Bell & Ross Launch BR 03-92 Diver White Bronze with Neo-Retro Maritime Aesthetics

Bell & Ross have been producing the BR 03-92 Diver for 6 years now, with it first debuting in 2017. And they’ve been making it in bronze for almost as long with the first bronze edition being launched in 2018. Now though, the bronze edition of the watch is being given a make-over with a new colourway called the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver White Bronze.

This is one of the nicest Bell & Ross colourways I’ve seen in a long time. It has a silvery-white dial like a pearl surrounded by a dark brown aluminium bezel and then the 42mm bronze case. Between the circle within a square design and the visible screws, the BR 03-92 Diver White Bronze has a really strong maritime aesthetic, like the porthole in the side of a retro, luxury liner. Although the bronze and white colourway is perhaps more akin to the finishings on a yacht.

Beyond the new colours, it’s more or less the BR 03-92 as we know it. The case is made from an alloy called CuSn8 (it’s a chemical symbol but also works nicely pronounced as cuz-nate), which is 92% copper and 8% tin, which is what gives it that classic boat fittings appearance. The case also provides 300m water resistance and features a soft iron cage to protect the movement from magnetic fields, both of which are factors that contribute to the watch’s ISO-6425 dive watch rating.

Beneath the pearl white dial is housed the BR-CAL 302 automatic movement. It features central hours, minutes and seconds hands as well as a date complication, which can be read on the dial via a small window between 4 and 5 o’clock. It’s based on the Sellita SW300 1-a and has a 38-hour power reserve, which is my primary gripe with the watch as it could really do with a higher reserve.

The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver White Bronze is a limited edition of 999 pieces, priced at £4,200. While the BR 03 started life as a pilot’s watch, inspired by cockpit instruments, it has transitioned to the aquatic realm really well. The White Bronze in particular really captures that maritime, boat-like aesthetic in a satisfying way with its neo-retro vibe that few other BRs have managed in the past.