Taking their association with Formula 1 team Renault a notch up, Bell & Ross has unveiled a new collection of sports watches called the R.S.20. There are four timepieces in this line-up, the gamut of complications begin with a chronograph and culminates in a tourbillon. All four watches have the same familiar black and yellow color scheme of the F1 team and a black and white chequered minutes track.
BR V3-94 R.S.20:
A round 43 mmm steel chronograph fitted with a bi-directional rotating bezel with a 60-minute scale, the matt black dial has applied numerals filled with Super-Luminova. The typography is the same as the one used on the Renault F1 team. The black and white chequered minutes track is a familiar trope used in racing chronographs. The inner flange has a white tachymeter scale and yellow accents abound.
The bi-compax chronograph arrangement sees a 30-minute counter at 9 o’ clock and a running seconds hand at 3. The steel caseback has an engraving of the “Formula 1 Renault R.S.20” and the self-winding BR-CAL.301 is based on the ETA 2894-2 and has a 42-hour power reserve. The watch is paired with a three-link steel bracelet ($4,700) or a black carbon-fiber effect calf-skin strap with yellow accents ($4,400). This is a limited edition of 999 pieces.
BR 03-94 R.S.20:
The next model in the release is the BR 03-94 R.S.20, a new square-cased chronograph featuring a 42-mm black ceramic case. This model uses a push/pull crown with rectangular chronograph pushers on either side of it parallel to the side of the case; it also eschews the use of an outer bezel, allowing the black silhouette of the design to shine while secured to the wrist via a futuristic, perforated, racing-style rubber strap.
The dial of the BR 03 is quite similar to that of the BR V3, its primary difference being its use of applied Arabic numerals compared to the round chronograph’s printed markers, and the presence of a date window at the 6 o’clock position. Like the circular chronograph, this watch also features the automatic BR-CAL.301. Bell & Ross is currently pricing the BR 03-94 R.S.20 at $6,500, with only 999 editions available directly through the brand’s website (and likely through authorized retailers later this year).
BR-X1 R.S.20
The third watch in the R.S.20 collection is the BR-X1 R.S.20, the first of two experimental models unveiled as part of the release. This watch is 45 mm in size, using the brand’s distinct squared silhouette and composed of titanium and ceramic with rubber inserts. It features a more rugged-looking case, “rocker” chronograph pushers, and an updated bidirectional bezel in comparison to the BR V3’s, which uses a rotating PVD bezel ring with an independent time marker.
The dial of the watch is very similar to those of the previous two models, distinguished with its skeletonized aesthetic, exclusively yellow tachymetric scale, and downsized Arabic numerals. Like the other two models, it features a 3 o’clock running seconds subdial, a 9 o’clock 30-minute counter, and a 6 o’clock date window. The BR-X1 R.S.20 features the automatic BR-CAL.313, a skeletonized version of the BR-CAL.301.Bell & Ross is pricing this model at $21,500, with shipping expected at the end of March. The brand will limit this reference to only 250 editions.
BR-X1 Tourbillon R.S.20
The final watch in this set of chronographs is the BR-X1 Tourbillon R.S.20, another 45-mm, experimental square-cased chronograph composed of titanium, ceramic, and rubber. This model uses a very similar case to the simpler BR-X1, differentiating itself with its solid black pushers but otherwise featuring the same design. On the asymmetric skeleton dial you can find rectangular hour markers in comparison to the Arabic numerals used on the previous three models, as well as an even more subtle, racing-style accent on its outer edge below the angled yellow minute ring.
On its dial, you can find an instantly jumping 30-minute subdial at 11 o’clock and a 60-second counter at 1 o’clock, while a power reserve indicator is placed at the 9 o’clock mark and the watch’s prominent flying tourbillon is found toward the bottom of the dial at the 6 o’clock position. This model noticeably opts against using a running seconds hand as well as a tachymetric scale, instead working toward a more futuristic and streamlined design. Limited to only 25 models it will retail for $194,000, with shipping expected to begin at the end of April.
