Moderatoren » New Bell & Ross BR-X5 Green Lum

New Bell & Ross BR-X5 Green Lum launches new luminous composite case material I've long been an admirer and fan of Bell & Ross' wild designs. In fact, few watch brands have a wider range of designs than B&R, which has fairly traditional aviation-inspired watches at one end of the range, bronze skull watches at the other, and standard ones in the middle square case instrument watch. The LUM collection is, I think, an ongoing collection of watches that use luminous materials in a way that can only be described as "maximalist," somewhere near the skull. Of course, it's worth noting for watch enthusiasts that we tend to love creative uses of luminous, but the bold designs surrounding these things still feel pretty niche. The new BR-X5 Green Lum takes the brand’s luminous experiments to the next level, offering a full luminous treatment on the case itself.

When I saw the press release for this watch, I immediately knew it was destined to become my new obsession, perhaps not unlike my beloved multimeter. It takes the relatively new BR-X5 platform, the brand’s most modern and forward-thinking case design, and gives it a visual and material transformation via the brand’s LM3D composite material. The material is made from fully photoluminescent quartz fibers, which emits a distinct green light. The case is a combination of this material and DLC-coated titanium, effectively acting as a shell, with large chunks of LM3D on the top and bottom of the case.

The dial is matte black, extending the luminous design language of the case itself. The hands and hour markers are luminous, as are the outlines of the power reserve display at 9:00 and the date window at 3:00. This is perhaps a missed opportunity to have the date display itself not shine, but that's just a minor criticism.

The power reserve indicator serves as a reminder that the BR-X5 platform is home to the first movement in the Bell & Ross series developed by Kenissi. The BR-CAL.323 has a 70-hour power reserve and is chronometer-certified, an upgrade to the improved Sellita movement that has been most commonly used by Bell & Ross over the past few years. The BR-X5 is also a stylish, modern interpretation of the popular BR 05 one-piece bracelet range, which has proven to be a major success for the brand, with a case measuring 41mm wide and 12.8mm high. The case still has the same skeletonized lugs and more architectural features as other BR-X5 watches, but thick luminous elements add visual complexity.