BR 05 36 mm: A New Dimension
The elegant urban timepiece from Bell & Ross reinvents itself with a new 36 mm diameter — a size long awaited by enthusiasts of refined watchmaking and equally by women seeking a sophisticated everyday watch. A subtle and delicate evolution.
A Question of Size
Instrument watches by Bell & Ross are renowned for their precision. By rethinking the BR 05 with a more compact 36 mm diameter and an impressively slim 8.5 mm profile, the independent Franco-Swiss watchmaker has embraced a new form of precision.
“Every millimetre counts, every millimetre shows,” explains Bruno Belamich, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Bell & Ross.
Offering this reduced version meant redesigning and resizing every single component of this sophisticatedly constructed watch. The BR 05 features a complex architecture, with an upper case element affixed to the main body and hermetically secured by four signature screws. Creating a smaller version required a complete rethinking of proportions — ensuring that this BR 05 36 mm is not quite another watch, yet not exactly the same as its predecessors. A true sign of distinction.
A Question of Choice
Why revisit the proportions of the BR 05, a collection already firmly established within Bell & Ross? To respond to new aspirations.
“The BR 05 line has always evolved through various dimensions since its 40 mm debut in 2019 — 41 mm for GMTs, 42 mm for chronographs,” says Bruno Belamich. “Design is not a matter of ideas, but of choices. Today, we’ve chosen to reimagine this line to take it into a new dimension. The BR 05’s personality — urban, versatile and elegant — must suit daily wearers of sport-chic watches. We refined its ergonomics so the bracelet hugs the wrist more naturally, whatever its shape. Another goal was to open the collection further to women.”
More embracing and refined, the new BR 05 36 mm represents a deliberate design choice.
A Question of Personality
Legibility has always been central to Bell & Ross. The new BR 05 36 mm carries this legacy with carefully composed dials: refined hands, large numerals, bold applied indexes filled with white luminescent SLN.
Glossy sunray-finished dials come in black, grey, glacier blue or mother-of-pearl, giving each watch its own distinct character — after all, the dial is the face of the watch. The angular case also asserts its personality through its impeccable contrasts: perfectly flat satin surfaces, polished bevels enhancing the layered architecture, and a remarkably supple steel bracelet that adapts to any wrist with great comfort.
A Question of Function
The BR 05 36 mm focuses on the essentials: clear and accurate indication of hours, minutes, and seconds.
Skeletonised, polished and rhodium-plated hour and minute hands are filled with white SLN, while the rhodium-plated seconds hand brings a subtle contrast. A new automatic movement with 54 hours of power reserve drives the piece — a proven calibre that also allows the watch to remain slim.
“We envisioned the BR 05 36 mm as both a return to the fundamentals and an evolution in proportions — without ever compromising our core principles of reliability, precision and comfort,” adds Bruno Belamich.
A Question of Its Time
A pillar of the Bell & Ross collections since 2019, the BR 05 embodies a contemporary vision of the urban watch: elegant yet sporty, at ease in every situation of modern life.
The new unisex BR 05 36 mm embraces versatility, appealing equally to men and women. It faithfully carries the brand’s iconic “circle within a square” design, directly inspired by the functional aesthetic of aeronautical instruments, now in a more compact format.
The Bell & Ross Story
Founded in 1994 by lifelong friends Carlos-A. Rosillo and Bruno Belamich, both passionate about watchmaking and aviation, Bell & Ross quickly became a reference in professional aviation watches. In 2005, the Maison revolutionised design codes with the launch of the BR 01, inspired by aircraft cockpit instruments.
The iconic “circle within a square” became its signature. This distinctive design now defines each of its collections: the professional BR 03, the urban BR 05, and the cutting-edge BR-X5 manufacture line.
Combining innovation and fine watchmaking, Bell & Ross lives by the motto “From the cockpit to the wrist,” catering both to extreme professionals and to men and women seeking functional yet distinctive timepieces.
Today, the Maison is present in over 80 countries, through 600 select retailers and 25 exclusive boutiques, and partners with prestigious organisations such as La Patrouille de France and Fondation Tara Océan.
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