New: Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523

Bell & Ross continues their partnership with F1 team Alpine by incorporating the F1 colour scheme into the new BR 05 Chrono A523.

Press Release information with commentary in italics.

New: Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523

The retail price for the new Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523 is SGD 9,600 in strap, and SGD 10,400 in bracelet. Price is inclusive of GST. Limited Edition of 500 pieces.

Commentary

Each year, Bell & Ross comes up with a new collaboration design for their F1 partner. From the early days with Renault in 2016, a new colour scheme based on the livery of the team’s F1 car livery is delivered. Some years, they have released more than one model.For the first collaboration year with the newly renamed Alpine F1 Team, they released the BR 03-92 A521 Alpine F1 Edition in 2021 but earlier Renault collaborations run deep. We covered the watches since the third year with Renault in 2017, 2018, and also in 2020. Looking through our archives, we seem to have missed the release notes in 2019. But carried full reviews for all the years from 2017 to date.

The Bell & Ross partnership with Alpine continues for the 2023 season with this novelty. The base watch is now the BR 05 Chrono, and is dressed in the blue colour scheme and with the tricolour of the French Flag making its appearance on the dial. This is the exact same watch which we reviewed in the link above, but with a new livery to reflect the continued partnership with Alpine Motorsports.

Previous releases with Alpine are the Bell & Ross BR03-94 A521 Alpine F1 Edition in 2021 with our full hands on comprehensive review linked, and the BR 03-92 Black and Alpine Blue A552.

Prices have increased from the base BR 05 Chrono release price and the earlier Alpine releases, but still quite competitive in the current state of the market. The Alpine A523 carries about a SGD 900 premium over the non-Alpine BR 05 Chrono.

Release information

A parallel trajectory with Alpine

When Bell & Ross and Alpine join forces, it’s as much a meeting of values as a testament of technical partnership. “What brings the two entities together is the same passion for precision mechanics and high performance. Through this prestigious partnership, Bell & Ross is pursuing its quest for excellence and innovation”, says Carlos-A Rosillo, Chairman and Co-Founder of Bell & Ross.

“When it comes to our partnership with Bell & Ross, our philosophy is one of style and performance. We work in a high-pressure environment where precision and performance are essential to deliver results. Wearing a Bell & Ross watch is not only a constant reminder of our goals, but also an integral part of how we achieve them: through precision, punctuality and reliability”, states David Gendry, VP Sponsoring, Partnerships and Communications at Alpine.

This rise in power is granted by the talents of drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, who both now wear a BR 05 Chrono, each engraved with their name and number. “This year, the BR 05 Chrono A523 completes the series of Alpine timepieces, subtly adopting its colour code while perfectly meeting the needs of the team’s drivers. But beyond style and colourways, above all, we are designing a tool that serves the driver: an ally at all times”, explains Bruno Belamich. Talk about team spirit!

FIRST F1 SEASON WITH ALPINE FOR THE BR 05 CHRONO

The BR 05 Chrono is making its competition debut this season, in Alpine colours. “For the first time, Bell & Ross presents a BR 05 in the colours of F1 and our partner team Alpine, complementing our existing models. The choice of chrono movement meets the needs of Team Alpine, who are of course measuring speed and sports performance. Bell & Ross conveys the Alpine identity in each of its designs through the colour code and logo”, says Bruno Belamich, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Bell & Ross.

Decorated with the French flag, complete with the team blue and displaying the Alpine logo as a counterweight to the chronograph hand, the finely graduated black dial with two counters focuses on readability and functionality under all circumstances – whether a dinner in the city or a professional meeting in the Grand Prix paddocks.

SPORTS CHIC

The chronograph version of the new contemporary urban collection from Bell & Ross, in all its Alpine boldness, reaffirms its dual nature: both sporty and chic. The design retains its elegant proportions, with a 42mm diameter case that continues to square the circle. Refined finishes alternate polished and satin-finished surfaces, creating a subtle diffusion of light. The watch can be worn with the steel bracelet with flexible, comfortable links, or the black leather strap. The BR 05 Chrono A523 is water resistant to 100 metres. Aimed at discerning connoisseurs, this timepiece is available in a limited edition of 500 pieces.

Excellence in performance

With more than 950 horsepower for a weight of 796kg and capable of reaching 355km per hour, the single-seater Alpine 523 is at the service of the BWT Alpine F1 Team’s ambitions. “In the search for the pinnacle in mechanical performance, the engineers at both Maisons aim to achieve maximum lightness while maintaining optimal endurance, using state-of- the-art techniques and avant-garde materials. Both partners retain an artisanal approach: like the Alpine racing cars, Bell & Ross timepieces are still largely assembled by hand”, emphasises Carlos Rosillo.

Echoing this quest for efficiency, Bell & Ross has equipped its BR 05 Chrono A523 with a resilient movement, the self- winding mechanical BR-CAL.326 calibre with hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock and date functions.

Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523 Specifications

Reference: BR05C-A523-ST

Movement: calibre BR-CAL.326. Automatic mechanical.

Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock and date. Chronograph: 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, central chronograph seconds.

Case: 42 mm wide, 14.25 mm thick. Satin-polished steel. Screw-down crown. Crown guard. Sapphire case-back with 360° oscillating weight

Dial: black. Applique numerals and indices filled with Super-LumiNova®. Metal skeletonised Super-LumiNova®-filled hour and minute hands. Chronograph seconds hand with A-shaped counterweight for Alpine.

Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance: 100 metres.

Strap: black and blue calfskin leather or satin-polished steel.

Buckle: folding. Satin-polished steel.