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 V2
Bell & Ross BR V2 40 mm Slate Quartz
Reference 76551OR.29
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Bell & Ross
- Collection
- BR V2
- Model
- Bell & Ross BR V2 40 mm Slate Quartz
- Reference number
- 76551OR.29
- Year / era
- 1997 · 1990s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- GMT / second time zone
- Movement
- High-beat automatic
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Dial type
- Slate grey
- Strap / bracelet
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Water resistance
- 30 m
- Limited-edition status
- Limited edition of 100 pieces
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 40 mm
- Case thickness
- 8.1 mm
- Case material
- Quartz TPT
- Bezel
- Smooth polished
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Slate grey
- Hands
- Mercedes hour hand with Chromalight display
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap with titanium clasp
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 30 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 33E — High-beat automatic
- Movement type
- Automatic, self-winding
- Frequency
- 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 72 hours
- Number of jewels
- 21 jewels
- Complications
- GMT / second time zone
- Functions
- Dive time, running seconds
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1997 – 2000
- Limited-edition quantity
- 100 pieces
- Current market information
- Trades close to retail on the secondary market, with steady demand for full-set examples.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Bell & Ross BR V2 40 mm Slate Quartz sits within Bell & Ross's BR V2 line, introduced in 1997. It carries the house codes established since 1992 — quartz tpt case, slate grey dial and high-beat automatic — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
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.