For 30 years, Bell & Ross has been producing timepieces inspired by aviation and diving. Bell & Ross is a French watch company founded in 1992 by Bruno Belamich and Carlos A. Rosillo. Inspired by the military avionic instruments, the brand launched its first watches in 1994 produced by Sinn watches from Germany. Bell & Ross quickly gained recognition for its robust timepieces designed for professionals working in extreme conditions. In 2005, the brand expanded its offerings with the Vintage Collection, paying tribute to the military watches of the past, and in 2019 their first BR 03-92 Diver.
Known for its distinctive square cases and aviation-themed designs, Bell & Ross has become synonymous with precision, functionality, and innovation in the world of luxury watches without breaking the bank. In a world where every second counts, a reliable, legible, and accurate watch is essential.
The new BR 03 Diver Full Lum Ceramic from Bell & Ross meets the ISO requirements for a diving watch. To mark its seventh anniversary in 2024, the design has been modified for a more contemporary look, and the movement fine-tuned. The bezels of the new BR 03 Diver models feature a ceramic insert for greater resistance and durability, and their movement has been modified to extend the power reserve to 54 hours. A new typeface and new hands make the watch easier to read, while the new strap will fit all wrists.
Things to Know About the Watch
The watch is equipped with a 42 mm black ceramic case and a black ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel with a 60-minute scale. Ceramic bezels are a popular choice in diver watches due to their durability and scratch-resistant properties.
The material is known for its lightweight nature and ability to maintain its color over time, making it ideal for timepieces designed for water activities. Ceramic bezels also provide a sleek and modern aesthetic to diver watches, adding a touch of sophistication to their overall design. Additionally, the high-tech material is highly resistant to fading, corrosion, and discoloration, ensuring that diver watches equipped with ceramic bezels retain their pristine appearance even after prolonged exposure to harsh environmental conditions.
The dial is coated in a light blue color made of SuperLumiNova —blue glow— so that it glows in the dark along with the Baignoire-style indexes also filled with white SuperLumiNova —green glow— and the arrow-shaped hour hand and minute hand also filled with white SuperLumiNova —green glow. To guarantee optimal water resistance and compliance with the ISO 6425 standard, the crown is of the screw-down type to withstand pressure at great depths and is equipped with a guard that guarantees complete protection against impacts. The crown is fitted with a hard rubber o-ring for improved grip.
The Case Back & Movement
In addition to meeting the ISO 6425, the BR 03 Diver Full Lum Ceramic features a very thick case back also in black ceramic to meet the ISO standards and withstand the rigors of a 300-meter depth rating. The watch is also equipped with a soft iron cage to increase its resistance to magnetic fields.
Additionally, the sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating is 2.85 mm thick, compared to the 1.50 mm on the classic BR03-92. Now, even though ceramic tends to be somewhat on the lighter side, the Bell & Ross BR 03 Diver Full Lum Ceramic is solid and heavy as expected from a tool watch with a total weight of 157.8 grams —as a reference a stainless steel and ceramic Seiko Prospex PADI SRPA83 on rubber strap has a total weight of 157 grams.
The Bell & Ross BR 03 Diver Full Lum Ceramic is a professional diving instrument, powered by the automatic calibre BR-CAL.302-1, a Swiss automatic movement —not in-house and we really can’t wait until the brand does so— now with a power reserve of 54 hours instead of 48 hours when compared to its predecessors.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Bell & Ross BR 03 Diver Full Lum Ceramic wears true to its size and just like all other black ceramic Divers from the brand. A very well-made watch for those who like non-conventional watches in this case delivered by the SuperLumiNova coating on the dial giving the watch exceptional luminescent properties. The watch is delivered on a woven black rubber strap with a secondary ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric equipped with a pin buckle in black PVD steel.
Sticker Price USD 5,400 USD. For more info on Bell & Ross click here.
