Bell & Ross Review - 'BR03-90 Big Date Power Reserve'

At 46mm with superb legibility and referencing the cockpit instruments from aircraft, these large watches became an overnight success and spawned many variations: From the stealthy blacked out design of the BR01-92 Phantom to the iconic and remarkable BR01 Airborne.

Further expanding the range and to meet the tastes of customers, Bell & Ross developed smaller sized versions of the BR01 which were released as the BR03 (42mm) and BRS (39mm) ranges.

At BaselWorld 2011 in Switzerland, Bell & Ross launched a couple of additions to it’s popular BR03 line and the ‘BR03-90 Big Date & Power Reserve’ is pictured here. (Soon the launch online at TIME²)

Whilst the previous couple of years have seen Bell & Ross focussing on black watches, either coated with carbon, or experimenting with new materials such as Carbon Fibre - in 2011 they went back to basics with this 42mm time instrument in stainless steel.

Featuring the classic clean designs inspired by the BR01-92, this watch is the first in the BR03 range to take on both a ‘big date’ view and a large visible power reserve, positioned at 6 o’clock.

The power reserve acts as a visible reminder of how much power the watch has left, like the fuel gauge from an aircraft, the needle will slowly move from right to left to indicate the amount of power left. As the watch movement is a Swiss automatic, wearing the watch will automatically keep the power charged. If the watch is left unworn, then a simple manual wind of the crown will top up the power.

The big date function is a massive improvement on the existing small date window which appears at around 4 o’clock on the 03-92. Positioned centrally, under 12 o’clock this makes the date more prominent and improves the overall readability of the dial.

With the recent release of the 45mm round WW1 range, it’s clear to see a direct influence on these new watches with the use of the power reserves and larger date and it’s pleasing to know that Bell & Ross are still referencing their original design principles to make legible watches that are precise and functional.

See Bell & Ross watches for more styles.