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Big, White, Beauty : Bell & Ross BR03-92 A Woman’s Perspective

Big, White, Beauty : Bell & Ross BR03-92 A Woman’s Perspective

While perusing various showcases and shops on a recent getaway to the “city of lights”, something rather white and bright caught my eye.  Immediately, I recognized the signature round dial in a square case from the Bell & Ross collection of watches.  However, this was one I hadn’t yet seen before.  Intrigued, I summoned the sales associate for a closer look. It was a BR03-92 with a white ceramic and stainless steel case, white mother of pearl dial and a white leather strap.  At first glance, I’d describe the look of the watch as part military, with Ipod-esque touches and an overall edgy feminine feel.  The watch also encompasses a central sweeping seconds hand (which is always elegant in any watch in my opinion), large silver numerals and a circular date display window between the 4th and 5th hour markers.  White ceramic makes up the top layer of the 42mm wide stainless steel case.  All the characteristics make for a very eye-catching piece that’s simple yet fun to look at and display on one’s wrist.

 
Beautiful mother of pearl dial and large sword hands

After trying on the watch twice and closely studying its features, I failed to take the leap for the impulse purchase.  My instincts held me back from falling prey to the whole “Vegas” aura.  Something in the air, the way the whole place is set up lulls people into spending in excess of what is necessary.  Although we left Vegas the next day, thoughts of the watch did not leave my mind.  Needless to say, three weeks after returning home, I tried the Bell & Ross on again.  However this time, it was one to call my own.

The watch came packaged in an ultra cool white leather rectangular box.  The strap was woven white synthetic canvas with Velcro attachment, not the white leather I saw in Vegas.  I was pleasantly surprised after lifting the top layer of the box, revealing the secondary white leather strap.  The canvas strap was a welcomed alternative since it gives the watch a more casual sporty look.  I was excited to try the watch with the canvas strap until I realized that it didn’t fit.  It was way too loose and there didn’t seem to be a way to make it tighter.  I would think that one of the wonderful advantages of having a Velcro strap is the ability to adjust it to fit one’s wrist exactly.  It just seemed to completely defeat the purpose of it’s functionality.  I was crestfallen.  I always believed that women can pull off wearing large watches if they fit snuggly on the wrist.  That way, they still serve their purpose as “watches” as opposed to solely jewelry-like fashion accessories.  I’m simply not a fan of large loose watches hanging over the top of the hand or the silly wrist jingling one has to do to move the face around to see the time.   If someone purchases a $3000 mechanical watch, it should be appreciated for what it is and does and not only for what it looks like.

Since the watch originally came on the canvas strap which is too large for my wrist, I asked my husband to change the strap for me to the white leather strap since he claims to be a "master strap changer", a skill you hone as a result of being a crazy Panerai fan I guess.  It took him around 5-10 minutes to do the strap change, and he said it was a pain because the strap changing tools which came with the watch require the use of both hands.  He said it's probably just a tad less time consuming than changing straps on an AP Offshore.

 
B&R uses Allen wrench screws to secure the strap in place

 

The leather strap fared much better than the canvas strap.  However, I had to use the very last hole and even with that, the watch was not as snug as I normally like, especially taking into account that the leather will stretch over time with wear.  Since the strap is slightly tapered, the last hole sits at a point that’s slightly wider than the opening of the buckle that it passes through.  Quite a bit of pulling and stretching is actually required to get it on the last hole.  I foresaw a couple of deep creases appearing on the edges over time.  I felt it a shame to have to crease the sides of the sleek smooth strap that was a perfect compliment to the contemporary styling of the watch.  

 
The BR03-92 white leather strap is the best looking white leather strap I've ever seen

 

For most women, the oversized watch isn’t likely to be the most comfortable to wear.  I realized that in terms of scale, the watch is just a tad too big for women in my opinion.  Normally, I don’t wear anything more than 40mm.  The face of the watch just slightly hangs over the width of my wrist and slides around quite a bit.  With a tighter strap, this would not have been as much an issue.

 

Having the BR03-92 on the wrist pretty much feels like wearing a block.  There aren't any ergonomics at play here.  The shapes are simple and straight-up and the lines pure.  Although a slightly smaller case would have been more practical for a watch geared towards women, I understand how it may not have been the most economical from Bell & Ross' standpoint and may have jeopardized the integrity of the original BR03 case's look and feel.

 

At 42mm width, square and boxy with a nontraditional white case and large numbers, the BR03-92 certainly commands prominence.  At close examination of the dial and cutouts, the finishing could definitely be better.  The imperfections are barely noticeable to the naked eye.

 
Visible imperfections on the seconds hand

 

 
The circular date cutout needs to be finished a tad better

 

Other features will surely take notice over these minute details such as the large numerals or the four silver screws at the corners of the case which frame the dial.  The watch has a unique way of looking retro and contemporary at the same time; perhaps from the circular square combination dial and case.  The sizing and minimalism reflect current trends while the white ceramic finishing is reminiscent of mid-century modern designs.  The watch is bulky on a petite wrist, yet it still retains an air of elegance from the symmetrical design.

 

The use of ceramic in watch cases appears to be growing in popularity in recent years.  It is light weight, scratch-resistant (more so than PVD coated cases), and gives a smooth surface touch.  Bell & Ross’ application of ceramic solely on the top plate of the case was a smart choice in my opinion.  It allowed them to increase the durability of the watch where it needed it the most as well as keep the overall cost of the watch down.  Manufacturing the entire case out of ceramic, although making the watch lighter in general, would surely have been more difficult and driven up the price of the watch.

 

 

With the new white ceramic BR03-92, Bell & Ross has managed to create a watch that preserves the essence of the BR01 and BR03 series.  It is feminine but not overly girly.  It matches almost any outfit and will without a doubt garner lots of attention and praise.  For those who require a bit of bling, there is also a version available with a diamond bezel.  Overall, since the watch stays true to its original design, the fit appears to be better sized for men.

 

However, the aesthetics may appeal more to women.  If Bell & Ross had intended to gain a female audience with this watch, I wish more thought had been put into sizing, especially for the straps.  As for the bulkiness and lack of comfort, these things can be overcome.  We women will don the toe-crunching stilettos and barely breathable jeans.  We'll sport the strappy goose-bump baring tops in 30 degree weather.  We will sacrifice comfort for the sake of fashion.  So I guess why should it be any different with watches.

BR03-92 White Ceramic Specifications  

 

Movement:  mechanical automatic ETA 2892.

Functions:  hours, minutes, seconds, date.

Case:  42mm diameter. 316L with polished satin finish covered with a ceramic plate.  Steel bezel pave set with diamonds or not.

Dial:  white lacquered or white mother-of-pearl.  Partially photoluminescent appliqué indexes for night reading.

Glass:  anti-reflection sapphire crystal.

Water resistant:  100 meters.

 

Additional pictures:

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2008-05-06 07:37:09

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