Discover the origins and story behind the Bell & Ross brand name

Everything has a name, and each name has a meaning and a reason for being named. So, what is the origin of the name of that famous watch? In this column, we will explore the secrets behind the names of watches and introduce them along with their anecdotes.
This time, we will explore the origin of the brand name "Bell & Ross," whose designs inspired by aircraft instruments have attracted attention from watch enthusiasts.

ベル＆ロス

　I believe Bell & Ross was officially introduced to Japan in the early 2000s. At the time, Bell & Ross was said to have been founded in 1991 (currently, the founding year is 1994, when the first model was released), so it would have been around the 10th anniversary of the company's founding. I recall seeing it for the first time at the Basel Fair (the predecessor to Baselworld).

　Bell & Ross's debut in Japan was met with particularly positive reviews from editors, writers, and other watch lovers. Of course, I am one of them. At the time, the lineup was mainly the "Vintage" collection. It was a very ordinary round case model that would become the basis for the current "BR V" collection, but it was extremely fresh and stylish.

　It features a thick case, vertical and flat case sides, a tall and narrow bezel, short lugs, a black and beige dial, Arabic numerals in a simple font, and thick, highly visible hands.

　I also loved the intricate metal bracelets made up of large and small links. They also had straps made from wool, tweed, and cashmere, which still look stylish today. Each and every detail was thoughtful and appealed to watch lovers. Bell & Ross was for the "connoisseurs."

　And indeed, Bell & Ross was a brand that had its roots in watch connoisseurs.

　At the time, the brand was described as having been founded in 1991 by Bell & Ross, a Frenchman and collector of vintage watches. So, we watch lovers thought, "Oh, so that's why they have that unique vintage feel and military taste," or "Their refined sophistication must be a sign of French high taste," or something like that. Well, that's what we were saying.

　Here's the true story: The founders were Burgundy-born Bruno Belamich (Bell) and Paris-born Carlos-Antonio Rosillo (Ross). Both born in 65, they met in high school and hit it off over their shared love of aircraft and watches. After graduating from high school, Belamich majored in industrial design at the National School of Design. Rosillo graduated from business school, then worked for an American consulting firm before building a career at a French investment bank. However, they reunited at some point and founded a watch brand in Paris in 92. They combined their names to form the name "Bell & Ross."

　A major defining feature of the Bell & Ross brand that was launched in this way was the fact that they sought the cooperation of Sinn (Sinn Spezialuhren, or Sinn Special Watch Company), a watch brand based in Frankfurt, Germany. Bellamich had visited Sinn as an intern and was an admirer of its founder, Helmut Sinn. Meanwhile, Rossillo had long been a collector of military watches and favored Sinn watches. This was why the two chose Sinn. It was truly a choice for watch connoisseurs.

　The company then launched its first collection, "Bell & Ross by Sinn," in 1994. As the name suggests, the collection features the "BELL & ROSS" logo and the words "by SINN" on the dial, and has since produced professional models with unique high specifications that directly inherit Sinn's philosophy and technology, such as the "Space 1," which became a series, and the "Hydromax," which set a world record for water resistance at 11,100 meters (1997).

　However, in 97, according to some accounts, the partnership with Sinn ended, and the company developed the "Vintage" independently. The Vintage model is characterized by its focus on practicality for everyday use, rather than the pursuit of exceptional high specs as had been the case up until then. It was a more refined version of the military style of Bell & Ross by Sinn, and its unique French flair was realized in the design of the aforementioned thick case, short lugs, beige dial, Arabic numeral indexes, and more. It struck a chord with watch lovers. I, too, was completely captivated by it.

　By the way, Bedat & Co. is a watch brand that was founded around the same time as Bell & Ross in 96 and was also officially introduced in Japan in the early 2000s. I had the opportunity to interview Christian Bedat, who co-founded Bedat & Co. with his mother, when he first visited Japan, and he said the following:

"The biggest problem was that no one wanted a new watch brand. So there was probably no chance of success. The only way to succeed in such a difficult situation was to create an identity. This means that even though you may not know it yet, there is something about it that you can feel. You can recognize a Porsche, a Ferrari, or a Mercedes-Benz when you see it. You may not recognize a Citroën, but you feel something when you see it. That kind of 'recognition' is important. You know it, you like it, you think it's good, you want it. You have to create something like that."

　When asked why there are no round-case models in the lineup, he replied: (Beda & Co. gained popularity with the modified tonneau-shaped No. 3 and the rectangular No. 7, and released its first round-case No. 8 in 2009.)

"Round is the most difficult. Very few round shapes are recognized. You can make something classic and unremarkable very quickly. It's very difficult to make a round shape elegant, refined and with a strong personality."

　It's true that there were only a few watch brands that were founded in the 1990s and achieved great success, and even among those few, brands like Franck Muller (1992), Parmigiani Fleurier (1996), Roger Dubuis (1995), and Richard Mille (2001) all gained popularity with non-round models. The only other successful round watch was FP Journe (1999), but even that was by no means a model with a simple design.

　However, Bell & Ross managed to achieve this. They succeeded in giving an ordinary round vintage watch an elegant, sophisticated and strong personality. It was truly a masterpiece that would be loved by watch connoisseurs.

　Then, in 2005, another masterpiece, the BR 01, was born. The BR 01 was actually predicted, as a cockpit clock was featured in a catalog prior to its release, and it bore a striking resemblance to the BR 01 that would later be released.

　The BR 01 was actually developed with cockpit instruments as its motif. Incidentally, the press release at the time of its announcement in 05 stated that the official name was "BR 01 Instrument." This may have been to emphasize the "instrument" aspect, or to indicate that the lugs could be removed and attached to a separately sold base, allowing it to be converted into a desk clock (the earliest models had removable lugs. Later, they were molded as a single piece with the case and became indestructible).

　In any case, the idea of ​​wearing a huge, square 46mm x 46mm watch like an instrument on one's wrist was a big surprise, but even more than that, the BR 01's stylishness was admired all over the world.

　A simple design combining a square with a circle. Large Arabic numeral indexes. Wide, short hands. A jet-black color scheme reminiscent of cockpit instruments. A two-piece construction with the case back and middle case integrated into one piece. An extra-thick strap. All of these features struck a chord with watch lovers even more than vintage watches.

　What's even more remarkable is that the BR 01 was also hugely popular among fashion enthusiasts. A famous anecdote about this is that of designer Ralph Lauren. When the BR 01 was released, he was one of the first to use it in fashion advertisements. He himself was also a fan of the BR 01. This means that the BR 01 was a watch approved by Ralph Lauren, a fashion industry heavyweight and renowned watch lover who later founded the watch brand Ralph Lauren. The BR 01 was not only a favorite among watch connoisseurs, but also among fashion aficionados.

　Now, Bell & Ross continues to create models that are popular with watch connoisseurs, and the names of these models are also popular with watch connoisseurs.

　As mentioned above, the vintage model is characterized by its Arabic numeral indexes. The four key numbers "12," "3," "6," and "9" are the names of the models.

　The three hands for the small seconds have the number 3 after 12, so they are called "Vintage 123." The two-subdial chronograph has the number 6 after 12, so they are called "Vintage 126." The three-subdial quartz chronograph has no number after 12, so they are called "Vintage 120." These are names for connoisseurs that watch lovers will never forget once they learn them.

　The BR 01 is even more impressive. The model name is derived from the number of the Cal. ETA 2892A2 series movement it is equipped with. In other words, the "BR 01-92" is equipped with the "92" and has three central hands. The "BR 01-94" is equipped with the "94" and has a chronograph. The "BR 01-96" has the big date display equipped with the "96". The "BR 01-97" has the power reserve indicator equipped with the "97".

　Currently, the smaller 42mm x 42mm "BR 03" is the main model, and this model is a successor to it (although the Sellita Cal. SW300 is also currently used in conjunction with it). The current lineup includes the "BR 03-92" with three central hands, powered by the "92" movement; the "BR 03-93" GMT model powered by the "93" movement; and the "BR 03-94" chronograph powered by the "94" movement.

　Because the ETA Cal. 2892A2 is a general-purpose movement, it is often dismissed as "ETA Pon." However, no matter which watchmaker or technician at a Swiss manufacturer you ask, no one has anything bad to say about it. Most watch enthusiasts, even veterans (otaku), love the ETA Cal. 2892A2. It is truly a movement that watch connoisseurs love.

　That's why Bell & Ross, which uses the name of the ETA Cal. 2892A2 as its model name, is a brand that truly understands the hearts of watch lovers and is popular with watch connoisseurs.

Yutaka Fukuda
Writer and editor. Writes about fashion, watches, cars, and other lifestyle topics for magazines such as "LEON" and "ENGINE" as well as the web. Has appeared in numerous videos for the web magazine "FORZA STYLE."https://www.instagram.com/fukuda1959/?hl=ja