Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New, More Compact Bell & Ross BR-05 36mm
With its compact 36mm diameter and slimmer profile, the BR-05 luxury sports watch reaches out to a wider demographic.
Bell & Ross has never strayed far from its winning formula of aeronautical instrument-inspired watches. Brandishing the tagline “from the cockpit to the wrist,” Bell & Ross’s watches are loyal to the “circle within a square design” inspired by dashboard flight instruments. However, the brand has understood that to reach more customers, it needs to cater to a wider range of wrists – design-wise but also size-wise. With softer angles, more refined finishings, a slim profile and an integrated bracelet, the BR-05 is the brand’s vision of the integrated, elegant sports watch with a 1970s aura. Launched in 2019 in 40mm cases and increased to 41mm and 42mm for models with complications, the BR-05 36mm adapts to the prevailing trend for more compact, unisex case sizes and comes with a slimmer profile, a choice of dial colours and the elimination of the date window.
Gone are the days when beefy diameters ruled the roost. The magic number in watchmaking today seems to be 36mm. Colonising watch brands of every genre, the 36mm case size should not be confused with watches envisioned exclusively for women. Positioned as a gender-neutral offer, it is the perfect diameter for smaller wrists and customers who prefer more elegantly proportioned watches (see photos below on Brice’s 16.5cm wrist).
As Bruno Belamich, B&R’s co-founder and chief designer, points out, “Design isn’t just about ideas; it’s about choices,” and the wider your repertoire, the more wrists you will attract. However, downsizing a watch is not simply a matter of shrinking numbers. In this case, it required a thorough redesign.
The new 36mm stainless steel case upholds the luxury sports watch mandate of a continuous flowing line integrating the case and bracelet. To achieve this streamlined look, the first link of the bracelet forms part of the case. What will certainly be appreciated is the new slim case height of just 8.5mm compared to the 10.5mm of the 40mm references.
The corners corresponding to the square part of the design formula are rounded, and the raised bezel, with its four polished screws, sits on top of a shaped central container. Like larger references, the case is decorated with satin-finished surfaces and polished bevels, finishings that extend to the flexible integrated steel bracelet with its folding buckle. Screwed crown guards flank the screw-down crown to ensure the 100m water resistance.
The choice of dial colours for the BR-05 36mm adds an extra dose of versatility, and many will be happy to note that the date window found on the 40mm three-hand models is not featured here. We photographed the attractive ice blue dial as well as the more traditional grey and black dials. Using a lacquered base, the dials are sunray brushed for a sleek, contemporary look.
In keeping with its cockpit instrument heritage, legibility is key, and the dials feature rhodium-plated Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock and bathtub-style indices filled with green-emission Super-LumiNova. While they are similar to the signature military-style numerals found on the flagship BR-03, the numerals are smaller, and the technical minutes track has been eliminated for a more sophisticated look. The rounded baton hour and minute hands are also filled with SLN.
Although it is hidden beneath the sealed caseback, an outsourced automatic movement powers the watch. Based on the Sellita SW-300, this slim movement, which is a clone of the ETA 2892, has a height of 3.6mm, a frequency of 4Hz and an extended power reserve of 54 hours.
Pre-orders on the brand’s website can be placed for the BR-05 36mm. The watch retails for EUR 4,500, with deliveries anticipated in May 2025.
4 responses
Setting aside the price…almost everything from B&R has felt seriously overpriced…there are 2 opposing aspects for me, here.
#1: 36 mm basically square case is still a substantial case in terms of wrist presence. A 40 mm round case actually has a somewhat *smaller* area, altho it can actually often fit more cleanly.
#2: the dial aperture here is small, because the bezel’s so wide. I took the pic of all 3 dial colors; the ice blue is mostly vertical. Trim to that dial…from case edge to case edge, it’s about 320 pixels. From inner bezel edge to inner bezel edge, it’s about 250 pixels. So…36 mm case, therefore about 9 pixels per mm, says the dial aperture is closer to 28-29.
That, for me, is likely TOO small. There’s a major visual difference between a 35mm Tangente Sport (darn near no bezel) and, say, my 36 mm Timor Heritage…the latter looks significantly smaller because of its bezel width.
I got a B&R BR03-92 Heritage with the black steel case and really like it, it stands out. But it was from a private seller off Chrono24 and was what I considered reasonably priced. I would never pay full retail or even gray market prices for these things – they are way overpriced for a run-of-the-mill Sellita movement.
Great to have more options, especially without a date but the price is steep. This offers nothing special to their potential owner beyond its design.
Just a quick note: square watches should be measured diagonally, not side-to-side, same way PP does with the Cubitus.