As someone who has spent years hunting for some pretty insane watches, I remain a simple watch enthusiast at heart. Although I haven’t extensively explored microbrands as a whole, it would be misleading for me to say that I have never been intrigued by their value propositions and creativity. The way I see it, the microbrand sector is an underrated and exciting area for watch lovers, filled with hidden gems. Among the sea of microbrands today, there was one brand that has particularly caught my attention in recent years due to the buzz surrounding its groundbreaking release: the C1 Bel Canto. I’m referring to Christopher Ward, a UK-based brand founded in 2004, known for offering budget-friendly, high-quality watches with simple and modern designs. It is worth noting, however, that over the years, Christopher Ward has evolved into a formidable independent brand that transcends the typical "microbrand" label.
Frankly speaking, for the longest time, Christopher Ward was never on my radar of watch brands to look out for. While they have created some solid designs over the years and occasionally wowed enthusiasts with their promising designs and in-house movements (e.g. the C9 Harrison Jumping Hour, the Chronometer-certified Cal. SH21, etc), they never truly emerged from their shells. However, everything changed with the release of the C1 Bel Canto in 2022.
The C1 Bel Canto is arguably the most affordable chiming watch money can buy today. It features a chiming complication known as the Sonnerie Au Passage (which translates to "ring as it passes" in French), sounding once at the top of each hour to signal the passage of time. The genesis of this ingenious design originated with Christopher Ward’s technical director, Frank Stelzer, who drew inspiration from a design he helped Meistersinger produce—the Bell Hora (yes, Christopher Ward actually makes watches for the German brand). He had a realization that they could adapt their jump hour module into a similar chiming design. Conceptually, it all made perfect sense, as the jump hour mechanism already included a rapid change system for each passing hour that could theoretically accommodate the chiming mechanism. After extensive research and development, the result was the Cal. FS01 movement, named after Frank himself. This movement is essentially based on the Sellita Cal. SW200-1, with more than 60 new additional components being created for the chiming complication and added onto the existing jump hour (Cal. JJ01) module.
Moving on to the C1 Bel Canto’s impeccably executed dial, Christopher Ward enlisted the help of world-renowned independent watchmaker Armin Strom for the platine—a thin plate that provides structural support to the movement and helps hold the components in place—as well as specialist movement manufacturer Chronode SA, known for their work with brands like MB&F, specifically for the hammer, spring, and bridges. The result? An exceptionally well-finished and stunning dial featuring an intriguing network of components showcasing the architecture of the chiming complication in its full glory.
At the 12:00 position, you’ll find a floating time display suspended by two symmetrical bridges on either side. This display connects to the chiming gong at 7:00 through a network of screws and works in tandem with the isolated turret wheel on the opposing side, which locks and unlocks the gong via manipulation of a dedicated pusher at 4:00. When the chiming mechanism is activated, the red indicator points toward the squiggle-script section. Overall, the dial is visually balanced and a true delight to behold. During my time with it, I often found myself just staring at the dial and losing track of time as it passed.
To round everything off, the C1 is housed in a beautifully finished 41mm x 13mm case made from grade 5 titanium, paired with a Bader bracelet crafted from grade 2 titanium. This combination gives the C1 a feathery-light feel, despite its seemingly large case size, and it wears very comfortably on the wrist.
As an enthusiast myself, it is refreshing to see smaller brands like Christopher Ward creating something truly innovative and original, especially in such a competitive market segment. Designs like the C1 Bel Canto illustrate why, despite my usual preference for more classical and traditional horological brands, I still hold great admiration for independents and microbrands as a whole. It even earned them the prestigious GPHG (Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève) award in the ‘Petit Aiguille’ category, which recognizes watches priced between CHF 2,000 and CHF 8,000. This is undoubtedly an incredible achievement for the brand, and it’s no surprise that they are now finding themselves as a hot topic of discussion amongst high-end watch collectors. Overall, the C1 Bel Canto represents watchmaking ingenuity at its finest, proving to the world that even smaller watch brands can make significant technical strides within the world of watchmaking.
