‘BANG!’ ‘POW!’ Bell & Ross’ New Watch Draws Inspiration From Bruce Wayne And Batman
Under the cover of darkness (or close enough to it – not even a press release), the watch has just been announced as part of the new Wayne Enterprises x Uncrate capsule collection. The collection, which includes clothing, eyewear, and even training equipment to get yourself up to superhero fitness levels, took about 18 months of collaboration between DC Comics/Warner Bros. and Uncrate, and the result is a new take on Bruce Wayne’s imagined personal design ethos.
The aviation-inspired background of the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 brings a tactical look that Uncrate felt was ideal for the collection’s flagship, as it could not include the Batplane in its collection.
What’s more, the Bell & Ross BR 03-92, designed for Wayne Enterprises, is a rare skeletonized reference to the company’s iconic square case and can be worn neatly through padded leather or the included military nylon Velcro strap. Through the skeletonized dial and copper-brown flange, you can see the BR-CAL.321 mechanical automatic movement. All of this is housed in a 42mm satin-polished steel case with black-painted numerals, a semi-matte black-painted minute track, and a flange filled with Super-LumiNova indexes to match the skeletonized hour and minute hands.
The story about Bell & Ross seems to be often commented on by people in the more active watchmaking community on the Internet who come close to buying these aviation-inspired cheap replica watches but never follow through. However, this may just be the kind of watch that pushes people over the edge and puts some cash into it.
Leaving aside the theoretical idea that Batman himself might design and wear such a watch in what I call the “nonsensical comic book universe,” this is just an all-around great piece of work, and not too obvious either. While most people would probably just black out the case, black out the dial, and add a little blue to give off just enough of a “Batman” vibe, Uncrate seems to have taken a smarter, more subtle route. This isn’t Batman, but Bruce Wayne, who has nothing to do with the Dark Knight to the completely oblivious people of Gotham City. So, why does his watch look like something Batman would wear?
Sure, the Bell & Ross logo kind of hides the skeletonized movement, but that’s okay. You’re getting a $4,800 skeleton watch, and the finishing won’t come close to what you’d get on a $100,000 skeleton watch, so a little movement obscurity is forgivable. But unlike a lot of other skeleton cheap rolex replica watches, I think this one looks very crisp because its coppery-brown (salmon-colored to me) flange really stands out. Not that you have to go to a black-tie party with a watch shaped like an aviation device, although you can if you’re as rich and handsome as Bruce Wayne. After all, it’s more versatile than most of the brand’s offerings.
Really, I suspect most people would pick it up and wear a black Magician Tactical Band. Throw on a leather jacket or a Rogue Territory jacket from the capsule collection, and you’re good to go. You may not be Bruce Wayne, Batman, or even Robin, but you won’t be blamed for feeling like them.