I got my Bel Canto some weeks ago and have been wearing it daily ever since. The first thing I have to say is that I love it. It is a wonderful piece of engineering, finely made and a real thing of beauty. It is also rather frustrating…

When I hear it chime it makes me smile. I don’t hear it very often during the day though as it is really very quiet. I wish it were 10dB louder. But I know that if you are limited to hitting a tiny wee spring with a hammer that weighs a couple of grammes inside a sealed container that ain’t going to be possible. C’est la vie!

The readability of the small floating sub-dial has been much discussed. It really is pretty poor and I think the changes on the ‘Classic’ iteration have only marginally improved things. Apart from the shear lack of size, the visual interference with the tiny hands caused by the bridgework remains. Sadly the beautiful guilloche platine only adds further visual distractions. This is not a watch you can glimpse at for a fraction of a second and know the time, particularly in poor light and don’t have the eyesight you had fifty years ago. You need to study it closely if you want to know the time.
Apart from when the chiming mechanism operates, the Bel Canto shows no signs of life. I like a mechanical watch to show it is a living thing. Despite all of the gear trains on display, they are visually static. I miss not having the movement of a second hand or less usefully, sight of a balance wheel.

So my ideal version of a next generation Bel Canto would make it into a proper means of telling the time. Do away with the floating sub dial and the associated bridge work and hide the static gears back behind the platine. Centre decent size hands (including a second hand) and add hour indices around the platine, just inboard of the circumferential spring. The ‘songbird’ could remain visible with contrasting hands passing over it. Oh, and for good measure, add a date window. I can never remember the date and really miss that function on a watch! That’s all – this watch design stuff is simple eh?!

All fair reflections. Sums up how I feel about the Bel Canto. Amazing watch but not without its flaws.

@Engineer

I also agree about some of the points you make, especially the question of legibility. They were borne out to a large extent when I tried one on at Maidenhead on a couple of visits.

However, I had expressed my misgivings before I decided (not) to buy one.

@Engineer, pleased to hear you are enjoying it and great to read your views. You've hit on what I suppose are the three main discussion points about the Bel Canto, ones I similarly raised when I first discussed my own purchase.

1. Loudness of the chime: I'd initially thought it was too quiet but nowadays I actually find it just about perfect. Yes you don't hear it with a lot of background noise, but I can certainly hear it from the other side of a quiet room and quite like picking it up rather faintly.

2. Legibility: your feedback on legibility of the Classic is interesting, particularly because (if I read a previous post correctly) you ordered the Oro model which has the contrasting hands as well. Most feedback I have read/seen is that the Classic is more legible than the original. I've never personally had a problem with legibility on my Nero original; it takes a split second longer to read than any other watch but for me it's never been a big issue.

3. Lack of mechanical motion: this is something I also find quite disconcerting. Again, not a problem per se, just a uniqueness of this model vs. any other I own because we get so used to seeing watches constantly in motion. So I do still find that takes some getting used to. Your suggestion of 'regular' hands passing above the rest of the mechanism is interesting. It would presumably add thickness on what's already a fairly thick watch, and I also wonder what impact (if any) it might have on the relative volume of the chime if the hands were at 12 o'clock compared to 6:30, for example. The 12 o'clock position may also look a little empty with the balance of the rest of the face.

As to the date window, my personal preference is not to have it (even though I do use a date function quite often) as I think aesthetically it wouldn't quite work with the Bel Canto.

Best,
TB

Hi @timepieces_and_bags, thanks for your interesting response. In regard your comment - "Your suggestion of 'regular' hands passing above the rest of the mechanism is interesting. It would presumably add thickness on what's already a fairly thick watch", I've thought this through! The Classic version had to have a box domed crystal fitted in order to accommodate the extra thickness of the guilloche platine. If an standard platine were used maybe the use of that boxed crystal would allow the hands to pass over the chiming mechanism?
You are right to point out that my crude attempt at redesign would mean that "The 12 o'clock position may also look a little empty with the balance of the rest of the face", but I think there solutions here, the gong could be rotated through 180 degrees for example. Fascinating thought experiments, I suspect I won't be invited to join the CW design team!

@Engineer I believe a module was added on top of a base movement which I guess creates most of the thickness and some of the gear train openings and the platine positioning.

In term of legibility its worth looking at MB&F and Brequet (both custom movements).
Which is a huge price difference compared to the Bel Canto.







MB&F have a few other "machines" worth looking at but from memory all have a similar treatment. ie. A solid contrasting small circular dial with no cut out.

hossaa wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2025 10:16 pm MB&F have a few other "machines" worth looking at but from memory all have a similar treatment. ie. A solid contrasting small circular dial with no cut out.

Agreed & this should solve legibility issue in a way.

I would also prefer louder chime but legibility is the priority (I had 2 & sold both both)

Some interesting observations @Engineer which, as a Bel Canto owner myself (I've had and Azzuro Blue LE and currently am on a Phoenix) I can understand and relate to.

However, the 'deficiencies' you've highlighted are, to me, all part and parcel of the charm of the watch and I'd subscribe to the ethos of 'if it ain't broke, why fix it'.

Besides, in all honesty, if you produced a watch with the modifications you are suggesting, I'll venture to suggest that it would no longer be a Bel Canto.

Just my two cents/pence worth.

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 2:00 am
However, the 'deficiencies' you've highlighted are, to me, all part and parcel of the charm of the watch and I'd subscribe to the ethos of 'if it ain't broke, why fix it'.

Besides, in all honesty, if you produced a watch with the modifications you are suggesting, I'll venture to suggest that it would no longer be a Bel Canto.

Indeed Guy. The Bel Canto is charming and I'm more than happy that it remains available in its current form. But I would like a chiming watch with which you could also tell the time - call that model a Bel Canto or not.

Engineer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:44 am ………But I would like a chiming watch with which you could also tell the time - call that model a Bel Canto or not.

Sounds like (pun intended) you need the Bell Hora.

https://meistersinger.com/en/category/a ... -dEEtzNDqI

iain wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 12:10 pm

Engineer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:44 am ………But I would like a chiming watch with which you could also tell the time - call that model a Bel Canto or not.

Sounds like (pun intended) you need the Bell Hora.

https://meistersinger.com/en/category/a ... -dEEtzNDqI

Nah, I said a wanted a watch you could tell the time with!!