The latest piece by Bell & Ross comes from its Vintage collection and its WW1 sub-series. It is inspired by Cuban cigars and intended for aficionados of these famed smokes. That is why the watch features a brown colored dial and additional elements made of gold or in the color of gold which all match the accents seen on the packages of luxury cigars. This Cuban inspiration is also why the watch has a part of its name in Spanish language – Edicion Limitada which means Limited Edition. The red gold timekeeper is supplied with a hand-wound mechanical caliber with the long-lasting power reserve of five days. Its assorted indication is the sole feature that compliments the basic timekeeping function, shown with three central hands. Another trait which is immediately visible is the opening on the dial which reveals the balance of the caliber.
As the manufacturer states, the new piece from the Vintage WW1 family draws its inspiration from the fine craft of cigar making which it compares to the intricacy of watchmaking. The influence of said inspiration is visible in the colors of the watch, as well as on the name and the inscriptions on the watch which are made in Spanish (most notably the power reserve indication which is in this instance called “reserva de marcha 5 dias”).
The cigar-influenced details are restricted to colors that were used and the package of the watch (it comes in a wooden box which is designed to hold precious Cuban cigars). However, this influence is not so obvious like on some other recent pieces we have seen (for example some of them even feature tobacco leaves integrated in the design).
Edicion Limitada bases its functioning on caliber BR-CAL.202. It is a manually-wound mechanical movement with 34 jewels whose regulating organ beats at the frequency of 28,800 vph. One of its main strong points is the presence of a double barrel that allows it to have prolonged power storage that lasts for five entire days, which recommends it to people who do not want to be often bothered with the winding of their timekeepers.
The supported caliber is also nicely decorated. Its embellishments include angled bridges with the cotes de Geneve motif. The guilloched pattern which can be seen on the movement side of the three-quarter main-plate of the caliber appears as if they are radiating from the section where the balance stands. By the way, the balance and its functioning are visible from both sides. On the dial, there is an opening that reveals it, while the case-back includes a sapphire glass that exposes its caliber likewise with blued screws that further enhance its appearance.
BR-Cal.202 Caliber
As all of the pieces from the Vintage collection, WW1 Edicion Limitada is packaged in a round housing which is in this instance made of 18 K red gold. The case is 42 mm wide and weighs 33.7 grams if you take its gold crown into account as well. The construction of the model likewise incorporates a highly domed crystal that possesses glare-proof coating. The brown colored dial beneath the curved crystal is also curved, just like its minute and seconds hands. There are also gold Arabic numerals made of powdered gold. The watch is water resistant to 50 meters.
As for the attachment, this piece has a narrow brown alligator leather strap which fastens with a pin buckle. The red gold clasp weighs 6.5 grams.
Bell & Ross Vintage WW1 Edicion Limitada comes in a luxurious box made of rare kaya wood. The aficionados of cigars to whom the watch is intended in the first place will be pleased to know that the presentation box can easily be transformed in a humidor that is used for storage of cigars. There can fit precisely 50 cigars in it.
The model with the reference number BRWW1-GRM-PG is, as its name suggests, made in a limited edition. The restricted series consists of 99 pieces.
