The Low-Down

Bell & Ross offers more than its fair share of highly technical watches meant to make a bold statement about the company’s technical watchmaking prowess, but the company’s strong suit is arguably in capturing the culture and romance of wearing nice watches in the aesthetically pleasing timepieces that the company consistently produces. Its aviation-inspired pieces evoke a period where analogue instruments held sway in the cockpit, and turning a square-cased BR 03-92 borrowed from an airplane cockpit into a convincing diver is somewhat like achieving a good landing after a double backflip, design-wise.

For its latest outing, Bell & Ross is offering two limited edition colour variants of its vintage-inspired BR V2-92. In a round case, with quarter-hour numerals, attractive typography and a minute track on a highly legible and well-ordered dial, the BR V2-92 also features a bi-directional timing bezel that significantly elevates the utility of the watch, making it a very capable and versatile everyday watch.

The Full Lum, as its name suggests, boasts a fully lumed dial; while the fireworks arrive in the dark, in the daylight, it nevertheless maintains a good looking colour combination, with a pale green dial and hands and markers in yellow, outlined in black. At night, the dial turns blue, and the yellow parts turn green. A very fetching combination in any light.

The same watch but of a more active disposition is the BR V2-92 Orange, with an orange dial and markers in white. With a black rubber strap, it is also available on a steel bracelet, for 500 dollars more. Also limited to 500 pieces.

IMHO

There is a watch for every occasion, and on the other hand, there are watches meant for every occasion. Sports watches on the more refined end of the spectrum come to mind. Simple, dependable, relatively discreet, with good utility for everyday wear. Both the Full Lum and Orange variants of the BR V2-92 meet the criteria with flying colours. The Full Lum, in particular, has a very attractive dial color that is clear and easy to read, satisfying the present hunger for anything mint green but in a shade that’s gentler on the eyes. The date display is tiny enough to do its job without getting in the way, and the bi-directional timing bezel is useful for a great many things.

Tech Specs