Before I was really into watches as a collector or enthusiast, I can remember walking into a Tourneau store in a mall in the Boston suburbs and being drawn to the strange, square cased watches displayed prominently as I entered the space. I?m sure I was just killing time before a movie or meeting a friend, but somehow those watches, made by a brand I had no knowledge of, imprinted something on me. I don?t remember any of the other watches I encountered that day, or any other, at that same Tourneau. But the Bell & Ross BR 03 made an impression. It wasn?t even that I liked it – I just found them so unusual and distinctive. And for someone on the outside of the watch world looking in, these watches were an early point of fascination. 
The BR 03, in my view, is one of the truly iconic modern watch designs for this very reason. It pulls in the curious window shopper in a way that a traditionally shaped watch can?t. Now, Bell & Ross is updating the BR 03 with a subtly reworked case. In these Bell & Ross supplied images, it?s honestly hard to see the changes (I’d really like to see one side by side with an older version of the watch), but based on the tale of the tape, it should make for an improved and more ergonomic wearing experience, which is no small feat for a watch that is known (and loved) for its inherent, charming, ungainliness.

The big change is a full millimeter reduction in the case size, going from 42mm to 41mm. On a square w...