The Stylish new Bell & Ross BR 03 White Steel & Gold

The BR 01 is the face that launched a thousand ships for Bell & Ross, capturing the military and aviation inspiration that has come to define this brand. Unveiled in 2005, the BR 01’s distinctive square case with four screws and a round, cockpit instrument-inspired dial became the brand’s foundation watch. With its oversized 46mm case, the BR 01 was soon joined by the more compact 42mm BR 03 of 2006. Last year, Bell & Ross updated the BR 03 collection with the release of models with 41mm cases. While 1mm might not seem like a big deal, it does make an impact on a square watch. Not only was the case of the BR 03 redesigned and reproportioned, but the movement was upgraded to deliver an increased power reserve of 54 hours. Representing three universes – land, sea and air – the BR 03 returns in a chic, more urbanite steel and gold case with a white opaline dial.

Apart from reducing its size to 41mm, other updates to the BR 03 in 2023 include more pronounced bevels on the case and bezel and slimmer lugs. While it respects the brand’s canonical circle-in-a-square design, Bell & Ross takes advantage of the more compact and refined looks resulting from the redesigned case and treats the BR 03 to a stylish material combination using stainless steel and 18k rose gold.

You can really appreciate the wider bevels on the square 41mm case that are picked out with a polished finish. In contrast to the polished bevels is the circular-brushed finish on the upper surfaces of the case middle with its four polished and functional screws. Unlike the microblasted ceramic models, the polished stainless steel flanks emphasise the rounded corners. Topped by a round rose gold bezel, the height of the case is 9.4mm. Once again, the bezel features a circular-brushed surface and a polished bevel. In keeping with its instrument-watch spirit, the sealed caseback ensures the 100m water-resistance.

The BR 03’s white opaline dial and golden appliques add a sophisticated touch. The milky white opaline texture is obtained by subjecting the matte silver blank to electrolysis. The delicately grained texture is then highlighted using Levant stone and cream of tartar and produces slightly iridescent reflections when it catches the light.

Legibility is a prerequisite of any self-respecting instrument watch, especially if your source of inspiration comes from cockpit instruments. The applied indices and large Arabic numerals continue the rose gold theme and are gilded to match the bezel. However, to enhance legibility in low-light conditions, these are filled with beige Super-LumiNova. Crafted from 18k rose gold, the skeletonised areas of the hour and minute hands are also treated with beige SLN. A small round aperture at 4:30 contains the discreet date function, which, thankfully, has a matching white background. Protected by a flat sapphire crystal, the combination of a lustrous white opaline dial with golden appliques results in a refined, more urbanite watch.

Hidden by the caseback, the automatic calibre BR-CAL 302 (Sellita SW300-1) beats at 28,800vph and delivers an increased power reserve of 54 hours compared to earlier BR 03 models, which had a 38-hour power reserve. The brown calfskin leather strap with white stitching adopts the changes incorporated last year and has a narrower and more tapering profile.

The BR 03 White Steel & Gold is part of the regular collection and retails for EUR 6,900. For more information, please consult bellross.com.