The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

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The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by jf72 »

About six months ago, I posted on here for the first time in five years to ask whether the rebrand of 2016 was a mistake with the benefit of hindsight. The opinions were mixed, with some support for my idea of a 'heritage line' that used the older logos and design language, leaving the twin-flags logo for the more sporty watches.

It was very interesting to see the Bel Canto - an absolute blockbuster - fail to have the logo or namemark anywhere on the dial.... while it is true it would be difficult to squeeze the twin-flags logo on (and especially that long first name of Mr Ward), it would have clearly be too vulgar for such a refined-looking piece.

So is it time CW stopped being stubborn and accepted the need to revert back in some way to the old, beloved Chr.Ward (and everything else that was loved about the MKII Trident), which would have been far more fitting for a great watch such as the Bel Canto?

Surely if this watch proves anything, it's that Christopher Ward were wrong to assume that traditionalist design language was dead, and CW have been missing out in the last few years by not tapping into that enduring desire for things which exude luxury, as the old logo did?
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by Viognier »

Differing opinion here.

I've been here since 2012 and vastly prefer the twin flags logo on the dial with Christopher Ward named on the case back (or rotor if an exhibition back).

They have a killer logo now (twin flags logo for clarity)....hope the marketing team sticks with it for decades!

My $0.02.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by welshlad »

^^^ I'm with you, Lance.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by watchaholic »

I’m fine with the logo as it stands, but I do wish it was applied rather than printed. It’s been done before, and IMO it just looks a lot better. Dare I say…. More “high end”? It is, after all, a representation of the company.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by New Watcher »

I much prefer the flags. The “Chr.Ward” looks funny to me. Agree with you on the applied logo, too. The forum watch is going to have an applied logo, right? Wish I had jumped on that one.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by Lavaine »

jf72 wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 1:29 am So is it time CW stopped being stubborn and accepted the need to revert back in some way to the old, beloved Chr.Ward
Old? Sure. Beloved? Maybe not so much. Chr. has no meaning to many people. I don't think it's common outside of the UK to shorten Christopher to Chr. I'm a Christopher and I'd never seen Chr. as a short form prior to the rebrand. It was a terrible rebrand in so far as most people had no idea that Chr. Ward was Christopher Ward unless they were already familiar with the brand.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by missF »

You should have a job writing headlines for the tabloids... :D
I think you’re finding quite a creative way of bolstering your own opinion. But I think that the Bel Canto doesn’t have any name mark on it because it’s the Bel Canto. And I think that CW are most ‘vindicated’ (sounds like such a combative word) at this time.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by Noush »

Viognier wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 1:54 am
vastly prefer the twin flags logo on the dial with Christopher Ward named on the case back (or rotor if an exhibition back).

They have a killer logo now (twin flags logo for clarity)....hope the marketing team sticks with it for decades!
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by Alex r »

Chr ward beloved ? It was nearly as bad as the word mark at 9 o'clock.
I for one am glad they have stopped the disruptive nonsense and have a new brand language that 99% or people seem to be behind

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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by NationOfLaws »

Oh good, this debate again
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by ctafield »

Betteridge's law applies to the topic of this thread.

As a Christopher, I will NEVER accept "Chr." as an abbreviation of my name.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by trsullivan »

God's Truth. Not this again. Really.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

I don't quite get the thread title; it seems at odds, to me, with the contrary opinion of the CW branding evolution being offered by @jf72.

No matter;-
Viognier wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 1:54 am Differing opinion here.

I've been here since 2012 and vastly prefer the twin flags logo on the dial with Christopher Ward named on the case back (or rotor if an exhibition back).

They have a killer logo now (twin flags logo for clarity)....hope the marketing team sticks with it for decades!

My $0.02.
Saves me tying more; this does it for me. :thumbup: :thumbup:

We'll actually . . . . . . .I've no axe to grind against any of the logos and see each variation as growing pains and evolution; a bit like us; teething toddler/terrible twos . . . stroppy 8 - 9 yo . . . . . disruptive teenager / adolescent . . . .. and bam . . .the handsome prince/princess. :D :D

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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by Mikkei4 »

NationOfLaws wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 9:42 am Oh good, this debate again
:lol: :lol: :thumbup:

Edit - TBH I'm experiencing "Bel Canto Overload" at present as well.
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Re: The Bel Canto is the final nail in the coffin of the CW rebrand! Critics vindicated?

Post by downer »

missF wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 7:28 am
I think you’re finding quite a creative way of bolstering your own opinion...
I think that's putting it mildly, missF.
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