Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Bell & Ross · BR 05
Bell & Ross BR 05 42 mm Black Grade
Reference 76858OR.93
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Bell & Ross
- Collection
- BR 05
- Model
- Bell & Ross BR 05 42 mm Black Grade
- Reference number
- 76858OR.93
- Year / era
- 1992 · 1990s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- Flyback chronograph
- Movement
- Automatic chronograph
- Case material
- Grade 5 titanium
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- White rubber velcro strap
- Water resistance
- 500 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 42 mm
- Case thickness
- 8.1 mm
- Case material
- Grade 5 titanium
- Bezel
- Unidirectional ceramic 60-minute
- Crystal
- Box sapphire with AR coating
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Faceted dauphine hands, polished by hand
- Indexes
- Printed minute track with applied batons
- Bracelet / strap
- White rubber velcro strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 500 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 28F — Automatic chronograph
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 5 days
- Number of jewels
- 21 jewels
- Complications
- Flyback chronograph
- Functions
- GMT second time zone, date
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1992 – 1998
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Trades close to retail on the secondary market, with steady demand for full-set examples.
Designer
Marc Newson
Marc Newson is an Australian industrial designer whose work spans Qantas cabins, Apple hardware and Jaeger-LeCoultre's Atmos clocks; his watch design reduces the object to pure geometry and legibility.
Historical significance
Bell & Ross BR 05 42 mm Black Grade sits within Bell & Ross's BR 05 line, introduced in 1992. It carries the house codes established since 1992 — grade 5 titanium case, black lacquer dial and automatic chronograph — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
Bell & Ross
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1992
- Founder
- Bruno Belamich & Carlos A. Rosillo
- Headquarters
- France
- Tier
- Premium
- Major collections
- BR 03, BR 05, BR V2, BR-X1, Vintage
- Signature technologies
- Certified chronometer regulation · Proprietary case-hardening and polishing
- Famous movements
- Automatic chronograph · High-beat automatic · Spring Drive · Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Notable watches
- Bell & Ross BR 03 40 mm Salmon Grade (2004) · Bell & Ross BR 03 37 mm Skeletonised Sapphire (1992) · Bell & Ross BR 03 38 mm Black Ceramic (1992) · Bell & Ross BR 03 42 mm Ice Grade (1992)
Brand history
Bell & Ross has spent more than 34 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's BR 03, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Bruno Belamich & Carlos A. Rosillo established Bell & Ross in 1992, working from France at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Bell & Ross calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1992
Bruno Belamich & Carlos A. Rosillo founds Bell & Ross in France.
2024
Bell & Ross continues to produce BR 03, BR 05, BR V2 and other icons in limited numbers.