Let me clarify my position, as I can’t help but think @Grand Seiko’s comments were at least partly in response to me.

My issue isn’t with this particular iteration of the Bel Canto. CW can issue as many variations on the Bel Canto as they want. And if the audience is there for them, more power to CW.

My issue is with issuing a Bel Canto collaboration with someone. To my mind, doing a collaboration on this particular model, a model that is seen as defining the brand and its capabilities moving forward, diminishes the Bel Canto and all it signifies. Frankly, it looks cheap. It’s like CW is pimping the Bel Canto out to get whatever they can out of it.

Add to that it’s a rather unimpressive “collaboration.” Really, it’s just a custom colorway. Where exactly is the collaboration in that?

Just my $.02.

I apologize if I appeared to have focused any comments toward any of the nice folks here.
Certainly not my intent.
I lack history/experience wrt CW so I can't speak to their approach to watchmaking or business prior to the BC.
I can completely see the concern, etc. about CW going off the rails here. No idea if the new work load makes a mess of their operation in general, time will tell.
I work in Biotech and collaborations are usually associated with a lot of resources allocated over years.
I agree for this one, it doesn't look like there is much to it.
Trying to be supportive, they get points for making the hands easier to see and for coordinating the color of the hands with that of the beak.
The watch face color and texture are different from the previous offerings. Grand Seiko is certainly making a buck out of changing faces on x watch and doing some of the faces as LEs.
We will see if the secondary market has any kind of lover for these BC collaboration LEs.

Grand Seiko wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:59 am Trying to be supportive, they get points for making the hands easier to see and for coordinating the color of the hands with that of the beak.

While the Bel Canto is not my cup of tea, I think I prefer the use of blue here over the red of the initial LE.

And no apologies necessary!

You could think of this collaboration as CW ‘punting the Bel Canto out’ to other companies - or you could think of it as the likelihood that there are now many companies ‘wanting a bit of what CW have’ and offering collaborations right left and centre. I think there’s a difference, and I think the second view is likely more likely.
CW have had a huge amount of decision-making to do wrt to the Bel Canto, and all within a very short space of time. But they’re not fools, and must have had some long term plans for the watch should it be successful, even if those had to be brought forward very quickly after the success of the blue.

I would never buy a Bel Canto of any colour if it didn’t have a red beak! That’s a red line for me

As one of this disparate and mostly happy group of characters here's my take on this discussion:

"Christopher Ward has always had a simple mission: to put premium mechanical watches within reach of as many people as possible."

"And we’re not stopping there. Innovation is at the core of everything we do. "

That's right there on the CW website. Nothing about setting as a priority the desires of the various online fan bases before anything else, nothing about having the business run as a committee of interested small investors.

Can we go back in time, let's call it "pre-BC"? Which of us sought to possess every model of CW? I know that I didn't and still don't. Just because the Dune doesn't appeal to me (I'm truly sorry missF) just like a number of models right through the CW timeline: does that imply that CW's aims/obejectives/business model are wrong? Hardly.

The notion that it's good for CW to turn away a legitimate business opportunity: where did that come from? How can that be good for the long term security of the company? It can't.

Customer Service: how much is too much? How much is not enough? I have no idea how many emails CW receive daily and by what number the emails increase around the launch of a new model but I'm willing to venture that the old 80/20 rule is hard at work here.

Manufacturing capacity: I have no idea what production capacity CW runs at normally or what facility exists for it to pull in extra capacity - such as required to step up production of what is probably their biggest ever innovation. So I'm not in a position to complain that CW is taking on too many orders.

The Bel Canto Effect? Congratulations Christopher Ward you've struck gold!!

CW's aim is clear...to have more versions of the bloomin BelCanto within 12 months than Omega has achieved in all the years knocking out special editions of the speedy!

^^^ @stefs



Harsh, but fair Paul!

I think this particular version looks like a cheap budget option to me.

Neil

en_nissen wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 10:26 am Has anyone else noticed that all the other colourways than green and blue seem to have a brushed gong instead of the original polished one?

I just noticed now, and it's a real shame, since I think the polished gong looked awesome.

As for this colourway, I think it looks pretty good!
I can't quite figure out whether I like the blued hands or not... They add some contrast, but they also don't seem all too balanced on the dial.
I think I'll stick to my purple order, but I'm tempted.

Yes, that was noted elsewhere on the CWE (FB) group too. The text description still states "polished" so it might just be an incorrect render on the web page photos.

If it is brushed rather than polished that would be a great shame, as it's a fairly large and noticeable part of the dial. I can see how not polishing it could reduce both time and cost for the new variants, which may be a factor

The best collaborations happen when both parties bring something to the table in equal parts. This one is more lopsided than would be effective I think.

Having been through the FLE process I can see why. The Bel canto has even more specialized stuff that can't be changed than the normal offerings making a collaboration LE with equal footing from both parties very difficult.

I think the real gating factor on production of these watches is not only assembly but the speed they can get parts from suppliers like Armin Strom.

I like how this thread has evolved.

JasperCat wrote:

en_nissen wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 10:26 am Has anyone else noticed that all the other colourways than green and blue seem to have a brushed gong instead of the original polished one?

I just noticed now, and it's a real shame, since I think the polished gong looked awesome.

As for this colourway, I think it looks pretty good!
I can't quite figure out whether I like the blued hands or not... They add some contrast, but they also don't seem all too balanced on the dial.
I think I'll stick to my purple order, but I'm tempted.

Yes, that was noted elsewhere on the CWE (FB) group too. The text description still states "polished" so it might just be an incorrect render on the web page photos.

If it is brushed rather than polished that would be a great shame, as it's a fairly large and noticeable part of the dial. I can see how not polishing it could reduce both time and cost for the new variants, which may be a factor

Yup, I was the one who made the CWE comment and found that the description says it's polished.

Let's hope the description is right and the renders are wrong.

en_nissen wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 5:06 pm

JasperCat wrote:

en_nissen wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 10:26 am Has anyone else noticed that all the other colourways than green and blue seem to have a brushed gong instead of the original polished one?

I just noticed now, and it's a real shame, since I think the polished gong looked awesome.

As for this colourway, I think it looks pretty good!
I can't quite figure out whether I like the blued hands or not... They add some contrast, but they also don't seem all too balanced on the dial.
I think I'll stick to my purple order, but I'm tempted.

Yes, that was noted elsewhere on the CWE (FB) group too. The text description still states "polished" so it might just be an incorrect render on the web page photos.

If it is brushed rather than polished that would be a great shame, as it's a fairly large and noticeable part of the dial. I can see how not polishing it could reduce both time and cost for the new variants, which may be a factor

Yup, I was the one who made the CWE comment and found that the description says it's polished.

Let's hope the description is right and the renders are wrong.

Well spotted, and indeed let's hope it is just the renders

Is preorder page still up? I can't find it from the website.

^^^ Yes preorder page for the Bel Canto is still there, it hasn’t moved.

It is shown on the menu under the heading watches, Bel Canto.

It is also under watches, new releases.

And watches, specialities.

Neil

kaizer wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 6:05 am Is preorder page still up? I can't find it from the website.

The link for the Watches@ Bespoke C1 Bel Canto is not, and never has been, available on the publicly viewable part of CW's website.

If however, you have the correct 'private' link and password, the page is still viewable (checked just now) with availability still stated as 'Pre-order for End July 2023'.

Guy