Bell & Ross BR 03-94 - References, Prices and Owners' Reviews

I have long imagined/searched for The Brand, The Watch for my 40th birthday. As an aviation fan, I was inevitably heading towards Breitling, but when the Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Blue Steel crossed my path, it was love at first sight. This beauty combines military design and modernity. Its 42 mm square stainless steel case is imposing and robust, on my wrist it is perfect (I have trouble with diameters less than 40 mm). It is difficult to choose the color, we would need them all, but I always fall for blue. The dial and its hypnotizing sunray blue subdials allow optimal readability. It is equipped with the BR-CAL.301 movement, based on the ETA 2894-2, which offers a 42-hour power reserve, a simple calendar complication (date) and a stopwatch. It is waterproof up to 100 meters but I never dared to put it in water, the watch is equipped with an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. It is comfortable, sold with its blue leather strap and a Nato-style nylon strap that I have never worn. No metal strap, too bad, I would have liked to see it with one. The price is quite expensive, it would have been a nice plus if it were COSC certified but it has no equal so we crack. As soon as you put it on your wrist, you feel like you have received your mission order, all you have to do is get into your Mirage 2000 or Rafale to go tease Maverick.

What a mug! But only mug Deplorable reliability and precision. Finish, let's say, random with haphazard needle/index alignments. In short, a lot of bluffing and pretension. The brand's website is nevertheless clear. But understand that "urban explorer" means "shopping".

I had a boss in my old job who had a superb watch, I looked at it several times, I tried it on many times, this watch caught my eye. It was a BR 03-92 PVD Black, marked by the years, patinated, but very pretty despite the multiple marks made on the coating. This watch stayed in a corner of my mind, secretly telling myself that one day, when the means were there, I would treat myself. At the same time, I gradually began to develop a passion for watchmaking in general, thanks to this brand. I bought my first automatic in 2021, an Atelier Jalaper model AJ 001-S (which I will probably present here shortly). At the time it was already a lot of money, but I did not forget Bell & Ross. Then, without enough money in my pocket, I went to the BR boutique located in Paris where I was able to try on a 03-92, this time in ceramic, and I fell under its spell once again. I was going to leave, but the 03-94 was catching my eye, so I put it on my wrist, and I felt a little something more than with the 03-92. It was also a black version, in ceramic. I left the boutique, this time it was clear in my head, no more buying watches, the next one would be a Bell, I still had to know which one, and one thing is sure, I would have to save up! Some time later, with the help of a bonus, I left a Parisian AD with the Bell in my backpack, that's it, my first watchmaking dream had come true... Until the next one... After a little less than a year in my possession, worn on many occasions and many times, my general opinion of the watch is very good. I hesitated for a long time with the 03-92, the price was also more attractive, but I find the chrono more "homogeneous", the extra thickness is not a negative point, on the contrary, I find the whole more coherent and even if it means breaking the bank... I might as well really do it! Being a fan of "full black", I therefore bought a ceramic version, I had read a lot of opinions on this type of coating before buying, I must say that I am very happy with it, I have already hit the watch several times (using it daily), I have never damaged it. One of the strong points of this watch is that with this color, it adapts to an incalculable number of bracelets, rubber, fabrics, leather, changing its look completely, matching perfectly with the colors of the clothes I wear, a real flashions victim! I must admit that paradoxically I almost only wear 39 mm, I do not like "big" watches. BR is the only exception, its size on my 17 cm wrist does not seem disproportionate to me at all, once again, tastes and colors ... I wore it in all circumstances, work, dinners, weddings, swimming pool, it does not stand out in any of these areas. Concerning the watch box, a pretty BR case with a leather covering, which opens by pressing a button, the watch on top, a canvas bracelet, and the BR tools wedged underneath, but hey, we do not care about that! The new original rubber strap is very comfortable, thinner than the old ones, but in terms of comfort, nothing beats the canvas provided originally (in my opinion). The case is square, have you noticed? The aligned screws are ideally positioned for a maniac like me, the sapphire crystal is at the level of the bezel, and does not protrude, it takes a lot of reflections that said. The readability of the dial is very good, even on this chrono version, the indexes are clear, precise, white on black and always a sign of excellent readability. The sub-counters are proportionate to the watch and therefore relatively imposing, without distorting the general shape, the small second on the right and very readable, the counter on the left as well. Reading the date is easy, although small, but fits perfectly between 4 and 5 o'clock. The inscriptions on the dial are few, the brand at the top, the model at the bottom, and a discreet "swiss made" at the level of the indexes. The tachymeter flange is discreet but readable. Concerning the negative points, I only find one, the price, which has continued to increase at BR (unfortunately common to many other brands). The general appearance exudes solidity, it has a real presence on the wrist, very good readability, it fulfills its task perfectly, with all the same a drift of about 10s per day measured on mine. With this BR I also discovered the community around the brand, in particular the "BR Gang", a really caring community, attentive, a real well of knowledge around the brand. In short, being attracted by everything that flies above my head, watches, and having fallen under the spell of the brand a few years earlier, I absolutely do not regret my purchase, you still have to like this style!