Bruno Belamich (Bell) and (&) Carlos Rosillo (Ross) are the alma mater ofBell&Ross, a young brand (not yet 30 years old) that seems to have been there for a long time. What began as a final year project for Mr. Belamich has become a reference with a strong personality that makes his watches unmistakable. Initially oriented towards aviation instrument watches, they commissioned their first models from Helmut Sinn, then owner of the eponymous brand, but they soon began, never better said, to fly alone. Over the years,Bell&Rosshas developed the classic land-sea-air scheme with notable success, although its seal remains square and its reference, the sky.
As a square is theBell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92, the last component - for now - in a long saga of aviation clocks, faithful to the format of those that can be found in many control panels of aircraft still in service. Aiming at legibility, the Nightlum takes up the basic criteria of the collection, with large figures in the cardinal points and oversized sword-type hands, which means that even those who suffer from presbyopia can see the time without the need for glasses. And this is no small thing, because beyond marketing it is appreciated to find practical functions without having to be a pilot, submariner or commando on a mission. Furthermore, all these elements are covered in Superluminova C3, which not only justifies the name of theBell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92but also provides outstanding night visibility.
The BR 03 collection houses up to 31 models, of which 11 (eight hour-only and three chronograph) are equipped with a black ceramic case. Ceramic has a series of advantages over steel: it is much harder (practically scratch-resistant), lighter (about 4 grams per cubic centimeter, compared to 8 on average for steel), warmer to the touch due to its low conductivity and, if I may be allowed a personal opinion, more elegant. Basically, ceramics are oxides: zirconium, aluminum... by the way, what we know as sapphire glass for watches is that, aluminum oxide, that is, a ceramic. It is worth saying here thatBell&RossIt has a reference shareholder: Chanel, which in addition to being a manufacturer (yes!) is a pioneer when it comes to ceramics, so Bell&Ross is moving on familiar ground.
And the case of this one is made of matte black ceramic.Bell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92. The weight of the complete watch, including strap and buckle, does not reach 110 grams, which makes it very comfortable to use. In that sense, I was surprised by how comfortable the square shape is, a shape that is not common in watches and that a priori gives rise to some objection precisely because of its infrequency. Due to its characteristics, ceramic is not polished, it is injected into molds under high pressure and heat (the technical name is “sintered”). And that sintering process along with the purity of the material required makes a ceramic case more expensive than a steel one. Saving the distance, it would be like explaining why the most beautiful things are more expensive, although here I also admit that subjective point. The back or back is engraved with both the specifications (100 meter water resistance, automatic movement, Swiss Made) and the formula of the ceramic used: zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide, the latter also known as Yttria.
Not everything is black in colorBell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92It is made of ceramic: both the screws that fix the two parts of the case and the buckle and winding crown are made of steel with PVD treatment. The good part is that the exact tone of nuance has been achieved and all those parts really seem to be made of the same material. It remains to be seen how they stand the test of time, especially the buckle, which is the most exposed. A detail that symmetry freaks will like: the screws are placed in such a way that the slots, at 45 degrees to the sides of the watch, all point towards the center.
The crown has a knurled finish, which is the finish that according to Wikipedia "is given to pieces that have to be manipulated by hand to avoid the slippage that they would have if they were smooth." InBell&RossThey have taken that very seriously, and handling this crown is a delight because the feeling of security and grip is total. It has three positions (0-1-2) and is not threaded to the case although a water resistance of 100 meters is announced. (Be careful, this does not mean that you can dive to that depth with it: see this article).
The sapphire crystal is completely flat and has anti-reflective treatment on the inside, something quite common given that if it is also placed on the outside it has a tendency to age (“blue”) and, above all, to scratch, which is an inconsistency with respect to the sapphire itself, which is advertised as practically scratch-resistant. It is inserted in the “circle within the square” that the brand itself describes for these models. There is an interesting visual game here. At first glance the circle appears to exceed the square. That is to say, the diameter of the circle would be greater than the side of the square, but the truth is that they are exactly the same and the “trompe l’œil” or trompe l’oeil is in the very subtle beveling of the straight part that leaves the circle “in the air” in the exact center of each side of the square. Details that are not noticeable at first glance but that make the difference between a good design and a perfect one.
On the other hand, a detail that I think goes against it is that the glass – slightly beveled – protrudes three tenths of a millimeter from the aforementioned circle, which potentially exposes it to blows that could dent the edge. It is possible that this is a tribute to the original cockpit clocks, but from a practical point of view perhaps it would be a good idea to increase the bezel by three tenths and leave the glass flush, given that the inner part is very close to the hands and may not be able to be tucked into said bezel.
The dial, the “face” of a watch and what often makes a purchase decision, is also matte black, with large baton-type hour markers except at the four cardinal points: at 3, 6, 9 and 12 the equally large Arabic numerals appear, and all of them covered in Superluminova C3 with a greenish shine reminiscent of the original tritium. The three hands are also painted: hour, minute and seconds, although not in their entirety for better legibility, since if they were completely painted they could become confused - especially the first two - in certain positions. Although in normal light conditions (natural or artificial) they have the same color, neither the logo under 12 o'clock, nor the model name at six o'clock nor the date at four-thirty are treated, so they do not interfere with night vision or in the dark.
The caliber, named byBell&RossB-302, is a Sellita SW300-1 Top version with no notable modifications. A highly reliable caliber manufactured by one of the leading companies in the sector. Automatic with ball bearing on the rotor axis, it has 25 jewels, a diameter of eleven and a half lines or, in other words, 25.60 mm (which explains the position of the date window), a power reserve of around 40 hours and oscillates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hertz. The thickness of 3.60 mm helps to maintain theBell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92in a contents 11 mm total height. Quick date pass and stop seconds hand in position 2 of the crown. Three crown positions: 0 for manual winding (65 turns would be the limit), 1 for quick date adjustment and 2 for time setting. The caliber is set in four positions for an average gear of +/-4 seconds per day. Almost COSC, although it does not have the certificate.
If what Carlos Rosillo said in an interview ten years ago is still valid, the strap is the only thing thatBell&Rossdoes not produce in Switzerland. They are handmade in Belgium, and are famous for their quality and beauty. The one that accompanies theBell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92It is made of calfskin with a Nubuck-type finish, and although it must be said that this velvety appearance does not last very long, there is no need to be scared: the appearance that remains is of a vintage or aged leather that fits the watch perfectly and is reminiscent of old aviators' jackets. Its gray-green color contributes to this mimicry, and there I see—again—the skillful hand of Bruno Belamich. The inside is also made of leather, it has a coarse grain that will prevent it from slipping around the wrist in case the wearer does not wear the strap tight, and the stitching in an equally greenish-gray color looks perfect (my opinion, too). Despite its appearance, the measurements are 24/24, that is, it measures 24 mm wide both in the part of the watch handles (where it is attached to it) and in the part of the buckle. It's the "fins" next to the case that give it the appearance of being wider (well, it actually is...). You can choose up to three sizes depending on wrist thickness: S, M and L.
El Bell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92It is also accompanied by a strap made of “ultra-resistant synthetic fabric” made of Nylon or polyester that has its own buckle and does not need to share it with the leather one. It comes in the pack at no additional cost. Both are attached to the watch using what look like large pins that I imagine snap in from one of the outer sides of the lugs. The presentation box-case has a “second floor” where a series of tools are housed that allow you to carry out the operation yourself.
The price ofBell&Ross Nightlum BR 03-92It costs €3,400 and is available at the brand's dealers. You can also buy it in the e-shop on their website or ask Sara, from Bell&Ross Madrid: +34 91 575 65 83.
