Bell & Ross’s New Watch Wants to Make One Thing Perfectly Clear

The original BR-X1 Tourbillon Sapphire from Bell & Ross is the epitome of polarizing watchmaking.

To some, the clear sapphire aesthetic is an integral piece to the serious horologist’s collection. To others, it recalls the cheap plastic of a watch you’d win in a crane game. To the rest of us, the half-a-million dollar price tag means our opinions are thoroughly inconsequential.

And in the end, it didn’t matter which side you landed on: all five watches sold.

Now, Bell & Ross is back with the next generation: the BR-X1 Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire.

In layman’s terms, the 45mm square case is made from five transparent sapphire blocks that contain a movement visible from any and all angles. That includes a flying tourbillon complication at 6 o’clock, with the main dial and its hands downsized and perched just above, at 12 o’clock.

This attention to fashion over function is a departure for a company that has built its reputation on pilot and diver timepieces. But there are a few utilitarian touches, such as the translucent rubber strap and Superluminova indices.

Bell & Ross decided to up the ante and release a whole eight watches this time, coming in at a whopping (though comparatively cheaper, compared to their predecessors) $385K each. You can enter your email on their website to be notified when the watch becomes available.