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Katherine S. Cunanan

Triple Time

Tracking in Three Places

Bell & Ross has always drawn inspiration from the aviation world. The clear blue skies, the promise of adventure, the need for accuracy. The crispness of the on-board flight panels is the stuff of organization dreams – everything just where you need it, plain and simple. All these factors help bring the vision of a timepiece that is legible, precise, and reliable to the fore. The brand gives us watches that are critical companions, but they don’t stop there. The watches are also clean and classic to look at. No excessively clunky tool watches, here just watches that would fit in whether you are in a plane cabin or an office boardroom.

Bell & Ross watches are often chosen by pilots themselves as their ‘work watch.’ the latest offering, the new BR V2-93 GMT 24H is no different. It will certainly find its way to the wrists of the pilots taking to the skies across the globe. Even businessmen would appreciate this watch, and it allows you to track time in three places. Yes, three. The primary time could be the time of your destination; the second time is the time at home; and the third would be the GMT, or Greenwich Mean Time. Ahh, such is the modern family.

But how can the BR V2-93 GMT 24H watch tell three times? Is it the ‘panda’ or ‘reverse panda’ design, with subdials for each time zone? No, Bell & Ross gives us the ability to tell time in three places while keeping the dial clear. The white hands are for the first time zone – hour, minutes, seconds. The orange hand rotates around the dial and shows the second time zone. The watch has a bi-directional bezel with a 24-hour scale, and it could show the second time zone too, or show the third time zone. A lot of information on one dial, but the dial doesn’t look cluttered at all.

The black dial has large white numerals and the contrast allows for simple readability. Bell & Ross uses the black-and-white combination almost religiously – it is as much their DNA stamp as it is a nod to the on-board flight instrumentation of its inspiration. The color choices are functional though, not just aesthetic – black prevent reflections and white guarantees optimal reading.

The hands have been treated with photoluminescent coating to enhance the readability, and the GMT hand is the standout with its orange arrow. That collection of three colors – black, white, and orange – are symbolic of Bell & Ross. If it were an equation, it would equal guaranteed legibility, day or night.

The 41mm steel round case is characteristic of the Vintage series, and it has been revisited to be modern and sophisticated. The rounded lugs allow for a smoother fit to the wrist.

There are two straps choices, and it is really a matter of preference. Would you prefer the classic satin-polished steel or the black runner strap? While the steel strap looks good, the black rubber strap looks even better, in my opinion.

The Bell & Ross BR V2-93 GMT 24H watch is a true instrument watch for the modern traveller. The aesthetic is true to the Bell & Ross classic form and function philosophy. And they continue to make that look very good, in any time zone.

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