Going Undercover with the Stealthy Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black LUM Ceramic Limited Edition
Monday - 06 May 2024
Check out this review of the new Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black LUM Ceramic Limited Edition watch of just 500 pieces, released this year at the Watches & Wonders 2024 showcase.
This year, Bell & Ross is breaking the mould. Instead of coming up with completely knew innovations and technologies, it has decided to build on an already popular concept. The brand is expanding on the already existing BR 05 collection with new materials rather than new technologies. These new materials come in the form of ceramic and titanium. In this article, we’re going to look at its black ceramic offerings.
Why Ceramic?
Ceramics is not as common as you think when it comes to implementing the material into robust sports watches. One of the reasons for this is that it’s so hard to work with compared to other materials like stainless steel, titanium or carbon. The material needs to stay strong and robust enough for daily use but at the same time, it needs to keep its stealthy form and smooth, sleek aesthetic. Although challenging to work with, it does come with some real benefits. Take, for example, its lighter and tougher composition compared to steel and its high scratch-resistant capability. When you look at these qualities all together, it’s easy to see why ceramic is a great material to use in a sports watch for those brands that have the technology and skill to properly work with it.
Now, think about the purpose of the BR 05 watch collection by Bell & Ross. The series is home to solid, durable tool-like devices that are perfect for wearing every day of the week. Could ceramic and the BR 05 design be any better matched? Speak to any Bell & Ross collector and he’ll tell you that the BR 05 is the perfect all-around watch. If you’ve been following the new releases from Bell & Ross at the Watches & Wonders 2024 showcase, you’ll already be aware that the brand has launched the BR 05 Black Ceramic model. This watch comes in a new 41mm black ceramic case, topped with a sapphire crystal glass front and is fitted with a matching bracelet with polished central links. This model presents the time on a simple matte black dial. The model we’re looking at today, however, is the Bell & Ross BR 05 Black Skeleton watch.
The New Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black LUM Ceramic Limited Edition
You may be wondering why the new black ceramic variations of the Bell & Ross BR 05 watches measure 1mm larger than their steel counterparts. Well, when designing the BR 05, Bell & Ross specialists honed into the fact that black wears smaller. It’s true. With this new Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black LUM Ceramic watch you’re getting a fully sandblasted case and a screw-down crown that sits neatly in between two sloping crown guards. The cool thing about the watch is its smoked sapphire crystal glass, sandwiching the movement in between the glass front and caseback. We’ve seen Bell & Ross play about with coloured and smoked crystal before and the result is particularly striking. Somehow, in this design, the smoked sapphire enhances the watch’s tool-like look. The black rhodium finishes of the movement also look stealthy when combined with the effect of the glass.
Next, we need to talk about the lume-coated accents of this watch. The C5 Super-LumiNova used for the details of this BR 05 watch gives the impression of floating pill-shaped hour markers and gliding hands that levitate above the working movement. Somehow, this skeletonised sports watch looks so different to anything we’ve seen before. The green emission looks light green during the daytime but glows really rich in the dark. The watch also comes with an integrated bracelet executed in a fully matte, sandblasted finish and a folding buckle stamped with the BR logo.
What I Love About the New Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black LUM Ceramic Watch
The new Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black LUM Ceramic watch measures a slim thickness of 11.2mm and holds a water-resistant capability of 100 meters. Thanks to its compact dimensions. The watch doesn’t look too big on any sized wrist. It would be nice for the brand to release a black rubber strap for this model. At the moment, the watch is only available on the full ceramic bracelet. Time will tell. The watch carries the iconic square case really well, featuring a sapphire crystal glass front that seals to the ceramic case, showing its edge. The applied markers of the new Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black watch are highly visible and are easy to reference at a glance. Around the hour track, the single stick markers join a double stick index at 12 o’clock, as well as straight hands and a second hand that sweeps across the surface of the skeletonised dial effortlessly.
The Calibre BR-CAL.322-1, which is a skeletonised version of the movement used in the Bell & Ross BR 05 Black ceramic watch, is a reliable workhorse. The movement performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and delivers a power reserve of 54 hours once fully wound. The BR 05 Skeleton Ceramic watch is sporty and bold, promising to pair well with a casual jeans and jumper ensemble or something smarter at night.
If you’d like to secure yourself one of the 500 limited edition pieces of the new Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Black LUM Ceramic Limited Edition watch, you can call and place your order with a member of our Jura Watches sales team today on 01335 453453 or email us at help@jurawatches.co.uk
