Video Presentation of the BR 01-92 Radar Limited Edition

Ah, the mysterious Bell & Ross Radar Instrument. For over one year we have been waiting for this quirky timepiece to arrive to the store. The delay was caused by the technical challenges posed by the Radar's unusual face and is aggravated by the fact that only 500 will be produced making the watch quite rare. But the wait is worth while for the lucky few that get to own one one. Now live on the Matt Baily YouTube channel, is the next best thing to owning or seeing one live. We posted footage taken at the Bell & Ross communications headquarters in Paris presenting the BR 01-92 Radar and explaining where the idea of the watch came from.

If you do not see a video embedded here, view it on the original Baily Blog post, Video Presentation of the BR 01-92 Radar-Limited-Edition.

This post is a part of a series of videos and blog entries showcasing some of Bell & Ross' new watches for 2010. To view all the articles in the series visit the "Bell Ross Visit 2010" tag.

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In the past few years Bell & Ross has been testing the waters with several watches made of or with ceramic. The BR-03 White Ceramic and BR-S Ceramic models are examples that pleased many watch buyers. These buyers are in search of the quality of high-end watches adorned with the unique esthetic characteristics of ceramic. At the Baselworld 2010 fair in Switzerland, a new Bell & Ross ceramic watch was released that takes advantage of this hot substance in ways that are more suited to the company's design philosophy. The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Military Ceramic showcases the material's technical qualities alongside its esthetic qualities.

Anyone who has been to MattBaily.ca or the Matt Baily Boutique in Montreal, has likely notice the Bell & Ross watches and in turn the square, BR Instrument models. The square case is quite noticeable and needs little introduction, so here is a quick run down of the specs. The BR-03 case is a 42mm square, with a sapphire crystal, 4 structural screws on the top, 100 meter water resistance rating, crown engraved with the company's ampersand logo, and is equipped with screw-locking pins that hold the straps in place and are easily handled by a specialized set of Bell & Ross tools that comes with every instrument watch. Now we present the aspects of the BR 03-92 Military Ceramic that sets it apart from all the other BR 03s that came before it.

Ceramic is often linked to pottery or obsolete, traditional tools, but there is a great range of materials that can be considered ceramic. Of these, many are used in some of humanity's most advanced technical fields like aerospace engineering and bio-medical implants. This is the type of ceramic used to create the watch in question. There are numerous technical advantages to this material and they are transposed perfectly to watchmaking. The most important is hardness. While almost as light as titanium, the ceramic used to make this BR 03-92 is extremely hard to scratch and can sometimes even be harder than the anti-scratch sapphire crystal used on luxury watches. In the case that you are able to damage your ceramic case, the khaki green colour will be seen throughout it. This is because ceramic can have colour dissolved in it rather then having to coat or treat the surface only. One other important advantage of ceramic occurs in its capacity as an insulator. While this offers an arsenal of uses in many fields, for the owner of a ceramic watch it translates to a timepiece that is always warm to the touch, even outdoors in cold weather.

Now that we appreciate all the technical advances that are making ceramic watches ever more popular, it is easy to see how they go hand in hand with the high-tech, combative spirit of the BR 03-92 Ceramic Military. In order to relay this, Bell & Ross uses the timepiece to "celebrate the art of Military Camouflage." The khaki green colour of the case and the canvas strap reflects the colour sported by many military personnel and vehicles. The sapphire crystal is also lightly tinted with a green hue that makes the numerals and hands of the dial look light green. This subtle detail is more noticeable when looking at the watch from the side. The only metal parts of the case are the crown, four structural screws visible from the top, and the screws that hold the strap in place, which are all coated with the company's proprietary black "Carbon Finish." This Instrument looks at home over a pair of flying gloves as much as it does combined with jeans and a t-shirt.

The BR 03-92 Military Ceramic is one of the Bell & Ross watches that best captures the company's philosophy to create luxury timepieces that are fit for rugged, professional use. It incorporates as many technical advantages as it does esthetically pleasing qualities.

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Bell & Ross has always moved forward as a company, but it has done so in small(ish), cautious steps. This has been a key to their success and contrasts other companies like Frank Muller for instance, who's quick growth troubled them and saw thousands of their watches sold "dumped" on the grey market. The BR Instrument was an primary player in Bell & Ross' climb to fame. When it first came out it was embraced by watch lovers despite its squareness, size, and ultra-sporty, military styling. Once the watch's acceptance was evident, Bell & Ross branched into other versions of the Instrument including the smaller BR-03. Some successful experimentation with the ceramic and the BR-03 92 frame, eventually led to the creation of the BR-S ceramics. The trifecta was complete. These three different Instruments cover all the bases in terms of satisfying fans of the square Bell & Ross watches.

BR-01 - the Original Bell & Ross Instrument

When a watch is square, its increase in surface area makes the watch appear much larger then a round or tonneau watch of the same width. While there are no rules of who can wear the 46mm watch, one needs to be a fan of oversize timepepieces to love the Bell & Ross BR-01. There are many such aficionados. The BR-01 92 and 94s pushed the oversize watch style closer to being accepted as a mainstay in the timepiece landscape, but even when the BR-01s where avant-garde and new there was no lack of interested. I can remember selling quite a few to men and women. As may be expected, not only people passionate about large watches where attracted to the Instruments. The introduction of the 42mm-case BR-03s took care of them.

BR-03 - The Instrument Prince

Once the BR Instrument became a certain winner, Bell & Ross introduced its smaller brother - the BR-03. The BR-03 was received with enthusiasm by many. Contrary to the BR-01, nobody complained about its size and - for many - comparing it to the 46mm BR-01 led to the realization that they indeed liked the larger size better. The BR-03 Instruments opened the floodgates, and Bell & Ross' sporty, square timepieces became a sensation. Numerous variations of both sizes of the BR Instruments have been conceived by Bell & Ross since then. The variations of the BR-03, in line with the slightly more conservative nature of their target market, have been much more low-key and simple then the new BR-01 models. The BR-03 92 Ceramic was amongst these and - in my opinion - served to test the waters for Bell & Ross' next move for the square Instrument style - the BR-S.

The BR-03-92 Ceramic and the 38mm BR-S Ceramic White

BR-S - Smaller, Slimmer, Smarter

The Bell & Ross BR-01 and BR-03 Instruments, while easy to dress up with classy, elegant straps, gold, and diamonds, could not escape their sporty military roots. This is fine for the owners of these Bell & Ross watches, and probably the reason why they purchased their timepiece, but for those who seek more elegance the BR-S were conceived. The BR-03 Ceramic evolved into the white BR-S Ceramic and an entire collection spawned from it. At once elegant, fashionable, and true to the Instrument's imitation of aeroplane gauges, the BR-S collection is different enough to be enjoyed by fans of the original BR models and be noticed by fashion lovers that may not have otherwise be drawn to Bell & Ross watches.

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For over five years, Matt Baily has set itself apart from other watch stores in Montreal by bringing in exciting, new, up-and-coming brands. When looking at a possible new brand to carry, quality is the first prerequisite and is followed by value and potential. This is how we took up dealership of brands like Bell & Ross and U-Boat for which we were the first dealers in Canada. With this list, we highlight five watches from our collections that have swayed trends and turned the most heads.

#5. Alpina Avalanche Extreme Manufacture Regulator

The Avalanche Extreme Manufacture Regulator represents the future of mid-range luxury watches. It is a sporty watch; able to withstand the strain of outdoor activities with a water resistance rating of 200 meters and a rubber strap. Like many watches in its class, the elements of its case are almost as complex as those of its movement. Several different tones, wild shapes, and a multi-layered dial make up the head of the watch. With watch enthusiasts accepting mechanized manufacturing as an integral part of watchmaking, many modern watches portray the same attributes.

What makes the Manufacture Regulator special is its movement. The automatic-winding AL-925 calibre is manufactured in the company's Geneva factory. The reason that this is so important is due to the restricted supply of mechanical movements that will take effect in 2010 (more on ETA's change in supply in this past blog post). Alpina's in-house movement adds great value and uniqueness, yet the Manufacture Regulators are offered at prices comparative to those of watches equipped with ETA mechanisms. The Regulator attracts many collectors thanks to its traditional complication and fine finishes. It reinforces the notion that a rugged sport watch can portray many features of sophistication.

#4. Hamilton Jazzmaster Maestro.

Aside from being unusually large compared to other elegant watches, it's styling is not particularly unique; nor are its day, date, and chronograph functions. What sets the Hamilton Jazzmaster Maestro aside from other watches in its class is value. This is true for every Hamilton watch, making it difficult to choose one that has been most influential. It finally came down to choosing a watch that is amongst the best sellers and also captures Hamilton's long history.

The Maestro is an automatic-winding chronograph, with a sizable 44mm stainless steel case and a simple, classic look. The infamous 7750 calibre movement is what runs its functions and is also a major reason for its great value. ETA's 7750 is a proven, precision mechanism. Thousands of these have been certified by the COSC to be chronometers, a denomination symbolizing superior precision and quality. It is the movement of choice for many high-end automatic chronograph watches. The Portuguese Chronograph, Chronomat, and Daylight chrono are three examples of models that rely on the 7750. These three models are also priced between three and six times more then the Maestro.

Thanks to their extraordinary value, the Hamilton line of watches has enabled many watch lovers to purchase their first high-end, Swiss-made, automatic chronograph.

#3. Corum Golden Bridge

The Golden Bridge did not "change" how we see luxury watches as much as it "reminded" us how we should look at them.

Corum has always staid current with trends such as the large size of watch cases and extreme luxury for sporty watches. However, they never severed their strong relationship with the traditional methods of watchmaking. This is what makes the Golden Bridge such an important watch. While modernized in design, with a relatively large case and precise machining, it could not exist without the skilled hands of traditional watchmakers.

To manufacture the narrow, manual-winding CO113 movement that gives the watch its name, the skilled hands of watchmakers and artists are essential. Due to this labour intensive process, the production quantity is naturally limited to small numbers each year. A video produced by Corum captures some key aspects of manufacturing the Bridge movement like engraving, assembling, and finishing, which are all done by hand. Visit the Film Gallery in the Communication section of Corum.ch.

Once completed the Golden Bridge watch embodies all the aspects of what luxury watches represent. Value, technological innovation, precision, and the artist's touch that is unreproducible by any machine. I don't think I have ever heard a negative comment about the Golden bridge watches, and their value is obvious to first-time watch buyers and ardent collectors alike. The Golden Bridge is in this list because it re-sparked our fascination with the storied trade of watchmaking.

#2. U-Boat Italo Fontana Classico

U-Boat watches are definitely buzz worthy. Amongst all the articles that I have posted on mattbaily.ca and other sites, the ones that receive the most tweets, clicks, and visitors, are almost always about U-Boat watches. This is not to say that everyone that reads these articles is a fan, but they are certainly interested. This visibility is what accounts for the inclusion of U-Boat Classico watches in this list.

When Matt Baily discovered U-Boat watches and was the first to bring them to Canada, they almost all worked on quartz movements. Italo Fontana decided to improve the quality of those original, fashion-oriented watches and equip them with high-end Swiss mechanical movements. The prices naturally increased and many were sceptical of U-Boat#39;s breaking the higher end, luxury market. Instead it was the market that was drawn towards the new and improved U-Boat Classicos.

U-Boat does very little advertising. The vast majority of the U-Boat Classicos that we sell are discovered in our window or on the wrists of friends and family. They are watches that you just fall in love with. What we learn from their success is that the style of a watch - if backed by quality - is still its most important attribute. U-Boat watches also show that if the product is valuable, then advertising and branding is of lesser importance.

#1. Bell & Ross BR-01 92

When this watch was released by Bell & Ross, the company was already steadily growing thanks to its high quality, value, and brand image. While it was obvious from the start, that the "Instruments" would be a success, it was less evident how profoundly they would affect the company's popularity.

When the BR-01 92 was released, many people seeing it for the first time reacted as if they had never seen a square watch before. It is arguable that before this point, square watches were a niche that went largely unnoticed. Judging from the amount of square, military-style models that were released after the advent of the Instruments, it is safe to say that they have had a strong, positive impact on the watch making industry.

Since the BR-01 92 and 94, Bell & Ross has greatly expanded the Instrument collection including extremely complicated watches such as the BR Tourbillon and the more fashion oriented BR-S Ceramics. While this article is meant to feature only watches amongst those we carry at Matt Baily, the BR Instrument would surely figure on any list of top influential timepieces of the past ten years.

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While all these watches have had an impact on the luxury watch industry as a whole, we chose pieces from our brands only, so it is likely that many watches that you may consider more influential are not present.

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Bell & Ross released its new Phantom versions of the BR-S collection. Four models comprise this limited edition series of which two are white and two are black.

The all-new BR-S White Ceramic Phantom is an exciting addition to Bell & Ross' gamut of low-contrast watches. This stealthy model is the first Bell & Ross Phantom to be completely white and is an elegant timepiece unlike its predecessors. While the monochromatic dial seems hard to read at first, the large hour markers and hands make the time quite visible. Important elements of the dial are also coated with photo-luminescent paint making the watch even easier to see at night then during the day.

An all-black version of the BR-S Phantom is also available, as are two diamond studded versions. The all-black BR-S Black Ceramic Phantom & Diamonds is adorned with black diamonds, while the BR-S White Ceramic Phantom & Diamonds is decorated with high-quality clear diamonds.

All BR-S Phantom models will be produced in limited quantities. Contact us for more information regarding our collection of Bell & Ross watches.

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