Bruno Belamich was inspired by fine engineering & aviation from any early age. This, along with a shared passion for watchmaking led to his partnership with childhood friend Carlos Rosillo. After two years of extensive research & development these two visionaries released their first watches in 1994. Initially German company Sinn produced the timepieces using the Bell & Ross label. It was this collaboration that won international acclaim for the brand from their contemporaries.
Bell & Ross have presently just relocated their headquarters to the highly prestigious 6th district of Paris at 8 rue Copernic. This huge 1,000 sq. town house incorporates all the operational facilities of the company while manufacturing is based in Chauxde-Fonds, Switzerland. From these two locations the brand produces & designs a range of bold distinctive watches including the fantastic BR01-92 Carbon Fiber.
My initial impression was how well constructed the watch appears. Dimensionally this is the largest model the company currently produces measuring a formidable 46mm x 46mm. The piece felt exceptionally comfortable to wear & sat perfectly on my wrist without any protrusion from the lugs. This is definitely down to the ingenious design & the use of high performance materials. The BR01-92 is entirely composed of multiple layers of structural carbon fiber. This not only makes the watch unbelievably lightweight but also incredibly durable. Personally this is one of my favourite materials & I’m delighted to see it being utilized by the industry more frequently. Numerous brands are producing watches using the same material but not many have enjoyed the same degree of success. Realistically a watch of this quality could be worn on any occasion.
Aesthetically the design of the watch is easily identifiable as a Bell & Ross creation. The styling is very masculine & probably won’t appeal to the more conservative tastes. I have always been a huge admirer of the brand & their highly original compositions. Essentially the key to the company’s enormous success in an increasingly competitive market is the simplicity of their designs. The BR01-92 illustrates this point very effectively. The dial on this watch is minimalistic displaying just hours, minutes & seconds. I love the sharp white numerals juxtaposing with the carbon fiber face. Apparently the concept of the design is derived from the control panel of an airplane.
The robust BR01-92 is equipped with the reliable Swiss made ETA 2892. This mechanical self-winding movement comprises 21 Jewels & oscillates at a frequency of 28.800 vibrations per hour. It is important to mention that there is also another model in the range called the BR01-94. This timepiece is powered by an ETA 2894 37 Jewel chronograph movement & also features a date function. These really cool watches are limited to 500 pieces and each comes with custom made carbon fiber straps. Prices start from: $7,900.
http://www.bellross.com
