It?s been a bit over a year since Bell & Ross released their BR05 collection of watches, which we reviewed in detail right here. The BR05 offered the brand?s take on a square steel sport watch with integrated bracelet, joining others from the likes of Frederique Constant to Chopard. It seems Gerald Genta was on to something when he designed the Royal Oak and Nautilus in the ?70s. The continued success of those two references (15202 and 5711, respectively) has sent other brands scrambling to produce their own variations of the formula. Of course, simply being a steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet is not a surefire recipe for success. How does it work for Bell & Ross" Well, that all depends on your expectations.
Let?s first acknowledge that the modern boom we?ve seen with the AP and Patek are due in part to the hype generated by their limited supply, inflated resale value, and the prestige of having Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe written on their dials. None of those things a great watch makes. What does make them great is their attention to detail. They are both sized perfectly, measure around 8mm in thickness, have beautifully textured dials, and boast exquisitely crafted bracelets, the sum of which make for a very comfortable, very subtle sports watch. Let?s be honest, though, they aren?t without fault and I?d argue neither are worth 2-3x their retail price. They are nice, comfortable sport watches from premier mainstream brands. Nothin...