When Beige is Beguiling!

While everyone (including this guy) is still talking about the Red Radar that was announced yesterday, I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about all of the brands that have come and gone in the past 20 years or so, and how rare it is for an independent concern like Bell & Ross to not only still be around, but to keep building on the success that they've achieved.

Now an obvious part of that is the watches. The watches have been, and continue to be, special. From the first one I ever clapped eyes on in person back in San Francisco in 2002 (which is not this one, but gives you the idea) -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

My friend, Francis Zanetti, the man who originally coined the phrase - "The shit that killed Elvis!", was wearing one of these one day when I was making one of my weekly visits to Seregin's in San Francisco. Bell & Ross didn't necessarily resonate with me one way or the other at the time, but that chance encounter planted the seed that would grow into (if not an obsession), a very strong interest.

And what has continued to pleasantly surprise me, is that Bell & Ross has been anything but static.  While beige has continued to live on in the collection, it has continued to steadily evolve -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

and evolve -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

and evolve -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

It is a rare thing when a brand can not only establish, but evolve and refine its design grammar to such an extent that if you took the Bell & Ross name and logo off of the dial, you would still know it. And that is rare, and is to be commended.

But anyone who knows me knows that I believe that a watch brand is more than just the products it puts out, it is also the people. Having spent time with the North American team, and visiting the HQ in Paris -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

The people make Bell & Ross what it is. There are plenty of watch brands out there, but there is only one Bell & Ross.

Yes, I am a fan.  Yes, I am biased. And yes - Beige is BEAUTIFUL!

Enjoy your watches!

The BR 05 SKELETON NIGHTLUM

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Available on a bracelet (above) or on a rubber strap (below) -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

And what's a NIGHTLUM without Lume?

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Here are the pertinents -

Limited Edition of 500 pieces.

Movement: calibre BR-CAL.322. Automatic mechanical.

Functions: hours, minutes and seconds.

Case: 40 mm in width. Satin-finished and polished steel. Screw-down crown. Crown guard. Sapphire case-back with 360° oscillating weight.

Dial: skeleton with smoked sapphire plate and black movement. Applique indices filled with Super-LumiNova®. Metal skeletonised Super-LumiNova®-filled hour and minute hands.

Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance: 100 metres.

Strap: black rubber or satin-finished and polished steel.

Buckle: folding. Satin-finished and polished steel.

The BR 03-92 White Camo

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -
Limited edition of 999 pieces
Movement: 

Calibre BR-CAL.302. Automatic mechanical.
Functions: 

Hours, minutes, seconds and date.
Case: 42 mm in width. Matte black ceramic.
Dial: 

Two overlapping inserts. Upper insert with grey and white camouflage pattern, cut away around the numerals and indices, revealing the black Super-LumiNova® covering the lower insert. Hands covered with black Super-LumiNova®.
Crystal: 

Sapphire with anti-reflective coating.
Water-resistance: 

100 meters.
Straps: 

calfskin with grey and white camouflage and black rubber.
Buckle: 

Pin. Black PVD* coated steel.

The BR V2-93 GMT Blue

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Yes, if you are a regular reader this one will be familiar to you here at Tempus Fugit.  But let's be super honest with each other - there is not a whole lot of new watch release news coming out, so I thought it might be a good time to review some of my recent favorites.

Now, am I overall a fan of Bell & Ross?  Yes.  Do I love everything they do?  Well... not entirely.  I am a BIG fan of the Officer, I like the new BR05 quite a bit.  The Instruments collection has just never really been my jam.  So there you go. I guess overall, I am a traditionalist, and the round shapes are more in line with what I think of when I think of the foundation models when Bell & Ross first started out.  

This particular model speaks to me on a lot of levels.  I, personally, quite like the dial with the oversized 12, 3, 6 and 9.  I love a GMT just on basic principle.  But I also really like the color combination of this one.  Blue and grey rather than black or red for the different time zone indications on the bezel.  And last but certainly not least, unless my eyes deceive me, the strap is from a certain supplier I know. It is available with a bracelet, but I have to be honest that the strap option is a good one.

For those of you who might be so inclined, here are the pertinents -

Movement: 

calibre BR-CAL.303. Automatic mechanical.

Functions: 

hours, minutes and central seconds and date. Second time hand of 24 hour rapid-setting, independent from the hour hand.

Case: 

41 mm in diameter. Satin-polished steel. Bi-directional bezel with 24 hour scale. Blue and grey two-colour anodised aluminium disc. Screw-down crown. Sapphire case-back.

Dial: 

blue sunray. Numerals and indices coated in white Super-LumiNova®. Metal skeletonized Super-LumiNova®-filled hour and minute hands.

Crystal: 

box-type sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance: 

100 metres.

Strap: 

grey and blue elastic canvas or satin-polished steel.

Buckle: 

folding for metal bracelet.

The 2 Year Review - Wrapping up the BR126 GT

One of the great joys of having and writing for your own outlet?  You get to do what you want ; )

As a watch enthusiast, the one constant conversation that I and my fellow-watch heads have about "the next thing", the "new thing" and more often than not, about love that has dried up.  No, were not talking about divorce or separation.  But that feeling that comes over you when you realize that the thrill is gone.  When that watch that got you so excited no longer does so.  

But I have noticed an interesting trend at the past few BaselWorld fairs.  More and more of my colleagues are not wearing the latest offering.  In ever growing numbers, they are wearing a favorite watch that has been in their collection for two or more years.  And that got me thinking...

So for the past week or so, I have been wearing and enjoying a 2 year old BR126 GT from Bell & Ross.  It was a simple idea - does love endure once the "new watch smell" has worn off?

YES, it does!

The BR126 GT will have a familiar look to several of its fellow Bell & Ross chronographs.  The dial layout is clear and easy to read.  But with a little twist as Bell & Ross utilized a contrasting silver tone to outline the two smaller registers at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock.  The silver rings that highlight the minute counter (9 o'clock) and the constant second (3 o'clock) provides a wonderfully understated bit of pop to the black dial.  The hour and main minute hand are coated with Superluminova.

The outer bezel is fixed and engraved with a graduated tachymeter. This adds a bit of sporty feeling to the overall look of the watch.  For a two year old watch, the engraving has held up quite well, and adds a lot to the watch as a whole.  One thing that I might have changed in the original design would have been to use a flatter crystal, as the slightly domed crystal used on the 126 GT shields the bezel's engraving just a touch.  It is nothing drastic, mind you, but when your eyes are approaching the half-century mark, you tend to notice these things more and more.  The only other suggestion would be to enhance the date window somewhat, perhaps using an "inverted" cyclops window for the date.  But again, this is really a little thing and in no way really takes away from the overall performance of the watch.

Bell & Ross opted for a solid case back for the BR126 GT and this is something that I wish more and more watch brands would revert to.  The original idea of a display back was to admire the fine inner workings of a watch, but more and more brands are using it as a less-expensive way to case up their watches.  In many instances, the exposed movement is nothing special to look at.  So this design choice of using a solid case back really spoke to me.
 

The watch sits on the wrist very well, at 42 mm (but with a more refined case), it is truly from the Goldilocks school of design - not too big, not too small, but just right!

The movement is listed as BR 126 GT : automatic mechanical. Calibre BR-CAL.301.  It is self-winding, offering hours, minutes, seconds (at 3 o'clock) and date as well as what is becoming a "Bell & Ross" bi-compax chronograph (minute, central seconds).

All functions worked without a hitch, with counter hands running smoothly and returning precisely to their starting positions.

The crown and pushers are still in fantastic shape after more than 2 years of use and are tactile and easy to use.

The time keeping was very, very good with the greatest deviation I experienced being a +12 seconds while running the chronograph over an extended period of time.

 

 And last (and all too often thought of least), the strap and buckle.

The clasp is a butterfly deployment and confirms what I have always thought - Bell & Ross makes one of the very best deployment buckles out there!  Easy to use, secure, and pretty good looking!

And the strap was an interesting - and very positive - choice.  It is described as black Alcantara which is suede-like on top, smooth underneath, and perforated to not only add to the sporty aesthetic, but also allows for ventilation.  Very good looking and supremely comfortable!

All in all, it is a great watch for the person out there looking for that one special piece.  It is elegant enough for the office or an evening out, but also sporty (sorry, I know that word has now officially been overused, but it is appropriate) enough for the weekend, or any bouts of daring-do you might have planned.

For many a collector and enthusiast, watches come and go.  But this one might just be that special one you see on the wrist of a writer or collector, the one that they have hung onto because it has stood up to their personal test of time.


Enjoy your watches!