About a month ago, Bell & Ross unveiled an all-new collection in the BR-X3 in two references. More recently, it followed that up with a third, the limited-edition BR-X3 Night Vision. With that, the opening salvo trilogy is concluded and, thus, Bell & Ross’ core product strategy has crystallised.
It has been an eventful road for the French watch brand. It was founded in the early 1990s by Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo (the eponymous ‘Bell’ and ‘Ross’), but its defining character came about in 2005 with the launch of the BR-01. A 46mm timepiece with a distinctive circle-within-a-square aesthetic that made it seem like it was ripped straight from an aircraft cockpit, it was a perfect match for the oversized tool watch trend of the era.
But times have changed, and the past few years have been one of evolution for Bell & Ross. Its vintage-inspired round watch collections have been eliminated entirely. The BR-01 has also been discontinued, though its spirit lives on in the BR-03, which is near-identical save for its more versatile 42mm sizing. The BR-05 was launched in 2019, which sports an integrated bracelet and a sleeker, more urbane take on the Bell & Ross signature. And then, in 2022, the brand released the BR-X5, which followed the BR-05 mould but hosted a COSC-certified, Kenissi-manufacture movement—a significant step into a higher tier of horological offering.
The BR-X3, then, is to the BR-03 what the BR-X5 is to the BR-05, equipped with a similar, higher-end COSC-certified movement developed specifically for Bell & Ross. But more than that, it is a bold move in terms of design. The BR-X5 did introduce some extra sophistication to the BR-05, but the BR-X3 goes beyond.
There are two principal elements to it, and the first is the dial design. Flanked at 3 and 9 o’clock by an altimeter-style date window and ‘fuel gauge’ of a power reserve, and bordered by a chapter ring that has indications down the quarter-second (a match for the 4Hz movement), its defining feature is a vaguely X-shaped piece that, well, you might call it a bridge, but seems to serve no structural purpose. It does lend the BR-X3 a unique look, though—one that is, in some ways, anathema to the function-over-form visuals that underpin many watch designs, including the BR-03.
The second is the surprisingly complex case construction. It is a sandwich-style design with a middle case layered between separate front and back pieces. This allows more play between materials and colours—matching the middle to the strap colours, for example, allowing said colour to appear to run through the entire watch.
So, there you have the four corners of today’s Bell & Ross core product offerings: the BR-03 and BR-05 as a base-level tier, and the BR-X3 and BR-X5 as a step up with an increased level of technicality in both mechanics and aesthetics. Where the BR-03 leans vintage, the BR-X3 embraces a more forward-thinking, tech-inspired demeanour that is a markedly different mood to its predecessor—and, yet, is still instantly recognisable as Bell & Ross, with key aspects such as the circle-within-a-square shape, screws in the corners, and 12 and 6 o’clock numerals all intact.
The BR-X3’s launch offerings include the Black Titanium (RM37,500), which leans into a matte, monochromatic, secret-agent look; the Blue Steel (RM32,700), which is more about polish and shine; and the Night Vision (RM59,900), a 150-piece limited edition that has a calling card of luminescence, a tinted sapphire dial, and a carbon case material weaved with glow-in-the-dark resin.
