The Bel Canto Lucia’s songbird is a clever idea and a lot of dial

I love the idea of a mechanical watch chiming on the hour, and making the hammer part of a songbird is a pretty good way to explain what the Bel Canto does. The Lucia's flowers and bright colors are much harder for me to get behind. I can see the thought that went into it, but I would choose a more open Bel Canto dial for myself. I'm giving this one 62 out of 120 bezel clicks.

The Lucia combines Christopher Ward's chiming platform with Mr Jones Watches and artist Andy Wilx. November 12 introduction coverage establishes the current release; the brand's product page is undated. These are impressions from the source material, not from wearing it or hearing this exact watch in the room.

The bird is part of the mechanism

The artwork uses 19 pad-printed colors. Flowers curl around the little time display, while the bird's body occupies much of the lower dial. Christopher Ward describes the bird's tail as the hammer and its beak as the chime-status indication. That connection between an illustration and a working part is the detail I enjoy most.

The orange time display does give the hands a clear background, and the blue flowers stand apart from the green beneath them. I don't think it looks careless. I just find that the decoration fills the space I usually enjoy around the Bel Canto's mechanism. I want to see the parts and follow how they relate to each other; the artwork makes that a different experience.

On the camel strap, the watch looks warmer and more relaxed than it would on a plain black one. There are also Bader and Consort bracelet configurations. I'd want to compare those in person, because a bracelet could make an already elaborate face feel heavier to my eye.

An hourly chime in titanium

The 41 mm Grade 5 titanium case is 14.31 mm thick, with 30 m water resistance. The automatic FS01-2 provides the switchable hourly chime. Christopher Ward lists 65 hours in the description and 60–65 hours in the specification, so I would treat that as a stated range rather than a measured result here.

The US-dollar listings checked November 13 are $5,550 on leather, $5,895 on Bader and $5,995 on Consort. The advertised end-December 2026 preorder delivery remains an estimate. Current stock and the arrival date of an individual order need confirmation.

I would want to hear the chime and try the case thickness before spending that money. The illustration gives the Lucia a very specific audience, and the more exposed versions of this mechanism would still be my first choice.