News April 2007

BR01 Instrument Tourbillon

From a cockpit timepiece to the BR 01 INSTRUMENT
Limited Edition

The Watch Quote™ - April 12th, 2007

Because Bell & Ross watches perfectly meet the expectations of men who are living on the edge, Bell & Ross has become a benchmark brand name in the field of high quality watchmaking and in the exclusive universe of professional users.

Aeronautic instrumentation being the absolute reference as far as readability, reliability and performance is concerned, our designers attempted to reproduce a plane’s clock as accurately as possible in proportion to the wrist.

The New Limited Edition BR 01 INSTRUMENT:
TOURBILLON

Grande complication
Optimum readability, day or night
Strong, lightweight materials

The design of this sophisticated watch builds on the success of the BR 01 INSTRUMENT collection.

The combination of watch making expertise and Bell & Ross’ history of producing professional grade watches has culminated in a truly unique grande complication movement.

Bell & Ross joined forces with leading Swiss master watchmakers to create this extraordinary movement in a state-of-the-art timepiece. Without deviating from the brand’s design principles, the BR 01 TOURBILLON incorporates four complications: a Tourbillon, a Precision Indicator, a Regulator and a Power Reserve Indicator.

Accuracy

With its carbon fibre bridges and mainplates and black carbon finish, the black gold finish Tourbillon’s grande complication mechanism performs with perfect accuracy.
The Trust Index indicates the accuracy of the movement in accordance with the tension on the barrels.

Readability

In its continual quest for simplicity, Bell & Ross based the design of the dial on proven readability principles from the field of aeronautics.

The four counters are arranged in a cross and use contrasting colour — a visual and operational aid in aviation — to make the information stand out from the ever-present black, especially in the Tourbillon carriage.

The white, photo-luminescent coating on the hands, numbers and index in contrast with the black dial provides optimum readability, day or night.

The Regulator features an hour counter and a large minute hand. The Bell & Ross designers preferred to bring the minutes to the forefront to make the watch that much easier to read.
120-hour Power Reserve Indicator.

Materials & Finishes

The Tourbillon is constructed out of technologically advanced materials, which have been further enhanced by sophisticated finishes.

The carbon fibre dial and the case, which is made out of ultra light, DLC-coated (Diamond Like Carbon) titanium at 4 000 Vickers HV, optimize the watch’s performance.

The bezel and the upper plate’s angled ribs increase the robustness of the case. The middle-case hollowed out of the rim lightens the structure without compromising the solidity of the case. Each of these openings is trimmed with a carbon fibre insert. these finishes accentuate the high tech architecture of the BR 01 INSTRUMENT TOURBILLON.

Secured with four screws, the removable caseback reveals the movement through a sapphire crystal.

The Tourbillon also features the modular concept central to the BR 01 INSTRUMENT collection. This ingenious system of removable fasteners allows the watch to be converted into a desk clock, clock pendant or dashboard ornament.

The BR 01 INSTRUMENT TOURBILLON is presented on a titanium and carbon fibre desk stand. This desk stand calls attention to the Tourbillon’s original function: Offsetting the variations caused by the earth’s gravitational pull from a vertical position.

The watch is sold with two interchangeable straps in rubber and black alligator in a lacquered wood and carbon presentation case.

A symbol of its ongoing pursuit of excellence, Bell & Ross presents this outstanding instrument: The perfect combination of the brand’s expertise in professional grade watches and the extreme complexity of fine watch making.

Bell & Ross BR01 Instrument Tourbillon

Technical data

Movement	:	BR 01 TOURBILLON with carbon fibre mainplates and black gold tourbillon carriage. Mechanical movement with manual winding.

Functions	:	hours (counter at 12 o’clock), minutes (central hand), 120-h power reserve indicator (at 9 o’clock), trust index (at 3 o’clock).

Case	:	46mm XXL diameter. Glass bead blasted titane with DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) , virtually unscratchable coating (4 000 vickers). Screw-in crown.

Dial	:	black carbon fibre, hands and indexes with photoluminescent coating for night reading.

Glass	:	Anti-reflection sapphire crystal. (Top and back).

Water-resistance	:	100 meters.

Strap	:	rubber or alligator.