After two decades of presenting its distinctive square-cased timepieces to the world, Bell & Ross has unveiled a new chapter in its iconic BR-03 collection. Lest we forget, Bell & Ross as a brand is only 33 years young. Right out the gate, the Swiss-French watchmaker held a strong identity, capitalizing on its “round watch in a square case” aesthetic that has consistently stayed in place over the years.

Like any young adult, the brand has gone through experimental phases. Take the jolly roger motif they’ve adopted in the early years, which has since been refined, now elegantly housed in faceted sapphire crystals. Even in paying homage to aviation, the cockpit-shaped feature the watch owes its identity to, has evolved into more creative iterations, thanks to a strong partnership with Patrouille de France, the French Air Force aerobatic team.

And that brings us to the BR-03 lineup which has, simply put, all grown up. Now in its 20th year, the dial has matured in its design language, and the use of new age materials such as black ceramic reflects how far the brand has come in innovation.

Bell & Ross is celebrating this milestone with the “20 YEARS BOLD” campaign and the launch of three sophisticated BR-03 Skeleton models that showcase both the brand’s heritage and its future direction.

A trio of BR-03 skeleton watches in black ceramic

Bell & Ross has created three distinct interpretations of the BR-03 Skeleton. The first is the BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic in a 41mm black ceramic case that frames a dial made from smoked sapphire crystal. The X-shaped movement is barely visible under the dark tint, though the surrounding time-only display remains legible with bold indices and accompanying luminous hands. The watch maintains a sleek profile at 10.6mm thick, with a case that’s rated to 100 meters.

The timepiece comes mounted on a combination black rubber and black synthetic fabric strap, secured by a steel pin buckle with a micro-blasted matt black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish that complements the overall stealthy aesthetic.

Next, the Grey Steel variant that’s limited to just 250 pieces, transforms the utilitarian pilot’s watch into something a little more dressed up. Its polished and satin-finished 41mm steel case complements the finely cut patterns on the open-worked dial that are faceted and treated with ruthenium for extra brilliance.

Time is indicated via rhodium-plated “Baignoire-style” applique indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova® X1, which emits a green glow in low light conditions. The hour and minute hands are skeletonized and rhodium-plated, also containing the same luminescent material for nighttime visibility. The watch comes on a hybrid strap combining black rubber and black synthetic fabric for durability and comfort. 

The third of the trio is the Lum Ceramic, which sports an openworked black dial featuring luminescent Super-LumiNova C3 along its edges, and sits on top of a translucent smoked plate that tints the movement beneath. The watch delivers standard timekeeping functions (hours, minutes, seconds) within a  micro-blasted black ceramic case that measures 41mm in diameter.

The luminous action here is dependent on a Super-LumiNova® C3 plate outlining the contours of an openworked dial structure. This skeletonized base is covered with intense matte black varnish applied to a transparent fumé plate, creating depth and visual interest. 

Both the matte black skeletonized hour and minute hands are lume-applied for nighttime visibility, while the second hand features a non-luminescent C3 varnish tip and matte black counterweight. The watch is secured by a pin buckle made of steel with a micro-blasted matte black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish. Limited to 250 boutique-exclusive pieces.

All these models run on the self-winding BR-CAL.328, a movement created specifically for this collection. Each watch comes with two interchangeable straps: a black rubber option with a matching buckle and a black Velcro strap.

Tech Specs: BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic

Reference: Ref. BR03A-BL-SKCE/SRB
Movement: Self-winding calibre BR-CAL.328; 54-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds
Case: 41mm × 10.6mm; micro-blasted black ceramic; water-resistant to 100m
Dial: Transparent fumé plate
Strap: Black rubber with matt black PVD steel pin buckle; additional black synthetic fabric strap

Tech Specs: BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel

Reference: Ref. BR03A-GR-SKST/SRB
Movement: Self-winding calibre BR-CAL.328; 54-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds
Case: 41mm × 9.65mm; stainless steel; water-resistant to 100m
Dial: Openworked micro-blasted rhodium-plated dial with faceted details
Strap: Black rubber with steel pin buckle; additional black synthetic fabric strap
Availability: Limited to 250 pieces

Tech Specs: BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic

Reference: Ref. BR03A-LM-SKCE/SRB
Movement: Self-winding calibre BR-CAL.328; 54-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds
Case: 41mm × 11.25mm; micro-blasted black ceramic; water-resistant to 100m
Dial: Transparent fumé plate overlaid with openworked dial plate and luminous contours
Strap: Black rubber with matt black PVD steel pin buckle; additional black synthetic fabric strap
Availability: Limited to 250 pieces

BR-05 is resized to 36mm

Bell & Ross has also released a more compact version of its popular BR-05 urban watch. Resized to 36mm in diameter (down from the original 40mm) and at 8.5mm thick, this scaled down version required complete recalibration of proportions to maintain the distinctive Bell & Ross DNA while ensuring the watch wasn’t merely a miniaturized copy of its larger siblings.

BR-05 36mm in black

“We designed the BR-05 36mm as a dual iteration of the BR-05,” said Bruno Belamich, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Bell & Ross. “It’s not just a focus on the core functions of a watch but also an evolution in proportions, all while staying true to our guiding principles of reliability, precision, and comfort.”

But why revisit the BR-05’s proportions now? According to Belamich, it’s about responding to evolving consumer preferences and broadening the collection’s appeal. “First and foremost, it’s important to note that the BR-05 collection has offered various dimensions for several years,” he shared. “Launched in 40mm in 2019, the watch has always evolved, adopting larger sizes for complications: 41mm for GMTs and 42mm for chronographs.”

BR-05 36mm in white mother-of-pearl

The new 36mm size makes the collection more accessible to those with smaller wrists, with a dial featuring refined hands, bold numerals, and applied indexes filled with white luminescent SLN, ensuring clear visibility in all conditions. Available in a range of dial colors including black, grey, ice blue, and mother-of-pearl, each with a lacquered sunray finish, the watch offers considerable variety within a cohesive design framework.

The BR-05 36mm is powered by a new mechanical self-winding caliber offering a 54-hour power reserve. The movement is focused on displaying hours, minutes, and seconds with precision, contributing to the watch’s relatively slim profile.

Tech Specs: BR-05 36mm

Reference: Ref. BR05A-S-BL-ST/SST / Ref. BR05A-S-MP-ST/SST / Ref. BR05A-S-GR-ST/SST / Ref. BR05A-S-BU-ST/SST
Movement: Self-winding Caliber BR-CAL.329; 54-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds
Case: 36mm × 8.5mm; stainless steel; water-resistant to 100m
Dial: Sunray black/grey sunray/sunray ice blue/mother-of-pearl
Strap: Steel bracelet with folding buckle