Westime | Bell & Ross

For Bruno Belamich, 19:08:06 will forever mark a time of unforgettable pride.

Shortly after 19 hours on October 3rd 2013, surrounded by the historic grandeur of Paris’ Hotel des Invalides, Bell & Ross’ Creative Director would be decorated as a Knight of the French Légion d’Honneur. And what better venue than in the very resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte, who created the order more than two centuries earlier.

Les Invalides, a veritable monument of French military history, represented the perfect setting for Bell & Ross to unveil a number of new classical timepieces imbued with the timeless elegance of military and civil aviation. Among them, the commemorative Vintage Falcon BR123 and BR126 celebrate the 50th anniversary of the maiden flight of Dassault’s twin-engine jet, forever known as the Falcon. The limited-edition timepieces embody the spirit of 1960’s aviation within a design that places clarity and functionality at the forefront.

Designed in collaboration with aeronautic giant Dassault, the collection, presented with or without chronograph, lets its distinction shine without the need for distractions or superfluous embellishments. Alongside the Falcon collection, and the watchmaker’s Aviation Limited Editions and Golden Heritage, housed within the brand’s iconic square case and circular dial, would make a splendid appearance.

Nearly 800 guests witnessed Bruno Belamich’s elevation into the esteemed order of French luminaries as General Baptiste presented him with his medal for his contribution to services of design. One year after his co-founder of Bell & Ross, CEO Carlos Rosillo, received his own Légion d’Honneur, Belamich would cement the extraordinary legacy of the watchmaking house to which they gave birth in 1992. The brand rose through the ranks of haute horology thanks to the two men’s resolute vision to create timepieces founded on functionality, letting purpose dictate form for an elegance based on the truest fundamental nature of timekeeping.

Aviation horology having been a prominent theme in the brand’s evolution, it comes as no surprise that Bruno Belamich’s special night would be host to a plethora of wrist and pocket watches evoking the refined and powerful theme of flight instrumentation and vintage military chronometry.

Certainly, 19:08:06 represents even more than the time of Bruno Belamich’s entry into the ranks of France’s most distinguished contributors. It marks a moment of recognition of Bell & Ross as an emblem of French brilliancy and of horological excellence. It punctuates the place of watchmaking as a valiant member of the quest for the frontiers of intellectual possibility. At that very moment, time stands still in the annals of history, immortalizing an horological visionary in front of friends, colleagues, family, as well as before the resting spirit of the Emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, inside the walls of a majestic monument.

Come and discover Bell & Ross
watches at Westime boutiques

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TIME INSTRUMENTS FROM
THE COCKPIT TO THE WRIST

The brave story of Bell & Ross commences at the end of the 20th century. The Franco-Swiss watchmaking brand, now present in over 75 countries, is committed to creating utilitarian timepieces with sleek design and timeless elegance, most of which have been inspired by the history of aviation and aeronatutical instruments that follow rigorous military guidelines to create watches which boast outstanding performance in extreme conditions.

Bell & Ross has been an ever-innovative companion to those professionals who experience intense events, withstand extreme temperatures, undergo violent accelerations and resist dangerous pressures: astronauts, pilots, divers, elite police units and bomb disposal experts. Beginning at the end of the 20th century, Bell & Ross has become the official supplier of the Space Lab Mission (1994), the bomb disposal experts of the French Civil Security (1997), the French Naval Aviation (2007), the French Air Force (2008), the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group- GIGN (2011), and of the Lafayette Escadrille (2016).

Its emblematic watches are grouped into three collections: Instruments, Vintage and Experimental.

WW1

The Vintage WW1 (Wrist Watch 1) references the first wristwatches worn by pilots in the 1920s, born out of necessity to free the use of their hands. This watch represents an intermediary evolution between the pocket watch and the wristwatch of the 1940s, and it incorporates the elegant stylistic codes of the Roaring Twenties.

PW1

The PW1 (Pocket Watch 1) is a tribute to the nomadic timepieces used in the early days of aviation. Held by a long chain, this pocket watch pays homage to the passion Bell & Ross has for military watch origins.

BR Vintage

The BR Vintage is a new, updated version of the models used during the Second World War, and is the epitome of the modern watch, inspired by the legibility principles of an instrument panel. The BR 02 illustrates the exuberant creativity of the ‘60s and ‘70s, combining technical performance and avant-garde style. Its barrel-type muscle case and multicolored graphic dial reflect the stylistic spirit of the times.

In 1998, the Hydromax11 100 M won the world-record for water-resistance because of its technical innovation: the complete filling of the case with a transparent liquid. A masterpiece with incomparable legibility, this watch is resistant to a pressure of 1110 bar (a depth of 11,100m).

BR-x1

With its extreme design, the BR-X1 is a celebration of the future. A mechanical puzzle composed of a multitude of pieces and materials, this high-tech timepiece opens up unlimited possibilities. The BR-X1 Sapphire Tourbillon pushes the boundaries of haute horlogerie to a new level.

BR 01

Fast forward into the present, the 2000s marked a return to basics, where the essential mission of a timepiece is performance and legibility. Thus, inspired by aeronautical instrumentation, Bell & Ross created BR 01, the first aviation instrument watch, a square-case icon that celebrates functionality. The BR 01 RED RADAR is an exceptional timepiece that epitomizes the history of the brand. A non-conformist instrument, it introduces a new, unique and inventive way of reading time, inspired by the radar of air traffic control towers.

19:18:06

Bruno Belamich,
Knight of the
French Légion
d’Honneur

For Bruno Belamich, 19:08:06 will forever mark a time of unforgettable pride.

Come and discover Bell & Ross
watches at Westime boutiques

TIME INSTRUMENTS FROM
THE COCKPIT TO THE WRIST

Its emblematic watches are grouped into three collections: Instruments, Vintage and Experimental.

WW1