A square GMT yes please, the BR05 GMT

GMT watches have been on the swing for the last years, almost every luxury brand (or microbrand) is currently offering one on their catalogue, the only thing is that most of them look the same so when I saw

the new bell and Ross take on this complication with a BR05 case I just have to check it out. By nature, on a GMT watch you need to display a second time zone and of course include a timescale of some sorts so the dials tend to be similar among brands, this is why I like what Bell and Ross did, they concentrate on the case design and really made it their own thing. I spent a week with this new release and it was hard to say good bye, hopefully the review below can give you an idea on what you can expect of this aviation inspired piece.

The specifications:

Bell and Ross have made a good job on really separating their collections which in the watch world is very refreshing, if you go to their website you can easily differentiate among the different inspirations for each of their offerings, the BR05 design is the latest addition and it is trying to be a

more refined design and suited for more formal occasions. The case is 41mm but given that is a square case it feels right on point for my 6.25 inch wrist and the bracelet as is integrated

makes the whole watch feel like one piece, there is a rubber strap version but I think that this version is the real stand out. The watch is powered by a BR-CAL.325 which you can see from the back and has been decorated quite nice with an exhibition case back.

On the wrist:

The watch is quite elegant, the black and red scheme give that sobriety and tool like presence, that red arrow hand stands out against the 24 hours scale making a very recognizable dial but also a legible one. The case is the real delight on this piece, is so well machined that the polished and brushed surfaces really give a vibe of a high end piece, the Bell and Ross at 4500 GBP RRP is not by any means cheap but I haven't seen this level of cases at this price point. The lume plays a big part on this watch, of course by being an aviation piece this is critical for the user, the BR05 doesn’t disappoint here, the lume is bright and well applied, a torch in the good sense of the word. The watch despite being all steel is comfortable and not to heavy, easy to wear and can go with anything from a suit to a jeans and shirt.

Conclusion:

It is easy to see that I really enjoyed my time with this piece, I am a currently owner of an Explorer II 5 digit reference which is a similar layout but looking them both side by side I can easily see them co existing in my collection, the integrated bracelet trend has been going very strong so together with the GMT complication makes a real winner and also a unique offer in the market which is hardly seen at this price point. With the themes like aviation, multi zone watches and integrated bracelets I am sure that this watch would be massively popular and no wonder as I was wearing straight for a week and not I have nothing to replace it with.

more info at www.bellross.com

visit us on Instagram at #robbieandwatches