Studio Underd0g x Christopher Ward - The Alliance 02
- Category
- Challenge
- Case
- Steel
- Movement
- Manual-winding mechanical Power reserve: 120 h, 28800 vph
- Functions
- Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Power reserve indicator
- Size
- ø 44 mm
- Thickness
- 13.25 mm
- Water resistance
- 50 m
- Reference
- A02
- Price
- 3,320 CHF
Description
The Alliance 02 is the second watch in the Alliance series, created jointly by two British watchmakers, Studio Underd0g and Christopher Ward, to fund and promote British watch and clockmaking through the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers.
In 2024, Christopher Ward CEO and co-founder Mike France invited Richard Benc, founder of Studio Underd0g, to design the next watch in the series. Benc proposed reviving the pocket watch, combining Christopher Ward's watchmaking expertise with Studio Underd0g's playful design approach.
Development was shared between the two companies, with technical files exchanged openly and certain manufacturing stages divided between the two teams. Studio Underd0g, now one of the UK's largest independent watch assemblers, carried out final assembly.
The Alliance 02 houses the CW-001 calibre (formerly known as SH21), Christopher Ward's first in-house movement, in continuous development since its 2014 debut. It is hand-wound, chronometer-grade, built from 198 parts, and uses a twin-barrel construction to deliver a five-day power reserve, visible through an exhibition caseback.
Sitting inside a sculpted 44mm Light-catcher™ case is a unique multi-layer dial. A brass base plate is coated in seven layers of custom Super-LumiNova, creating a dense bed of luminous material beneath a floating 1.4mm sapphire disc printed with Roman numerals, dual branding and a minute track. By day the printing appears to float above the dial; by night it is lit from below by the luminous layer beneath it.
The Alliance 02 is limited to 100 pieces, assembled in Great Britain, and was made available exclusively to members of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, the trade body founded in 2020 by Mike France, Roger Smith and Alistair Audsley to support British watch and clockmaking through education, apprenticeships and industry promotion. All profits from the watch, £126,000, were donated directly to the Alliance. The edition sold out within minutes of release.
Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.