The Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono White Hawk Limited Edition

Unveiled in 2019, the BR 05 collection by Bell & Ross came as a surprise. Indeed, the Parisian brand has long been famous for its aviation-themed and military-oriented watches, but not really for making luxury, urban-style watches. But a brand has to evolve, and B&R jumped on the bandwagon for sports watches with integrated bracelets – infused with typical B&R design cues and its signature case shape. Seen in time-and-date and GMT versions, the BR 05 is also available in a larger, bolder chronograph edition, which today serves as a base for a bright, fresh limited edition, the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono White Hawk.

The BR 05 collection is basically an answer to two things. First, the need for the brand to grow and to attract new enthusiasts by offering them something less rugged and slightly more elegant. Second, the need to follow the main trend of luxury watchmaking these days and create a watch that could fit within the much-hyped luxury sports watch segment with an integrated bracelet. The challenge for B&R was that the watch had to remain consistent with the design codes created more than 15 years ago with the BR 01 Instrument watch, the signature “circle within a square”. The result is pretty convincing and managed to fall in line with the segment and with the brand’s emblematic shape. First unveiled with 3-hand automatic movements, we’ve seen a GMT and a chronograph version surface since then, the latter being both the sportier and larger model, but also the base for the limited edition of today.

Dubbed “White Hawk”, this new edition of the BR 05 Chrono basically introduces a new set of colours and some specific details on the back. The rest, referring to overall design, proportions and movement, are identical to the classic black or blue editions. As such, the rounded square shape of the case, with its nice combination of vertically brushed surfaces and large polished bevels, as well as the typical screws at each corner, are present. This version is bold and large, at 42mm in width and 13.5mm in height. The case is 100m water-resistant, features sapphire crystals on both sides and shows well-integrated chronograph pushers.

The main evolution for this Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono White Hawk is the dial. Gone are the dark and highly contrasting blue or black backgrounds; here, B&R opts for something lighter and fresh, with a matte, silvery-white opaline dial. It retains the same sub-counters with a design that recalls that of the case. The applied hour markers, the hands and the counters are all executed in silver with light touches of red, giving a bit of life, on the two chronograph hands.

Under the sapphire crystal decorated with a specific silver metallized White Hawk logo is the calibre BR-CAL.301. This movement is based on the automatic modular chronograph ETA 2894-2, yet reworked in terms of decoration. It also features a 360° rotor with an openworked design.

The BR 05 Chrono White Hawk is worn on either an integrated stainless steel bracelet with brushed and polished links, closed by a triple folding clasp, or on a textured black rubber strap closed by a classic folding buckle.

Availability & Price

Production of the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono White Hawk is limited to 250 pieces (disregarding the strap option) and priced at EUR 5,600 on a rubber strap or EUR 6,100 on a steel bracelet. It can be pre-ordered now from the brand’s website, with deliveries in mid-December 2021.