The following article was produced in partnership with Bell & Ross.
In a world of square dials and petit frames, Bell & Ross has always maintained a different course with an enviably utilitarian approach to high-end watchmaking.
Since its debut in 1994, the Swiss-Franco manufacture has built its name on making robust, legible, cockpit-ready instruments for professionals who operate in extreme environments. By 2005, the Maison had introduced the now-iconic BR-01, a robust square case with an iconic chiselled jaw that took its inspiration from the dashboard instruments found in military aircraft. For collectors desperate for a Swiss luxury timepiece with the soul of a fighter jet, Bell & Ross was your undeniable co-pilot.
Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton
Fast forward to Watches & Wonders 2025 and Bell & Ross is celebrating 20 years of the BR-03 collection: the Swiss-Franco brand’s smaller, more wearable evolution of the original BR-01 which debuted in 2006, with a trilogy of skeletonised watches that each take the brand’s aviation DNA and strip it right down to the bare essentials.
The BR-03 Skeleton series is the result: three 41mm watches, powered by a brand-new movement, each offering a different expression of B&R’s technical edge and design language. The Skeleton Trilogy is bold, technical, and distinctly Bell & Ross: a perfect intersection of cockpit-born functionality and modernist design.
At the heart of all three models is the new BR-CAL.328, an automatic calibre designed specifically to be revealed by the manufacture’s bespoke skeletonised dials. It’s defined by a dramatic X-shaped structure that links the movement to the four bezel screws – a symbolic nod to the cockpit bolts that inspired the original BR line almost two decades ago. With no date, a clean three-hand layout, and a 54-hour power reserve, it’s built for clarity, endurance, and aesthetic punch.
BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic
The BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic is the most classically Bell & Ross of this year’s novelties. With a matte ceramic case, smoked sapphire dial, and SLN-treated indexes and hands, it channels the technical precision of aviation instruments, but arrives in Geneva with a new-look, stealthy vibe. It’s also the most tool-like of the trilogy, with a Velcro strap option that feels right at home in a flight suit.
BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel
The BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel, on the other hand, elevates the concept with a more luxurious edge. Its polished, satin-finished case and ruthenium-treated dial details take the skeletonised design and turn it into something more metallic, more sculptural.
According to co-founder Bruno Belamich, its design draws inspiration from military stealth aircraft, pairing brutalist geometry with precision engineering. Limited to 250 pieces, it’s proof that Bell & Ross can produce a luxury timepiece without losing its wings.
BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic
Then there’s the BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic, which takes the brand’s enduring commitment to unrivalled legibility and gives it a contemporary neon twist.
The entire skeleton dial is outlined in Super-LumiNova C3, creating this luminescent X-ray effect that glows green after dark. Set against a smoked translucent plate and housed in black ceramic, it feels like a piece of futuristic hardware; the perfect instrument for this forward-thinking Maison. With just 250 pieces produced globally, this Bell & Ross will undoubtedly be one of the more sought-after releases in Geneva.
