Worn & Wound
Bell & Ross Introduces the Stealthy New BR-03 Diver Lum Outline
Love it or hate it, Bell & Ross is committed to their iconic, oversized, and squared-off designs. But despite what their haters say, they don’t just do squares. Or rather, they layer other shapes over squares sometimes. Confused? Good. Let’s get into it. The brand’s popular BR-03 Diver platform is home to a healthy handful of references, all of which measure in at 42mm in diameter, and feature the brand’s classic “circle within a square” design that varies in color and material between models. Basically, the iconic Bell & Ross square case remains, with a diver’s bezel laying on top, giving each model a stacked, utilitarian aesthetic. The design is effectively functional and deeply polarizing, as is B&R;’s forte. Last year, the French brand began updating BR-03 Diver timepieces by introducing optimized changes to the movement and materials, ceramic bezels and inserts, and revised typeface, hands, and strap designs. The latest BR-03 Diver release, the Lum Outline, is perhaps the most emblematic of the line’s emphasis on functionality and capability without sacrificing stylistic panache. The Lum Outline’s case, bezel, dial, and strap options-one rubber, and the other black synthetic fabric-are all a uniform matte black. Normally, I would say that this is tame or even boring, but the micro-blasted texture of the ceramic gives the watch a more interesting and layered look than a monochrome design usually would. The case is a solid 13.35mm thick, and...
