The GoodsWATCHES
Steeling the
Spotlight
Brace yourselves—
watchmaking’s most democratic
metal continues to shine.
BY PAIGE REDDINGER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSHUA SCOTT
STYLING BY MIAKO KATOHnow that a suit and tie are no longer de
rigueur in the office, the classic gold dress watch
is more special-occasion piece than everyday
accessory—which is why the steel-bracelet watch
is particularly well suited for today’s time. As
steel models have gained popularity, an increasing
number of brands are introducing more (and more)
watches in the metal, especially in bracelet form.
One introduction of note this year is Bell
& Ross’s 40 mm BR 05, which comes in five
versions: three solid dials in blue, black, and gray;
a pink-gold version; and a skeleton, pictured
here ($6,400, limited to 500, bellross.com). The
company unveiled the new model to press and
retailers in March to much fanfare—eliciting
comparisons to Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, albeit
a much more accessible version—but otherwise
kept it under wraps until its recent official debut.
“The goal was to develop an intermediate model
between our iconic utilitarian square-faced
watches and our round-faced pieces, which are
more universal and generic,” says Bell & Ross
co-owner Carlos Rosillo. “But it’s true we also
wanted to open up to a new market.”
It’s the first Bell & Ross model specifically
designed to be worn on a steel bracelet and
is intended to be an evolution of the BR 03,
the company’s popular square-faced 42 mm
instrument timepiece. “The idea was to move from
the professional world of the extreme to the urban
landscape,” says Rosillo. But much like B&R’s
instrument watches, the new BR 05 is likely to
appeal to the sartorially inclined and the watch-
obsessed alike, which is the kind of formula that
put Bell & Ross on the map in the first place.
The idea for the BR 05 was conceived by
Rosillo and co-founder Bruno Belamich five years
ago, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the idea took
flight. “It took two years in total, between the
moment when we started drawing the first sketch
of the watch until it was finally approved,” says
Rosillo. “For me, it is more than a watch. It is the
design of an era.”62 OCTOBER 2019
The GoodsWATCHES
Steeling the
Spotlight
Brace yourselves—
watchmaking’s most democratic
metal continues to shine.
BY PAIGE REDDINGER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSHUA SCOTT
STYLING BY MIAKO KATOHnow that a suit and tie are no longer de
rigueur in the office, the classic gold dress watch
is more special-occasion piece than everyday
accessory—which is why the steel-bracelet watch
is particularly well suited for today’s time. As
steel models have gained popularity, an increasing
number of brands are introducing more (and more)
watches in the metal, especially in bracelet form.
One introduction of note this year is Bell
& Ross’s 40 mm BR 05, which comes in five
versions: three solid dials in blue, black, and gray;
a pink-gold version; and a skeleton, pictured
here ($6,400, limited to 500, bellross.com). The
company unveiled the new model to press and
retailers in March to much fanfare—eliciting
comparisons to Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, albeit
a much more accessible version—but otherwise
kept it under wraps until its recent official debut.
“The goal was to develop an intermediate model
between our iconic utilitarian square-faced
watches and our round-faced pieces, which are
more universal and generic,” says Bell & Ross
co-owner Carlos Rosillo. “But it’s true we also
wanted to open up to a new market.”
It’s the first Bell & Ross model specifically
designed to be worn on a steel bracelet and
is intended to be an evolution of the BR 03,
the company’s popular square-faced 42 mm
instrument timepiece. “The idea was to move from
the professional world of the extreme to the urban
landscape,” says Rosillo. But much like B&R’s
instrument watches, the new BR 05 is likely to
appeal to the sartorially inclined and the watch-
obsessed alike, which is the kind of formula that
put Bell & Ross on the map in the first place.
The idea for the BR 05 was conceived by
Rosillo and co-founder Bruno Belamich five years
ago, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the idea took
flight. “It took two years in total, between the
moment when we started drawing the first sketch
of the watch until it was finally approved,” says
Rosillo. “For me, it is more than a watch. It is the
design of an era.”62 OCTOBER 2019