If you think of a French luxury watchmaker known for its uniquely shaped square dials, you’d be forgiven for naturally thinking of Cartier and their renowned Santos selections. But one such Swiss-Franco manufacture that’s grabbing everyone’s attention at this year’s Watches & Wonders has been on our radar for quite some time.
Bell & Ross are masters of their craft, consistently producing timepieces that perfectly blend enviable aesthetics whilst actually performing a high-performance function. It’s no wonder then, that B&R have gravitated towards a modern material such as ceramic for all their signature pieces.
Before becoming commonplace in many of your favourite watch releases in the late 1980s, ceramic was traditionally used in aeronautics and space industries as it’s an ultra-resistant material, yet light as a feather.
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For Bell & Ross, watchmakers whose own heritage is so richly intertwined with the high-flying realm of aviation, it’s a match made in heaven. The manufacture’s first ceramic piece arrived in 2011; the BR01, as it’s called, reflected the brand’s unrelenting pursuit of producing the highest quality timepieces that were every bit as functional as they were fashionable.
Since then, the Maison has paid close attention to their R&D department, discovering novel ways of utilising this uniquely versatile material in their latest iterations… and the BR05, announced today at Watches & Wonders is a reflection of more than a decade of expertise.
Presented in B&R’s signature square dial, reminiscent of the dials found in a cockpit, the BR05 is an exceptionally assembled instrument suitable for the high-stakes environments often experienced by professional men and women at higher altitudes.
The BR05 has been released in three 41mm configurations: one, with a black ceramic solid dial; one, open-worked and skeletonised; and the other got the brand’s celebrated LUM treatment. Both the solid and skeletonised dials are finished with a satin polish for a glossy look that’s still as resistant to everyday wear and tear, whilst B&R’s LUM offering has a sandblasted ceramic for that matte black finish.
If we pop the hood, the BR05 reveals the black ruthenium finishes of its automatic mechanical movement, the BR-CAL.321-1 calibre, which boasts a formidable 54-hour power reserve. The first two models – the BR05 with solid and skeletonised dials – will become part of the iconic Bell & Ross permanent collection and retail at $11,900 AUD and $15,400 respectively. The BR05 Skeleton Black LUM is neatly in the middle at $14,900 AUD.