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-X1
Bell & Ross BR-X1 43 mm Black 18k
Reference 49336OR.38
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Bell & Ross
- Collection
- BR-X1
- Model
- Bell & Ross BR-X1 43 mm Black 18k
- Reference number
- 49336OR.38
- Year / era
- 1992 · 1990s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- Chronograph
- Movement
- Spring Drive
- Case material
- 18k white gold
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- White rubber velcro strap
- Water resistance
- 300 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 43 mm
- Case thickness
- 9.4 mm
- Case material
- 18k white gold
- Bezel
- Smooth polished
- Crystal
- Anti-reflective sapphire, double-domed
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Blued steel Breguet-style hands
- Indexes
- Applied Arabic numerals with luminous coating
- Bracelet / strap
- White rubber velcro strap
- Clasp / buckle
- Pin buckle in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 300 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 87C — Spring Drive
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 55 hours
- Number of jewels
- 40 jewels
- Complications
- Chronograph
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1992 – 1999
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.
Designer
Jörg Hysek
Jörg Hysek left Rolex and Seiko's European studios to build a design practice in Geneva, giving houses such as Vacheron Constantin, Breguet, Seiko and TAG Heuer their sculptural, architecture-led cases before founding his own brand, HD3.
Historical significance
Bell & Ross BR-X1 43 mm Black 18k sits within Bell & Ross's BR-X1 line, introduced in 1992. It carries the house codes established since 1992 — 18k white gold case, black lacquer dial and spring drive — 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 movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
- 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.