[Interview] Bell & Ross Co-Founder and Creative Director Bruno Belamich

A cutting-edge designer shares tips on watch design and comfort

　The current design trend is thin, compact, and sporty. Case size aside, Bell & Ross and its designer Bruno Bellamich have been at the forefront of this trend. As a pioneer of sporty design, how does he feel about this current trend?

Bruno Belamich Born in France in 1965.
Co-founder and creative director of Bell & Ross. He founded Bell & Ross in 1994 with his friend Carlos A. Rosillo. Initially, he enlisted the help of German company Sinn, but released his own original model in 97. With the 2005 "BR Series," Bell & Ross quickly became one of the world's leading watchmakers. His favorite designers are Jasper Morrison and Arne Jacobsen. Their minimalism is certainly something that Bell & Ross shares with him.

"It's true that we were early adopters of trends. Bell & Ross created an all-black watch with the Phantom. It's true that black cases existed when the watch was released in 2007, but they were out of fashion at the time. The same goes for vintage watches, which are a return to basics. And when it comes to trends, I would like to include refinement. Of course, these trends go through cycles. Also, in my father's time, there weren't many options, but now you can choose anything. Military, classic, sports, you name it."

　So how did Bellamy manage to achieve a soft landing for a watch design aimed at hardcore professionals?

"I think the most important thing for a designer is to express themselves freely, and to offer something that exceeds expectations. It's scary for a brand to do something innovative, but I think Bell & Ross is the kind of brand that dares to take on challenges, and in fact, we have a lot of freedom."

　Another thing I would like to mention is the consideration given to comfort when wearing the product.

"I often look at watches from other brands, and even if they look good in photos, they don't look as good on the wrist. This X1 may look big, but it feels good to wear. This is because the lugs are dropped, lowering the center of gravity of the watch. I have thin wrists, so I like that the strap falls off easily." He also spoke about the importance of keeping the thickness down. "There are limitations, but keeping the thickness down is important. Using box sapphire also helps make the case thinner."

　Belamich continues to create freely based on military and professional styles. His design stance seems to be conscious of trends, but also goes beyond them.

"At Bell & Ross, we have standards such as legibility and quality. We don't want to be limited to one category, and we want to let our creations soar freely. We need unity and consistency, but it's difficult to bring all of this together."

　Belamich says he is currently more interested in contemporary watches than vintage. What kind of watches does he plan to make in the future? "I don't think I'll be able to do that anytime soon, but I would like to make a complicated watch. Of course, I would like to maintain the high visibility, large indexes, and display method that are important to the brand."