Bell & Ross recently launched a highly anticipated piece, the BR01 Burning Skull Bronze, during the Search of Extreme press event at the W Hotel, in Hong Kong.
Through the new campaign and tagline “Watch Beyond”, the brand embarks us into the world of the extreme and expresses the idea of going one step further and pushing our own limits under extreme conditions, a watch is not only a tool serving its mission but an ally at every moment. With dazzling red, blue and green lights representing different fields of military, the event also showcased the latest novelties of this year dedicated to professionals in Air, Land, and Sea fields.
The event started with a short introduction by celebrity Mistress of Ceremony, Ms Jasmin Wong, followed by a welcome speech by Fabien de Nonancourt, General Manager of Bell & Ross. Right after that, models in army green costumes presented new timepieces from various Bell & Ross collections.
The catwalk was kicked off with models demonstrating three watches of the Airfield, namely the high-tech camouflage watch BR03-92 Black Camo, the BR-X1 Black Titanium with a transparent dial and ultra-masculine outlook, and BR-X1 White Hawk inspired by the colours of private jets. The next on stage was BRV2-94 bellytanker from the Land field, a timepiece celebrating record-breaking races of the fifties. From the Sea field, the first diver’s watch by the brand with a square case, the BR03-92 Diver, was unveiled shortly after. As a surprise, an exclusive limited edition for Hong Kong and China markets – the BR01 Burning Skull Bronze – was introduced on stage at the end of the show by celebrity model Kevin Cheng.
After the ceremony, the guest took their time to admire the timeline of the brand’s famous and iconic collection BR01 Skull that was being showcased at the venue, featuring BR01 Skull timepieces of Bell & Ross at different stages. An on-site activity for the guests was making military style dog tag engraved with their own name, commemorating their shared vision of reaching beyond with the brand. While some guests posed for their GIF photos with various groovy poses, the others gave the VR game a try, and had a taste of what is it like to march into extreme conditions.
BR01 Burning Skull Bronze
Since 2009, Bell & Ross has made a lasting impression by breaking the traditional watchmaking codes with its very first BR 01 “Skull”. Remarkable versions were unveiled in 2015 and 2016, namely the BR01 Skull Bronze and BR01 Burning Skull. With the success of last year, Bell & Ross launches this special version with a new material, bronze (CuAL7), this year: the BR01 Burning Skull Bronze.
Each of the BR01 Skull collection pays its own unique tribute to the legendary parachutists of the Second World War. Emerging from the skies at dawn on June 6th, 1944, the American airborne divisions played a vital role in the Normandy landings.
From time immemorial, the most formidable fighters have demonstrated their courage by sporting such skulls, both to intimidate their adversaries and to ward off bad fortune. Rubbing shoulders with danger on a daily basis, on their jumpsuits, these elite fighters proudly wore an insignia bearing a skull and the words: “Death from Above”, as a symbol of their courage to better defy death and intimidate their opponents. Today, the legendary “Jolly Rogers” still figures on military equipment, such as uniforms, emblems and aeroplanes as a decorative element that is used as a talisman or a rebel symbol.
Faithful to the spirit of the 1944 parachutists and their emblem, which resembled the pirate flags of the past, the BR 01 BURNING SKULL BRONZE displays the skull and crossbones, perfectly placed within the lines of the iconic square case of the Bell & Ross brand.
Turn the watch over, and even the visible inscriptions on the case-back seem to be taken from a real tattoo, with the curved letters appearing to follow the contours of an arm. Its bold, edgy graphics recall the mythical fires of hell, and include numerous motifs symbolizing destiny and mortality: a heart, a rose, a scythe and an hourglass, lurking within the decoration.
The realism of the skull in the centre of the tattoo is reinforced by the design of the dial on two levels, which brings a depth to the visual effect. The skull is created from stamped metal, a process traditionally used for producing coins and medals, and which creates a true relief. The black SuperLuminova covering the dial face further accentuates the skull, intensifying its defiant stare.
To give a unique look to the BR01 BURNING SKULL BRONZE, Bell & Ross chose to produce its case using bronze with a micro-blasted finish. In perfect compliance with watchmaking quality standards, this alloy of copper (approx.91%), Aluminum (6.80%) and tin (1.75%) offers excellent resistance to wear while sporting a very distinctive colour. This aged appearance with patina gives the BR 01 SKULL BRONZE a colouring that makes every watch an absolutely unique piece. A limited edition series of 100, exclusively made for Hong Kong and China markets.
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