The BR-03 Diver is back again, this time in a handsome bronze and black livery that’s limited to 999 pieces. It’s the eighth in the Bronze Diver series that has been released over the past eight years, and probably the best-looking one of them yet.

The new BR-03 Diver Black Bronze bears the emblematic Bell & Ross design codes proudly: the iconic circle within a square, here heightened by the striking color contrast. The black-polished ceramic ring and glossy black-lacquered dial pop against the golden bronze bezel and case that will burnish into a lovely patina with time. Bell & Ross has used this black-and-bronze colorway elsewhere in other families, such as in 2019’s BR V2-94 Bellytanker Bronze, but with the BR-03 Diver Bronze series, it goes beyond the superficial.

Bell & Ross BR-03 Diver Black Bronze

As a material, bronze has a long history in diving, thanks to its excellent corrosion resistance, durability and strength. It can withstand the seawater corrosion far better than iron or regular steel, which oxidize into rust. For the Diver Bronze series, Bell & Ross uses a marine-grade CuSn8 alloy, made up of 92 percent copper and 8 percent tin, that is structurally stable. This means that it will not rust or break down over time; instead the material develops a patina that shifts from warm gold to deep brown, depending on its environment and how often it is worn. This, of course, is part of the enduring appeal of a bronze watch, especially a diver where the patina is testament to life amidst sun, sand and sea.

Bell & Ross BR-03 Diver Black Bronze

Like its predecessors, the watch is a solid 42mm × 42mm, with bathtub-style indexes and hour and minute hands filled with white Super-LumiNova that glows green for legibility both day and night, on land and at sea. The unidirectional bezel is graduated for 60 minutes with white X1 Super-LumiNova markings for easy visibility when measuring dive times. The BR-03 Diver Black Bronze is a professional diver that adheres to ISO 6425, the international standards for dive watches to ensure they can withstand deep sea diving conditions, so legibility is guaranteed up to 25cm in the deep blue.

The bathtub-style indexes and hour and minute hands filled with white Super-LumiNova that glows green

In line with these standards, the case features a telescopic screw-down crown with a rubber insert for easy handling with diving gloves and extra-thick, anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The steel screw-down caseback features an engraving of an antique diving helmet — a subtle reference to the fact that diving helmets were once made of bronze — and ensures water resistance to 300 meters. It is powered by the Caliber BR-CAL.302-1, and beats at 4Hz with a respectable 54-hour power reserve. For double duty on land and at sea, the watch comes with a black rubber and a black synthetic fabric strap.

The telescopic screw-down crown with a rubber

The caseback features an engraving of an antique diving helmet

Tech Specs: Bell & Ross BR-03 Diver Black Bronze

Reference BR03A-D-BL-BR/SRB
Movement Self-winding Caliber BR-CAL.302-1; 54-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds and date
Case 42mm × 42mm × 12.3mm; satin-finished and polished CuSn8 bronze, with stainless steel screw-down caseback; water resistant to 300m
Dial Black, coated with glossy lacquer; applied “Baignoire-style” hour markers filled with white Super-LumiNova (green glow)
Strap Black rubber and additional ultra resilient black synthetic fabric; satin-finished and polished bronze pin buckle
Price USD 5,500
Availability Limited edition of 999 pieces