After the highly successful launch of the Instrument BR 01 two years ago, many people thought that the square, hefty (46 mm) watch with its black or white dial and extra-large numerals was the ultimate in oversize timepieces. But that was without counting on the versatility of both the watch and the creativity of the brand. This year’s colourful Limited Editions of the BR 01 will raise more than a few eyebrows and will once again attract much attention, not only because the vibrant Orange and Blue are a total contradiction in appearances to the Phantom version, but also because they are adventurous, and clearly à la mode. But Bell & Ross has another superb horological surprise in store … the Instrument BR 01 now comes with the watchmaker’s favourite complication, a tourbillon.




BR01 TOURBILLON
BR01 TOURBILLON BACK


B & R’s first tourbillon
The BR 01 Tourbillon is a natural development for Bell & Ross. As Bruno Belamich, the brand’s Design Manager explains, “The BR 01 tourbillon offers a very visual complication that fits into the Bell & Ross philosophy of technical and professional demands: readability, performance, precision and water-resistance. In addition, it combines ideally with the sporty look of the BR 01 collection. The fact that the watch also comes with a titanium and carbon fibre desk/table support means that when it is not being worn on the wrist, when it is placed in a static vertical position, the existence of the tourbillon is justified.”
The Tourbillon comes in a 46 mm case in titanium with a black PVD finish. It has ribbed corner angles that not only strengthen the casing, but also offer a particularly distinctive look with its black carbon fibre dial and colourful complications’ indicators. Nevertheless, the BR 01 Tourbillon maintains its technical and professional demands: readability, function, precision and water-resistance.
The exclusive movement is in platinum and offers four complications: a tourbillon with carbon fibre bridges; a regulator with hours at 12 o’clock and a central minutes hand; a 120-hour power reserve indicator (5 days) between 8 and 10 o’clock; a trust index, an indicator of optimal working of the movement, between 2 and 4 o’clock. The trust index is in three sectors, high, middle and low: the middle sector indicates the ideal working of the movement; the lower sector means the watch is running slow and requires winding and in the high position it means you have to simply wait until the movement comes back to its optimal working rate. The movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback which is fixed with four screws.




INSTRUMENT BR 01 - 94 PHANTOM
Stainless steel chronograph (46 mm) with a black carbon finish equipped with a mechanical automatic ETA 2894 movement. Black carbon fibre dial, numerals, indices and hands with a photo-luminescent covering for optimal night reading, 12-hour, 30-minute and 60 seconds counters, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, rubber or ultra-resistant synthetic fabric strap, water-resistant to 100 metres. Limited Edition of 500 pieces. An hours, minutes and seconds Limited Edition version (BR 01 – 92), equipped with an ETA 2892 movement, is also available.

INSTRUMENT BR 01 - 92 BLUE
Stainless steel watch (46 mm) with a black carbon finish equipped with a mechanical automatic ETA 2892 movement. Black carbon fibre dial, numerals, indices and hands with a blue photo-luminescent covering for optimal day/night reading, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, rubber or ultra-resistant synthetic fabric strap, water-resistant to 100 metres. Limited Edition of 500 pieces. A chronograph Limited Edition version (BR 01 – 94), equipped with an ETA 2894 movement, is also available.

INSTRUMENT BR 01 TITANIUM ORANGE
Titanium chronograph (46 mm) equipped with a mechanical automatic ETA 2894 chronograph movement. Black carbon fibre dial, numerals, indices and hands with an orange photo-luminescent covering for optimal day/night reading, 12-hour, 30-minute and 60 seconds counters, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, rubber or ultra-resistant synthetic fabric strap, water-resistant to 100 metres. Limited Edition of 500 pieces.


The Phantom v. the Blue and Orange
Coming back down to the more earthly complications, there are the ghostly Phantom, the Blue and the Orange versions of the BR 01. The Phantom has a black watchcase and strap with furtive, almost invisible photo-luminescent hands, numerals and indices – until its in the dark that is, when it glows like a brilliant star in the firmament.
The Blue and the Orange BR 01s are magnificently colourful and their readability, in addition to being trendy, harks back to the needs of professional pilots when referring to their instrument panels in the often darkened cockpit of their ‘plane. These two versions have black watchcases and rubber or fabric straps with photo-luminescent sky-blue and fiery orange hands, numerals and indices.
The emergence of the BR 01 timepiece was initially surprising, but as Bruno Belamich says, “It is now a Bell & Ross icon.” Meaning that we can look forward to more complications appearing in this particular collection since it lends itself, both aesthetically and technically, to the brand’s philosophy of creating watches that have professional functions but eye-catching appeal.


Source: Europa Star April-May 2007 Magazine Issue