At a time when the skies are silent and travel is not yet permitted, it is apt that Bell & Ross offers an urban interpretation of travel and time with the launch of its first dual time-zone model in its 05 range
As far as timepieces go, Bell & Ross has the art of meeting the every need of a watch collector with a love for all things aviation-related. This season, we are introduced to the BR 05 GMT, which is part of the BR 05 collection.
The approach to designing this timepiece is for the contemporary man who possesses a strong personality, is always on the move, and treats the city he lives in as his personal playground where adventures are created.
To do this, founders Carlos-Antonio Rosillo and Bruno Belamich, who together formed Bell & Ross in 1994, wanted the watch to travel and accompany the transition between different urban realities. It is the ultimate globe-trotter’s tool.
The BR 05 GMT is a combination of stainless and robust materials encasing the finest Swiss watchmaking mechanics. It is equipped with an automatic calibre with GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) function, wound by a 360° oscillating weight, which you can admire through a sapphire glass case back.
The dial of the BR 05 features a sunray finish that offers legibility that is set against the black colour that contrasts with the large numerals, indices and hands coated in white Super-Lumi- Nova. This colour scheme echoes the colours used for onboard flight instruments found in the cockpits of a plane. The colour prevents reflections and guarantees optimal reading.
Intended to inform the traveller with the utmost clarity and precision, its graphics are very elaborate and the display is as rigorous as those of airport clocks. Echoing the principles of airport signalling, the skeletonised hour and minute hands are made of metal appliques.
The GMT hand can blend in perfectly with the BR 05 aesthetic and stands out here with its red arrow. White, black and red ensure perfect legibility, both day and night. More than a simple GMT hand, this arrow is mostly a symbol of orientation in time and space.
See also: From the skies to the city
For easy reading, the white hands on the main dial indicate the time at the wearer’s current location, while the red arrow-hand on the 24-hour graduated inner bezel shows the time in his country of origin.
To read time at a glance, the black semi-circle on the flange corresponds to the nighttime hours, the grey semi-circle to the day-time hours. To feature this 24- hour scale and add the flange, the Bell & Ross creative studio worked on increasing the diameter of the dial and therefore the dimensions of the case. To finish the look, the timepiece is outfitted with an integrated bracelet that fuses with the case to create a seamless piece. Ribbed black rubber strap is also available.
The brand introduces its flagship features within this collection launched in 2019. Last year saw the launch of the chronograph version. This year, Bell & Ross enriches its range with a new function and new proportions. A GMT on a 41mm case. A GMT function displays the time at two different points on the globe simultaneously — a function that is intimately linked with its source of inspiration to create an invitation to travel.
THE BR 05 GMT AT A GLANCE Movement: Calibre BR-CAL.325.
Automatic mechanical.
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, second 24-hour time zone and date. Quick setting of the GMT hand, independently of the hour hand.
Case: 41 mm in width. Satin-finished and polished steel. White and black two-colour flange, with 24-hour scale. Screw-down crown. Crown guard. Sapphire case-back with 360° oscillating weight.
Dial: Black sunray. Numerals and indices coated in white Super- LumiNova®. Metal skeletonised Super-LumiNova®-filled hour and minute hands.
Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective coating. Water-resistance: 100m.
Strap: Black rubber or satin-finished and polished steel.
Buckle: Folding. Satin-finished and polished steel.
