Bell & Ross is an essential benchmark in the field of professional aviation watches. Inspired by the clock in a jet cockpit, its BR 01 model has gained iconic status in the world of watchmaking. Whenever the Maison flies to distant horizons, it is always to invest in powerful, unique universes. With the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada, Bell & Ross comes to explore the inspiring world of cigar lovers. 

The brand has visited this captivating universe before with two original series. 

In 2006, Bell & Ross launched the BR Vintage 126 XL Edición Limitada. This sporty chronograph from the Vintage collection has a round rose gold case.

In 2015, the WW1 Edición Limitada came along to embellish the series. This model takes up the design of the WW1, inspired by the first wrist watches. The retro-style timepiece features a round red gold case and very thin wire lugs.

Now, the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada is here: the third piece in this successful collection. More urban in design, this modern, technical watch features the Edición Limitada warm finish that is created with a brown dial and gold case.

THE INSPIRATION

The BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada is the latest addition to the Bell & Ross collection, inspired by the world of cigars. This attractive chronograph has a strong personality, the scented curls of Havana almost visible around it. The timepiece bears a Spanish-sounding name on the dial as a nod to Cuba, the island of cigars.

The Edición Limitada is based on the BR 05, the sportchic watch by the French-Swiss Maison. 

Launched in 2019, this model goes everywhere with the urban adventurer. As an evolution of the iconic BR 03, the collection retains the same design details - square case with four screws on the edges - but incorporating softer lines through its rounded corners. Finally, the case and integrated strap join together as one. Now, the 42mm BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada is a more distinctive variation on the BR 05 chronograph.

THE URBAN EPICUREAN

The BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada is aimed for the chic, stylish dandy and urban epicurean. The watch is adorned with details specially designed with him in mind.

A lover of beautiful things, good food and good cigars, this sophisticated gent subscribes to a certain artde-vivre.

The style and finishes in this limited series match his demeanour and way of life.

Deeply rooted in the 21st century, this hedonistic gentleman embraces a timeless approach to life. He cultivates a certain refined classicism, revisited in a contemporary fashion. He likes to drive prestigious cars, sip smooth spirits, wear fine materials—and, of course, smoke good cigars.

However, you can be a non-smoker and still want to wear the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada chronograph. Any lover of refined objects will be moved by this watch, with its shimmering finishes that convey the elegant, urban, epicurean art of living.

THE CODES

The elegant BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada chronograph echoes the spirit of the previous Edición Limitada. Its finish is inspired by the world of Havana cigars. If this watch were a cigar, it would be the famous Robusto Maduro. A cigar is defined by two main elements: the colour of its wrapper (the leaf it’s wrapped in) and its module (its shape and length).

With its rounded square corners and 42mm case, the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada chronograph evokes the Robusto cigar, a famous thick, short cigar with a square tip.

This precious and decidedly chic launch takes on a colour code of brown, pink and deep red. These tones evoke the Maduro cigar, with its dark brown  wrapper finished with a red and gold ring. 

- Matte brown dresses up the dial. The colour of this element mirrors the tobacco leaf surrounding the cigar.
- Gold covers the small, subtle details, like the outside of the chronograph counters.
- Red can be found on the stopwatch hands, evoking the cigar bands. As a nod to the cigar’s roots, the Edición Limitada inscription on the dial is written in
red and in Spanish.

The colour code used is also a way to separate different functions, a Bell & Ross signature design detail. The two stopwatch hands are dressed in red. The large central hand measures the seconds, while the small hand on the counter at 9 o’clock measures the stopwatch minutes. The counter at 3 o’clock houses a small golden hand which displays the seconds: no risk of confusion. 

Dedicated to the world of cigars, the colour palette isn’t the only thing that makes this collection stand out. The materials are a mix of gold and steel, creating a harmonious result. On the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada, gold, a rare material, features on the bezel and strap links. The case and the rest of the strap are made of steel. 

The colours of both metals pair very well with the dial’s matte brown.

A refined chronograph, the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada houses a self-winding BR-CAL301 movement. The counter at nine o’clock indicates the  chronograph minutes. The counter at three o’clock displays the small seconds. The date is displayed in a discreet window set between 4 and 5 o’clock, a useful function of valued precision.

The watch is sold with a choice of two straps:

- the brown rubber strap gives the watch a sportier feel. This version is the entry level of the series.
- the other strap comes in 4N rose gold and steel, perfectly matching the steel case and its rose gold bezel. It completes the most luxurious, accomplished version the series has to offer.

THE BOX

This collector’s watch is delivered in a spectacular precious wood box. The Bell & Ross logo is embedded to its lid in the form of a cigar ring in gilded steel and 5N gold. The elegant case is adorned with varnished ebony on the outside and cedar wood in the inside. A beautiful piece in its own right, the case is designed to easily turn into an authentic cigar box. The colours used in its materials match those of the BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada chronograph.