Johannes jahnke watchmaker copy

Christopher Ward develops horological video game

Christopher Ward has single-handedly slashed productivity across the watch industry by delivering the horological equivalent of Candy Crush.

ChallengerSH21.com might well be the first watch-making video game and challenges players to beat Christopher Ward’s watchmaker Johannes Jahnke’s time for assembling Ward’s first inhouse movement, the SH21.

Players can practice in Apprentice mode to learn the ropes or complete a timed challenge in Master Watchmaker mode. Components must be moved to the correct location and in the correct sequence in a race against the clock. Mobile and desktop users are catered for with both mouse and touchscreen controls offered.

ChallengerSH21.com also features a Leader Board, with the initial fastest time set by Johannes himself, challenging fans of the brand to beat his time and also offers social media links so that they can share the link with friends.

Tim Knight, director of NewFlight Pictures, the game’s designer explains the vision behind the project: “Of course, challengersh21.com isn’t designed to compete with mainstream games; it was specifically created as an entertaining insight into the mind, and the workbench, of Johannes Jahnke. The most difficult technical aspect was to allow players to use their real dexterity to build the movement using their mobile device while using the desktop screen as a full size reference, almost as if they are looking through the watchmaker’s loupe. This was achieved through a live connection between the two, using more lines of code than a F-22 Raptor jet!”

Play ChallengerSH21 by clicking here.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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