Between the pieces launched this year at Baselword, one can find a nice representative for the French brand’s divers – the BR03-92 Green Bronze Diver. Intended as a professional tool watch, the new diver is inspired by the military watches. Remember the lovely duality of the BR03-92 MA-1? As the name evokes, the BR03-92 Green Bronze Diver is characterised by a green dial theme and a specific Bell&Ross square bronze case. Bell&Ross send me the piece No 441 for a week. At the end of the article, there is a gallery with many other pictures.
Bell&Ross BR03-92 Green Bronze Diver Hands-on Review
As I mentioned before, the team of Bell&Ross was kind to send me the No 441 for a week of tests. However, this is not a paid article (in case you wonder). As usual, I will start with the presentation video, so we can dive after into the details. The reviewed piece was not a new one, having already a developed patina. A great way to observe how the bronze diver could handle the time.
The reviewed piece is part of a 999 pieces series.
The case: the gold and the green
The case of the BR03-92 has nothing to do with gold, the metal. But when new, the case of the diver looks like a massive piece of gold. Remember the Bell & Ross Vintage BR V2 94 Bellytanker Bronze? But the bronze case made of CuSn8 (92% copper and 8% tin) will age in time. The bronze can develop a very unique patina, determined by the users’ skin pH and usage condition.
The 42mm signature case is a good fit for many wrists, being quite a versatile piece. I wouldn’t recommend it though to formal attire. From the casual office to vacation look, the diver felt good on the wrist.
The watch case-back is fitted with four screws and protect the wrist from the case oxidation. Still, after a week of continuous wrist time, the watch gave me a green halo on the wrist from the case edge and lugs. Not dramatic, but is something one always has to take into consideration at a bronze case.
The stainless steel case back is lovely decorated with an engraving of a bronze diver helmet, specific to the driving gear of the 1940s. The decorations include the limited edition number, the serial number, case materials and water resistance capabilities.
The case body reveals a satin brushing with partly bevelled and polished sides. The patina brings into attention each detail of the case. I have tried to “clean” the watch with a cloth (looks like I couldn’s get rid of all the dust and lint) but what was “printed” into patina, can not be removed just like that. I didn’t want to make a deep cleaning since I wanted to have this patined look.
The crown protection bumps, specific to diver watches, are solid. The integration is pleasant, balanced in size and design. The screwed-in crown is fitted with a rubber grip that offers excellent manoeuvrability.
The bronze bezel with green anodised aluminium insert is decorated with a 60-minute scale. Interesting that the scale is continued up the 20th minute, instead of just up to the 15th minute. The uni-directional bezel feels nice and solid. It has a nice clicking sound. See the video above.
The diver comes with two straps: the khaki calfskin leather, seen on the reviewed piece, and black rubber. The bronze pin buckle will also develop a unique patina.
The green dial
The Bell&Ross BR03-92 Green Bronze Diver has a nice shade of dark green, as seen on military uniforms. I was enjoying the watch as it is, a green dial timepiece without thinking about its military connotations.
The layout is full of details without being too busy. The dial is printed with the brand’s logo on the upper side and with typical inscriptions on the lower side.
The hour indexes are three types Gold-plated applique indices with Super-LumiNova® inserts. The minutes/seconds indication on the outer inclined register is white printed. The “Empire State Building” hands (as I like to call them) are skeletonised and filled with Super-LumiNova®. The central seconds’ hand has a round luminescent insert required for the “running seconds” – it is mandatory that the diver watches to have the seconds’ hand visible in low light, to signalise the diver of the watch running state.
As expected, the legibility is great. Including the small date aperture. I was always amazed to see that the small date window was clearly visible. The date disc is close to the dial. Having the same colour theme, the date looks really nice, well-integrated into the design.
A 4Hz beating heart
The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Green Bronze Diver is powered by the calibre BR-CAL.302. The 4Hz, 28800vph movement is a modified version of Sellita SW300-1. It offers a 38 hours power reserve. After the initial setting, I didn’t feel the need to wind or set the watch – the normal, daily wearing being enough to keep the watch running in parameters.
Since I don’t have an actual view of the movement, I can only guess that the BR-CAL.302 is industrial finished with the typical classic decorations.
Conclusions
The Bell&Ross BR03-92 could be more than just a desk diver. Built to fulfil the needs of the professionals, the watch is a nice catch for the enthusiasts. I enjoyed the watch. A balanced design and a good size that feet comfortable on the wrist. One can see and buy the Bell&Ross BR03-92 Green Bronze Diver at the brands’ Boutiques or Retailers or find it Online for the price of 3,900€.
More about my experience with the Green Bronze Diver on the second part of this article.
Bell&Ross BR03-92 Green Bronze Diver Technical Specifications.
Movement: calibre BR-CAL.302. Automatic mechanical.
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds and date.
Case: 42 mm in diameter. Satin-polished CuSn8 bronze. Unidirectional rotating solid bronze bezel with 60-minute scale and anodised aluminium insert.
Dial: green. Gold-plated applique indices with Super-LumiNova® inserts. Gold-plated skeletonised Super-LumiNova®-filled hands.
Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating.
Water resistance: 300 meters.
Strap: khaki calfskin leather and black rubber.
Buckle: pin. Bronze.
Bell&Ross BR03-92 Green Bronze Diver Gallery
