New Arrival: Bell & Ross BR02-94 Chronograph
Discussion
Seeing as Bell & Ross are rarely mentioned on these boards, I thought I'd write a small review of my latest acquisition, to show you what B&R do best ... Attention to detail!
Bell & Ross focus on 4 major design principles when creating any new piece, one of which is for a watch to have clear visual indicators. The BR01 (Aviation) series takes inspiration from aircraft instrument dials, in that the dial of the watch is minimalist and easily legible at a quick glance. The BR02 is part of the Marine range and is intended for diving, but many of it's design cues come from the BR01 - It's a fusion of aviation style dial with diver features
Now one of the reasons I was drawn to the BR02 in the first place was due to the tonneau style case. I've been after a tonneau watch for a little while and I have always had a hankering for a BR02. I've looked at Citizen, Oris and Orient for something to scratch that itch, but by holding out a little longer, I managed to pick up what I'd call one of my grail watches
So onto the unpacking ...
No shiny polished wooden box here; Just a dust-proof, water-proof, chemical resistant, life-time guaranteed double-hard Pelican case
It's a rather unique form of packaging for a watch, but it compliments the BR02 in it's solid, over-engineered appearance. Inside lurks a canvas strap and a strap changing tool. Currently it's on the rubber strap provided.
The specifications include an ETA 2894 (Hence the '-94' designation) with small seconds at 3o'clock and 30 minute chronograph at 9o'clock, 500M water resistance, screw down crown, locking chrono pushers, internal bezel with locking bezel control, automatic helium escape valve, sapphire glass with AR and blue lume
My first impressions focused on the tonneau case design; It's lovely. It's akin to wearing a machined billet of stainless steel on your wrist. The BR02 measures in at 44mm diameter and 17mm thickness, with an overall width of 50mm. It's definitely not for small wrists. However the combination of the tonneau case lines and the specially designed rubber strap help keep the overall look aggressive and not 'overly' large.
The case features a mixture of satin and polished finishes, which gives some nice reflective qualities in bright light. The top surfaces of the case are satin, whereas the edges and sides of the case are polished. Even the crown guards follow suit, with polished sides and a satin top finish.
Which moves me onto the hex chrono pushers ...
The chrono pushers are covered in a rubberized material and unlock/lock with an almost frictionless feel to them. Literally, one quick flick is all that is required to fully unlock/lock the pushers. The locking bezel control has more resistance, but is smooth and gently 'clicks' when unlocked. A light push and twist returns the bezel control to a locked position.
The large domed sapphire glass with thick AR coating provides excellent legibility in light conditions, but also gives a distortion effect at extreme angles, similar to that as if you were underwater. This effect might be a bit marmite for some, but I love it! The profile of the glass suddenly drops at the edges, which refracts the dial and light more so. The effect is difficult to capture with a rubbish camera ...
There are lots of other small details that at quick glance go unnoticed. The two chrono dials have a slightly raised centre, with the 'dropped' areas incorporating several fine rings for decoration. Also, the date is at 4:30 and has a tapered viewing window.
To finish off, here are some pics of the incredibly bright, long lasting blue lume, the nicely finished caseback (a bit dirty from wearing it over the weekend!) and a few wrist shots
Bell & Ross focus on 4 major design principles when creating any new piece, one of which is for a watch to have clear visual indicators. The BR01 (Aviation) series takes inspiration from aircraft instrument dials, in that the dial of the watch is minimalist and easily legible at a quick glance. The BR02 is part of the Marine range and is intended for diving, but many of it's design cues come from the BR01 - It's a fusion of aviation style dial with diver features
Now one of the reasons I was drawn to the BR02 in the first place was due to the tonneau style case. I've been after a tonneau watch for a little while and I have always had a hankering for a BR02. I've looked at Citizen, Oris and Orient for something to scratch that itch, but by holding out a little longer, I managed to pick up what I'd call one of my grail watches
So onto the unpacking ...
No shiny polished wooden box here; Just a dust-proof, water-proof, chemical resistant, life-time guaranteed double-hard Pelican case
It's a rather unique form of packaging for a watch, but it compliments the BR02 in it's solid, over-engineered appearance. Inside lurks a canvas strap and a strap changing tool. Currently it's on the rubber strap provided.The specifications include an ETA 2894 (Hence the '-94' designation) with small seconds at 3o'clock and 30 minute chronograph at 9o'clock, 500M water resistance, screw down crown, locking chrono pushers, internal bezel with locking bezel control, automatic helium escape valve, sapphire glass with AR and blue lume
My first impressions focused on the tonneau case design; It's lovely. It's akin to wearing a machined billet of stainless steel on your wrist. The BR02 measures in at 44mm diameter and 17mm thickness, with an overall width of 50mm. It's definitely not for small wrists. However the combination of the tonneau case lines and the specially designed rubber strap help keep the overall look aggressive and not 'overly' large.
The case features a mixture of satin and polished finishes, which gives some nice reflective qualities in bright light. The top surfaces of the case are satin, whereas the edges and sides of the case are polished. Even the crown guards follow suit, with polished sides and a satin top finish.
Which moves me onto the hex chrono pushers ...
The chrono pushers are covered in a rubberized material and unlock/lock with an almost frictionless feel to them. Literally, one quick flick is all that is required to fully unlock/lock the pushers. The locking bezel control has more resistance, but is smooth and gently 'clicks' when unlocked. A light push and twist returns the bezel control to a locked position.
The large domed sapphire glass with thick AR coating provides excellent legibility in light conditions, but also gives a distortion effect at extreme angles, similar to that as if you were underwater. This effect might be a bit marmite for some, but I love it! The profile of the glass suddenly drops at the edges, which refracts the dial and light more so. The effect is difficult to capture with a rubbish camera ...
There are lots of other small details that at quick glance go unnoticed. The two chrono dials have a slightly raised centre, with the 'dropped' areas incorporating several fine rings for decoration. Also, the date is at 4:30 and has a tapered viewing window.
To finish off, here are some pics of the incredibly bright, long lasting blue lume, the nicely finished caseback (a bit dirty from wearing it over the weekend!) and a few wrist shots
Great review - thanks.
About 2.5 years ago I tried the BR01-92 at Jura and discounted it for being too large but then went on to buy the Glycine Lagunare LCC300 which is 46mm excluding the crowns. Go figure!
I should have tried the 02-94. That looks gorgeous (and temptingly so)! Another for my wish list!
Congrats and Merry Christmas
About 2.5 years ago I tried the BR01-92 at Jura and discounted it for being too large but then went on to buy the Glycine Lagunare LCC300 which is 46mm excluding the crowns. Go figure!
I should have tried the 02-94. That looks gorgeous (and temptingly so)! Another for my wish list!
Congrats and Merry Christmas
Spice_Weasel said:
About 2.5 years ago I tried the BR01-92 at Jura and discounted it for being too large but then went on to buy the Glycine Lagunare LCC300 which is 46mm excluding the crowns. Go figure!
I love the design of the LCC3000 I have a Lagunare 3837, which is 46mm in size, and it's a big watch ... It feels bigger than the BR02!Very nice! I really like the Bell and Ross watches but would probably aim more for the more basic looking 123 as I think my wimpy wrists would look dwarfed with the bigger stuff.
Superb looking watch though, and as is often the case with these more premium items, the packaging and presentation of it also looks like it helps make it feel extra special!
Superb looking watch though, and as is often the case with these more premium items, the packaging and presentation of it also looks like it helps make it feel extra special!
Not really for me but an excellent review and some great features on it - notably the quick unlock pushers and bezel control - those are very neat touches indeed which I didn't know about.
The design is good as well I think - negating a bit of mass with some interesting planes and ending up with a unique case shape - cool and interesting - I like the way they have kept it very B&W except for the two elements you want to stand out - the 12 o'clock bezel marker and the minute hand, very sensible and purpose driven.
The design is good as well I think - negating a bit of mass with some interesting planes and ending up with a unique case shape - cool and interesting - I like the way they have kept it very B&W except for the two elements you want to stand out - the 12 o'clock bezel marker and the minute hand, very sensible and purpose driven.
Edited by andy_s on Friday 23 December 00:30
Ikemi said:
I love the design of the LCC3000 I have a Lagunare 3837, which is 46mm in size, and it's a big watch ... It feels bigger than the BR02!
Can you post a pic of your 3837 with your 02-94? As someone else has pointed out, the curved shape of the 02-94 does give it a sense of less bulk. I have a Lagunare 3837, which is 46mm in size, and it's a big watch ... It feels bigger than the BR02!NeMiSiS said:
Very nice and far from their last sales drive / advertising campaign, I think they have resumed mainstream service.
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Enjoy.
It's the new target market ... Village People enthusiasts .
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Enjoy.
Spice_Weasel said:
Ikemi said:
I love the design of the LCC3000 I have a Lagunare 3837, which is 46mm in size, and it's a big watch ... It feels bigger than the BR02!
Can you post a pic of your 3837 with your 02-94? As someone else has pointed out, the curved shape of the 02-94 does give it a sense of less bulk. I have a Lagunare 3837, which is 46mm in size, and it's a big watch ... It feels bigger than the BR02!
Ikemi said:
Sure! Both watches are similar in thickness, but it looks as though the length of the lugs on the Glycine are the reason behind why it wears larger than the BR
Cool. Think you are right. My LCC300 was originally on the fitted end rubber strap which mean it wore really big as the rubber did not bend for the first inch from the edge of the case. Does the B&R suffer from this? Spice_Weasel said:
it wore really big as the rubber did not bend for the first inch from the edge of the case. Does the B&R suffer from this?
Not at all The rubber strap is quite thin and flexible. It's also curved near the lugs to match the shape of your wrist, and as a result, it's incredibly comfortable to wear!NeMiSiS said:
Chris, is the rubber strap interchangable with anything else, or is it moulded to the contours of the watch lugs ?
Also does the inner bezel ring move on its own or is it secure, I know it's a million miles apart, but my Seiko Atlas inner bezel moves on its own and annoys me deeply.
There is something special about Blue lume and an orange pointer, maybe we should start a club.
The strap can be changed for a standard leather/rubber strap, but I think due to the design of the lugs, it might look a little odd! It does come with a canvas strap, but even that has been designed to accommodate the unusual case design ... Also does the inner bezel ring move on its own or is it secure, I know it's a million miles apart, but my Seiko Atlas inner bezel moves on its own and annoys me deeply.
There is something special about Blue lume and an orange pointer, maybe we should start a club.
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii229/piersberr...
From what I've read on www.br-avo.com, there are a few custom strap makers who offer a few different styles of straps specifically made for the BR02.
The internal bezel doesn't move at all; It's firmly locked in place
If it moved, it would annoy me too! I love your PloProf though ... It was the first watch I saw with an orange minute hand ... I've always wanted a diver with orange minute hand, so that was another bonus of the BR02 How big/heavy is the PloProf on a mesh bracelet?LOVE the fact this thing comes in a Peli case!
I must say I do like B&Rs, just havn't found one that I'm 100% happy with on my wrist (including the smaller BR-S).
They do seem to get very mixed responses on forums, suprised I've not seen a comment about the screw heads not lining up which is something I often see commented on B&R topics.
Enjoy your new toy!
I must say I do like B&Rs, just havn't found one that I'm 100% happy with on my wrist (including the smaller BR-S).
They do seem to get very mixed responses on forums, suprised I've not seen a comment about the screw heads not lining up which is something I often see commented on B&R topics.
Enjoy your new toy!
Arun_D said:
LOVE the fact this thing comes in a Peli case!
suprised I've not seen a comment about the screw heads not lining up which is something I often see commented on B&R topics.
I'll be the only one who goes for the roll eyes as it's the only thing I dislike & it would wind me up looking at it every time I wore it-especially if I looked at someone's £500 watch that could manage to get things to line up.suprised I've not seen a comment about the screw heads not lining up which is something I often see commented on B&R topics.
Apart from that I love them
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