3+1: The brand updates its accounts

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3+1: The brand updates its accounts - Bell & Ross
3 minutes read
Bell & Ross kicks off the new year with four new models: three “vintage” plus a new tool watch. Official launch date: today!

These will be the last new launches before the global watch fair at the end of April. It’s basically a refresh of the existing collections to start off the year. Bell & Ross is playing it safe by giving a facelift to some known quantities. WorldTempus is here to tell you what’s changed.
The first major overhaul concerns the BR V2. For the uninitiated, everything that begins with “BR V” is connected to Bell & Ross’s “Vintage” range. These watches have round cases, a moderate diameter (41 mm) and come with traditional complications.

A vibrant new GMT

Three new models have been added to the lineup. The first is perhaps the most interesting: the BR V2-93 GMT Blue. Why? Because this model has hitherto existed only in black, and it’s understated but rather austere with its grey/black bezel. The new GMT Blue taps into a more modern, youthful vibe.  The dial is in the “Blue Steel” shade, the bezel colours are more lively (grey and blue), and the old steel bracelet or rubber strap have been replaced with a NATO Stretch band, made from elastic parachute strap material. One final telling detail is that the GMT hand, which used to be orange, is now red, further enhancing the lively, dynamic contrast.

3+1: The brand updates its accounts

Full khaki option

Alongside the GMT, the BR V2-92 offers a new military variant: to go with the Military Beige, we now have a Military Green. This is a minor adjustment aimed at aficionados looking for a product more closely in line with traditional military codes, where khaki is omnipresent. The rest of the piece nevertheless offers a few subtle new details: the bezel is no longer marked out in minutes, but in 5-minute graduations; the hour markers have been thinned out – we now have just 12, 3, 6 and 9 instead of the full set; and finally, the hour hand has lost its red tip. All in all, it’s a more straightforward, more direct product with a more functional feel.

3+1: The brand updates its accounts

3+1: The brand updates its accounts

The Aéronavale comes into its own

The third watch – a new Aéronavale Bronze – is a bit more unusual. It’s a hybrid: the Aéronavale existed already (but in steel), and bronze was present (but on the Bellytanker). Bell & Ross has now combined the two, with a very successful result. Bronze has become the go-to material for nautical watches, and Bell & Ross has added hands, markers and inserts in a colour that perfectly matches the bronze of the case. The distinctive blue of the Aéronavale range, which is darker than the company’s Blue Steel, offers an excellent contrast with the bronze. Our only regret is that this model is available in a limited run of just 999!

3+1: The brand updates its accounts

Lum, Lum, Lum… inescent!

The final launch for the start of the year is the BR 03-92 Grey Lum. This watch takes us back to the iconic square shape for which Bell & Ross is known. The suffix “Lum” denotes the presence of SuperLuminova C3 in green or black, with its characteristic luminescence, which we have already seen in the Full Lum, NightLum and HoroLum models.
So what’s new? In sum, it’s a more elegant watch. Fundamentally, it’s a NightLum, but with the black case and hands swapped out for steel. The dial is “flat”, without the sandwich construction of the HoroLum, which makes the watch a bit dressier, more understated. At 42 mm it’s perhaps a little big to be unisex, but on the other hand... maybe not!

3+1: The brand updates its accounts

The right price

Bell & Ross’s prices have remained astonishingly stable. The BR 03-92 Grey Lum costs the same as the equivalent models: 2,990 euros. The same goes for the BR V2-93 GMT Blue, which starts at EUR 2,900. The new BR V2-92 Military Green is just 100 euros more than its predecessor, up from EUR 2,600 to 2,700. And while the BR V2-94 Aéronavale Bronze is a new watch, its price point falls somewhere between its two progenitors: EUR 4,500. It will be available at the end of April, while the other three are already in shops.

 
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