BELL & ROSS BR 05 CHRONO A523 LIMITED EDITION

Time your pit stops with the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523 built for F1 First launch of the BR 05 series in collaboration with the BWT Alpine Formula 1 team.

Originating from France, Bell & Ross has been active in Formula 1 racing as a timing partner for many years. It started as Renault Sport Formula 1 and was later renamed the BWT Alpine F1 Team, but remains essentially the same team that Bell & Ross entered F1 in 2016. Throw in French racing drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, and you can talk about a genuinely French connection between watchmakers and racing teams. Every year, Bell & Ross celebrates their partnership with one or more limited edition timepieces, and this year is no exception. New for the 2023 season is the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523, the first BR 05 model inspired by the Alpine F1. So, with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone just around the corner, set your sights on the wrists of both drivers for the chance to spot this new racing-inspired chronograph.

Named after this year's F1 car, just as last year's watches were named after last year's race car, Bell & Ross moved from the square BR 03 series to the square BR 05 series, especially for chronographs. The BR 05 Chrono A523 has the familiar rounded square stainless steel case measuring 42mm wide and 14.25mm high. The raised bezel is secured with functional screws at the four corners, and the crown, crown guard and pushers are located on the right. A round sapphire crystal breaks up the overall boxy look, as does the sapphire caseback on the back of the watch.

It should come as no surprise that the dial of the BR 05 Chrono A523 bears the racing livery of the A523. The matte black base dial has a blue tachymeter flange around the perimeter, as well as blue chronograph hands. Applied hour markers and elapsed time hands are coated with white Super-LumiNova. Dates are between 4' and 5'. The Alpine A logo is a cool touch, and it acts as a counterweight to the central chronograph seconds hand. Additionally, there is a white minute track that looks a bit like a curb on the edge of a racetrack corner, and a white ring around the subdials.

Similar to the previous version of the BR 05 Chrono, this A523 edition relies on an externally sourced automatic chronograph, in this case from Sellita. This BR-CAL.326 powerplant runs at 28,800vph and has a power reserve of approximately 60 hours, a very welcome comparison to the 38 hours of the BR-CAL.301 that previously powered the BR 05 Chrono upgrade. It displays central hours and minutes with small seconds at 9 feet. The chronograph function features a central seconds hand and a 30-minute counter at 3'. Although no picture is provided, the case back is sapphire crystal.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – BELL & ROSS BR 05 CHRONO A523 LIMITED EDITION
Case: 42mm wide x 14.25mm high - stainless steel case, brushed and polished - raised stainless steel bezel with functional screws - stainless steel screw-down crown with guard - stainless steel chronograph pushers - sapphire crystal Glass – Water resistant to 100 meters
Dial: Matte Black Dial - Metallic Blue Inclined Tachymeter Flange - Applied Hour Markers and Numerals with Super-LumiNova - White Elapsed Hours Hands with Super-LumiNova - Blue Chronograph Hands with Super-LumiNova - The date window is at 04:30 -
Movement: BR-CAL.326, Automatic Chronograph, Sellita Base - 28,800vph - 60 Hours Power Reserve - Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds, Chronograph with Central Seconds and 30-Minute Counter, Date
Strap: Black and blue calfskin strap with folding clasp or stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp
Reference: BR05C-A523-ST/SCA - Calfskin Strap
BR05C-A523-ST/SST - Steel strap