The New Bell & Ross BR-X5 Racing Watch Has Launched

Seatbelts on, the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Racing watch is about to go full throttle.

For a period of time, Bell & Ross watches were primarily associated with military and aviation watches. The Parisian brand leaned heavily on this side of watchmaking, creating instruments for the cockpit, which mainly materialised in the BR 03 watch collection. And while the manufacturer does enjoy adding a fun twist to this archetypal design, like the Bell & Ross BR 03 Horizon watch we covered not so long ago, it’s nice to see the brand tapping into a different circle of fans. Over recent years, the company has been focussing on nurturing its steel sports watch side. This evolved by way of the BR 05 watch collection. Another branch is the BR-X1 watch collection, which focuses on the more technical side of Bell & Ross’ watchmaking – think forged carbon cases, ultra-thin micro-rotors, ceramic models, tourbillons and bold designs. These are bolder takes on the BR 01 concept – the collection that really got the brand noticed. The year 2022, however, marked the release of a more muscular, aggressive and masculine-looking tool – the BR-X5. It came with a new movement and a functional, challenge-ready aesthetic. Just like other models from the same collection, the new BR-X5 watch has been designed with a very single-minded purpose – to excel as an instrument in its field of expertise – racing.

Experimentation

The letter “X” in the name of the Bell & Ross BR-X5 collection stands for “experimentation”. It follows a similar path as the more technical-looking BR-X1 collection I mentioned earlier – creations that boast cutting-edge materials and exude a slightly off-the-wall look. The BR-X5 watch collection keeps this concept alive with the same familiar circle-within-a-square aesthetic and a bolted-on screw positioned in each corner of the case. The overall pilot inspiration is still there, with a different architecture to the sportier BR 05 watch. Now Bell & Ross takes the high-tech, powerful and muscular look of the BR-X5 watch collection and fuses it with the brand’s motorsport roots, creating the track-ready Bell & Ross BR-X5 Racing watch.

The Bell & Ross BR-X5 Racing Watch

Bell & Ross isn’t partnering with the Alpine Formula 1 Team anymore, but it’s not deterring the brand from creating superior timekeeping tools that honour its strong relationship with motorsport. At the same time, the new release keeps its pilot watch-inspired design language. The modular construction of the BR-X5 has been elected as this latest racing-inspired model and boasts a titanium case material chosen for its advantages in lightness and strength.

Bell & Ross constructs the case of the new BR-X5 Racing watch from three main parts and creates a sandwich architecture that looks instrumental, technical and complex. There are also two micro-blasted titanium plates, which fit around a monobloc container, also made from titanium and coated in a black DLC finish. Inside the monobloc housing is the movement, which simultaneously integrates into the shoulders of the crown. Of course, from the outside looking down at the wrist, it’s easy for this level of craftsmanship to go unnoticed. But part of the beauty in owning a Bell & Ross watch is the appreciation and admiration that comes with owning these special designs and the inside knowledge a collector acquires after some time spent with these timepieces. The square-shaped bezel on top of the watch boasts classic rounded edges to soften the shape of the face and consists of two parts. Bell & Ross experts also equip the model with a woven carbon plate that is integrated into the titanium body. At 41mm in diameter, the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 watch is certainly going to demand some attention. The case sits at 12.8mm in thickness and features a screw-down crown to assist with a water-resistant rating of 100 meters and a strong sapphire glass top.

The most attractive feature of the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Racing watch is the dial itself, which communicates a strong motorsport-infused design. The minute and seconds scale around the edge of the dial evokes the classic checkerboard pattern, as does the central seconds hand. These combine nicely with additional elements that are reminiscent of a racing car’s dashboard, like the red and turquoise elements, for instance, that mimic the empty and full indications on a fuel gauge. These can be seen at the 9 o’clock power reserve indicator, directly across from the retrograde date window. Looking deeper into the dial, you’ll see that the base of the display is crafted from smoked sapphire, adding to the watch’s stealthy aesthetics. Large Arabic numerals inscribed on the underside of the glass are coated in plenty of Super-LumiNova material and match the luminous central minute and hour hands. The seconds hand also features a red tip for added readability.

The new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Racing watch is powered by a Kenissi movement. The BR-CAL.323 was the movement that started the partnership between the Parisian watchmaker and the movement manufacturer. Sharing its base with Chanel, TUDOR and Norqain, this chronometer-certified engine can hold up to 70 hours of power reserve in its barrel once fully wound and beats to the rhythm of 28,800 vibrations per hour. One predicament is deciding which strap to enjoy the new BR-X5 watch on. The model comes on a choice of a sporty black rubber band with a grade 2 titanium folding clasp in a micro-blasted finish, or a titanium bracelet with the same Bell & Ross-engraved folding clasp. This is a limited edition of 500 pieces worldwide, so if you’re keen on adding this watch to your collection, move fast.

Overall, the case of the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Racing watch, featuring a mix of carbon and titanium, ensures that sturdiness and wearer comfort are guaranteed, despite the company’s pursuit of lightness in what could easily have jeopardised the overall rigidity and strength of the design. Instead, the multi-component case favours simplicity, resistance, lightness and radicality. If you’d like to learn more, call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453 today or email us on help@jurawatches.co.uk.