Throughout its history, much of Bell&Ross’s creative inspiration has been led by aviation. Considering the French watchmaker’s history is inspired by many a cockpit dashboard, that makes sense. However, the dynamic brand shook things up in 2019 with the introduction of its new watch silhouette, BR05, a more every day timepiece that became an instant hit with a younger, city-slick audience.
The overwhelming response from watch fans has since kept Bell&Ross on its toes, and the continuous additions to the collection have only worked to win over more fans. Cue the introduction of the BR-X5.
Essentially an evolution of the BR-05 collection, the new BR-X5 pieces are an elevated version of the highly popular range in both aesthetic and caliber of watchmaking.
Carefully considered, the new BR-X5 pieces represent both sides of the brand’s appeal – the sophisticated modern design, and the exceptional quality of the watchmaking – and come available in black and ice blue colourways.
Aesthetically, while it still looks like a line extension for the BR-05, the BR-X5 includes a new sophisticated, three-part, 41mm case structure that pairs a playful sportiness with serious pursuits.
Famed for its reworking of the combination of a round dial within a squared case design, but it still has that call back to dial functions designed to imitate the gauges on a cockpit control panel.
The evolution of the already modern design showcases the development of the brand’s signature design ethos, and adds further evidence of its move further away from its reputation for mainly making tool watches – as does the introduction of a chic ice blue option.
Another important note is what lies under the hood. The new Calibre BR-CAL.323 movement is COSC-certified and is the result of several years of design, development, and fine-tuning to ensure it holds up to the unique specifications require by Bell&Ross’ designs .
The case, measuring 41mm wide and 12.8mm thick, has a multi-layer, sandwich-style construction in either steel or carbon fiber. The central case band is hollowed out, and flanked by a sculpted framing that juts out around it a design that requires sophisticated machining. The crown guards are constructed from the same block of steel as the center of the case, providing structural stability. The whole thing is held together by four screws, visible on the bezel.
Throughout the design, a sense of sportiness and practical reliability carry through; these sentiments are provided by its steel construction and an integrated design between the case and matching steel bracelet or open-worked rubber strap.