Bel Canto or a more established brand watch for slightly more money?
Folks, I have bel canto on order which was delayed by 2 years and is finally ready to ship. I have to pony up the remaining 2/3ds of the price to get it. I have a big jubilee birthday coming up and want to commemorate it with a watch but to me Bel Canto doesnt have the gravitas to match the occasion. It was meant as last year's me to me present but with production delays... well, you know the story. Plus when I ordered it, it felt special. Now, everybody and their mother have them... So I am considering cancellation... If I get the deposit back, plus what I should pay to CW and add a little coin on top, I am squarely in a more appropriate and/or desirable watch territory. What should I do?
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Alexander
Welcome to my WatchCrunch profile.
New York, NY
Member since
Last active: 4 hrs ago
6.30” / 16.00 cm
Admittedly I never planned on buying a Bel Canto but seeing Andrew Morgan’s macro footage of it made me want it even less, so I’d personally go for something else.
Admittedly I never planned on buying a Bel Canto but seeing Andrew Morgan’s macro footage of it made me want it even less, so I’d personally go for something else.
which one did you see? he made an early on video of the production prototype and recently one more of his piece unique. He seems to be in love with the watch like many other watch YouTubers. I just feel like it is an inexpensive watch that is by implication and design like much more expensive watches. But it is not exactly like them and not really expensive. Feels like a gimmick for the purpose of the big round birthday
That's a tough call only you can make. The BC is a pretty special watch I think. If they sold them without a wait I would definitely get one. I'm just very impatient when it comes to ordering a watch then having to wait for it
I would go through with the Bel Canto. It’s still hard to get. Long wait times. And if you don’t like it, I’m sure you can resell it. But if you pass it up and change your mind later. It’s gonna be a long wait again.
I’ve owned plenty of watches including the bel canto and luxury brands. It’s the absolute best and most special watch at its price point. You are getting way more for your money too with CWs pricing ethos. Is the perfect big birthday watch.
I would say not to buy a BC until you have handled one in person.
It’s definitely a unique watch but because it is titanium it is very light and the pusher has quite a rough feel to the action. The actual watch dial is really small so don’t buy it if you are particular about telling the time at a glance.
Presumably the main reason to buy it is because it makes a nice ping but I am not convinced that that’s enough to make up for its flaws.
CW make some lovely watches but - having handled a few - the BC wasn’t as compelling as I thought it would be.
The design of the BC is a longer lasting appeal to me than the chime. The chimes are nice, but I love the design of mine. You say everyone has one but also that you had a delay of two years. Ultimately, is your choice, but I have no regrets getting mine and it does feel special. It's easy to feel they are common in watch circles, but daily is unlikely you will ever see another one.
It seems like you are buying it for wrong reasons. If I like the watch I will buy it no matter how many people have it and what people say about it. If I would be willing to accept such delays/terms to get it that is another question altogether
Having been waiting for mine for over a year, I was losing interest and considering cancelling the order. Having now seen one in person at the British Watchmakers Day, I'm no longer considering cancelling. I've seen the macro footage mentioned earlier, I can see why some may be put off, but really, in person, it looks spectacular. Yes, it is quite light, is that a bad thing though? For me, it points to higher quality.
It sounds like you want a really special watch for this occasion, so I guess the question is, what does 'really special' mean to you?
It sounds like you want something limited and exclusive, and like the Bel Canto has lost its shine now, because it'll be on the wrists of thousands of folks by this point.
However, for Bel Canto money I don't think you will get any more special in my eyes.
EVERYONE at the British Watchmakers event yesterday wanted to see one and there were queues just to try it on. It still absolutely has something special about it.
If you want that same special feeling for the same kind of price you need to go vintage I think.
which one did you see? he made an early on video of the production prototype and recently one more of his piece unique. He seems to be in love with the watch like many other watch YouTubers. I just feel like it is an inexpensive watch that is by implication and design like much more expensive watches. But it is not exactly like them and not really expensive. Feels like a gimmick for the purpose of the big round birthday
I saw the one on his piece unique. I thought the finishing, especially on the sides of components, was kind of mid 🤷
I'm a heathen, I like a watch to look like a watch, so fancy scaffolding and whizzy bits at the expense of dial and legibility do nowt for me.
Look great on TV or in a magazine, but that comedically small dial just looks ridiculous.
Clever engineering, I do appreciate that - but to me it's far more jewellery than timepiece as are a lot of haute horology brands. Fair enough, just not my thing.
sounds like even if the watch was all hoped it would be , that other intangible aspect of the relationship has already faded . Something to think about …. unless you think the original flame can be reignited somehow ? Then again , maybe now the intangible and is also just out of the reflexion process and you can now base the decision is purely on the empirical factors and physical details of the watch , minus the emotions bias . …that being said . I came into this thinking I was making the argument that you seemed to have simplified the decision for yourself to pass on the watch .But now I wonder if the same argumemt doesn’t actually allow you to simply confirm your original choice but now base it on a more rational and logical ground( i.e objectively if that’s possible ) ….
. Thanks for asking the question because it’s really a Zoom the same thinking process we universally go through whenever we buy a watch and maybe we speed through sometimes
( you just had a year to go through what we usually complete in few weeks or days, depending on our individual buying impulse habits )
If anything you just demonstrated and reminded ( me ) that we should take more to decide on a watch sometimes It might help to take bettter decisions If a year of forced reflexion still wasn’t fully illuminating …. so cheers for lesson in self honesty !
Did that help ?
Because I realize that I was trying to help bring a solution to your problem but I not only provided you with no solution but also I added a new problem for myself.
Wouldn’t rate this as my most useful comment . I’ll be better 😬
Got my BC on today, it is amazing and the little ding does make me smile and I really enjoy the lightness for a 42mm watch. But if you want legibility then maybe not for you. However I don’t think it will ever leave my collection.
If you are buying the bel canto because you like it then do it. If you are buying it for what it says to other people then don't bother. If you can try to get hands on experience with the watch before you buy it that might help. In my opinion don't buy watches because they are rare/expensive/popular, buy watches you like regardless of make/heritage/cost.
Lol! My life is a fan of Bulgari but I’ve never paid much attention to the watches. I’ll need to fix that. For me, a Chopard would be an excellent choice.
You cant love Italy and not love Bvlgari. It's the essence of Rome, it's the architecture, it's michelangelo buonarroti living through fabrizio buonamassa... It's the roman pantheon, it's via condotti 11 a few hundred yards away from the Spanish steps... It's that timeless flare... HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE BVLGARI man?
I’ve had a mad 1 and the bel canto is 10* the watch. It’s 50% of an mb&f to the bones. The mad 1 is about 10%.
Cant argue there. But does it make a compelling 50th birthday me-2-me present? The way it was meant to be - a 49th birthday present, I wouldn't argue to death. But 50th? I want something with an oomph!
If I get that apartment in Puglia I will have to settle for the CW but otherwise, I want a heavy(er) hitter ;)
Okay - I was being very measured in my comments as the BC clearly has an avid following. I have handled three very recently and - for a variety of reasons - I would have been quite disappointed had I bought one unseen. Hence my advice.
That's where I am headed LOL
Thank you)
Cant argue there. But does it make a compelling 50th birthday me-2-me present? The way it was meant to be - a 49th birthday present, I wouldn't argue to death. But 50th? I want something with an oomph!
If I get that apartment in Puglia I will have to settle for the CW but otherwise, I want a heavy(er) hitter ;)
Picked this up at British watchmakers yesterday! Silver with a diamond in the crown. Would be a good one for a big birthday!
There's clearly, for some myself included, a detrimental effect on the pleasure of purchasing when you have sinificant delays in delivery of the product. You are the 3rd person on WC, me being one other, who has expressed their now lack of interest in going through with the purchase of their pre-ordered Bel Canto.
Leaving aside the fact that I have to pay for an An Ordain this month, I am definitely suffering from buyer's fatigue regarding my Bel Canto order. Economics is driving my decision primarily, paying for both in the same month isn't ideal. Additionally, I've lost quite a bit of enthusiasm for the watch. It makes you wonder how many others that have their Bel Canto arriving imminently are of the same mind frame.
100 percent man. Last year I would have bought it no problem as I had just gotten a sizable bonus and had free cash. Instead I spent it on trips to concerts, vacations, other purchases, etc. For this year, I had a totally different watch purchase in mind. Now, not only this eats into that 50th birthday watch budget, but I clearly don't have room for both and this one simply doesnt strike that milestone watch accord.
You cant love Italy and not love Bvlgari. It's the essence of Rome, it's the architecture, it's michelangelo buonarroti living through fabrizio buonamassa... It's the roman pantheon, it's via condotti 11 a few hundred yards away from the Spanish steps... It's that timeless flare... HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE BVLGARI man?
Lol. Now I definitely have to redeem myself!
Picked this up at British watchmakers yesterday! Silver with a diamond in the crown. Would be a good one for a big birthday!
Thank actually looks very nice. I want to look at their jumping hour model but I heard they use only quarts movements. Is that true?
Lol. Now I definitely have to redeem myself!
Let me your guiding lantern on your righteous path to enlightenment. For a small hourly fee of a New York attorney LMAO I'll be reasonable, I promise )
Thank actually looks very nice. I want to look at their jumping hour model but I heard they use only quarts movements. Is that true?
The only Fears jump hour I know is the alliance 01 - that’s definitely a mechanical jump hour. It was a special one off, but you might get one second hand.
My friend got one of the four unique Mr Jones jump hours at the British watch show yesterday. Great piece but £2.5k!
In reality, very few people have them or will have them. They are a niche watch in a niche market. Watch enthusiasts have been inundated with them on social media giving us the impression they are ubiquitous. Far more people have Omegas, Rolexs, etc. The BC is an impressive piece of horology for the money. The style, design, and finishing will satisfy some tastes and not others but are arguably top grade. In the end, buy what makes you happy knowing what makes us happy often changes from moment to moment, year to year.
I have a set of brands that excite me for various reasons and more often than not they are not what most people like. I'm a contrarian through and through. And I realize that what I liked (watches) 20 years ago, I still like it now and keep going back to those models. So go figure...
I agree re BC being our small niche thing. But it is within that small niche that I operate in terms of watch collecting.
Yeah, I dont know why would smb fashion their watches around a water melon but to each their own I suppose
Just another colour I suppose I find the bel canto more striking forgive the pun in purple .
The thing is, just because there are wait times for it, don't make me want it. Look at Rolex... But I still don't own one, nor do I want it. For the selling part of it, I couldn't sell a bottle of cold water to a bedouin in the middle of the Sahara desert LOL I spent 2 years trying to sell Alain Silverstein monopusher chronograph and eventually ended up trading it. I'd rather make the decision and live with it.
I hope they’ll refund your deposit! Good luck on deciding!
I hope they’ll refund your deposit! Good luck on deciding!
Is there a chance they wont? I didn't even think about this possibility
Is there a chance they wont? I didn't even think about this possibility
Sometimes. But if they were 2 years delayed… that would be a jerk move on their part
I dont mind the small dial or the avant grade look (don't see it as a jewellery but certainly a non-traditional design) but that look is not their own. to me this is a poor man's MB&F and I already have one of these in the MAD 1. Yes it looks great on the pics but I don't think it will make me feel good if I were to settle for it as a 50th birthday present to myself.
Spot on 👍🏻
Just not my style, and my eyes aren't great so the small dial, tho aesthetically appealing, would be impractical for me.
Good luck getting it, hope you enjoy it for many years to come mate 👏🏻👏🏻