Baselworld 2010: Bell & Ross
By Melvyn Teillol-Foo
It is always a pleasure to meet "Mr Ross", which we know is a pseudonym for the brand's CEO, Carlos Rosillo. Dressed in that inimitable French style, he has the Gallic way of speaking with his hands.
NOVELTIES
B&R essentially revealed three new lines this year.
RADAR - An innovative display
The RADAR display is simple but takes a while to get used to its departure from normal convention. It portrays the microwave beam that sweeps the circular screen of a radar. Three brightly coloured line segments on three independent concentric disks. They indicate the hours, minutes and seconds as the eye moves towards the centre of the dial. There are two graduated perpendicular lines superimposed on the disks to indicate the time.The coloured line segments indicate a unit of time: red indicates the hours, yellow the minutes and green the seconds.
The important thing is that it works because the technological challenge posed by its design and production required some micro-engineering solutions.
Each disk weighs 30 times more than a watch hand so ultra-light disks needed to be created that maintained the watch’s power reserve and accuracy. Furthermore, each disk needed to be sufficiently resistant so as maintain its integrity and minimize friction. This dual challenge required the development of specific materials and new techniques.
Like our own PuristSPro All Black Rescue, an adjustment to the nearest micron ensures that the disks are constantly parallel; we need to do the same for the 4-hand seconds' hand on the PPro ABR watch.
BR 03-92 Military Ceramic
The new BR 03 Military Ceramic celebrates the art of military camouflage. This should go down well with the collectors with its spooky green colour.
Vintage BR 123 & 126 Heritage Collection
A vintage casing for a modern watch
Carlos likes to place the new watches at the end of a line-up of models that came before.
The round casing, traditional in form, evokes memories of the 1940s, with anti-glare matte black carbon finish is inspired by the colour of an aircraft instrument panel.
The vintage curved glass is reproduced but made from sapphire crystal for scratch resistance. The hands and dial marker colour mimics that of old watches with faded yellowing. The natural leather strap, like the watches of old, develops a rich patina over time.
BUT THERE'S MORE
Just when you thought it was all over, here is a mystery watch.....
Like Day and Night?
Conclusion:
No doubt the B&R collectors will be waiting in-line for Autumn 2010 to get their military inspired mitts on these novelties.