Bell & Ross Adds New Watches to their Vintage Collection, Including a Limited Edition Bronze Chronograph

Bell & Ross as a brand is perhaps best known for their square shaped watches that strongly resemble aircraft instrument panels. While those watches have a definite cult following, the brand also produces watches in a far more traditional style, often with a focus on military watch designs of the past. When it comes to “new vintage” watches, Bell & Ross, as a brand, is something of a sleeper hit. Having been created in the early 90s, the brand doesn’t have a back catalog of timepieces to reintroduce to the public. While some might see vintage inspired watches coming from a new brand as opportunistic, one could also choose to see it as an opportunity to really refine a style of design. Over the years, Bell & Ross has gradually become increasingly adept at something few brands can manage: creating watches that have the appearance of something historic, but are actually, in their own way, fresh and modern. Their three newest releases are case in point, so let’s jump in.

Bell & Ross BR V2-93 GMT Blue

• Case Material: Stainless steel 
• Dial: Blue
• Dimensions: 41mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire    
• Water Resistance: 100 meters
• Crown: Screw down        
• Movement: BR-CAL.303
• Strap/bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet, elastic canvas strap
• Price: $3,200 – $,3500
• Reference Number: BRV293-BLU-ST
• Expected Release: February 2020

Bell & Ross BR V2-92 Military Green

• Case Material: Stainless steel 
• Dial: Green
• Dimensions: 41mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire    
• Water Resistance: 100 meters
• Crown: Screw down        
• Movement: BR-CAL.302
• Strap/bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet, elastic canvas strap
• Price: $2,990 – $3,300
• Reference Number: BRV-292-MKA-ST
• Expected Release: March 2020

Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Aéronavale Bronze

• Case Material: Bronze
• Dial: Blue
• Dimensions: 41mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire    
• Water Resistance: 100 meters
• Crown: Screw down        
• Movement: BR-CAL.301
• Strap/bracelet: Elastic canvas strap
• Price: $5,200
• Reference Number: BRV294-BLU-BR/SF
• Expected Release: April 2020

First up is the BR V2-93 GMT Blue, a new take on a GMT the brand first launched in 2018. This version has a bold blue dial, and its rotating 24 hour bezel makes it a compelling choice for professional aviators who need to track as many as three time zones simultaneously as it does for leisure travelers, who just need a good solid watch that lets them keep up with their home time. The GMT’s styling is sleek and sporty, with sword hands and a bezel insert in anodized aluminum providing nice vintage touches. 

The BR V2-92 Military Green is derived from Bell & Ross’s “LUM” collection, and is the brand’s version of an all purpose tool watch. The drab green dial has heavy military vibes, evoking both khaki camouflage and wide open spaces that field watches were made for. Small details abound, my favorite being the color matched date disk at 4:30. The green tone of the dial is this watch’s strongest asset, and to break that up with a white or black date window would have really thrown off the design. 

Lastly, the BR V2-94 Aéronavale Bronze is at once a departure from the other newly introduced watches in this lineup, but also very much in the same vein. This new Aéronavale chronograph, part of a series of watches inspired by the aviation branch of the French navy (but not actually sanctioned by them in any way), maintains a traditional case shape with very clear vintage inspired lines and proportions, but has been styled with an iridescent blue dial and a warm, bronze case. At a glance, of course, the yet-to-patina bronze makes you think of precious metals, giving the BR V2-94 Aéronavale Bronze an heir of something fairly formal and refined. While this watch can certainly be dressed up, in terms of specs it’s every bit as robust as the other watches in this series, with a sapphire crystal, modern Swiss movement, and 100 meters of water resistance.

The two register chronograph layout keeps busyness on the dial to a minimum, allowing the blue and contrasting bronze elements to be the star of the show. While the BR V2-93 GMT in blue and the BR V2-92 in green are permanent addtions to the Bell & Ross catalog, this BR V2-94 Aéronavale in bronze is limited to 999 pieces. 

Also of note with the two non-limited watches in this collection is that they can each be purchased on either a stainless steel bracelet. or canvas strap that Bell & Ross tells us has an elastic quality (the Aéronavale is only available on a strap). While the conventional wisdom is that one should always opt for the bracelet option to keep potential future accessory costs down, the straps appear to be nicely matched to each watch, and offer a great casual look that really complements the vibe Bell & Ross is going for here.

There’s something almost whimsical about Bell & Ross’s new-vintage creations. As with any watch, you’ll dig the design or you won’t, but for watch fans who are after something that is clearly indebted to designs of the past but still offers something new, Bell & Ross is worth looking at. These are not painstakingly reproduced replicas of watches from a generation ago, but simply impressions of what those watches looked and felt like. Bell & Ross