Bell & Ross first plunged into the world of dive watches in 1997, with the release of the round-cased Hydromax, then followed it up in 2017 with the tonneau-cased BR-02. This year, the brand introduces its first dive watch in the square case shape for which it has become renowned ? the new BR 03-92 Diver, a highlight of the upcoming WatchTime New York collectors’ event in October.
The Bell & Ross BR03-92 Diver is the company’s first square-cased diving watch.
To develop the BR 03-92 Diver, Bell & Ross consulted not only its watchmakers but also experienced divers and other underwater experts, its goal being to develop a truly professional-grade diving instrument that would meet the strict ISO 6425 international standards that timepieces must meet before being labeled as “diving watches.” Among these criteria are a minimum water resistance of 100 meters, a calibrated bezel for preselecting dive times that is protected against accidental rotation, and indexes that are legible at a predetermined distance while underwater. (For a full explanation of the ISO 6425 criteria, and why so many so-called dive watches fail to meet them, click here.) The BR 03-92 hits these marks with flying colors: its squared ergonomic case, made of satin-polished steel and measuring 42 mm in diameter, is water-resistant to 300 meters. It is equipped with a 60-minute unidirectional bezel with a luminescent dot at 12 o’clock for orientation. Its crown is ...