Enzo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 4:23 am Do you think that the Bracelet is worth the price or should I get the standard black leather strap for the Viola Bel Canto. I initially ordered it one the strap, but I was told that I can change to the bracelet at the time of final payment.

Enzo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 4:23 am Do you think that the Bracelet is worth the price or should I get the standard black leather strap for the Viola Bel Canto. I initially ordered it one the strap, but I was told that I can change to the bracelet at the time of final payment.

Enzo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 4:23 am Do you think that the Bracelet is worth the price or should I get the standard black leather strap for the Viola Bel Canto. I initially ordered it one the strap, but I was told that I can change to the bracelet at the time of final payment.

watchaholic wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 6:48 pm ^^^^Congratulations on a beautiful watch. I have wondered how this with a Vanta black dial would look. All that floating in an endless sea of black would be amazing IMO.

Spytap wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:56 pm A week on the wrist review

So it's been almost exactly a week since I received my viola Bel Canto, and I figured I'd give a little mini-review of the things I like, things I think could be improved, and my overall thoughts:

LIKES
* The looks. It's a great looking watch. I genuinely think the purple on gunmetal is the best colorway thus far, and they complement each other well. the design is excellent and the dial has real depth to it. The aesthetic of the watch looks as good in person as it does in promo shots, but the depth is much more impressive.
* The weight. Grade 5 titanium is light. I'm gonna have a real problem going back to my stainless steel watches. It's not a small watch, but it's easily one of my most comfortable watches to wear.
* The compliments. I've gotten about a half dozen in the week I've worn it. The first time I wore it was to a watch event, and within ten seconds of arriving, before I'd even checked in, someone was asking to see and hear it. Thus far it's been mostly watch people who already know about the product, but there was one person in Beverly Hills who stopped me on the street to ask about it.
* Ease of telling time. I actually find it relatively easy to check the time. Maybe not at night or in a dark room, but in 90% of scenarios, a quick glance is all that's needed.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
* If I'm being honest: the chime. It's too quiet. Even sitting in a my office just typing I'll often miss hearing it. I've left the chime on when putting it away at night and never once heard it. Other than when I'm intentionally turning the minute hand to show others, I've only heard the chime twice.
* The microadjustment. The amount of force required to get the tab in is ridiculous. I'm worried I'm going to slip at some point and drop it because it's a two-handed, full strength effort to get the tab back far enough for the bracelet to extend a bit. Maybe this will loosen up over time - I certainly hope so.
* Timekeeping. I'll be honest, I don't actually care that much about this one, but some people will. It's running consistently fast by about 15s a day, so over a week it's a couple minutes outside of accurate. I'm not that bothered by it; some will be. This also may settle in over time.
* Christopher Ward customer service. I have to say it again. There were multiple production and management failures along the way, up to and including forgetting to pay duty tax and sizing the watch incorrectly for delivery - which were supposed to be resolved and reimbursed, but despite acknowledgement still have not been. The shame is that as much as I like this watch, it will likely prevent me from buying another CW product. This *should have* been a true halo watch for the brand, that took it from microbrand to serious contender. But with so many persistent issues, failures, mistakes, and the like, it's most likely burning a lot of bridges as well.

OVERALL
I like it a lot. It's gotten the majority of my wrist time this past week. It's comfortable, beautiful, and makes an impression. And I've found it remarkably versatile, going from jeans and a polo to a three piece with ease. Would I buy another or recommend someone do the same? Probably not - and anything trending towards yes would require CW showing they've managed to fix a lot of their current production, delivery, and customer service issues. But for a watch I now own and have in my hands (or on my wrist) today, it's an easy watch to admire, wear, and feel comfortable wearing in almost any scenario. And I expect it will continue to get a lot of wrist time in the future.

Enzo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2023 5:15 am Any newer pics of the purple Bel Canto floating around?

Spytap wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2023 5:52 pm

Enzo wrote: ↑Thu Dec 14, 2023 5:15 am Any newer pics of the purple Bel Canto floating around?

I can snag a couple later today if you'd like.

Enzo wrote: ↑Wed Dec 20, 2023 6:18 am Can a purple/viola owner post some realistic photos of their Bel Canto please?