August 22, 2018

RING THE BELLS

by AHMED SEDDIQI & SONS

Meet the brand: Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons welcomes Franco-Swiss watchmaker Bell & Ross into the fold.

There’s an easy assumption that all the world’s best watch brands are Swiss – and in many ways, that’s true: a great many of them are. But that definition can be too narrow to allow for a broader appreciation of fine watchmaking. Consider, for example the Bell & Ross, a French company that designs its watches at its Parisian HQ and produces them in its Swiss facility, and which is now available through Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons.

That’s particularly good news if you like your watches confident, memorable and perhaps even audacious. Bell & Ross is still a young company in watchmaking terms, founded as recently as 1992, and with that comes a freshness and a sense of adventure you won’t always find with some of the more established brands.

"Professional Instruments for Extreme Professions"

From the outset, Bell & Ross set its stall on making watches for extreme professions, and over time it has supplied military units, space programmes, pilots, divers and even bomb disposal experts. With them in mind, it follows four principles when designing its watches – legibility, functionality, reliability and precision, always with an eye first on function. The collection is split across three categories: Instruments, inspired primarily by aviation codes; Vintage, tackling more traditional styles, only with the brand’s unique take; and Experimental, through which it delivers genuinely groundbreaking watches. It’s a potent line-up, infused with French flair and Swiss engineering excellence. Here are five pieces that bring the Bell & Ross spirit to life.

BR 03-92 Diver

The utilitarian aesthetic of Bell & Ross’s unmistakable square-cased models – which are inspired by aircraft cockpit instrument panels – has made the brand famous. This ‘Diver’ iteration has a relatively modest 42mm stainless steel case (the BR 01 models are considerably larger) and is water-resistant to 300 metres. Available at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons boutique, The Dubai Mall

BR 03-92 Diver Blue

As well as being water-resistant to 300 metres, Bell & Ross’s beautifully balanced diver’s watch also has a uni-directional rotating bezel with an anodised aluminium bezel insert for timing dives, oversized luminous markings on the dial for underwater legibility, and a rubberised locking crown. Available at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons boutiques, The Dubai Mall & Mall of the Emirates

BR V2-92 Steel Heritage

The brand’s consistently excellent Vintage collection includes this three-hand date watch, a stainless steel piece with a rotating bezel that, as the winged counterbalance on the central seconds hand suggests, is inspired by the world of aviation. The vintage hue comes from the sand-coloured numerals and lume inserted into the hour and minute hands. Available at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons boutiques, The Dubai Mall & Mall of the Emirates

BR V2-93 GMT

Bell & Ross’s pilot’s watch credentials are backed up by its relationship with organisations such as the French Naval Air Force. This 41mm stainless steel civilian model carries the kudos and backs it up with functionality – it’s most salient feature is its second time zone, indicated by an orange-tipped central hand that points to a 24-hour scale running around the bezel. Available at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons boutiques, The Dubai Mall & Mall of the Emirates

BR-X1 Military

Bell & Ross’s Experimental collection is where you’ll find pieces that bare little, if any comparison to anything else in all of watchmaking. This version of the hulking BR-X1 hyperwatch has a 45mm case made of ‘khaki High-Resistance Titanium’. Unconventional rocker push-buttons activate the watch’s skeletonised chronograph. Available at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons boutiques, Mall of the Emirates