Man, Bell&Ross is going strong this year. I love the Military Ceramic BR 01 style beast now called the BR 03-92 with military band and I’m kind of liking the new series in chrono and three-hand form. I guess people were tired of having a big square thing on their wrists and wanted something more delicate.

Yeah, I don’t know why they made an another iPhone app either. It seems, after noticing B&R style clocks on the HTC Hero, that there is a real fetish for interface designers over these things. That’s the only way I can explain it.

Oh well. The watches are still expensive. But the iPhone app is free.

Not content with making me happy with their GMT, Bell&Ross has just released this weird piece for Colette, some sort of artsy shop in Paris. This is some kind of tribute to Airborne Rangers, I suspect, with a little skull and two sword hands. Not sure how much it would cost in Earth money but I’m willing to bet a few grand.

Is it just me or are these guys releasing a new model every fifteen seconds.

Just in time for the holidays we have a new Bell&Ross watch designed for the French Air Force. As you see, they’ve stuffed the same quartz movement you’ll find in the Breitling Emergency into what I’d say is a very beefy and actually quite stunning case. I’ve been hard on B&R lately, but this is a nice move back into sanity.

I’d say this one is about $6,000.

To recap: Bell&Ross make big fat aviator watches. They are expensive. Now they have a smaller line of solid gold pieces with considerably less geek cred. We encourage you, then, to feast your eyes on a watch more expensive than your car yet with no mechanical improvements over a $100 Seiko. Feast your eyes on the Instrument BRS Gold.

I love Bell&Ross. I really do. They took the Big Watch craze and made something cool, techie, and elegant. But B&R: please stop milking this cow. She’s really hurting right now and each new iteration (“Now in black! Now in blue!”) reminds us that there aren’t any new ideas coming out of B&R HQ right now.

Because he wants to reach for the stars and explore the ocean depths, because he lives out his passions to the full, man has always measured himself against time… to turn a few seconds into a moment of eternity.

Master watchmakers, engineers, designers and professional users combine their skills and experience with a unique objective in mind – to create a utilitarian watch – with the motto being that the essential is never compromised by the superfluous.

s is for smaller
In 2008, Bell & Ross has expanded its iconic model, the INSTRUMENT, with the birth of its new 39 mm diameter BRS GOLD collection. This new addition is an urban interpretation of the BR 01 Professional Instrument (46 mm).
A size that is suitable for everyday use, in line with the four fundamental Bell & Ross principles: readability, functionality, accuracy and water-resistance.

s is for sleeker
The BRS Gold is an elegant BR designed in adherence with the traditional Swiss watchmaking codes. The ergonomic case with its remarkably flat profile (6.8 mm) houses a mechanical movement with manual winding.

s is for smart
Noble materials, pink gold or satin-finish grey gold, high-precision adjusted movement, pure dial – the BRS Gold is synonymous with high-technology and elegance.
With its pink gold trim, the professional Instrument is elegant with a haute horlogerie feel to it.
refined, sleek, luxurious and supremely comfortable to wear, the Brs Gold will become a part of everyday life for demanding men and women from both enthusiasts to seasoned collectors.

technical characteristics
movement: Mechanical with manual winding, ETA 7001
Functions: Central hour and minute, independent small second at 6 o’clock.
Case: Diameter 39 mm. Pink gold or grey gold 18 K
Dials: Black galvanic, pearl or ivory. Blued hands.
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m strap: Alligator (Brown-Black-Grey)
Price:
- Pink gold: $ 10,900
- Grey gold: $ 11,900