Bell & Ross adds to their rather extensive BR 03 catalog with a new model with a white dial on a steel and gold bi-metal case.
Press Release information with commentary in italic.
New: Bell & Ross BR 03 White Steel & Gold
The Bell & Ross BR 03 White Steel & Gold retails for SGD 9.600 inclusive of GST.
Commentary
Another addition to the growing BR 03 Automatic family. The collection is now 14 models, including this novelty. The novelty uses an 18k rose gold bezel over the standard steel case in the signature rounded square shape. The dial is a very nice silver opaline number with rose gold gilded appliqué indices and hands, which are in-filled with SuperLumiNova. Being a Bell & Ross watch, it is of course, no surprise that the dial scores very high in legibility and clarity. We have not seen the physical watch yet, and the release photographs do not show any taken in low light to demonstrate the lume. But we expect it to be the very strong signature lume of BR watches. The movement remains unchanged – the BR-CAL.301.1, which is based on a variant of the ETA 2824/Selitta ébauche.
Pricing wise, the Steel & Gold’s retail makes it the most expensive model in the BR 03 Automatic lineup, with the steel models currently set at SGD 5.2k and ceramic models at SGD 6.2k.
Release details
Style and sophistication : gold and steel
Launched in 2006 and redesigned in 2023 with a 41mm case, the BR 03 self-winding timepiece has become one of Bell & Ross’s flagships. And to mark 2024, a more refined model is unveiled.
With the BR 03 White Steel & Gold, the House instrument collection chooses the path of sophistication: a professional timepiece can be both urban and elegant. More precious, deliberately daring, the Bell & Ross instrument watch is reinvented with a new casing: the strength of steel and 18-carat rose gold, an immutable material symbolising both wealth and rarity. Created in the 1970s, the combination of the warm tones of gold with the technical shine of steel creates a sophisticated aesthetic combining sportiness and refinement. Popular in the United States, it has become a fashion statement for men and women in search of originality and distinction.
The sophistication of the opaline dial
The dial undeniably is the face of the watch. In the case of the BR 03 White Steel & Gold, the concept is obvious: this is a watch with a sunny temperament. Bright and airy, it boasts an opaline dial. The appearance of simplicity hides the intricate skill of the dial-makers in obtaining the milky white effect of opal. The texturing is obtained by carefully working a layer of matt silver previously deposited on a polished dial using an electrolysis process. To achieve this unique texturing, which allows the light to play on the silvery appearance and to produce slightly iridescent reflections, the metal must be meticulously shaped using Levant stone and cream of tartar. The opaline white dial immediately underlines the neo-classical refinement of the timepiece.
Optimal readability
Even in a refined urban version, the BR 03 fully assumes its character as an instrument watch. There is no question of Bell & Ross straying from its requirements regarding the functional qualities of its watches, especially when its primary inspiration was to transpose on-board instruments to the wrist. Very clear by nature, the opaline white dial is therefore a very good backdrop for expressing the precision of the essential markings: hours, minutes, seconds and date. To achieve this, in perfect harmony with the entire timepiece, the applique indexes and numerals are gilded with rose gold, and filled with beige Super-LumiNova®. The skeletonised hour and minute hands are crafted from 18-carat rose gold and coated with beige Super-LumiNova®, a luminescent material to allow readability in the dark. The entire mechanism is protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, which ensures complete visibility, just like the cockpit canopy of a fighter aircraft.
Iconic design and high-performance movement
The BR 03 typifies the essence of Bell & Ross style and features pure graphic power. The basic geometric shapes that form part of Bell & Ross’ identity are presents with the 41mm case and its legendary “circle within a square, held by four screws”. This latest version of the BR 03 adopts sophisticated aesthetic codes, while retaining its complex sandwich construction but adding an additional dimension with a unique combination of materials. The entire timepiece is water resistant up to 100 metres. For its driving mechanism, Bell & Ross has decided to use the tried and tested Calibre BR-CAL.302-1 self-winding mechanical movement. Its 54 hours of power reserve are not only a guarantee of accuracy but also an asset allowing great ease of use.
With its opaline white dial and brown leather strap top-stitched in white, the BR 03 White Steel & Gold asserts its difference by playing on four colours in addition to its three materials. This new reference also completes the BR 03 range by offering an intermediate price between the steel references and those in gold.
Bell & Ross BR 03 White Steel & Gold Specifications
BR03A-WH-STPG/SCA
Movement: Calibre BR-CAL.302-1. Automatic mechanical movement. 54-hour power reserve.
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds and date.
Case: 41 mm wide. 9.4 mm thick. Satin-finished and polished steel and 18 K rose gold.
Dial: Silver opaline. Rose gold gilded applique indices and numerals filled with beige Super-LumiNova®. 18 K rose gold gilded skeletonised hour and minute hands filled with beige Super- LumiNova®.
Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective coating.
Water-resistance: 100 metres.
Strap: Brown calfskin leather.
Buckle: Pin. Satin-finished and polished steel.
