Colorful dials and case materials continue to build momentum this year, and one combo we’ve seen manifest with some consistency is red and bronze. Bell & Ross jumps into the mix with their latest limited edition BR 03-92 Diver, which pairs a burgundy dial and bezel with a square bronze case. This is the fourth colorway of the Diver, joining black, green and blue models we’ve seen released in as many years, and the third to utilize a bronze case.
Bell & Ross divers adapted from their instrument collection bring a familiar vibe in their square, instrument style design. While the case construction may break some of the norms of the genre, the dial itself sits comfortably within the established design language of more traditional dive watches. That is to say, large circular hour plots with prominent bars at the cardinal positions, chunky hands, plenty of lume, and of course, a unidirectional rotating bezel. It’s a tried and true look that works as well here as it does elsewhere.
The chosen color scheme is what sets this watch apart, with an anodized red aluminum bezel insert and red lacquered dial set within a 42mm case constructed of bronze. A warm leather strap falls in line with the theme and the result is a rather ornamental looking, loosely recognizable dive watch. The case is satin-polished CuSn8 bronze meant to invoke diving helms of another era, as depicted on the caseback of the watch (which is steel).
Within the BR 03-92 Bell & Ross is using the automatic BR-CAL.302 movement, based on the Sellita SW-300. The watch enjoys a 300m depth rating and meets ISO 6425 standards, so it’ll do just fine when the going gets a little wet. On that note, Bell & Ross is also providing a woven rubber strap if you actually plan on diving with the watch.
The BR 03-92 Diver Red Bronze is limited to 999 examples and is priced at $4,600. If that feels a little steep I’d recommend checking out the steel bodied divers on offer from the brand, which start under $4,000. The Red Bronze certainly has a vibe, though, and with fewer than 1,000 being made, owners will be in rare company. Bell & Ross.
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