Bell & Ross BR 05 SKELETON NIGHTLUM

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Launched in 2019, the new BR 05 icon – an instrument for urban explorers – is being enhanced this year with dazzling and captivating functionalities: Bell & Ross BR 05 SKELETON NIGHTLUM.

For Bell & Ross, each detail has a purpose, and legibility is one if its guiding principles since the very beginning. With that in mind, the brand has explored the concept of luminescence and designed timepieces known for their unfaltering legibility day and night. LUM has become one of the brand’s true signatures.

Building on from the success of its predecessors – the BR 05 SKELETON was adorning a grey dial in 2019 and a blue version was released in 2020 -, the skeleton movement of the BR 05 now attires itself in black with a hint of green.

A mechanical jewel

The new BR 05 SKELETON NIGHTLUM is in keeping with a graphic and design spirit thanks to its precious finishes and contemporary trim.

The BR 05 belongs to the family of watches with an integrated bracelet: the bracelet fuses with the case to create a unified piece. Accurate, legible, reliable, and functional, this new iconic line is completed with an appealing and complementary timepiece.

The main characteristic of the BR 05 SKELETON timepieces is the work of skeletonization on the movement and the highlight of the beauty and sophistication of the fine mechanics. Often used in the Haute Horlogerie landscape, the skeleton technique magnifies the mechanism by softly carving away all but the bare minimum of the metal. The result is a combination of both resistance and extreme lightness.

Equipped with a BR-CAL.322 mechanism, wound by a 360° black PVD coated oscillating weight, the back of the model discreetly reveals the skeletonized manufacture movement. Pushing the challenge of transparency to a climax, the open-worked dial forms a clear window through which the movement – also fully covered with black PVD – can be admired. This display completes the lace effect of the cut-out bridges and confirms its uncluttered style.

A day & night legible watch

Not only it is the first time the LUM concept is applied to a BR 05 but it also reinforces the new icon graphic look and utilitarian purpose. Thereby, black and green define the new standard for this latest release in the BR 05 collection.

The name of the timepiece itself evokes a guiding principle dear to Bell & Ross whose mission of displaying time with the utmost efficiency is essential. “Lum” for light, and “Night” for obscurity are used to translate the watch’s outstanding readability at nighttime.

Super-Luminova® treatment facilitates reading during the day and at nighttime. Thus, the metal applique skeletonized indices and hands are filled with green-emitting Super-LumiNova® C5. This type was specifically chosen for its pale yet strong green daytime color and its exceptional brightness qualities. When the night falls, the pale green background turns fluorescent green and will allow a persistent reading during the night hours.

This intense green light offers an excellent luminescence that contrasts with the black dial. Black has always been Bell & Ross’ trademark colour. It is the colour par excellence of the coating used on aircraft cockpit instruments and pilots’ watches to eliminate glare.

Made from smoked-tinted sapphire crystal, the graphic dial boasts clear indications and lends great depth. While the shape of the indices was designed like a neon light strips installation, reminiscent of a new form urban art; the hands figuratively represent lightsabers. The whole seems to be floating weightlessly in the dial.