Results for Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross Looks to the Motorcycle World for their Latest, the BR 03-94 Blacktrack

One of my favorite episodes of Seinfeld is “The Chicken Roaster,” the eighth episode of season 8. You probably remember this one: it involves a Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurant opening across the street from Kramer’s apartment, and eventually he switches apartments with Jerry to get some sleep (because obviously the big neon sign is keeping him up all night) which leads to some of the funniest moments in the history of the show (Jerry’s recollection of a late night phone call with Bob Sacamano will always stay with me). But the B-plot is great, too. It follows George and his saga with a Russian hat, intentionally left behind in the apartment of the woman who sold it to him, who of course he tries to date. This is a trick, he explains, to keep her interested. Like a jingle you can’t get out of your head. And that’s kind of how I feel about Bell & Ross. They have worked their way into my brain like a catchy pop song. They’re a mainstream brand that is capable of doing some truly weird stuff, and as someone who spends a lot of time observing and thinking about industry trends, I just find that fascinating. Their latest, the BR 03-94 Blacktrack, is squarely in the weird category, and a rare collaboration with an outside designer, Sacha Lakic.  Lakic is known primarily for being the founder of Blacktrack, a Luxembourg based maker of custom cafe racers and other motorcycles. The new BR 03-94 takes specific inspiration from his BT-06 motorcycle, which can be seen p...

New: Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Blacktrack

Bell & Ross collaborates with Blacktrack motorcycles on the BR 03-94. A co-imagination which is a result of the merger of design ideas of the two partners.

Bell & Ross Adds to their Flight Instruments Collection with the BR 03 Gyrocompass

Earlier this month, we shared news that Bell & Ross has recalibrated their iconic BR 03 case to be just a little bit more wearable, adding several revamped versions of the classic aviation inspired into the collection in one fell swoop. Now, just weeks later, we get what would appear to be the first newly released watch in the BR 03 collection following that announcement to see the benefit of the new case dimensions. As a total sucker for the weirder side of Bell & Ross, I’m glad to see that the watch chosen for the occassion is a new entry in their Flight Instruments collection, a strange corner of the Bell & Ross catalog where you’ll find watches that recreate the aesthetic of cockpit instruments. This latest watch, the BR 03 Gyrocompass, uses an essential flight tool as inspiration for a dial that makes it very clear that this thing belongs in the sky.  The Flight Instruments collection dates back to 2010, and over the years Bell & Ross has created watches that recreate cockpit necessities like radar screen, horizon line indicators, and altimeters. These watches are among the most whimsical in the Bell & Ross lineup because normally they don’t offer any additional functionality related to the instrument they are emulating. The radar inspired watches just have a dynamic red sheen over the dial, and the horizon line watch uses a two piece dial to suggest the instrument, but in watch form. Similarly, the Gyrocompass seen here is merely an ode to the real thing, a pu...

The New Bell & Ross BR 03 Gyrocompass is a Feature Out of an Airplane Cockpit

New and reviewed: Bell & Ross BR 03 Gyrocompass

Bell & Ross releases a new addition to their instrument lineup with the new BR 03 Gyrocompass: a time only watch in a black ceramic case.

Review: the new Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523 Alpine

We spent a week on a business trip and immediately fell in love with the Bell & Ross BR05 Chronograph A523 Alpine F1 watch.

Bell & Ross Refines the Case of their Iconic BR 03

Before I was really into watches as a collector or enthusiast, I can remember walking into a Tourneau store in a mall in the Boston suburbs and being drawn to the strange, square cased watches displayed prominently as I entered the space. I’m sure I was just killing time before a movie or meeting a friend, but somehow those watches, made by a brand I had no knowledge of, imprinted something on me. I don’t remember any of the other watches I encountered that day, or any other, at that same Tourneau. But the Bell & Ross BR 03 made an impression. It wasn’t even that I liked it – I just found them so unusual and distinctive. And for someone on the outside of the watch world looking in, these watches were an early point of fascination.  The BR 03, in my view, is one of the truly iconic modern watch designs for this very reason. It pulls in the curious window shopper in a way that a traditionally shaped watch can’t. Now, Bell & Ross is updating the BR 03 with a subtly reworked case. In these Bell & Ross supplied images, it’s honestly hard to see the changes (I’d really like to see one side by side with an older version of the watch), but based on the tale of the tape, it should make for an improved and more ergonomic wearing experience, which is no small feat for a watch that is known (and loved) for its inherent, charming, ungainliness. The big change is a full millimeter reduction in the case size, going from 42mm to 41mm. On a square watch, that’s going to ma...

New: Bell & Ross BR-03 41mm

Bell & Ross has recently updated its flagship BR-03 watch, which has been the brand’s most popular model for 17 years. The new version features a smaller 41mm case, which is a reduction of 1mm from the previous model.

Bell & Ross Updates the Iconic BR 03

Bell & Ross BR 05 for a Week on the Wrist: How it Measures Up - Reprise

Bell & Ross turns its aviation watch “DNA” toward the urban man. Chris Malburg spent a week with the BR 05 with gray dial in stainless steel and has a lot to say about this everyday city-dweller’s timepiece. 

We Finally Got Our Hands on the Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Multimeter, and Here’s a Video to Prove It

Ever see a watch and just can’t get it out of your head? Of course you have – it’s a common side effect of the hobby. Sometimes, for reasons we can’t quite wrap our arms around, a watch becomes something we fixate on. It could be uncommonly beautiful, or genuinely unique, or some combination of the two. Or it could be for an entirely different reason altogether. The point is: some watches have a way of lingering in our brains long after we’ve first seen them, and like a pop song that gets stuck in your head, sometimes you just have to give yourself over to it.  For Blake Buettner and Zach Kazan, few watches have come along in recent years that are more emblematic of this idea than the Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Multimeter. It made its debut, somewhat under the radar, during Watches & Wonders 2022, and ever since then has been an object of obsession, mystery, and genuine fascination. It’s come up on the podcast, inspired editorials, and has taken up space in our brains rent free for months.  Recently, we finally were able to see one in the metal (actually, ceramic), so of course we wanted to document the experience on video. This strange watch, with a dial featuring a total of five timing scales in a layout that seems designed to intentionally make you think about “closing the rings” is without a doubt one of the weirdest new watches we’ve seen from a major brand in recent years. Is it a pilot’s watch? A doctor’s watch? A very manual health and fitness tra...

Why I Bought It: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic - Reprise

The first time Bhanu Chopra strapped a borrowed BR 03-92 Black Matte Ceramic on his wrist, he thought that it was the perfect Bell & Ross watch for him, checking all the boxes for the characteristics he expected from an aviation-style instrument watch. He bought one and it has been part of his core pilot’s watch collection ever since. This is why.

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Gets a Full-Lume Dial

Soon after unveiling the Big Pilot perpetual calendar in white ceramic, IWC is introducing the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 “Black Aces”. While retaining the customary dial layout of the model, the “Black Aces” sports a fully-luminous dial – a first for the brand. The watch gets it name from the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 41 “Black Aces”, which collaborated with IWC on the watch’s key design elements. Initial thoughts  The recent Top Gun watches with coloured ceramic cases have been bestsellers for IWC, though most have been complicated and pricier models. Hence, it is rather pleasing to see IWC do something with the entry-level Pilot’s Watch by giving it a simple yet appealing twist.  Instead a run-of-the-mill dial colour, the “Black Aces” gets a lume dial that’s novel for IWC. The full-lume dial, however, is not new to watchmaking, with several brands having such dials for several years now, including Bell & Ross with its pilot’s watches. Beyond the colour, the military provenance and “Black Aces” emblem gives the watch a tangible military link that many of IWC’s fans will like.  Notably, this watch contains the cal. 32100. I would have preferred the cal. 32111 that was used in the new Ingenieur instead. Both are essentially the same calibre, but the latter is a higher-spec version of the movement with a longer power reserve of 120 hours, as opposed the 72 hours of the cal. 32100.  This movement was presumably used because o...

Bell & Ross Goes Green with a New Version of the BR 05 Chronograph

The last Bell & Ross I wrote about had a celestial feel to it, but with the new BR 05 Chrono Green Steel, we’ve landed back on earth. With its mixture of steel and vibrant green, this BR 05 mixes urbanism with an architectural lean to it. Think Central Park in New York or the Tiergarten in Berlin – a respite of greenery in the middle of a steel-and-concrete jungle. Like all BR 05 models, the Chrono Green Steel retains its aviation-inspired squared dial that Bell & Ross now markets to the urban explorer crowd. And with its integrated steel bracelet and sleek design, it’s easy to see why. All models in the Chrono collection are equipped with a circular seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and a 30-second timer at 3 o’clock, creating a balance to the visuals of the watch that somehow fit neatly within the linear confines of the square dial. The date is cleverly tucked away in the small recess between 4 and 5 o’clock, hardly noticeable but definitely there. Like an urban planner, Bell & Ross has ensured that no bit of real estate has gone unnoticed. The green sunray dial and Super-LumiNova indices and numbers soften the overall feel of the watch itself. Coming in at 42mm of satin-polished steel, the use of green feels more inviting and less, well, cold.  The BR 05 Chrono Green Steel is equipped with a Swiss-made self-winding BR-CAL.326 movement, which can be seen through the sapphire crystal case back, and supplies the wearer with 60-hours of power reserve.  The BR 05 Ch...

New: Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono Green Steel

Bell & Ross adds a green dial to their BR 05 Chrono in Steel to 11 watches in the collection. Available with a steel bracelet or a green rubber strap.

Six watches for survival in the urban jungle

For this week’s musings, we suggest six watches to help you survive the urban jungle. With watches from Bell & Ross, Chopard, Citizen, GO, Zenih and Piaget.

Bell & Ross Collaborates with the Alpine F1 Team for a New Take on the BR 05 Chronograph

The latest in the ever expanding lineup of the Bell & Ross BR 05 collection, their popular integrated bracelet sports watch, is a new chronograph reference featuring the colors of the Alpine F1 team, a Bell & Ross partner since 2016, when the team operated under the Renault banner. This is a follow up to a trio of 2021 releases marking the inaugural year of Alpine’s involvement on the F1 circuit, a set of chronographs that still make a lot of sense given the motorsport connection. The new watch builds on the aesthetic established by those that have come before it, combining the distinctive Alpine colorway with an integrated bracelet platform that has proven to be surprisingly durable and adaptable since it was launched in 2020. The phrase that comes up over and over again in Bell & Ross marketing materials for the BR 05 is “sport chic,” and we have to admit, it fits the bill. These are not pure sports or tool watches in the sense that we’ve always understood them. They’re made, primarily, to look nice. They have well executed integrated bracelets, eye-catching finishing with dramatic transitions between brushed and polished surfaces, and an overall slender appearance. That’s the “chic.” The “sport” comes in the form of the watch’s specs, which put it on equal footing with its more tool watch focused companions in the Bell & Ross collection. The case and bracelet are made from stainless steel, water resistance is rated to 100 meters with a screw down c...

New: Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523

Bell & Ross continues their partnership with F1 team Alpine by incorporating the F1 colour scheme into the new BR 05 Chrono A523.

Palazzi Vesper Meets Bell & Ross Bellytanker in This Special Limited Edition

Up Close with Bell & Ross × Alessandro Palazzi × Revolution & The Rake Chronograph “Vesper”

Introducing the incredible collaboration between Revolution and The Rake, presenting the exclusive limited edition Bell & Ross and Alessandro Palazzi timepiece. This remarkable creation celebrates the legendary barman Alessandro Palazzi from the esteemed Duke’s bar, who joined forces with Bell & Ross co-founder Carlos Rosillo to design the ultimate watch for martini enthusiasts.  Encased within a […]

Hands-On: the Bell & Ross BR 03-93 GMT Blue

A GMT watch is more of a function than a style, yet I expect your mind goes straight to a red and blue ‘Pepsi’ bezel, or perhaps a red and black ‘Coke’. It’s now 10 years since Rolex first launched the 116710BLNR, so maybe the ‘Batman’ is more your style. Whichever is your favourite, a bi-color bezel is a common sight on a GMT watch. A couple of months back, Bell & Ross added another iteration to their GMT lineup. This one uses the BR 03 outline as its base, and combines it with a sharp blue and gray colorway. The blue isn’t restricted to one half of the bezel only though, which results in a vibrant looking watch. On paper, there’s a lot to like about the BR 03-93 GMT Blue, but how good is it on the wrist? With Bell & Ross’s more typical square cased watches, the dial is relatively simple. Often a black dial, large indices, bold sword hands and plenty of lume. A real utilitarian look. There are some BR 03 models which are altogether more lavish. This is one. The blue dial is bright, with a sunburst finish, and is as vibrant in real life as you’d expect. What’s especially nice to see is that although Bell & Ross’s familiar design language is present in the large numerals at the cardinal points, they are applied indices rising above the dial with superb vertical brushing on the top surfaces. The other indices are also applied, with a generous amount of lume in each. Bell & Ross have taken the familiar, and elevated it into something more elegant. Th...

The Bell & Ross BR 05 GMT Sky Blue, a fresh take on a versatile design

Bell & Ross Introduces a Sky Blue Version of their BR 05 GMT

Bell & Ross has just released their latest interpretation of their urban living-inspired BR 05 GMT range, the Sky Blue. With its mixture of cool steel and blue highlights, this automatic watch definitely lives up to its heavenly name. The BR 05 GMT Sky Blue is a watch designed for the urban inhabitant that enjoys a subtle – yet noticeable – presence on their wrist. With its squared design, it’s bold without being ostentatious, the way any good watch worth its salt should be. The Sky Blue is able to toe the line between being vintage-inspired and totally contemporary, drawing at times from classic integrated bracelet sports watch designs, but in a notably Bell & Ross way, using their well understood square case as a starting point. The look of the watch itself is impressively modern. The steel case is satin-polished for a warmer look while the caseback is sapphire, featuring a 360° oscillating weight. It’s the subtle touches that are now synonymous with Bell & Ross that elevates this watch above others under the label’s offerings. The Sky Blue, like others in the BR 05 GMT range, is powered by a Calibre BR-CAL.325 automatic movement (a rebadged Sellita SW330). This will give the wearer a 42-hour power reserve.  This watch also features a GMT complication that allows for the tracking of a second time zone. Cleverly painted on the flange, day and evening are distinguished by a split color scheme: gray for the daytime (6 am to 6 pm) and blue for the night-time (6 p...

Bell & Ross Latest Watch Made with the Patrouille de France is a BR 03-92 with a Bright Blue Dial

The latest from Bell & Ross is a new entry in their ongoing partnership and collaboration with the Patrouille de France, an aerobatic display team that’s part of the French Air and Space Force. The team was founded in 1953, making this year their 70th in operation, which naturally calls for a special limited edition watch. We’ve brought you news of Bell & Ross releases that highlight their relationship with the Patrouille de France in each of the last two years, and the new watch is very much in the same vein as the previous efforts, drawing inspiration from the bright blue planes the team is known for flying. Where previous limited editions were based on watches with a somewhat niche appeal (a chronograph and an ana-digi piece) the new watch is built on BR 03-92 platform, the signature, and simplest, Bell & Ross pilot’s watch, which displays just the time and date in the brand’s signature square case.  The BR 03-92 Patrouille de France 70th Anniversary limited edition is, above all, a tribute to the actual planes used by the flight team over the years. We’ll get to the dial momentarily, but what makes this limited edition special is what’s on the caseback. Flip the watch over and you’ll find a detailed engraving of the five aircraft that have been flown by the Patrouille de France since 1953: the Thunderjet, the Alphajet, the Ouragan, the Mystère IV, and the Fouga Magister. The engraving is actually quite detailed and full of information. It shows an image...

New and reviewed: Bell & Ross BR 05 GMT Sky Blue

Bell & Ross adds to their BR05 GMT collection a new model with a sky blue dial in a beautiful sunray finish. Here is our hands-on review.

Introducing the Bell & Ross 03-92 Patrouille De France 70th Anniversary

Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Multimeter: Concentrically Colorful Chronograph - Reprise

Rarely has the term sports watch been as appropriate as when applied to the BR 03-94 Multimeter from Bell & Ross. This nifty chronograph displays five different scales on the dial to measure various things. In that sense, it is a modern-day version of the vintage chronographs with “snail scales” that did the same, though not in such an elaborate way.

4 Radical Red Watches From Omega, Bell & Ross, Rado, And Oris - Reprise

In recent years, the world of high-end watches has become a far more colorful place. We have evolved from decades of conservatism in which a blue dial was daring to a kaleidoscopic era where anything is possible. And now red arrives, which has the advantage of a richness of hues. Here Martin Green looks at four new red-dialed watches from Bell & Ross, Oris, Rado, and Omega.