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Bell and Ross BR V2-93 GMT

The search for a good GMT watch never ends – and one of Bell & Ross’ latest entrants to this crowded two-time zone arena is the BR V2-93 GMT. Continuing on with Bell & Ross vintage and military history-inspired modern day luxury timepiece tradition, the BR V2-93 GMT blends a series of design elements into one rather cohesive product. One of the most popular types of watches for enthusiasts, GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) watches are useful because they show two time zones on the same dial allowing them to serve as ideal travel companions. Given that people who enjoy high-end timepieces also happen to travel quite a bit – the popularity of GMT watches for the enthusiast should be easy to understand.
Bell & Ross is no stranger to GMT watches and the BR V2-93 GMT is the newest design flavor more so than adding something radically new from a technological or material perspective. Detailing on the BR V2-93 GMT watch is very good and it is interesting to investigate the various classic wristwatch designs that Bell & Ross pulled from as inspiration for this product. In my opinion, this BR V2-93 GMT is a design amalgamation mixing elements of classic Rolex timepieces and the cockpit instrument design favored by major Bell & Ross military and aviation-themed watches.
It’s the curation of design elements, as well as the elegance of the design which is novel here, and I think Bell & Ross did a good job. If only because even though there are a lot of recognizable parts on the BR V2-93 GMT – it doesn’t immediately look like any other GMT watch currently on the market. That is always a challenge because a brand like Bell & Ross thrives by finding the sweet spot between “familiar” and “novel.” That means they are at their best when a customer associates a new watch product with the right type of aesthetic theme but does not confuse the new watch for something which already exists.
The orange arrow GMT hand is probably the most recognizable element borrowed from the world of Rolex – being similar to those used on various Rolex Explorer II models. The rest of the dial very much fits the cockpit instrument clock aesthetic which has been tied to Bell & Ross since the 2004 release of the BR01 Instrument collection. Since then Bell & Ross has rendered this dial design in a vast number of ways and in a range of case designs. The flat, slightly glossy black dial used high contrast thick-printed hour markers and attractive lume-painted hands. Note that the faceted hands are satin-finished on one half and polished on the other. I love this look and tend to gravitate toward this type of hand design. This mixture of elements offers a bit of a dressy look combined with the functional heritage that such a Bell & Ross dial is best known for. The dial is elegant, legible, and very distinctly a Bell & Ross while at the same time it evokes classic design elements beloved by generations of watch enthusiasts.
Over the dial is a “box-style” domed sapphire crystal design to mimic the shape of some traditional acrylic crystals. An effective application of AR (anti-reflective) coating ensures a glare-free viewing experience when you look at straight-on. Around the dial is a bi-directional rotating bezel with 24 positions. The bezel turns assuredly with solid notched for each of the 24 positions. This is the only scale for the GMT hand, but turning it can help you reference an additional third timezone if you know how to use this feature correctly. Bell & Ross gave the GMT bezel and attractive two-tone design mixing black with gray. I think it was a nice way to offer the “AM/PM” look of a bezel without making it too colorful. The color on this watch is sparse (on purpose) and limited to a bit of dial text and the matching orange GMT hand). My only gripe about the bezel is that it is in traditional anodized aluminum. That makes for a nice vintage look, but today’s watch buyers are increasingly interested in modern bezel materials such as ceramic which boast far better scratch resistance. The good news is aluminum bezel inserts are inexpensive and easy to replace – if you scratch up your bezel on the BR V2-93 GMT watch badly.