I ordered this on launch back in January and it arrived yesterday. It's a Ronda powered quartz chronograph, I still have the Mk 1 which is lovely, but didn't take to the Mk 2. This one is different as the case is new and the chronograph hours and minutes are both on the 12 o'clock subdial.
The case is probably the nicest one I have come across on a CW. The 39mm diameter is a good size for me (though I can obviously go larger or smaller) and the case back is convex so it sits very nicely on the wrist and doesn’t appear too tall (often a problem with CW watches). This is also helped by the fact that the lug gap is a sensible 20mm, so it is more in proportion than the 18mm of the Mk 2. The brushed sides work well with the polished bezel and lugs to provide some contrast. I like the twin flag design on the case back but I have a feeling that the engraving of the words and numbers is not quite as good as it used to be.
The pushers and crown are a nice size. Again the twin flag logo on the crown looks smart and the pushers work well with an audible click. There is a kind of “first pressure” like a gun trigger on the top (start/stop) pusher but not on the reset.
The dial is a little darker than the C5 blue Slimline but still has that powder blue hue about it. The controversial name at 9 o’clock isn’t obtrusive and is in harmony with the rest of the dial. The hour and minute registers at 12 are a little harder to read than when they are separate on a 3-eye chronograph. The chronograph seconds hand doesn’t hit every mark perfectly around the bottom of the dial but is pretty close. Why this should ever happen I don’t know, but I’m not OCD about it. An odd feature is that the reset is very slow, because the hour/minute register trundles all the way round to 12.00 instead of snapping back. Legibility is not the best in all lights, but the silver hands do provide decent contrast most of the time. I like the different levels on the dial which are visible at an angle, and the slightly convex nature of the dial that slopes down towards the réhaut. The crystal is quite reflective in a lot of light conditions. Not perhaps a sports chronograph because of the reset and legibility, but perfectly useful for casual timing.
The quick release Cordovan strap is very comfortable and contrasts well with the dial. I am glad that they are using this kind of leather (a definite step up from the old mock croc) and have reintroduced the quick spring bars. The standard strap seems to be the right size for me, because the Bader deployant sits in just the right place. The fade-out twin flag motif on the strap is a nice touch, but I wouldn’t miss it.
Overall, this is a very nice package and quite an impressive watch. I don’t see myself wearing it every day, but for the odd day at work and perhaps as a fairly casual evening watch for holidays it will be just fine.