On-Wrist: Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto... Plus Tips & Tricks

[enjoythemusic]

After some waiting…. and yes more waiting…. like watching your Apple computer’s endless spinning wheel while impatiently &^%$#@ for it to crunch your 4k UHD video file….

Eventually, the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto finally arrived!

First, yes it is far better than expected and so yes a strong buy. STRONG buy. There, I said it, now you can ignore the rest of this ‘review’ and go to another thread.


For those who have purchased a C1 Bel Canto, here are a few photos and tips n’ tricks.

The metal bracelet does come with a half link (yeah!)

The bracelet seems to be long enough for an 8.5” wrist, with the sizing adjustment screws being thicc, plus the screw’s slot is nicely wide and beefy. The screws do not seem to have any Loctite from the factory.

To adjust the bracelet:

Be sure to use a Hollow Ground screwdriver. I used the Rolex one, the head slot is really thicc.

I lightly heated the threading side for the heck of it and then removed the necessary screw(s).

IMPORTANT: The bracelet does have a built-in length adjustment under the clasp, it is shipped with the setting at the LONGEST length.

**When sizing the bracelet, be sure to go a bit loose as you can tighten it via an under-clasp adjuster.**


Optional: Use a tiny tiny bit of Loctite 222 on the threading side of the bracelet before re-installed the screw(s). Once I had the length set, I ensured ALL BRACELET SCREWS had a dab of Loctite on the threading.


Legibility is FAR better than expected, even for my cr@p ol’ eyesight. Even my wife, who also… she could read the time relatively easily. A nice surprise, actually. Ok, ok, we get timepieces to ‘read the time’, but sometimes you get one because… ya know. So great news, you can read the time on the tiny dial far better than expected.

So how is the purple dial? HOLY F#<& it is geeeeee-orrrrrrrr-jusssss!!! So very seXXXy. Build quality looks really, really nice, and weight is heavier than a M.A.D.1, but not as heavy as a Submariner. The total weight when adjusted for my 7.5” wrist is 102 grams, most being the head as the bracelet is relatively light. The bracelet doesn’t feel chintzy or anything, but it’s not a Rolex Oyster bracelet either.

The chime is better / louder than i expected. Has a nice tone as well, which like any 'percussion' instrument will probably subtly change for the nicer as it gets used.

Let’s see how this weekend goes and will add more as needed. As always…

Enjoy your time.

And now lots of pics.

[Yobrooks]

Love the review, need a lume shot, lol. Looks great and cannot beat the price. How's the chime sound ?

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

[ap1]

Love this, enjoy. I hope to join you in April last I heard from them

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Yobrooks

How's the chime sound?

Sounds very nice, not too bright nor too delicate. I'm a percussionist, so am happily surprised... esp for the ask. Am looking forward to a month or three of wear and hourly chiming for the 'percussion bits' to 'settle in'. Bet it gets 'sweeter sounding' over the years.

[Yobrooks]

Nice to hear. #)

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

[2bigalow]

Congratulations. Looks absolutely beautiful.

[Enzo954]

The purple really pops! Very excited to receive mine. I hope it wears well on my just under 7 inch wrist.

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

After some waiting…. and yes more waiting…. like watching your Apple computer’s endless spinning wheel while impatiently &^%$#@ for it to crunch your 4k UHD video file….

Eventually, the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto finally arrived!

First, yes it is far better than expected and so yes a strong buy. STRONG buy. There, I said it, now you can ignore the rest of this ‘review’ and go to another thread.


For those who have purchased a C1 Bel Canto, here are a few photos and tips n’ tricks.

The metal bracelet does come with a half link (yeah!)

The bracelet seems to be long enough for an 8.5” wrist, with the sizing adjustment screws being thicc, plus the screw’s slot is nicely wide and beefy. The screws do not seem to have any Loctite from the factory.

To adjust the bracelet:

Be sure to use a Hollow Ground screwdriver. I used the Rolex one, the head slot is really thicc.

I lightly heated the threading side for the heck of it and then removed the necessary screw(s).

IMPORTANT: The bracelet does have a built-in length adjustment under the clasp, it is shipped with the setting at the LONGEST length.

**When sizing the bracelet, be sure to go a bit loose as you can tighten it via an under-clasp adjuster.**


Optional: Use a tiny tiny bit of Loctite 222 on the threading side of the bracelet before re-installed the screw(s). Once I had the length set, I ensured ALL BRACELET SCREWS had a dab of Loctite on the threading.


Legibility is FAR better than expected, even for my cr@p ol’ eyesight. Even my wife, who also… she could read the time relatively easily. A nice surprise, actually. Ok, ok, we get timepieces to ‘read the time’, but sometimes you get one because… ya know. So great news, you can read the time on the tiny dial far better than expected.

So how is the purple dial? HOLY F#&lt;& it is geeeeee-orrrrrrrr-jusssss!!! So very seXXXy. Build quality looks really, really nice, and weight is heavier than a M.A.D.1, but not as heavy as a Submariner. The total weight when adjusted for my 7.5” wrist is 102 grams, most being the head as the bracelet is relatively light. The bracelet doesn’t feel chintzy or anything, but it’s not a Rolex Oyster bracelet either.

The chime is better / louder than i expected. Has a nice tone as well, which like any 'percussion' instrument will probably subtly change for the nicer as it gets used.

Let’s see how this weekend goes and will add more as needed. As always…

Enjoy your time.

And now lots of pics.

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Not my cup of tea, but congrats to you!


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[noobs]

It looks really nice! Thanks for posting.

[Easy E]

Really cool watch. Congratulations.

[Yoda_Eating_Pizza]

Congrats

Wow that purple really pops. Not sure if it's how the color makes the mechanicals stand out, but the topography gives the illusion that it's much deeper than 13mm.

I'm currently in the queue for a salmon dial. With the delivery dates being pushed back, it has been an exercise in patience.

[ancientmariner]

Huge congrats…super pleased for you that it was so worth the wait.
The colour is stunning…enjoy!

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Enzo954

The purple really pops! Very excited to receive mine. I hope it wears well on my just under 7 inch wrist.

Imho you're fine with 7", you'll probably be removing all but two (removable) links is my guess.

Originally Posted by Yoda_Eating_Pizza

Congrats

Wow that purple really pops. Not sure if it's how the color makes the mechanicals stand out, but the topography gives the illusion that it's much deeper than 13mm.

I'm currently in the queue for a salmon dial. With the delivery dates being pushed back, it has been an exercise in patience.

Congrats on the salmon! Yes, the purple dial seems to make the dial 'upper bits' stand out, and shadowing adds visual depth. Am a very, very happy man. A standout timepiece

[john333]

Awesome pics, thanks for the review. Very excited to get mine…should be within the month.

[ZOOK]

Congratulations Steven.

I'm still waiting for notification on my purple Bel Canto. Hope my turn comes soon.

[Ichiran]

Congratulations for the watch!

[Enzo954]

Love how it turns from that deep purple to pink depending on the lighting and angle.

[Michael1968]

Nice review
Thanks for sharing

[enjoythemusic]

After a few days on the wrist with the Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto I am utterly amazed!

First, my wife can hear the wonderful chime even when she’s ~8 feet away while we watch a movie in our home theater. The chime sound is excellent!

I owe CW an apology-ish, as when the C1 first arrived I was in awe of the dial and bits, and that overshadowed the bracelet. That’s my initial thoughts. Now after a few days and really looking at the entire design, including the bracelet, the screws for removing links are very beefy, solid, and strong. Frankly, they are far better than I’ve seen on many, many other bracelets. The solid end links and added security for the quick-release spring bars are impressive.

The more I studied the case, the more I admired the added efforts for slightly curing down the side of the lugs, the subtle shaping, etc. There’s far more effort here than initially meets the eye imho.

Being the ‘retentive’ OCD ADD etc etc etc etc etc type, have two suggestions. One being dial legibility and the other being a ‘geek thing’ only a wack-job like me might do.




To add legibility, in my Pshopped dial pic below you can see I added dark ‘lines’ on the four ‘arms’ that hold the dial. As they are in the pic, the coloring adds legibility. As it is in stock form, they are the same-ish as the hands, my cr@p old eyes can get ‘confused’ depending on where the hour/minute hands are. My Pshopped added lines increase legibility.

GEEK WARNING: For those who geek out OCD, the stock quick-release spring bars are very solid. Durability looks great! Buuuut, the quick-release arms stick out towards the wrist a bit too much for my liking, and I can occasionally feel them. The ‘fix’ is very easy, though might be a challenge for the ham-fisted who tend to strip screw heads. I swapped them for 1.8mm normal spring bars, which provided a better understanding of how well-designed the bracelet is.



First, you need to remove that little center screw and arm bit. With that and the holding arm removed, you can then **slide our** (sideways) the spring bar. Most bars just come straight off outward, yet with the CW bracelet it really holds the spring bar inside the bracelet end link so you have to slide it out the side. Impressive!

Slide in the non-quick-release 1.8mm spin bar, and then attach the arm/screw bits, though leave them slightly loose. Attach the bracelet to the watch, then a final tightening down the center arm/screw bits.


Overall, accuracy is exceptional and build quality seems very impressive. The added efforts for durability ensure she will easily outlive the included five (5) year warranty. With many ‘smaller’ brands now reaching $3000(!) for just a basic three-hander on strap (and two-year warranty), Christopher Ward has a crazy great bargain on their hands with the C1 Bel Canto, and once it is within your hands am sure you’ll agree too. As always…

Enjoy Your Time :smoking:

PS: Can easily see many new iterations of the C1, including one featuring an artistic lume application. The 3D nature of the dial, and the bird, seems like a natural to enhance a limited edition 3D lume art version. Already have three or four versions in my head that may be viable.

PPS: When CW released the blue version i passed, already have an abundance of blue dial timepieces here. So being the crazy guy i am, emailed them saying if they released a purple dial version "I'll be your best friend". Well, guess it's time for me to live up to my end of the deal. CW is now officially my best friend for producing the Willy Wonka purple dial version.

Well played CW. Well played indeed.

[1William]

Congratulations. A very interesting watch. I like the color.

[Enzo954]

Received my purple Bel Canto yesterday. Very impressed. I was afraid that the purple color would be too over the top, but it's actually a darker purple in standard room lighting which looks perfect IMO.

[PhilLynott]

Fantastic looking watch congrats! Can't wait for mine to arrive.

The last email I got was step 6 in the process: "Number six, eh? Excellent. For that means, of course, that your C1 Bel Canto is pretty much complete and ready to ship." That email came 7 weeks ago and haven't heard anything since. How quickly did yours ship after getting that final update email?

[enjoythemusic]

Congrats Enzo!


Phil.... Many thanks... and it shipped in a day or so and arrived on time.

[cy888]

Congrats and thanks for sharing. Very cool watch.
Look forward to seeing future editions they make of these.

[cy888]

Congrats and thanks for sharing. Very cool watch.
Look forward to seeing future editions they make of these.

[ansharma]

Thanks for the passionate review! I am looking forward to receiving mine soon - it is great to know good things will come to those that wait!

Wonka purple seems to suit this type of watch very well - wear it in the best of health!

Ps 2 exciting incomings for me this year: purple bel canto and lucky clover mad 1!! Completely whacky additions to the collection - can’t wait!


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[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by ansharma

Ps 2 exciting incomings for me this year: purple bel canto and lucky clover mad 1!! Completely whacky additions to the collection - can’t wait!

Wow, great combo, and a truly EPIC way to start the year!!! Major congrats

[ansharma]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Wow, great combo, and a truly EPIC way to start the year!!! Major congrats

Attachment 1412374

Thanks for the wonderful photo! May become the desktop wallpaper until they arrive!


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[enjoythemusic]

(Blushing) a most humble thanks.

Wallpaper... You deserve a proper res / much better pic. DM coming.

[enjoythemusic]

trf echo. delete
but added pic...