Bell & Ross Adds an Attractive Blue GMT to the Collection

Bell & Ross has expanded their offering of GMT equipped watches at this year’s Watches & Wonders with the BR 03-93 GMT Blue. A GMT complication is perhaps the most natural additional feature for a watch that’s so tied to aviation. The iconic square case shape of the BR 03 is modeled after what you might find on an instrument cluster in an aircraft. For this new reference, Bell & Ross is employing a combination of colors that are not frequently seen together, at least within the Bell & Ross catalog, but they complement each other incredibly well. 

The story here starts with the dial, which is a gorgeous shade of bright blue with a sunray finish. Bell & Ross tells us they’ve designed the dial with pure functionality in mind, thinking through the complementing colors in terms of legibility. Large Arabic numerals at the cardinal positions combined with big lume filled hands immediately orient the wearer of the watch to the local time at a glance. The oversized red arrow on the GMT hand is also lume filled and meant to be similarly immediately identifiable. As is the custom for Bell & Ross with recent releases, lume has been emphasized and applied liberally across the various dial furniture. Everything on the dial is big and well defined, and one can imagine it would be hard to confuse local for GMT time, and vice-versa.

The case is classic Bell & Ross, rendered in stainless steel and measuring 42mm across. Rather than a traditional blue and red bezel, Bell & Ross have elected to go with blue and gray, a choice they say was made in the name of giving the watch a more modern feel. The color matching between the blue of the bezel, dial, and strap is spot on, and the watch is begging for a nickname referencing the color. Blueberry? Smurf? Both already taken, unfortunately, but I have confidence enterprising Bell & Ross fans can come up with something. 

In terms of specs, the Bell & Ross BR 03-93 GMT Blue falls in line with other watches in the collection. It uses the Cal.303, a Sellita based movement with a caller style GMT function, and the watch has a sapphire crystal and 100 meters of water resistance. In addition to the blue leather, the GMT Blue is also available with a black synthetic nylon strap. 

The new BR 03-93 GMT Blue carries a retail price of $4,600.