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rapperSpotted March 2023

Rapper Bugzy Malone spotted wearing a CWC

rapper Bugzy Malone spotted wearing a CWC
Who & what: CWC (Cabot Watch Company) RAF Quartz Pilots Chronograph – Stainless Steel on NATO Strap – Bugzy Malone Sighting

On the tarmac set of Guy Ritchie's Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre (2023), Bugzy Malone's character is dressed with deliberate practicality — and the watch on his wrist is no exception. The CWC RAF Quartz Pilots Chronograph is a legitimate piece of British military procurement history, not a heritage reissue or a lifestyle homage, which gives the on-screen sighting a layer of authenticity that a more glamorous choice would have undercut entirely.

CWC — Cabot Watch Company, based in London — has supplied the British Ministry of Defence with timepieces since the early 1970s. The RAF Quartz Pilots Chronograph follows the iconic G10 specification format but adds a three-register chronograph layout: running seconds at 9 o'clock, elapsed minutes at 3 o'clock, and an elapsed hours subdial at 6 o'clock — a configuration clearly visible in the sighting image. The black matte dial carries luminous Arabic numerals and baton indices, a date window at 4 o'clock, and the understated CWC logo at 12. The stainless steel case sits at approximately 38–39mm, paired here with a grey NATO strap consistent with RAF-issue kit. The movement is a quartz chronograph calibre, chosen for accuracy and reliability in operational environments over mechanical romance.

For collectors, CWC occupies a fascinating corner of the military watch market. Pieces with verifiable MoD broad-arrow markings and unit engravings command genuine premiums, but even civilian-specification examples are respected for their honest, unadorned design language. The RAF Pilots Chronograph in particular has gained traction among enthusiasts who value British military horology alongside better-known names like Omega and Hamilton. Supply of genuine service examples is finite, which quietly supports secondary market values.

Bugzy Malone — born Aaron Davis in Manchester — has built a credible acting career alongside his music, and Operation Fortune placed him alongside Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza in a major studio production. His watch choice, whether costume-department-led or not, fits the film's grounded, workmanlike tone.

On the grey market, genuine CWC RAF Quartz Pilots Chronographs in good condition trade in the £300–£700 range depending on provenance, with MoD-marked examples pushing higher. New civilian production pieces retail modestly, making this one of the more accessible genuine military watch references a collector can acquire.

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