Bell & Ross
Bell & Ross BR 03-92: The All Rounded Square Dive Watch
Bell & Ross
Bell & Ross BR 03-92: The All Rounded Square Dive Watch
Bell & Ross’ inventiveness, when it comes to exploiting the possibilities of the square-cased BR 0 range, knows no limits, as we learn at every Baselworld. We’ve seen camouflage editions, bronze versions, tourbillons, sapphire panels, one with a roulette wheel, assorted skulls, dials inspired by non-horological cockpit instruments (e.g. altimeters or horizon indicators) and now we have one with the assurance of water-resistance and a mandatory, massive, rotating bezel with error-free legibility.
Mixing round with square has become a Bell & Ross specialty, and it works because the language is now familiar. Not that the original BR 0 model was a shock: there have been round dials in square cases since wristwatches began, from makes as diverse as Omega and Longines, Bulova and Benrus and Jaeger-LeCoultre. For Bell & Ross, it’s a signature model, like elongated tonneaus are for Franck Muller.
Nothing about the BR 03-92 Diver strikes you as forced, however, because it simply looks so natural an evolutionary step in a now-familiar form. This follows earlier diving watches from the brand, including the conventionally round Hydromax of 1997, secure to 11,000ft thanks to a case filled with transparent fluorinated oil, and fitted with external rotating bezel. Then came the BR 02, with its curved tonneau case and decompression valve; this model placed the rotating bezel under the glass, accessed via a second crown at 2 o’clock.
Bell & Ross’ testing meets ISO 6425 standards, achieved in part by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal that is 2.80mm thick, compared to 1.80mm on the non-diving BR 03-92 Steel. The requirements defined by ISP 6425 include a minimum water resistance of 100 meters and “the presence of a time pre-selection device”’ or a 60-minute calibrated uni-directional rotating bezel in plain English, which is protected against accidental rotation or incorrect setting.
If you’re starting to notice a pattern, it would appear, then, that Bell & Ross likes to launch its diving watches on a ten-year cycle. Thus 2017 sees the BR 03-92 Diver, and Bell & Ross completely avoided the most obvious technical or functional concern – that the bezel would be awkward to rotate – by extending its circumference just enough to leave ample “teeth” to grip. It won’t be quite as easy to rotate as a round bezel on a round case, where the entire circumference is accessible, but the positions at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock are prominent enough to provide touch-points. Moreover, the bezel is thick and quite high off the dial.
Bell & Ross also subjects the BR 03-92 Diver to a series of tests to ensure resistance to impacts, thermal shocks in salt water and high pressure, among others. Another nice touch to reassure those who will exploit its 300m/1000ft depth capabilities is the rubberised locking crown. Supplied in a Pelican case, the BR 03-92 Diver comes with two straps – one in woven black rubber and one in ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric with Velcro attachment to facilitate use over a wetsuit sleeve.
As for the rest, it’s definitely a member of the BR0 clan, with a 42mm square case in satin-polished steel, powered by the BR-CAL.302 automatic movement. And it completes a triumvirate of BR 0 models for the range’s band of enthusiasts by adding survival at sea to models already at home on land and in the air.