In-Depth Review - Christopher Ward Bel Canto (2024)
- jarcari
- Sep 15, 2024
- 10 min read
By now, you probably have heard about Christopher Ward’s most recent masterpiece: the Bel Canto. Busting onto the scene in late 2022, the Bel Canto quickly became a sensation in the watch world, offering one of the most affordable chiming watches on the market. Coming in at under $3,600, the Bel Canto proved that good watchmaking isn’t just a race to the stratosphere by watchmakers making a handful of watches reserved for ultra-high net worth collectors. Christopher Ward proved that a scrappy watchmaker, with less than 20 years of history, could compete with the big boys and create a quality watch that stunned the watch community.
The watch’s proportions are nearly perfect: the watch’s case is 41mm in diameter and just 13mm thick and is made out of incredibly light Grade 5 titanium. The watch’s case exudes understated class, but the dial and its various polished and sandblasted details really steals the show.
The chiming mechanism taking up the bottom half of the dial is clearly the show-stopper. The Bel Canto is a chiming watch, more specifically a sonnerie au passage, which audibly chimes once at each passing hour. The mechanism to accomplish this impressive feat consists of an in-house module with 50+ components (all of which sits on top of a Sellita SW200 movement). For reference, similar chiming models from other watchmakers (such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe or Omega) regularly cost five- or six-figures and are in very limited production.
Overall Score: 83.5/100
Design: 22.5/25 points
1. Case (size, shape, construction, angles, finishing) – 4.5/5pts With a case measuring 41mm in diameter, 13mm thick and 48mm lug-to-lug, the Bel Canto’s proportions are perfect for nearly every wrist size. The case is finished in Christopher Ward’s distinctive Light-CatcherTM style utilizing various brushed and polished surfaces to create a dazzling effect. The fact that Christopher Ward achieves this degree of understated radiance with Grade 5 titanium (which is a difficult metal to polish uniformly) at under $3,600 is incredible.
2. Dial (color, pattern, indices, hands, chapter ring) – 5/5 pts The dial and its hardware is the undeniable draw of this watch. This particular model, the “Cielo”, has a light, almost ice-blue hue that is unlike any other watch face I’ve seen. The dial, or platine in this case (since the rest of the hardware rests directly on its surface), has a brilliant sunburst pattern that is subtle when viewed head-on but is stunning from every angle. The various bridges, plates, joints, screws and hammer mechanism are expertly finished in a combination of brushed and polished finishes with sharp angles. The actual time is read in the floating sub-dial at 12 o’clock, which also has lume-filled indices and unobtrusive hands. While the point of a watch is generally to tell time, for the Bel Canto it is actually more important that the time does not distract you from the rest of the watch. It makes sense that both the dial and its hardware are finished nearly flawlessly; the dial is produced by Armin Strom (average prices for their watches begin in the mid-$10,000 range) and most of the hardware is crafted by Chronode (tasked with creating many of the intricate parts for MB&F’s “machines”).
3. Strap/bracelet (material, comfort, finishing, clasp) – 4.5/5 pts The Bel Canto can be delivered on a titanium bracelet or a variety of 22mm wide high-quality aniline vacona leather straps. I chose the tan vacona strap and was pleasantly surprised by the soft, supple leather and a durable nubuck leather backing. The leather straps come equipped with a signed titanium pin buckle that is simple but functional. The leather straps are clearly high-quality; the leather’s fine grain is visible and the coloring is evenly applied, yet appears natural. It took less than a few hours to “break-in” this strap and after a while I nearly forgot I was wearing the watch.
4. Bezel (indices, rotation action, scale) – 3.5/5pts The slim, sloping bezel on the Bel Canto is nearly invisible, and that’s on purpose. The star of the show is the dial and everything else on the watch is designed to focus your eyes on the hardware resting above the platine. The sapphire crystal extends nearly to the edge of the case, creating a seamless “occulus” to view the entirety of the curved bell and chiming hammer.
5. Originality (design cues, homage, re-issue, re-design) – 5/5 pts While Christopher Ward is not the first manufacturer to create a chiming watch, or even the first to create a sonnerie au paussage complication, it’s hard to pin-point any other manufacturer who has put this much of the chiming mechanism on the front of the dial in full view of the wearer. Most other manufacturers hide the bell under the bezel or in the depths between the dial and the movement, but Christopher Ward proudly displays its custom-designed bell stretching from 10 o’clock all the way over to 2 o’clock (the bell alone took over 80 iterations in R&D to perfect the chime).
Construction: 20.5/25 points
1. Overall Quality (case, dial, hands, finishing) – 5/5 pts Christopher Ward stepped up to deliver its
first luxury-level watch and ensured that the overall quality and finishing exceeded expectations. Angles and polishing of the case, hands and various hardware components is well-executed and precise. The anglage applied to the hammer and various other structural components is polished to a mirror-like finish, a level of quality usually reserved for watches in the mid five-figure range. I can’t recall the last time I saw a watch under $5,000 (or even $10,000) with so much attention to detail; every screw is polished evenly, the hammer and “bird” shaped mechanism reflect light from every angle and the large curved bell is immaculately detailed.
2. Materials (type of metal, rare metals, finishing technique) – 4/5 pts The case, caseback and even the buckle are crafted from Grade 5 titanium. While other watch manufacturers use titanium for a variety of reasons, mostly for its hardness, resilience and strength, Christopher Ward chose this material for a very specific reason: resonance. It turns out that titanium is an excellent resonator, better than stainless steel and some precious metals, and allows the Bel Canto’s distinctive chime to ring clearly and crisply through the watch’s entire case structure.
3. Resistances (water, magnetism, shock) – 3/5pts The Bel Canto is most definitely a dress watch and its resistance specs are what is expected for a dress watch. The Bel Canto has 30 meters (3 ATMs) of water resistance that is good enough for splashes and washing the dishes, but you definitely shouldn’t go for a dive with it on. The base calibre of the Bel Canto, the revered workhorse Sellita SW200 comes standard with either a Novodiac or Incabloc anti-shock system.
4. Ancillaries (lugs, crown, pushers and other extremities)– 4.5/5 pts The Bel Canto’s crown and pusher are well-balanced on the right-hand side and allow easy manipulation by the wearer. The time-setting crown with ample grip is located at the 2 o’clock position and is signed with Christopher Ward’s “flag” logo. The chime pusher (or selector) is located at the 4 o’clock position and allows the wearer to easily click the chiming mechanism on or off. The placement of the chime pusher is ergonomic and has solid haptic feedback indicating that the mechanism is either charged or on stand-by (the status is also confirmed by the small black pointed located adjacent to the pusher.
5. Bracelet/clasp (link type, integration with case, clasp mechanism) – 4/5 pts I normally would hate a simple tang buckle, I actually find it fitting for this watch and leather combination. While the watch displays a lot of complexity on the dial, the watch still exudes a “simple” elegance. For me, a simple tang buckle matches the elegance of the watch and also works well with the buttery soft leather strap. The brushed Grade 2 titanium bracelet (called the “Bader” strap, available separately for a reasonable $525) that also comes with certain models of this watch is excellent at this price point and comes with a deployant clasp, on-the-go micro adjustment capabilities and an integrated quick-change strap system. You can’t go wrong with either strap choice.
Movement: 19.5/25 points
1. Origin of Movement (Swiss, sourced, in-house, design) – 4.5/5pts Despite its young age, Chris Ward’s ability to create innovative movements under the tutelage of Johannes Jahnke (who now heads up movement development at Sellita) is undeniable. The Bel Canto’s movement, the Calibre FS01, is primarily constructed of an advanced module that sits on top of a Sellita SW-200 base movement. The module is derived from an earlier movement (the Calibre JJ01, named after Johannes Jahnke) that was created for a jumping hour complication, which was later adapted for a sonnerie movement that was used in a MeisterSinger. While the Calibre FS01 isn’t considered a fully in-house movement, the 50 additional components needed to create the FS01 certainly lend credence to CW’s technical and creative capabilities.
2. Complication(s) (design, usefulness, integration, operation) – 4.5/5 pts In the world of complications, there are a few complications that typically inspire awe and almost universally have a price tag to match. These haute horology complications include the tourbillon, perpetual calendar and various striking mechanisms (such as a minute repeater) that convert kinetic energy into sound. The Bel Canto’s striking mechanism, technically called a sonnerie au passage (striking once an hour to signify the passing of time), is a rare complication in its own right. What makes the Bel Canto’s chiming complication even more unique is the fact that almost all of the mechanics involved are placed on top of the dial rather than hidden on the backside of the movement. This allows the wearer to enjoy the complicated architecture of the curved bell and delicate hammer mechanism. While the strike once an hour is not as immediately useful as a minute repeater (which can indicate the current time using various different tones), the chime every hour is a helpful reminder of the constant passage of time.
3. Accuracy (overall +/-, positions, variance) – 3.5/5 pts The 29 jewel modified SW200 Sellita base movement is expected to be accurate between +/-7 seconds per day (based on the “special” or elabore grade). While not a COSC-certified chronometer, the Bel Canto is accurate enough for daily use and should be easily serviceable by almost any watchmaker (although disassembling the chiming module might be a different story altogether).
4. Power Reserve (length, indicator, variance) – 3.5/5 pts The Christopher Ward Calibre FS01 boasts a fairly standard 38-hour power reserve. While this normally wouldn’t warrant much recognition, Chris Ward was able to design the movement so that the charging mechanism that then releases the hammer to hit the bell does not “bleed” energy from the mainspring.
5. Finishing/Design (decoration, finishing, architecture, rotor) – 3.5/5 pts Unfortunately, most of the FS01 (other than the striking mechanism and some gears peaking out through a cut-out in the platine) is hidden behind a solid titanium caseback. If one were to remove the caseback, a standard Sellita SW200 with typical “industrial” finishings would be visible. However, the caseback design is very intentional: the ribbed caseback adds deep resonance to the bell, allowing the tiny hammer and bell to create the audible chime. Even the placement of the screws at the four corners of the caseback were designed specifically to support the best resonance possible.
Other Factors: 19.5/25 points
1. Price (Value) (MSRP, secondary (new), secondary (used), value proposition) – 5/5pts For a mere $3,600, you get a solid grade 5 titanium watch with a custom-designed case, sun-burst dial made by Armin Strom, hands and other superstructure parts sourced from Chronode and an in-house developed sonnerie au passage movement. Not only that, but the watch is finished flawlessly; there are no stray dust particles, misaligned indices or any other miniscule issues. The fact that Christopher Ward was able to make this watch for this price is truly baffling. Other watches with similar complications costs $50,000 plus, some of them cost more just to service than the Bel Canto’s entire price tag.
2. Quality Control (Finishing, dial cleanliness, mechanical, known issues) – 4/5 pts Chris Ward’s quality control really had to step it up for this model given the complex construction of the watch’s focal point: the dial. The intricate design of the watch face includes beveled and polished edges and brushed surfaces on the floating dial, bridges, hammer and bell. Each piece is perfectly polished and reflects smoothly (without excessive waviness) from every angle. It’s clearly evident that Chris Ward took their time to perfect each part from each supplier (my watch was delayed over 6 months due to faulty batch of platines) and assembled each watch with care. There are no smudges, dust particles, misalignments or other quality issues, even under a 10x loupe, which is an incredible feat at this price point.
3. Certifications (COSC, METAS, manufacturer) – 2/5 pts While the Bel Canto’s build quality, design and value are off-the-charts, the reliable base SW-200 isn’t winning any horological awards or certifications for its accuracy. At this price point, one would not typically expect a COSC-certified movement (although there are a few examples, including Christopher Ward’s C8 power reserve chronometer), but it would have been a nice touch.
4. Warranty (limitations, extensions, service) – 5/5 pts Chris Ward’s 60/60 guarantee is one of the better deals in the industry and doesn’t require registration or other steps to protect your watch. Chris Ward’s 60/60 guarantee allows free returns for 60 days from purchase and a 5-year (60 month) warranty on the movement and other internals of the watch. Best of all, there are no websites, portals or other steps necessary to activate the warranty, which has (annoyingly) become a standard industry step to extend one’s warranty beyond the standard 2-year warranty.
5. Presentation (box, certificates, ancillary items) – 5/5 pts The Bel Canto comes packaged inside an oblong, solid wooden box wrapped in leather. Sliding the inner case from the outer leather-wrapped piece, the Bel Canto appears snuggly secured by two elastic straps that keep it from moving around in transit. The watch’s papers, warranty and other documents are a similar size and shape as the box, creating a cohesive presentation that is far beyond what other watches typically come with in this price range.
Additional Thoughts
1. Accolades Earned. The Bel Canto recently made waves in the watch industry by capturing one of its most prestigious awards: the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve’s (GPHG) Petite Aiguille award. This award is given to a watch manufacturer in recognition of the best “entry level” watch costing between 2,000-8,000 CHF. Known as the “Oscars” of the watch industry, Christopher Ward displayed its daring style, technical prowess and inventiveness to the GPHG’s judges and was rewarded handsomely with this recognition. Seldom has another watchmaker with less than two decades of experience entered the GPHG competition and won against the likes of established names such as Tudor, Bulgari, Louis Erard and Habring2.
2. Industry Recognition. The Bel Canto was almost immediately recognized as a seismic introduction to the watch industry. The community was quickly abuzz with news of a new limited-edition watch that was being compared to manufacturer’s with centuries of clout at a fraction of the price. I won’t both re-hashing everything that’s already been said (Hodinkee has a great article), but it is undeniable that the Bel Canto took the watch industry by storm.
3. Customer Service. On a personal note, I actually received my Bel Canto a few months back and after taking several photos with a macro lens (as a true watch nerd would) I noticed a small smudge or discoloration on the hammer’s outer beveled edge. Once I was able to get into contact with Chris Ward, it luckily only required a quick return trip back to the manufacturer (for free), where they assess the problem and returned a completely new watch with my already worn-in strap re-attached (also for free). Overall, it was a disappointment to see that issue make it past quality control the first time, but Chris Ward’s quick attention and very easy return process renewed my faith in the manufacturer.
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