61BELL & ROSS BR-X2 SKELETON
TOURBILLON MICRO-ROTOR
The simplest-looking of our trio,
this watch from Bell & Ross’s more
experimental BR-X line has the same
circle-within-a-square design of the
brand’s signature BR 01 model. The
mainplate of its self-winding flying
tourbillon movement is sandwiched
between two sapphire plates that
act as its casing—one upfront, and
onefittedasa caseback.Fourscrews
securetheplates,withhidden
gasketsthat also make it water-
resistant to 50 meters (164 feet). The
see-through case is 42.5 millimeters
across with a skeletonized dial and
a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock. It’s
available in an edition of 99. $64,900;
bellross.comGREUBEL FORSEY DOUBLE
BALANCIERSAPPHIRE
Threeyearsaftertheirinitialmillion-
dollar foray, the Swiss watchmaker
brought a (nominally) more
approachable model to market in
January. A power reserve indicator
rests in the upper right quadrant of
its skeletonized dial; an open portion
exposes a pair of inclined balances
that work in symmetry to deliver
accurate timekeeping and counteract
the effects of gravity on the watch’s
running stability. The sapphire crystal
case, measuring 43mm in diameter
and 13mm thick, gives the watch
the feel of floating on your wrist.
Only 11 examples will be produced.
$695,000; greubelforsey.comHUBLOT BIG BANG UNICO
BLUE SAPPHIRE
Although it wasn’t the first brand
on the sapphire bandwagon, Hublot
has embraced the material with
a fervor so far unmatched by its
rivals. In 2016 it released a clear
sapphire version of its signature
Big Bang collection followed by red
and yellow iterations. This April,
Hublotintroducedoneintranslucent
blue.Thecasemeasures45mmin
diameterand 15.7mm thick and
comes with a strap made from blue
rubber. The brand, a manufacturing
powerhouse, is capable of producing- $85,000; hublot.com
FALL STYLE Bloomberg Pursuits
Sapphire watch cases are pricey, hard to make,
and perfectly on-trend. By Justin Mastine-Frost
Photograph by Jamie ChungClear Cut
There’sa reason why onlyeight of
Greubel Forsey’s sapphire double-
tourbillontimepiecesexist,andit isn’t
merelya matterofits$1.1million price.
Sapphire is the second-hardest mate-
rial known to man, next to diamonds,
and brutally challenging to cut and fin-
ish with any artistry. Watchmakers run
a risk, down to the last polish, that it
will shatter and waste hundreds of man-
hours of work. More and more brands,
however, are testing the material’s
limits, which means a sapphire case
is more accessible than ever. They’re
still not cheap—you’ll spend north of
$60,000 as opposed to seven figures—
but you’ll get a piece that, for now, is a
rarity in watches.