Bell & Ross' new BR 05 Artline watch in steel and gold
Optimized design
The Artline collection, launched in 2022, offers an iconic design inspired by the Art Deco movement of the interwar period of the 1930s with the BR 05 City collection.
"The name suggests that it incorporates an artistic dimension (art) in design (line). When you see it, you immediately think of the American streamlined style," explains Bruno Belamich, Creative Director and co-founder of Bell & Ross.
The Streamline movement began in the United States in the 1930s and perfectly embodies the harmonious fusion of form, material and technological knowledge. Combining industrial design with aerodynamic elements, Streamline embodies the rise of functionalist aesthetics.
This movement also marks the birth of a new profession: the designer.
These designers are not simple engineers or draftsmen. Their task is to conceive lines and color combinations to provide originality and beauty to industrial products.
The pioneers of this movement, in particular Raymond Loewy, introduced everyday objects that adopted the avant-garde lines of contemporary trains, planes and cars.
With the Artline collection, Bell & Ross follows this trend and pays tribute to these designers.
A jewel of strength
The gold-steel combination was highly acclaimed in the 70s and 80s, especially in the United States, blending refinement with strength, giving these watches a unique and precious elegance.
The combination of gold and steel is making a strong comeback in contemporary watchmaking, as a whole new generation rediscovers the bold creativity and free style of that era.
Of course, Bell & Ross has taken advantage of this in its own way.
The new BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold is by no means nostalgic or neo-retro. As a contemporary urban watch, it takes the stance that there is no compromise between strength and refinement.
"With Artline, we wanted to offer a watch that is both opulent and elegant. The decoration of its large surfaces (case and central links) allowed us to show the potential of the BR 05 through a prism of refinement, preciousness and jewellery.", says Bruno Belamich, Creative Director of Bell & Ross.
Another significant advantage is that by combining these two materials, a jewellery with 18K rose gold parts becomes even more accessible.
A beautiful and robust watch inspired by aviation
In the new BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold, one graphic element immediately catches the eye of connoisseurs of fine watchmaking: the gold elements. Both the bezel and the central links of the integrated bracelet are fluted.
The relief of this finish, which is reminiscent of modern architecture, is appreciated for its high-end watchmaking and goldsmith decoration. The ribbed design is unusual in a technical piece and gives the BR 05 Artline a unique and distinctive character.
The Artline collection, unlike the rest of the Bell & Ross BR 05 collection, carves out its own space while retaining the defining features of its lineage.
The undulations created by the grooves also have resonance and emotional power for aviation enthusiasts, which is certainly one of Bell & Ross's favorite areas of expression.
The BR 05 Artline is reminiscent of the aluminum fuselage of a 1940s cruising aircraft, known for its particularly sturdy construction. "Several references were swirling in my mind when I created this piece.
The first of these was related to air travel," confirms Bruno Belamich, Creative Director of Bell & Ross, who is happy to incorporate a more valuable dimension into the brand's City collection.
Behind the refinement lies the power.
Unique dial and high-performance movement
The large numerals typical of the Bell & Ross hour indicator are replaced by stick-shaped hour markers coated with luminous material, as are the hour and minute hands.
The seconds hand is gold, which complements the new and unique color of the dial, a bright sunny brown that required a special manufacturing technique. To achieve the desired effect, the metal plate from which the spheres are cut had to be coated with brown varnish.
The dial is powered by the precise, high-performance Swiss automatic movement BR-CAL.321-1, which has a reassuring 54-hour power reserve.
The sapphire crystal caseback of this 40 mm watch, which is water-resistant to 100 meters, reveals its finishes and the full 360° rotor.
Full of symbolism, the new BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold contains a variety of complementary references,
melding rigorous architectural style, volatile urban style, modernist industrial aesthetics and aviation inspiration.