Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross Introduces the BR-03 Astro
A few months back at a watch collector’s get together, I was asked by a friend how we at Worn & Wound decide what to write about when it comes to new releases. It’s a good question. Obviously, we can’t cover everything, so decisions have to be made somewhere about what we devote time and energy to, and what we ultimately think is less essential. Obviously, there are a number of brands that are almost always going to be somewhat newsworthy and of interest to our readers, and they tend to be prioritized. There are also watches that are of a more personal interest to some of us, maybe less commercial, but still noteworthy in some respect. A category, though, that almost always makes it through, is when a watch comes around that makes me want to check off the “unique” button in our content management system. Not a diver, not a dress watch, not sport or tactical. A watch that can only or primarily be described as “unique” is almost always going to get a pass. Bell & Ross has a knack for these, and the latest is the BR-03 Astro, a 999 piece limited edition inspired by nothing less than outer space, and our own solar system. Bruno Belamich, the brand’s co-founder and creative director, says he was inspired specifically by the view of the earth from the observation dome, the Cupola, of the International Space Station. The dial is blue aventurine (obviously evoking a star filled sky) with the brilliant blue, spherical representation of earth at its center. An engr...