I have never fished with a Charelton but I have however fondled them a lot. If i was looking for a big reel such as a spey reel i would definetly consider one. I don't think anyone can make the claim of producing a better quality reel.
they are smooth, and have very tight machining tolerances and a beautiful anodizing. If you can afford it monetarily and are patient i'd say order one. I wouldnt however buy one of his trout reels simply because who needs that kind of quality in a trout reel.
As far as a compromise between function/price and quality I really like the Bauer reels.