Bell & Ross amaze us again. After the release, earlier this year of the BR 01 Laughing Skull, the brand comes with a new extraordinary piece – the Bell & Ross BR X2 Skeleton Tourbillon Micro-Rotor. Read below the full press release.
Bell & Ross BR X2 Skeleton Tourbillon Micro-Rotor
Last year, Bell & Ross released the second generation of its “Experimental” collection: the BR X2 model, where the case and movement form a single element. Keen, as ever, to push boundaries, and take the challenge of transparency to the extreme, this year the Brand is launching the BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor Skeleton.
This pared down model perfectly illustrates our idea of contemporary Haute Horlogerie, with the movement showcased as a masterpiece within an ultra-modern setting.
The concept behind the BR X2 is that the movement is worn directly on the wrist. The mechanism is brought to the forefront, while the case disappears.
Bell & Ross designed and developed an exceptional square movement, the manufacture calibre BR-CAL.381, which adopts the brand’s iconic signature shape. It is set between two sapphire crystal plates, linked by a narrow band of steel machined as a single piece, to ensure unrestricted visibility.
This makes the case virtually invisible, and the dial does the same to showcase the skeleton movement, allowing all elements of the mechanism to be admired. For a skeleton movement, the challenge is to remove as much material as possible whilst ensuring the model’s mechanical constraints are respected.
From the micro-components to the finished watch, every detail is important. For this model, Bruno Belamich, the brand’s Creative Director, came up with a utopian idea: “Fusing the case and
movement into a single component to make the case disappear, leaving just the movement visible.” To highlight this inherent aesthetic purity and technical expertise, the designer opted for
both simplicity and performance. A true fusion between tradition and the avant-garde.
This two-hand watch displays the hours and minutes with optimal precision thanks to a flying tourbillon that compensates for the gravitational pull of the earth. Simplicity, yes; but also elegance
and restraint, thanks to its understated dimensions (42.5 mm square) and delicacy, made possible by the extra-thin movement — just 4.05 mm — with automatic winding provided by a micro-rotor.
This miniaturisation process allowed the thickness of the movement to be reduced, yet with an equivalent power reserve.
With this unique concept, and its bold, modern design, the BR X2 reasserts Bell & Ross standing as one of the most innovative and creative names in the world of Haute Horlogerie.
Lovers of mechanical craftsmanship will be seduced by this highly exclusive timepiece, which enables them to experience the unique sensation of wearing a watch movement on the wrist,
feeling its beating heart, whilst freely admiring the mechanism as it runs. Inspired by modern architecture, this model will be available in a limited edition of 50 pieces.
Technical specifications
Movement: calibre BR-CAL.381.
Automatic mechanical. Micro-rotor tourbillon. The micro-rotor is machined in a very dense alloy, Reconit 18. This alloy contains 95% tungsten, 18.5 density, compared to steel (8.0), pure gold (19.3), 18-ct gold (15.5-16.5 according to colour), platinum (20.7)
Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating.
Functions: hours and minutes. Flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock.
Case: 42.5 mm in diameter. Satin-polished steel.
Dial: skeletonized. Metal applique Superluminova®-filled indices. Metal skeletonized Superluminova®-filled hour and minute hands.
Water-resistance: 50 metres.
Strap: grey alligator.
Buckle: folding. Satin-polished steel.
