The greatest challenge for any brand that creates a new collection is the link between aesthetic innovation and consistent design language. With the new Bell & Ross BR05, the brand manages to maintain its basic visual identity.
Bell & Ross has been identified with aviation and military inspiration for more than 20 years. In 2005, the introduction of the BR01’s iconic round dial with a square case became a turning point in the brand’s story. 2019 has another significance in the history of the brand because today Bell & Ross is introducing a brand new and more ‘urban’ collection with its design codes.
Before going into the details of Bell & Ross BR05, it is worth mentioning; yes, BR05 is inspired by the 1970s. And again, yes, it has similarities with some luxury sports watches. But the French brand is not currently trying to hide this situation.
After producing watches with Sinn for 13 years, Bell & Ross created its BR01 model, which became the trademark of the brand in 2005 by declaring its independence. Easily recognizable among the hundreds of other watches, this model has laid the foundation for models that will meet watchmakers in the coming years.
As we mentioned before, the biggest source of inspiration for the French brand is military indicators. The design of most military indicators is more functional than aesthetic. They are produced in a square shape to fit the instrument panel with a round dial located in the center. The simplicity of this design is the biggest source of success for both this watch and the brand.
The design codes of the BR05 collection are quite familiar. Each corner of the watch has one aesthetic screw. The edges are softened for a more elegant and less aggressive look. There are a total of 10 references in the BR05 collection. Six of them come in classic steel, two with a skeletonized movement and two in a mono-block gold case. The 10 models share the same case design, the same bracelet, and the same movement platform.
The Bell & Ross BR05 has a thinner profile than other models. The diameter of the case is 40mm. The best thing about the watch’s design is its compactness and the lugs that wrap around the wrist. The surface of the case is both polished and brushed. The watch is water-resistant to 100 meters.
As for the bracelet, the brand offers two different options: the first is a steel bracelet that is gently attached to the case. Like other watches in this category, the bracelet is in complete harmony with the design. The other option is a rubber strap. This strap is blue or black depending on the dial color. Both are accompanied by a folding clasp.
The dial design features parallel lines with the other models of the brand. The BR05 comes with baton hands as well as large numbers and indexes. To give the watches a more ‘urban’ look, the dials with black, blue and gray options are decorated with sunlight patterns. The date window located at 3 o’clock is further enhanced by a metal frame. The black dial is slightly different with the minute markers.
The watches in the Bell & Ross BR05 collection are powered by the automatic movement BR-CAL.321, based on the Sellita SW-300 with modified decoration and architecture. The bridges of the movement are finished in dark gray color and sandblasted. The skeletonized rotor can be viewed from the transparent case back. The movement provides a power reserve of 42 hours when fully wound.
The most classic piece of the collection is called “Black Steel”. “Blue Steel” comes with a dark blue dial and “Gray Steel” comes with a dark silvery dial. In addition to these three versions, there is also an 18K rose gold case with a black dial and a bracelet (or black rubber strap). The indexes on this watch and the frame of the date window match the case material. Other features are the same as the rest of the collection. Baton indexes are replaced with large numbers in models with skeletonized dials. Let us add that the BR05 Skeleton is limited to 500 units only.
