Bell & Ross have given their Diver Bronze the Black and Green treatment in their latest release, adding to their collection of Dive watches that are very typical of Bell & Ross.
The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 diver collection has been around since 2017 in its current incarnation, with the now iconic Bell & Ross “Rounded Square” case shape that is well entrenched in their Instrument Collection. Whilst other brands have been using Bronze for quite some time, Bell & Ross only added this to their Diver collection in 2018 with their 42 x 42mm cases.
Last year, Bell & Ross released their Diver White Bronze, which we covered here as a welcome addition to the brand’s Diver collection essentially replacing the previous models from 2022. It was well received, and this year, the brand has chosen to give the white variant a sister, in the form of a striking Bronze cased piece, with a matte green dial and black bezel: The BR 03-92 Diver Black & Green Bronze.
The new BR 03-92 does take on a bit of a Neo-retro look with its use of colours and style of the hour markers and dive bezel. The matte green dial is subtle, neither bright nor flat and contrasts with the golden hue of the bronze case very well, to a point where compared to the white dial released last year, almost compliments the overall aesthetic. The hands and markers are filled with a green glow Super- LumiNova® and the hands themselves have been done in a gloss black colour scheme.
The colour-matched date window at about 4:20 whilst not conventional, works as it’s fairly unobtrusive thanks to not only the colour matching, but also Bell & Ross have offset it slightly from the hour markers, which means that it doesn’t feel like it’s crowding the dial with it being forced in between the 4 and 5 o’clock markers. Whilst it may not be symmetrical in a sense, I don’t feel that in this instance it really takes anything away from the dial’s legibility and just adds an additional function to the watch.
Flipping the watch over, a stainless steel case back with a vintage dive helmet relief can be found, with a limited edition number of each. It’s a nod to Bell & Ross’s dive and maritime history, which admittedly, is not as old as the dive helmet, but signifies Bell & Ross’s accomplishments in this area, such as the Hydromax, the brand’s first diving watch, which set a world record of being waterproof to 11,100 metres back in 1997. And as with most bronze watches, the last thing you want is the patina to oxidise on your skin and leave a green mark, so the steel case back helps with this aspect and also those that can have a reaction to the bronze, which some people do.
The Diver Black & Green Bronze is equipped with 2 straps to assist in its wearability, not to mention the look and feel of it on the wrist. As standard the new Bronze Diver comes with a well made, and tapered black rubber strap with bronze buckle, designed to give the watch proportionality on the wrist, and should you want to change the look, then Bell & Ross have equipped this piece with a fabric NATO strap. They also include the tools to change these over in the box, a nice addition to this limited edition piece.
This piece is limited to 999 pieces worldwide, and as such comes in a special Bell & Ross display box, perfect for keeping the piece safe when travelling, not to mention a safe place to keep the tools and accessories with the BR 03-92 Diver Black & Green Bronze.
Final Thoughts
Whilst Bell & Ross are linked to aviation, more so thanks to their case and dial design taking on the look of an aircraft’s instrument panel, their dive watches are robust and reliable. They are made to ISO-6425 standards, meaning they have to withstand a rigorous testing regime to attain this certification. Whilst many who purchase these will most probably never go below a few feet below the waves, let alone 300m, it’s a comfort to know that it will stand up to a range of wearing conditions. Most probably why dive watches are so popular as they are tough and can be taken anywhere.
I’ve said it once, well maybe a few times now, but will say it again – I’m a sucker for the gold and green colour combination. Whilst this is not as dark a green as I’d prefer, on the wrist it will certainly pop and stand out with the golden bronze, green dial and black dive bezel to break it all up. Whilst it doesn’t quite have the vintage style looks the Diver Bronze White does, it does have that classic vintage diver feel with the dial and the modern looks that the “Square Circle” case brings to the collection. Even if this is modelled off old-school fighter planes!
Reference: BR0392-D-LT-BR/SRB
Specification:
- Size: 42mm x 42mm
- Case: Satin-finished and polished bronze. Unidirectional rotating solid bronze bezel with 60-minute scale and brown anodised aluminium ring. Screw-down crown & Crown guard.
- Movement: Automatic mechanical Calibre BR-CAL.302. .
- Power reserve: 54hrs
- Water resistance: 30 bar (300 meters)
- Crystal: Sapphire with Anti-reflective coating
- Case back: Steel case-back.
- Strap: Black rubber strap with bronze pin buckle & Black fabric Nato. Strap tools included.
