Bell & Ross BR-03 'Military Type'

It’s not easy designing a modern-day wristwatch icon — but in the 1990s, French outfit Bell & Ross pulled it off. The brand’s instrument panel-inspired BR-01, with its square case, stark dial, and rubber strap quickly made waves in the watch world, leading to an explosion in popularity for the fledgling Parisian brand. Since then, Bell & Ross has expanded into different case shapes and design profiles — but the square BR-01’s evolution, the BR-03, remains a mainstay in the catalog. This particular BR-03 is a Reference BR0492MIL ‘Military Type’ from circa 2010. Housed in a 42mm black ceramic case with a sapphire crystal and a signed PVD crown, it features a luminous khaki green dial with painted Arabic indices, a matching ‘sword’ handset, and a date wheel at 4:30. Absurdly legible and boasting military-inspired cool, it’s powered by a Swiss-made BR-CAL.302 automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve and comes paired to a black rubber strap with a PVD pin buckle. In excellent condition overall, and including its factory goodies, this masterpiece of utilitarian design is an excellent entry point into the world of Bell & Ross, and into the realm of military-inspired design in general. Try it on for yourself!