Latest news with #BR-03
Web Release
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Web Release
BELL & ROSS I WATCHES & WONDERS NOVELTIES - BR-03 Skeleton
Web Release Selection Lifestyle By Editor_wr Last updated Apr 4, 2025 BR-03 Skeleton: A Watchmaking Trilogy After 20 years of creativity around the BR-03 collection, Bell & Ross adds a level of sophistication to its icon with the BR-03 Skeleton. This launch is accompanied by the '20 YEARS BOLD' campaign, which chronicles the history of this iconic square watch. A concept watch with a powerful design and subtle details, the new BR-03 Skeleton is available in three complementary versions, showcasing Bell & Ross' expertise in skeletonization and luminescence. Whether in Black Ceramic, Lum Ceramic, or Grey Steel, the BR-03 Skeleton houses a newly developed movement specifically designed by Bell & Ross and produced for Bell & Ross. A Modern Interpretation of Skeletonization For many watch enthusiasts, skeletonization should be considered a complication in its own right. This finishing technique involves hollowing out and cutting components to reveal their intricate mechanics. These delicate operations require precise craftsmanship, as this 'stripping down' must not compromise the intrinsic technical qualities of the movement. This is why a skeletonized piece is always extraordinary. The three new BR-03 Skeleton models are powered by the same skeleton movement, designed and exclusively manufactured for Bell & Ross. 'By skeletonizing our BR-03, one of the pillars of our collections, we have brought an additional watchmaking dimension to an everyday timepiece. We have reworked the bridges and upper plates of the movement to bring maximum sophistication to the BR-03. To reinforce this concept, we redesigned the entire watch around a specific X-shaped structure, a symbol of sophistication and avant-garde. By enhancing luminescence, we aimed to add an extra level of horological sophistication. By simultaneously offering three versions with very different approaches, we allow this watch to reinvent itself, embracing three original and innovative designs,' explains Bruno Belamich, Creative Director and co-founder of Bell & Ross. Complementary yet unique in their style and story, each of these three watches highlights the brand's creativity and watchmaking expertise. The BR-03 Skeleton trilogy fills a gap in Bell & Ross' professional collection. A New, Dedicated Movement The choice of a finely skeletonized movement served as a source of inspiration for Bell & Ross' watchmakers. Their ambition to fully reveal the watch's mechanics naturally led to the creation of a dedicated movement. Featuring a 54-hour power reserve, the new BR-CAL.328 caliber—an automatic, three-hand movement without a date— ensures the reliability and precision of all three BR-03 Skeleton versions. The upper bridges form an X with their four double arms, each connecting to one of the four bezel screws. Architectural and technical, this X-shaped design enhances the modernist expressiveness of the three BR-03 Skeleton models. Three Powerful Interpretations The three versions of the new BR-03 Skeleton, introduced simultaneously by Bell & Ross, go beyond a mere design exercise or dial animation. This watchmaking trilogy explores three complementary creative directions: The first focused on transparency, the second transforming the professional watch into a bold jewel, and the third emphasizing luminescence. These three variations showcase Bell & Ross' skill in material craftsmanship and creative watch design. BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic: an aeronautical DNA The BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic brings together the concepts of skeletonization and transparency. The dial and movement form a cohesive whole. Heavily inspired by the technical purity and functionality of aviation, this iconic Bell & Ross model— a flagship in the black ceramic version—has been reinvented with skeletonization, a hallmark of modern fine watchmaking. Black, a color deeply familiar to aviation and aerospace enthusiasts due to its presence in cockpit instruments and stealth aircraft fuselages, is also closely linked to the world of design. The 41mm black ceramic case of the BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic acts as a modernist frame for a contemporary masterpiece. Constructed from smoked sapphire crystal, the dial features applied black 'baignoire style' applique indexes filled with green-emitting white Super-LumiNova (SLN), fully revealing the X-shaped skeletonized movement. Legibility remains a priority for Bell & Ross, a brand known for designing professional instruments. This is ensured through instrument-style hands: the hour and minute hands are skeletonized and filled with green emitting white SLN, while the seconds hand is black with a white tip for enhanced visibility. For technical and aesthetic consistency, the Black Ceramic version comes with a black rubber strap secured by a micro-blasted black PVD-coated steel pin buckle, as well as an additional aviation-inspired black Velcro strap. BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel: A Metallic and Mechanical Jewel With the steel version of the BR-03 Skeleton, Bell & Ross envisions a sports watch transforming into a contemporary jewel. This instrument reveals its inherent sophistication by exposing the automatic skeletonized BR CAL.328 movement through its open-worked dial. The dial and movement form a cohesive whole. 'The BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel is a high-tech jewel. This horological machine is presented as a sculpture in steel. It proudly displays its precious and sophisticated nature, as evidenced by numerous details: the polished and satin-finished case, the faceted indexes—everything is designed to capture and reflect light. The reflections have been carefully studied. The finely cut patterns on the open-worked dial are faceted and treated with ruthenium for extra brilliance. The faceting of the skeletonized dial also echoes that of a stealth aircraft, the ultimate reference in uncompromising avant-garde design. Entirely metallic, this watch is both a horological sculpture and a brutalist machine with a disruptive design,' explains Bruno Belamich. This more luxurious version of the BR-03 Skeleton is limited to 250 pieces. It also comes with two interchangeable straps: a black rubber strap with a polished and satin-finished steel pin buckle and a black Velcro strap. BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic: The Surprises of Luminescence Even bolder, the BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic embraces a dual identity and conveys a strong visual narrative. A sophisticated futuristic watch by day with its black ceramic case, it transforms into an extraordinary horological piece at night, revealing its luminescent properties. In many ways, it could belong in a sci-fi film. Green luminescence, a key readability feature, is also one of Bell & Ross' signature design elements. This visual design hallmark has been pushed to the extreme, giving birth to the most daring and futuristic of the three BR-03 Skeleton models. For this, the openworked black dial is highlighted with luminescent SLN C3 on its edges and placed on a translucent smoked plate that tints the movement. 'The neon-like photoluminescent effect allows us to X-ray the skeletonization, giving it a modernized aesthetic dimension. The skeletonized dial is cut following the contours of the movement's bridges, exposing blackened gears through the tinted sapphire crystal. A green Super-LumiNova outline traces the cutouts, reminiscent of the illuminated grille of a car. Here, luminescent material is used not just for optimal readability—something we usually focus on for professional watches—but as a decorative and horological finishing element' details Bruno Belamich. This highly exclusive watch is limited to just 250 pieces, available only at Bell & Ross boutiques and via the official website. Like the other versions, it comes with two interchangeable straps: with a black rubber strap secured by a micro-blasted black PVD-coated steel pin buckle and a black Velcro strap. BELL & ROSS I WATCHES & WONDERS NOVELTIES - BR-03 Skeleton Comments are closed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This Wild Ceramic Watch Just Shook Up Switzerland's Space Race
Bell & Ross outfitted the newest BR-03 with an astronomically cool dial. Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more There are plenty of moon watches and space watches out there, but the newest entry from Bell & Ross brings Mars into the picture. While the French watchmaker has always been influenced by aeronautical engineering and heritage, the BR-03 Astro ascends into near-Earth orbit. Built into a ceramic version of the familiar BR-03 case is a wild and vividly detailed dial depicting the Earth, Moon, Mars and a satellite. The celestial bodies are set against a photorealistic view of stars strewn across the night sky. Though the dial is unusual, this watch still meets the high-performance standards that Bell & Ross is known for. The case is built from high-grade ceramic and has a 100-meter dive rating, and it runs on a caliber BR-CAL.327 automatic movement. Bell & Ross has produced fun and experimental dials in the past, often emulating airplane instrument panels or using vivid colors and transparent materials. But the French watchmaker has never made a dial quite like this one before. The Astro dial shows Earth from space with our closest galactic neighbors in view. The starry background is a plate of blue aventurine quartz crystal with laser-engraved details. The other three objects move in continuous orbit, tracking the time in a counterintuitive but astronomically sensitive fashion. Mars is a small red dot placed farthest from the center, but because the Red Planet has the slowest orbit from Earth's perspective, it depicts hours. The Moon is the next fastest-moving object from our home planet and, therefore, represents the minute hand. Closest to Earth, with the fastest orbit, is a satellite representing the seconds hand. This arrangement is challenging to decipher at first, but once you understand the astrophysical logic, it makes perfect sense. Most impressive of all is the hemispherical cap hollowed into the center of the sapphire glass to house a geometrically accurate Earth. With each orbital body placed on concentric transparent plates, the dial as a whole has a mesmerizing effect. Bell & Ross's BR-03 is the French watchmaker's best-known and most successful line. Like Rolex's 'Mercedes' hands and Grand Seiko's intricate dial textures, the square case with exposed screws securing a round dial has become an unmistakable brand signature. For the Astro, the entire case and band were given a matte black finish to emulate the dark vacuum of space and direct complete attention to the dial itself. The case is high-grade ceramic that has been sandblasted to create a course but uniform surface. A synthetic rubber strap with a pin buckle is attached to the ceramic case. As part of the limited edition set, the decorative case includes a second two-piece nylon strap with velcro closure. This interplanetary time machine is powered by a caliber BR-CAL.327 automatic movement made by Sellitta, one of the top names in Swiss movement manufacturing. Although this movement is found in most of the BR-03 line, it has likely never supported a dial as ornate and unusual as this one. The Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro is a limited edition run of 999 units. It is available now from Bell & Ross and authorized dealers for $4,800. Included is a special edition decorative box and an additional nylon two-piece strap with a velcro closure. $4,800 at Bell & Ross
