArchives for everything CW. Historical, specs, manuals and resale. It is all there.
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