Bell & Ross goes for old school cool with its latest releases
THE French brand Bell & Ross has built a terrific reputation over the years for its sturdy-cut-chic squareform watches inspired by instruments from aeroplane cockpits.
Those watches were particularly on song during the big watch craze of the boom years – and they still sell well, particularly in the City – but lately Bell & Ross has shown an impressive ability to adapt to more retro, classical tastes while keeping its brand essence intact.
Witness its new offerings at this year’s BaselWorld show. On the far left is the Vintage WW2 Regulateur Heritage (£4,300), a piece inspired by a type of watch used by the navigators of bomber planes during the Second World War. The notched bezel gives it an unusual, tool-ish feel, while the “regulator” dial – it separates the hours, minutes and seconds into three displays – has an alluringly vintage appeal.
On the near right is the WW1 Jumping Hour watch (£17,000) – another piece for those who like something a little unusual. Jumping hour watches display the hour in a window in the dial, with a hand for the minutes. In this case, there’s also a sleek retrograde power reserve display. With a continuing line of avant garde square pieces based on esoteric cockpit instruments, B&R are always interesting and never obvious.
www.bellross.com