Bell & Ross isn’t the oldest of watchmakers. In fact, they are relatively young. Although the company was founded only in 1992, that hasn’t stopped Bell & Ross from becoming one of the most talked about brands at BaselWorld.
Unique, distinctive and inspired by aeronautical instruments, Bell & Ross have carved a name for themselves within the watch industry as a brand admired and respected. This year is no different as they wow fans and critics alike with the BR 03 Heritage chronograph.
Patina is what develops on a vintage watch when the lume and indexes yellow naturally with age
The tan-coloured accents on black dial are meant to emulate the patina that develops over time on older flight instruments. Before the early 90s, Tritium was used as the primary form of lume on hands and indices. Over time, this luminescence weakened, giving the markers a nice yellowish taint. This ‘discoloration’ is much sought after by vintage watch collectors and the recreation of the effect on this heritage watch lends some valuable street cred to this latest timepiece.
Additionally, Bell & Ross has gone a step further in recreating the altimeter feel of an aeroplane cockpit by designing a counterweight on the minute hand. It’s a feature not found on other BR models and a result of cutting out the hour function of the usual tri-compass subdials on other Bell & Ross chronographs. The remaining dials have been designed proportionally, creating a watch face that’s both aesthetically pleasing and closer to the visibility of regular pilot instrumentation.
Beating with ETA 2894, this 42mm glass bead blasted stainless steel watch with black carbon powder finish BR 03 Heritage chronograph is perhaps the truest homage to aviation we’ll ever have.
The Monsieur 
Posted on November 1, 2010
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