The Bell & Ross BR 03 Cyber Ceramic is a reimagination of the BR 03.
What does the future hold for us, with stories and secrets, journeys and discoveries waiting to be unravelled? Time holds the keys to these discoveries, a nonspatial continuum, measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future. Being in the business of timekeeping, Bell & Ross understand that with each passing second, we are taken away from the present and propelled into the future. With one eye set on tomorrow, its latest creation, the 500-piece limited edition Bell & Ross BR 03 Cyber Ceramic, looks to the future as a testament to modern watchmaking.
Regarded as one of the mainstays of Bell & Ross and an icon within the watchmaking sphere, Bell & Ross’ designers were tasked with reimagining the BR 03 without deviating from its essence. One of the thought processes was to avoid resorting to traditional watchmaking forms, which led Bell & Ross to its Cyber collection’s graphic and futuristic codes popularised by the BR 01 Cyber Skull.
Instead of a conventional stainless steel or precious metal watch case, Bell & Ross opted for ceramic, often regarded as the material of the future thanks to its impervious properties. A blend of strength, lightweightness, corrosion resistance, and immunity to weathering and ageing makes ceramic feel almost alien-like. The watch case’s faceted structure takes a leaf from stealth aircraft; its 42 x 43.7 mm case undergoes complex production methods involving extremely high temperatures to ensure its purity and increased resistance. “Grinding with diamond powder made it possible to resurface the facets, like jewellers cutting a precious stone. To preserve the purity of the design, the lugs have disappeared, and the housing for the rubber strap has been cut into the case”, explains Bruno Belamich, Creative Director and co-founder of Bell & Ross.
The concept of stealth invisibility extends to the dial with a skeletonised execution, revealing a three-dimensional sculptural bridge of the BR-CAL.383 calibre paired with glossy black ceramic hour indices. “The faceting on the lines is, of course, a nod to the digital arts. When a digital image freezes, it reveals the pixels of which it is made”, says Belamich.