Comment on Summer with Bell and Ross BR 03-92 Diver Bronze

The square diving watch encounters copper oxide.

One year ago, Bell & Ross launched the BR 03-92 Diver, which is the representative of diving watches. B&R (B&R) is not the first time to produce watches to explore the deep blue sea – some of the earliest models are dive watches (including the impressive Hydromax 11,000m) – this new watch is the first to be iconic A watch with a square case combined with an appropriate case. Diving ability. It is completely different from other people, and at the same time really familiar, this is an immediate success. This year, the series has added 2 new versions, which are blue or bronze. I spent the summer with the latter, which is our pursuit.

The diving watch category is undoubtedly one of the most coveted categories, and has some of the most iconic models: Submariner, Seamaster, Fifty Fathoms, 62Mas, Luminor and more. On the other hand, this category is governed by strict rules, thereby forming a uniformity in the market. The reason is: the ISO 6425 standard for diving watches defines the test standards and functions applicable to diving watches. These standards cover many aspects of the watch, including the unidirectional bezel, the dial and its markings, the display, the reliability or resistance of the watch and its movement. These standards guarantee the minimum requirements for mechanical diving watches, but they also impose boundaries and promote a strong similarity between models.

While still meeting the ISO 6425 standard, Bell & Ross decided to bring a little difference to the dive watch market-at least in terms of the shape of the watch. The idea is to combine the iconic square case (inspired by BR 01, the watch is a military/pilot watch, designed with the instrument panel of a fighter plane in mind) and the requirements of a diving watch, such as a unidirectional rotating bezel. . The first black version of Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver is surprising, fresh and convincing. Following this successful version, the Parisian brand now offers two new versions: one with a dark blue dial, bezel and strap, and the other with a complete bronze case.

BR 03-92 Diver Copper Summer
How about the bronze version of the Bell and Ross BR 03-92 diver? Well, basically, it is the same as the other two steel watches fake launched by the brand, but the case material and dial are slightly different. In short, it has the same specifications and technical aspects. However, the bronze case means a completely different appearance-in fact, when you wear the watch, it will have several different appearances (more on that later).

Since the brand discontinued the BR 02 a few years ago, there is no suitable dive watch in this series. Learn about the history of the brand and some of its previous watches, which created a gap in the brand’s products.

Therefore, Bell & Ross decided to launch this BR 03-92 Diver, which combines a square case with the rotating bezel of a diving watch. It is not easy to do it on paper. Before we saw a metal watch, we were quite suspicious. However, the result is original, finished, and sufficiently different. In total, Bell and Ross achieved a balanced balance between ISO 6425 requirements and their iconic design.

The design of the BR 03-92 diver’s case is based on the same “square inner circle” concept on most military components of the brand. The only real difference is the proportions and the integration of the raised unidirectional bezel around the dial – this feels natural once you have handled the Popular cheap watch. This means that even if the watch has nothing to do with the usual military/pilot inspiration, it still retains the brand’s iconic appearance and can be perfectly integrated into the rest of the series.

In order to make the watch a real diver and have 300 times the waterproof performance, the case uses a thicker case back (BR 03-92 diver’s watch is 2.80 mm, and BR 03-92 diver’s watch is 1.80 mm). Reinforcement. A soft iron cage has been added to increase its resistance to magnetic fields (another ISO 6425 requirement). The sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating is impressive, 2.85 mm thick, while the classic steel BR 03-92 is 1.50 mm thick. These enhanced protection features plus the rotating bezel increase the overall thickness of the watch, but it has reached a reasonable level (less than 13mm).

The main novelty of the current version of the BR 03-92 diving watch is the material used in the case: bronze. More precisely, Bell & Ross uses CuSn8 bronze. This high purity alloy mainly contains copper, 7.5% to 8.5% tin and small amounts of lead, zinc and iron. It is one of the most corrosion-resistant bronze alloys, showing a uniform structure and high corrosion resistance (at least for its internal structure), making it a suitable material for diving watches. It is slightly denser than stainless steel (8.8g/cm3 vs. 8g/cm3 for steel), and has slightly lower scratch resistance (but not much).

Enough for chemistry class. What does it look like? The change in material means that the feel on the wrist is completely different. These stainless steel watches are cold and technical, and have a contrasting bezel. The BR 03-92 Diver bronze is made entirely of this warm and bold material, including the inner lining of the bezel. Once worn, this will change the feel of the watch and create a different contrast with the dial. Moreover, the design has become more retro-oriented than before, and there are no tools. From a steel-like instrument watch, here we turn to more casual works.

For obvious safety reasons, the bottom cover of the BR 03-92 Diver Bronze is made of steel. It shows an embossed diving helmet-the antique shell is made of bronze and is a reference to the case material. The watch comes with a worn strap, and a black rubber strap (more suitable for diving) is also included in the box.

As for the dial, BR 03-92 Diver bronze has gold-plated hour markers and hands to match the case and water resistance printed in the same color. We also found that the same large luminous hands and hands, all equipped with Super-LumiNova®, can provide very good night visibility. The contrast between the hands and the dial is also very good, and the anti-reflective coating on the crystal is well done.

On the wrist, Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Bronze is far from being a cautious or restrained watch. Even with a size of 42mm, the square case is larger than expected, but it is still comfortable-the lugs are so short that they can be worn even on smaller wrists, and the thickness remains reasonable at 12.2mm. It has some presence, especially this warm gold/green. One thing to pay attention to is weight, which is very important. As always, we encourage you to test the watch.

This watch is powered by the Calibre BR-CAL.302 movement, which is the Sellita automatic movement – ​​the main horse based on the ETA architecture. It centrally displays hours, minutes and seconds, and displays the date in a small 4h30 window. This movement is nothing special, but it does work in the context of a dive watch.

Bronze effect
There is a topic that we have not yet explored, but a very important topic about this model: bronze. In contrast to most materials (steel, titanium, gold or platinum) used to make watches, bronze is a lively metal. No matter what you do, how you wear your watch, no matter how you maintain your watch, it will never be the same as a new watch. For those who are worried about small scratches on the case, please run away. Bronze is not for you. For others, bronzer is part of the fun – the advantage is that each watch becomes unique based on the activity of the wearer.

When brand new, Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Bronze feels almost like it is made of gold (see above). Slightly darker, slightly warmer, less precious but still golden. This appearance will not last long. Once you start wearing the watch, the bronze alloy will oxidize. It is worth pointing out that bronze will only oxidize on the surface. Once the copper oxide layer is formed, it can protect the underlying metal from further corrosion. This light green layer makes bronze so unique. Under normal wearing conditions, the alloy will react when it comes in contact with ambient humidity and sweat. In this case, the oxide layer will remain thinner and the shell will remain (darker) golden.

However, if you are like me and like to sail on the sea, the splash of salt water will immediately affect the case and the oxide layer will form faster. The shell will turn uneven dark green and spots will appear. Again, this is part of the fun and cannot be avoided. However, it can be cleaned. It is very easy to restore the watch to its almost original state-toothpaste or a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice has been shown to be effective in restoring its luster.

Remember that this bronze/oxide will not affect the structure of the metal, which means it can retain its mechanical properties and the watch can still be water-resistant to 300m. An interesting watch with interesting materials. Hate or love…