The BR 01 94 Pro Titanium: A Symbol of Bell & Ross' Philosophy

Bell & Ross has always manufactured watches to be fit for professional use. To assure this its designers and engineers adhere to four guiding principles. These are water resistance, precision, readability (legibility at a glance), and performance. The help of military, safety, and health professionals is often enlisted to ensure that these aspects are incorporated in each watch. The BR-01 94 Pro Titanium is a symbol of the French manufacturer's four guiding principles.

Its 46mm square titanium case is the the most important difference between the BR-01 94 Pro Titanium and other BR-01s. The case is very light and very strong thanks to titanium's amazing properties. The shape of the case - with its reinforced bezel - also makes the watch more resistance to shock. For those of us who don't plan to take this luxury watch rock-climbing or into battle however, we will still appreciate how light and comfortable the watch is for its size. As for the reinforced bezel, it simply looks awesome.

The Pro Titanium was the first watch to be fitted with the dark grey BR rubber strap that is now used for the special edition Commando models. The strap is meant to match the dark grey, metallic colour of the watch's dial. This brings us to Bell & Ross' third principle of design: readability. As bold as the hour markers and hands are on the other BR Instruments, the ones on the Pro Titanium are the boldest. They are wide and large and have a healthy dose of SuperLuminova photo-luminescent paint applied to them.

By incorporating the company's four guiding principles the BR 01 94 Pro Titanium is a testament to Bell & Ross' pledge to manufacture timepieces for professionals. The titanium case and durable rubber strap add to the watch's performance, but mostly make it unique amongst other Bell & Ross Instruments.

Many new U-Boat models will be available at the beginning of September. One in particular sets itself apart from the rest. The U-51 Rattrapante offers, as the name suggests, a split-second chronograph as well as a massive 51mm case and an extremely fine brown alligator and rubber strap.

Although much different then other models, the case of the U-51 does have some very telling U-Boat features. The crown, as always, is on the left side of the watch and is protected by a cap. The hinge and crown-protecting cap are more beefy then usual, and the whole system is held together by solid-looking screws and rivets. The width of the case is massive as usual. The bezel is similar to that of the Flightdeck, which extends past the height of the crystal, but on the U-51 the bezel is affixed to the case using five visible screws.

The Swiss automatic movement offers a the function that gives the watch its name. A rattrapante or split-second function makes it possible to pause the chronograph while keeping it running. This is accomplished by two seconds hands overlapping each other. One can be stopped in order to take a reading while the other one continues to sweep its way around the dial. Intricate watchmaking is necessary to perform this task mechanically.

Although, the U-51 is unique amongst other U-Boat watches, it still retains many U-Boat features such as the large case and left handed configuration. The U-51 Rattrapante is perfect for collectors that appreciate the high-art of horology, and at the same time are comfortable wearing large, sporty watches.

Bell & Ross' release of the BR-01 Tourbillon was very successful and has stemmed into the release of several other complicated models. Three new variations of the BR01 Tourbillon are now available as is the most complicated watch of the manufacturer's line, the BR Grand Minuteur.

The proprietary movements on both these models are amazing technically and visually. A golden tourbillon cage completes one revolution per minute while the balance wheel beats within it. Because the bridges and plates that hold the mechanical components together are made using carbon fibre, the wearer is offered a stunning yet sporty view through the exhibition back of the case.

The new Grand Minuteur re-invents the BR case. The case on this watch is rectangular with a width of 50mm and height of 44. The watch offers numerous functions including a fly-back chronograph and three-day power reserve. Thanks to the ingenious dial, the chronograph indicates the time lapse using minutes as well as tenth of hours. Perfect for anyone who bills clients in that fashion.

Both the Grand Minuteur and BR 01 Tourbillon models are extremely rare and complicated time pieces. They are available for order through Matt Baily for a limited time only.

A Closeup of the Classico Chronograph and the Classico 1001

At the last Baselworld exposition in Switzerland, U-Boat released several new models. Now that two of these models are on the verge of being delivered, it is a good time for me to introduce them to you.

The first is an old Classico revisited. A chronograph model has been added to the Classico series. The watch, which will be available in the standard Uboat sizes of 45 and 53mm, is similar in style to the old Left Hook Cronos that the company manufactured during their first few years of production. The quality of the new chronographs far surpass that of their ancestors. The watch runs on the infamous ETA (Valjoux) 7750 chronograph movement and sports a saspphire crystal and sturdy stainless steel case. The dial revives the linear-style subsidiary seconds of the Left-Hook, and stays true to the simplistic design of the Classico series while offering 30-minute and a twelve-hour counters for the chronograph.

With the Classico 1001, Italo Fontana evolves the Classico series visually and technically. The 1001 gets its name from the fact that it is rated to withstand pressures of 100ATM. That is the pressure found at 1000 meters below the surface of the water. To achieve this, the sapphire crystal has to be extra thick, the watch has to be equipped with a pressure release valve - seen on the side of the case at 8 o'clock - and the crown and case back have to be extremely well engineered and assembled. The 1001 will only be available in a 55mm case, which is probably why U-Boat chose to construct the watch using titanium. Despite its large size, the watch is not very heavy and sits comfortably on the wrist.

Both these models will be available in the coming months. A limited quantity of the 1001 models can be pre-ordered at Matt Baily.

For every luxury product, there are fakes and replicas, so I guess it was only a matter of time before the counterfeiters turned their attention to the popular U-Boat watches. One particular vendor situated in Montreal uses a link to MattBaily.ca to promote his products on Craigslist. The watches that he shows are replicas of the Flightdeck MSG and MSB with different colour combinations. The watches display what looks like a Unitas manual winding movement, but some have the word 'AUTOMATICO' etched into the back of the case. Some models also mention 'CRONOGRAFO' on their case-backs. This is pretty suspicious, as non of the models shown are chronographs! The vendor sometimes claims that they are pre-owned and prices range from $700 to $1,000.

Purchasing counterfeit timepieces has a negative impact not only on our economy but on our planet. Causes for concern range from the use of illegal and child labor sources to extreme waste and a negative effect on the environment. By not disclosing that these watches are replicas, this craigslist vendor, who's email address is brian_kernan@live.com, is amongst the worst offenders in the counterfeiting market.

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