![]() They launched the Space 3, the first of their watches to move away from Sinn’s influence, and one with some innovative features. A quartz-powered, hyper-legible and antimagnetic piece, it was created for the country’s bomb squad (Demineur means bomb disposal in French).įollowing that, the brand extended its Space range with the Space 2, a rebranded Sinn 144 GMT, a definite tool watch, with day/date, chronograph and dual time zone complications.īut 1998 proved to be the biggest year yet for the fledgling firm. The Bell & Ross Type Demineur was the next big talking point, made at the request of the French Security Services. However, they still were very much focused on fulfilling their original remit. It was only after the first two years in business, supplying exclusively military clients, that Bell & Ross started selling their watches commercially. A quartz piece, and one filled with mineral oil (again taking their lead from research done into the type by Sinn) the Hydromax was water resistant to an incredible 11,100m, securing an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. That last group got an especially remarkable watch in 1997, in the shape of the Hydromax 11100m. Bell & Ross renamed it the Space 1.īuoyed by the success of that release, the company’s team of designers set their sights on more military targets, and specifically those services which have to work in the harshest environments astronauts, pilots, bomb disposal and divers. Almost from the off, Bell & Ross started to supply NATO and the French Air Force, their debut offering a reissue of the famous Sinn 140S, the first automatic chronometer worn in outer space. It was an inspired idea by the two young entrepreneurs, and the name of the well-established marque opened doors for the new arrivals. The original run of models were actually labeled ‘Bell & Ross by Sinn’ on the dials. The two joined forces in 1992 to build functional timepieces for professionals in some of the world’s most demanding careers and, in the beginning, collaborated with Sinn itself on their construction. Rosillo, on the other hand, studied finance. In fact, so great was Belamich’s love of horology that he was able to secure a design position with German firm, Sinn, makers of not only fine tool watches but also aircraft cockpit instruments. The two met originally as 14-year olds at school in Paris, the beginning of a lifelong friendship, joined by a passion for technology and, in particular, watches. The brand was founded by industrial designer Bruno Belamich (Bell) and business graduate Carlos A. Their idiosyncratic collections cater to military and professional personnel from all fields, with a range of models which are among the toughest you can buy.īelow we take a closer look. What started out as a university project between two friends has now exploded into one of watchmaking’s most bankable manufactures. With the needs of professional aviators clearly the main source of inspiration, they have created some of the most distinctive pilot’s watches available, all bending to their establishing idea of ‘function shaping form’. One of the industry’s relative newcomers, French brand Bell & Ross also has one of the strongest identities in the business.
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