In 2024, Bell & Ross is pushing the limits of functionality even further with its new BR 03 DIVER diving watch range. The five new models combine technical and aesthetic improvements for optimum performance. Perfected components, such as a ceramic insert and an improved movement, guarantee increased durability and a power reserve extended to 54 hours. Aesthetics have also been enhanced, with new typography and redesigned hands for optimal legibility, even in the most extreme conditions. With a new adaptable strap, Bell & Ross ensures a perfect fit for all wrists. With its new BR 03 DIVER divers, Bell & Ross is raising the standards of performance and legibility, offering divers an unparalleled underwater experience
Making Small Adjustments Makes A Difference
Is it not said that we reach the age of reason at the age of seven? For the BR 03 Diver, which celebrates its seventh birthday in 2024, this juncture marks the maturity which comes with experience. Adopted both by professional mariners and by those who love the nautical world, the BR 03 Diver series became a stylistic milestone for diver’s watches. With three new features for the core model in steel, as well as a new model in matt black ceramics and a new Full Lum version, the upgrades for the BR 03 Diver range are a natural, logical development for these models. Understated, but far-reaching, these technical and design developments are justified, and not merely tinkering with the aesthetics.
A Set Of Certified Divers’ Watches
All the instrument watches in the Bell & Ross BR 03 series are designed as quality tools for professional divers. “Providing professionals with the quality of tools needed for their tasks, and pushing boundaries to their furthest extent has always been part of our brand’s DNA,” affirms Carlos Rosillo, President and co-founder of Bell & Ross. To respond to the legitimate expectations of regulars in the aquatic environment, the new BR 03 DIVER watches comply with the international ISO 6425 standard, which states, “a watch must stand submersion in water to a depth of at least 100 metres and must have a time monitoring system.” Underwater, watch markings must remain visible from 25 cm in the dark.
Moreover, the watch must be operationally tested underwater, at a depth of 30 cm (+/- 2 cm) for 50 hours, at temperatures between 18°C and 25°C. At the end of this period, the mechanisms must still function correctly. Watches are also tested to prove that they are not sensitive to thermal shock, that they resist overpressure in water, and that condensation does not form under certain conditions. The strength of the winding crown is also tested.
Perfectly compliant with each of these demanding product specifications, fitted with BR-CAL.302-1 automatic winding, beating at a frequency of 28,800 alternations per hour (4 Hz), and a guaranteed 54-hour power reserve, all the new BR 03 DIVER watches are water-tight to 300 metres.
From Heights To Depths
Designing instrument watches, reinterpreting the dials, counters, and control panels of an aircraft cockpit with our operational rigour is the hallmark of Bell & Ross. The intrinsic link between the independent watch manufacturer and the world of aeronautics is well established. Effective high performance is a mainstay of the aviation industry. Particularly in relation to the many technical and physical constraints connected with flying at altitude. The exploration of the ocean floor is no less challenging. In both cases, it is the aim of Bell & Ross to support professionals in their environments, to the best of their ability. “For 30 years now, our company has been equipping outstanding pilots and divers, whose tasks and lives depend on their instruments and machines. Bell & Ross is, by definition, the supplier of explorers and elite units, for whom each watch is designed to comply with precise product specifications, according to the environment in which it is intended to be used,” explains Carlos Rosillo, President and co-founder of Bell & Ross. These qualities also attract demanding city dwellers, in search of a timepiece for everyday use, with exemplary style and reliable performance.
BR 03 Diver Steel
Its design and tried and tested reliability make the Bell & Ross BR 03 Diver Steel indispensable to divers. Below the surface of the sea, in a world that is inhospitable to human beings, a watch is a tool for survival. Unless time control is perfect, both descending and re-ascending are particularly dangerous. The diver must have absolute confidence in his watch. The BR 03 Diver Steel collection, with its 42 x 42 mm case in polished, satin-finished steel, is fully compliant. It is available in three options: black, white, and blue. For each, the unidirectional swing bezel with a graduated 60-minutes scale is now enhanced by a ceramic insert in a colour matching the dial. In another noteworthy upgrade, the hands and the indices have been redesigned for greater readability, and the ultra-resistant rubber or synthetic canvas watch strap has been redesigned for a discreet appearance and comfort.
BR 03 Diver Black Matte
The matt black ceramics immediately set the tone, evoking the technical features and clean lines of stealth vessels or explorers’ equipment. In 2019 Bell & Ross regularly offered special editions in this compelling material. This year, the BR 03 Diver Black Matte has been discreetly redesigned to provide significant improvements in readability and power.
The two-part construction of the bezel is a distinctive feature of the BR 03 Diver Black Matte. The bezel itself and its insert are both ceramics, the insert benefits from the same improvements to resistance and readability as the models in steel. Enthusiasts will also immediately notice the enlarged type on the graduated scale. Like the new BR 03 Diver in steel, the new BR 03 Diver Black Matte benefits from the improved design of the hands, the enlarged indices, and the new rubber strap.
BR 03 Diver Full Lum
Thanks to a dial covered entirely in Super-LumiNova®, the FULL LUM readability in the darkness of the deep sea has been significantly improved. This is an essential feature for a diver’s watch. Since its launch in 2020, the Bell & Ross BR 03 Diver Full Lum has made its mark with its powerful aesthetics and radiance. Its dial is now covered with pale blue Super-LumiNova® (emitting blue light), the indices and the arrow-shaped, skeletonized hour and minute hands are coated in white Super-LumiNova® (emitting green light). It is worth noting that the new BR 03 Diver Full Lum is no longer a limited edition but is now an integral member of the permanent BR 03 Diver range.
