SpotlightA Dual-Metal Symphony: Introducing The Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold Timepiece
The new BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold watch highlights Bell & Ross’ versatile architectural style of crafting watches for contemporary horophiles with the use of modern aesthetics, packed with the advantage of steel and gold
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There’s no denying that two-tone watches are definitely making a comeback this year as evident with some of the recent new launches. It’s not to say that they had entirely vanished from the scene but this style—which generally combines steel with gold—has made a strong presence this year. The latest to jump on the dual-tone bandwagon is Bell & Ross with their new BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold—limited to 99 pieces only. Launched in 2022, the Artline range takes its inspiration from the Art Deco movement, which was highly popular in Europe in the 1920s and makes a strong case for structure, form, and symmetry. Actually if one were to be accurate, it’s based on the principles of the Streamline movement—a continuation and the final phase of the Art Deco aesthetic—which was initiated in the United States in the 1930s, thanks to the rise of the modern machine age.
“This name indicates that it incorporates an artistic dimension (art) in its design (line). When you look at it, you immediately think of the American Streamline style,” says Bruno Belamich, creative director and co-founder of Bell & Ross in the brand’s press release.
An offshoot of the Art Deco movement, the Streamline movement gained steam on the American landscape as the country was reeling with the Great Depression and ‘blending industrial design with aerodynamic elements’, was the need of the hour, which gave rise to functional aesthetics that involved the use of modest materials and technical know-how over the opulence of the Art Deco period. Also, the industrial designers played a crucial role in shaping the Streamline movement and the Artline series is the brand’s tribute to them.
And though, the new BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold embraces the symmetrical design ethos of Streamline movement, it’s a highly contemporary watch crafted in steel and gold—a combination that was quite popular in the late 70s—an era when luxury watchmakers had also drifted towards crafting robust sport watches.
The watch measures 40mm and comes in the brand’s signature square-shaped case, crafted in stainless steel and stands out for its striated bezel and central links on the integrated bracelet in 18-karat rose gold. This fluted design lends it a highly modern and distinctive character, which particularly would appeal to aviation enthusiasts as the BR 05 Artline model ‘evokes the aluminium fuselages of 1940s cruise planes, known for their particularly sturdy structure’.
The dial also complements the materials used and comes in a deep rich copper-brown hue, enhanced by sunray finishing. It features baton indices coated with luminescent material, just like the skeletonised hour and minute hands. However, the seconds hand is made in gold to match the opulence of the 18-karat rose-gold elements. Water-resistant to 100m, the BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold is driven by the calibre BR-CAL.321-1—a self-winding movement equipped with a reassuring power reserve of 54 hours, delivering high performance, and can be partially viewed on turning the watch over through the gold 360° oscillating weight.
