BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Bell and Ross is a brand known for its utilitarian tool watches, and within its expansive catalog, it is the watches with a square case that stand out the most. Recently the brand added a new member to its family of square-shaped watches, the BR05 Horolum. This new watch features a bead-blasted stainless-steel case and a dull grey dial to evoke the concrete facades of modern minimalist buildings.
The Horolum name draws from the words “Horo”, referring to watchmaking or time and “Lum”, meaning light, which translates into high legibility in horological parlance, and the dial on the new BR05 seems to have taken care of this aspect quite well. Presented in a light grey shade, inspired by the color of concrete, the matt finished dial complements the case quite well, creating a watch that has a nice architectural vibe. Placed on top of the dial are applied rounded rectangular indices that make their way outwards from within the rounded cutouts of the slanted rehaut and give the dial a sense of depth. The indices and the baton-style hands have been filled with the strong and potent light green superluminova C5 luminescent material to ensure that reading time is easy, be it day or night. Finally, there is a date window at 3, the omission of which I feel would have made the dial look more balanced and symmetrical.
Crafted from stainless steel, the case on the BR 05 Horolum measures 40mm in diameter and bears the brand’s signature rounded square shape. The entire case has been bead-blasted to give the watch a more rugged look. Sitting on top of the case is a thick bezel with four exposed screws, that conforms to the shape of the case. At the 3 o’clock position is a threaded crown that is protected by crown guards. The case is water-resistant to 100 meters only.
The driving force behind the watch is the caliber BR-CAL321, a slightly modified variation of the Sellita SW300-1. The movement operates at a frequency of 4 Hz and offers an autonomy of around 42 hours when fully wound. The movement is visible through the sapphire case back.
The new Bell and Ross BR05 Horolum is limited to just 250 pieces worldwide and is available to purchase from Bell and Ross boutiques for EUR 4900 on the bracelet and EUR 4500 on a rubber strap.
Visit Bell & Ross here.
