Bell & Ross BR-X5 brings the brand DNA to a new sleek shape with a Kenissi heart.
Bell & Ross are pushing and elevating the original integrated silhouette of the BR 05 collection to its ultimate form in the BR-X5. This timepiece was launched in Malaysia just earlier this week and now we share full technical details. This new sleek design pairs the sportiness and intrigue of the brand with a movement manufactured by Kenissi. This caliber is the BR-CAL.323.
The BR-X5 is available either with a black face (BR‐X5R-BL-ST) or an ice blue face (BR‐X5R-IB-ST). The strap options are open-worked rubber or satin-finished and polished steel.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
Bell & Ross often finds itself at the cutting-edge of innovative watch design, with its impressive range of aviation and aeronautically inspired timepieces pairing action-ready wearability with engaging aestheticism. In Bell & Ross’ latest timepiece, the French/Swiss brand once more finds itself at the forefront of novel creation, pairing exceptional design with manufacture movement, and unveiling the new BR-X5.
Since its debut in 2019, the BR 05 collection has served as the jewel of strength in the French mai-
son’s catalogue, embodying urban focused design in a unique and distinctly geometric fashion. In the
BR-X5, Bell & Ross elevates the original integrated silhouette to its pinnacle, drawing from the strong DNA of the brand and presenting a new, sleek design that pairs sportiness with serious intrigue, all while being powered by a manufacture movement manufactured by Kenissi.
Measuring 41mm in diameter with an approachable thickness of 12.8mm, the exceptional case of the BRX5 is at once familiar while simultaneously evolved and elevated, pushing the edge of creativity for-
ward. Featuring a sandwich type construction, the timepiece’s precise facets and highly considered
cuts touch a chord of the avant-garde, highlighting senses of streamlined lightness and industrial re-
sistance. A bold sense of daring permeates through the aesthetic, with Bell & Ross’ design team making
clear their propensity for originative watchmaking once more.
At a glance, the multi-layer construction of the BR-X5 is discreet when viewed from the front, but comes into its own when seen from the side. The hollowed-out architecture of the case middle is captivating, revealing a technical construction that optimizes lightness without compromising on utility or water resistance. The different polished, satin-brushed and micro-blasted finishes throughout the case highlight the lines and surfaces of the design, and ensure the successful completion of this watch-
making puzzle.
In its construction, the case of the BR-X5 begins with a steel core, the central component machined from the same block of metal as the watch’s crown guards and in-effect ensuring the superior protection of the timepiece and its movement. Flanking the core are the watch’s square bezel, highlighted via a rubber ring, and its caseback, both fixed to the two steel plates that form the top and bottom of the case. The novel assembly is kept watertight to 100m by four screws that pass through the thickness of the case via four columns, each of which reinforce the solidity of the construction while providing a signature look.
While forward looking in its sophistication, the modern watch remains in-line with the familiar attitudes which have helped define Bell & Ross, being perfectly balanced in its elevation by its versatility. Throughout the design a sense of sportiness and practical reliability carry through, these sentiments provided by both its steel construction and as well as integrated design between the case and matching steel bracelet or openworked rubber strap.
Like the case housing it, the dial of the BR-X5 is the product of smart design work, with its style marking a highly refined expression of the original urban instrument shape. Available in two colorways— black and ice blue— each option represents two sides of the brand’s appeal. In the suave black, classic and timeless noir are channeled with bright, sharp accents of red highlighting the look. While in the ice blue, the tasteful spirit of sport and play which has defined the urban BR 05 is on full view.
Towards the 3 o’clock position, a date window evoking the aeronautical DNA of Bell & Ross is featured, channeling the influence of analog flight instruments into this contemporarily oriented timepiece.
While on the opposite side of the display a stepped power reserve indicator is at work, with its 3-day scale hinting at the impressive mechanism powering the watch from within.
Driving the BR-X5 is one of the most significant calibers in the Bell & Ross’ storied history: the Calibre BR-CAL.323. Developed in partnership between the French brand and the esteemed mechanical manufacture Kenissi, the mechanism resulted from several years of design, development, and fine-tuning, and features an exclusive configuration in compliance with the specifications defined by Bell & Ross.
The automatic movement importantly represents a new era in mechanical thinking within the brand’s cat-
alogue and a continued expression of Bell & Ross’ cutting-edge work. “While aesthetic daring was the
guiding principle throughout the creative stages of the BR-X5, when it came to timekeeping relia-
bility and precision, the notion of risk was banished from our vocabulary”, explains Bruno Belamich, Bell & Ross Creative Director.
The Calibre BR-CAL.323 importantly possesses an about 70-hour power reserve while running a smooth
frequency of 28,000 alt/h. Incredibly dependable in its power reserve, the 28-jewel movement is fur-
thermore incredibly precise in its timekeeping in-part thanks to a variable-inertia balance wheel, with it maintaining a chronometer-grade spec via a COSC certification. The movement is also equipped with a rapid date correction device, which seamlessly allows for a quick date adjustment without any effect on running timekeeping.
In-line with the style of the BR-X5’s sleek case and display, the Calibre BR-CAL.323 is visible via a sapphire exhibition case back. The exhibition showcases a Bell & Ross signed skeletonized oscillating weight, with its entrancing movements enhanced via the movement’s apparent attention to detail and
fine finishing throughout.
Showcasing the extreme reliability of the movement over time, the BR-X5 comes supported with a 5 year warranty, impressively exceeding the previous standard warranty of 2 years for Bell & Ross’ timepieces.
