The story behind this Bell & Ross BR 01-92
The Bell & Ross BR 01-92 stems from an idea that the brand, founded in 1992 by Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo, brought to fruition in 2005 with the BR 01: to bring a cockpit instrument to the wrist. The design features a round dial set within a 46 mm square case, secured by four visible screws, with readability optimised for pilots. In 2011, the brand clad this case in high-tech ceramic, a material used in aeronautics for components exposed to heat and erosion. This change in material forced the designers to rethink an already complex construction. The ceramic shell sits atop a steel case, much like the nose of a rocket, and the two parts reinforce each other without altering the model’s dimensions or modularity. The caseback bears a mark of this, engraved with ‘Ceramic & Stainless Steel’ beneath the words ‘Aviation Type’. The BR 01-92 Ceramic, reference BR0192-BL-CER, is the three-hand version, featuring a black dial without a date.
Case, calibre and strap of this BR 01-92
The 46 mm square case in polished black ceramic features a flat middle and sharp edges, with four slotted screws at the corners of the bezel. The satin-finished steel caseback, also secured by four screws, ensures water resistance to 100 metres. The fluted crown, positioned at 3 o’clock, bears the brand’s logo at its tip. Beneath the sapphire crystal, the black dial echoes the legibility of a dashboard, with large Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, baton hour markers and a full minute track. The numerals and hour markers are applied and coated with luminescent material, as are the solid hour and minute hands, whilst a slender white seconds hand sweeps across the dial from the centre. The self-winding ETA 2892-A2 calibre powers the movement. The black rubber strap, stamped with the letters ‘BR’, fastens with a black pin buckle engraved with the same monogram.
Why this Bell & Ross watch
The BR 01 is the model that defined Bell & Ross’s identity, and its 46 mm size faithfully reproduces the original design without any scaling down. Entirely black, this version maintains a uniform colour from the case to the strap, allowing the dial to take centre stage. The mass-coloured ceramic is more scratch-resistant than steel and feels lighter on the wrist – a practical advantage for a case of this size. Its widely used Swiss automatic movement is familiar to most watchmakers, which simplifies maintenance over time. Its two-part construction means the steel caseback rests against the wrist, whilst the front is made of ceramic.
Contents and condition
This BR 01-92 comes with its original Bell & Ross warranty card, dated February 2014, in a case and a The Swiss Collector outer box. It has been worn and shows only slight external signs of wear. The polished finish of the ceramic, the satin finish of the case back and the embossed pattern on the bracelet remain crisp, and the watch has been inspected by our experts.
Warranty and delivery
The Swiss Collector guarantees the authenticity of this watch, which is covered by a 24-month warranty. We accept returns within 10 days in accordance with our terms and conditions. As Switzerland’s leading second-hand retailer, backed by the largest network of shops, we offer online booking for a fitting and collection in-store, or fully secure international delivery.
*Very good condition – watch has been worn. Slight signs of external wear. Case and strap in excellent overall condition.
