TechnoMarine Abyss

Dive watches come in all shapes and sizes, and are available at all different price points. Most watches with a uni-directional rotating bezel and the ability to fit over a wetsuit claim more water resistance then most of us will ever need: usually around 100-200 meters. But the watches I cover in this article go way deeper than your typical diver; deeper than the current 1,220 meter Rolex Sea Dweller; deeper, even, than the Breitling Steelfish which maxes out at a comparably casual 2,000 meters. There are a handful of watches out there that can literally scrape the bottom of the deepest known parts of the ocean, and I call these watches "extreme divers".

The TechnoMarine Abyss

First up is the TechnoMarine Abyss. This avant-garde brand throws down an interesting looking watch that is ready to dive. The Abyss is a 42.5mm quartz-powered stainless steel dive watch which, at $650, represents the cheapest of the extreme divers. Although suspiciously light on details, TechnoMarine claims the Abyss can withstand 12,000 meters of water, or about 39,600 feet, which is about as deep as deep gets. This model comes in a choice of dial colors (blue, black, orange, silver, and yellow), and is outfitted with a mineral crystal. Something that sets the Abyss apart from the other extreme divers is the day of the week in additional to the date. Like all the extreme divers, the case of the Abyss is filled with silicone oil to keep the pressure equalized, and it has a very prominent air bubble which will undoubtedly draw bewildered looks and plenty of questions from perfect strangers.

Bell & Ross came to the market in 1992 determined to offer high quality Swiss timepieces to professionals in extreme working environments (see Bell & Ross: Watches for Professionals). Now with the instantly recognizable square design of the Instrument collection (the cases literally look like gauges lifted directly off of fighter jets or submarines), Bell & Ross may have found the individuality it needs to keep competing with better known and long-established brands. Bell & Ross continues to push forward with a Breitling-like passion for professional timepieces, and a combination of avant-garde style and Swiss watch making tradition.

All the watches in the Bell & Ross Instrument collection have automatic ETA movements, anti-reflective sapphire crystals, luminescent hands and markers, and are water-resistant to 100 meters (about 330 feet). There are 11 different models available with the following complications:

• No date.
• Small date.
• Big date.
• Chronograph.
• Power reserve.

Across these five basic versions, you can get all kinds of variations, including:

• Stainless steel, black carbon finished steel, pink gold, or titanium cases.
• Leather, canvas, rubber, or alligator straps.
• Limited edition orange or blue accents (blue version pictured here).
• Diamond encrusted with mother-of-pearl dials.

The Instrument Collection has become the symbol of the company's brand image, and will likely be their calling card for many years to come. While Bell & Ross may want you to believe that their Instrument collection is for serious professionals, I believe that these watches will be very intriguing to the enthusiast who appreciates style and passion over brand and history. The cornerstone of this business is quality and character -- something that Bell & Ross seems to have come to understand very well.

By James Stacey

Bell & Ross has announced their new 01 Instrument Collection at Baselworld 2005. There's very little information available other than pictures at this point, though I've been promised some early information, so I'll post more once it arrives. In the meantime, the Bell & Ross website lists four models:

• BR 01-92 Automatic
• BR 01-94 Chronograph
• BR 01-96 Big Date
• BR 01-97 Power Reserve

I love the unique square case of the Instrument Collection, and I really like the carbon finish on the chronograph (pictured at right). As I said, I don't have a lot of information available, but a sapphire crystal, reasonable water resistance, and luminescent hands are going to be a given. Hopefully they are available with stainless steel bracelets, as well. A black carbon bracelet on that black chronograph would make one mean looking watch.

Ask the average American to name a fine Swiss watch, and nine times out of ten you're going to hear Rolex. You might get the occasional Omega or Tag Heuer, and if they really know what they're talking about, Breitling, IWC, Zenith, or maybe even Patek Philippe.

What you are not likely to hear is Bell & Ross, not because they don't make some very compelling timepieces, but primarily because they have only been around since 1992, which for a Swiss watch company, is practically brand new (compare to Rolex which has been around since 1908, Omega which dates back to 1848, Tag Heuer which has been around in one form or another since 1860, and Patek Philippe which was founded in 1839). Not only is Bell & Ross a relative newcomer to the world of Swiss watches, but they are also not widely distributed in the United States. With only 45 retail locations throughout the country, you're averaging less than one store per state, which makes a Bell & Ross watch more than three times as difficult to find as a Patek Philippe. Fortunately, I happen to live about 20 minutes from the only Bell & Ross retailer in the Washington DC area, so I went in one day for an afternoon of window shopping and questions. What I found was a display case full of beautiful, unique, and very well made watches.