A very limited Bel Canto looks to be available ? I think possibly less than 90 for non watches@ forum members?

Mods pls remove if innapproriate, as you well know I've got form for sharing new things I shouldn't but Id hate CW forum members to miss out on this if they are interested !

https://www.ablogtowatch.com/christophe ... qus_thread

https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/cw-b ... t-56287181

I did wonder when the first Bel Canto 'club' version would come out. Colour doesn't interest me, I still think the original blue is a step above the rest

The blue hands have really improved the legibility.

I do like the gold. It has the feel of some Louis Erard models I like.

I prefer the original to be honest. While the blue hands improve legibility, the dial reminds me of a sintered filter.

I’ll be honest, it bothers me that CW has agreed to producing a collaboration of the Bel Canto, especially this soon after its release. I see this as a brand defining watch, and a collaboration on it diminishes the watch’s status as such. It almost cheapens the watch, honestly. How special can it be if they’re going to do collaborative variations, especially when they haven’t even produced all the LE runs yet?!

I also don’t think there’s much to this collaboration at all. The changes don’t enhance the watch in anyway. While the blued hands enhance legibility, I don’t think they look good within the design as a whole.

Not a fan of the platine finish at all.

Seems to me that CW is listening and acting here
Folks like LE stuff, CW does an LE with a twist
People still complain
Folks pointed out the visibility and they now offer a version with blue hands
People still complain
Folks have opined about wanting different dials
CW adds new color and texture (ok it isn't deep red, I get that)
People still complain
Are they really getting things wrong, or is it more the nature of internet forums to grump about stuff?

Grand Seiko wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 3:59 pm Seems to me that CW is listening and acting here
Folks like LE stuff, CW does an LE with a twist
People still complain
Folks pointed out the visibility and they now offer a version with blue hands
People still complain
Folks have opined about wanting different dials
CW adds new color and texture (ok it isn't deep red, I get that)
People still complain
Are they really getting things wrong, or is it more the nature of internet forums to grump about stuff?

I suspect that it should not come as a surprise that a forum holds different opinions, both positive and negative. This may be a CW forum but that does not mean that all comments will be 100% positive.

I am not sure the watches@ Bel Canto is CW listening to its customers, but more of a case of how can we make as much money out of this cash cow as quickly as possible. However, I accept that these may not be mutually exclusive things.

I think some of the feeling stems from the first impression that the original Blue Bel Canto was a one off and gave the impression that it would be rare although it was left open to more releases. The subsequent releases have not seemed to have stopped.

I suspect the watches@ changes came at the request of the buying group not CW so the blue hands and legibility is not listening directly to any comments here but instead to a group that they would like get business from.

It is hoped that CW are producing this new LE batch after they have fulfilled all the other general public pre-orders and not before.

I really suspect that there is a risk of getting too carried away with the Bel Canto nonsense to the detriment of the rest of the CW offering. At the risk of being the first person to quote their own previous comments from the Bel Canto Effect thread -

A1soknownas wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:03 pm CW have released an all time high model whilst at the same time releasing the Atoll, Graphite and Trade Time (inc discount) all below the retail prices of their closest regular product equivalents.

I hope the company grows in terms of infrastructure to meet the increased product, demand, quality control and customer service.

I think we will always see regular, open models selling under retail on the used market but by maybe not as much as before.

Where CW go and the success is very much down to the CEOs ego and venture capitalist investors which could equally lead to boom or bust. It is a pivotal time for CW I think.

And the recent comments from KIP in relation to Customer Service -

Kip wrote: ↑Wed Feb 22, 2023 11:48 pm Most of the issues are due to the Bel Canto Effect (BCE). The success of the BelCanto along with an increase in social media advertising has resulted in a 180% increase in inquires of all types. CW has hired a new and very experienced Customer Service manager, Tanya. CW currently has 2 people handling phone inquiries 9 hours per day. They will be adding more. They have also increased the staff size of Customer Service personnel. Also a factor that seems to be a residual effect of the BCE is the knowledge level of the consumers. Many of the type questions they are getting are questions that, with a bit of research, could be found on the internet or forums. This tells CW that they have opened themselves to new markets.

The improvements and restoration of customer service to the levels we have been accustomed to will take some time. New staff must be trained and get up to speed. While the time it takes to get things back the way it should be can be frustrating to those affected, I can only state that they were taken by surprise after the Bel Canto launch. They are aware and doing everything they can to restore service and ask for patience while they work through this. They have also asked me to say Thank You to those that have been patient so far.

At what point do CW pause, reflect and let the company catch up before releasing yet more Bel Cantos?

Thanks for the detailed points

Let's play with the make as much money as one can thought

To me, if CW was taking that path, we would have seen price increases already

I just think they found a sudden growth driver for the business and are pressing a few buttons (more colors, this collaboration) and likely some other stuff to see how it goes

I am used to folks bringing criticism (just visit an Acura or Honda forum), just seems a bit more than I would have expected.

Grand Seiko wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 3:59 pm Seems to me that CW is listening and acting here
Some Folks like LE stuff, CW does an LE with a twist
Other People still complain
Some Folks pointed out the visibility and they now offer a version with blue hands
Other People still complain
Some Folks have opined about wanting different dials
CW adds new color and texture (ok it isn't deep red, I get that)
Other People still complain
Are they really getting things wrong, or is it more the nature of internet forums to grump about stuff?

I added a couple of determiners to your post to try to illustrate something. The forum is, and always has been, a loose affiliation of very different characters, who generally have one thing in common, or perhaps two: namely, watches in general and CW watches in particular. There are some very different tastes (not to mention budgets) flying around, so it’s difficult to apportion any kind of hive mind or “oversoul” to the forum as a whole. As you will no doubt have gathered from reading all the threads on it, not everyone likes the Bel Canto anyway.

And yes, we are a pretty fickle bunch anyway. I posted this last year, but I rather enjoyed writing it so it may bear a second read.

Now listen up kids. You have to choose an ice cream from the following: vanilla, chocolate or strawberry.

Can’t we have mint?

Yeah, with chocolate sauce!

No! We need crushed nuts with it.

We are nut free.

What about those new nut free nuts?

There is no such thing. They haven’t been invented yet.

Well that’s not good enough! Why haven’t they introduced them? Can’t they see there is a market for them?

Can’t we have a Big Mac instead?

Yeah! With fries!

No! Spicy wedges!

With extra paprika!

So the choice is ice cream or Big Mac, right?

Hey, wait a minute! We never mentioned big Mac.

No, but you should have done. We have our rights after all.

Whoa, Big Mac, same old rubbish logo! They should change the logo to Burger King and put it on a different part of the box.

Yeah, good point. They never listen.

So, about these chicken kebabs…?

jkbarnes wrote: ↑Sun Feb 26, 2023 4:43 pm I’ll be honest, it bothers me that CW has agreed to producing a collaboration of the Bel Canto, especially this soon after its release. I see this as a brand defining watch, and a collaboration on it diminishes the watch’s status as such. It almost cheapens the watch, honestly. How special can it be if they’re going to do collaborative variations, especially when they haven’t even produced all the LE runs yet?!

I also don’t think there’s much to this collaboration at all. The changes don’t enhance the watch in anyway. While the blued hands enhance legibility, I don’t think they look good within the design as a whole.

I have to say that I thought something like this. The blue ones are in production, green ones follow, the four new colours are next in line, and CW accept a bespoke order, nice at is, which will surely delay these other orders further, seemingly at the standard price.

I like the blue hands, matching the blue bird. Are the hands "blued" or just blue?

When I looked at the ordering page for this collaboration I think it said order for June 2023. Whereas I know some of the orders from the colours released in January went as late as December 2023. Clearly shows they saved some production time/resources for this release and potentially others that may be upcoming.

I like the blue hands.