Bell & Ross has just caught my eye with one of the more interesting aviation watches I’ve seen in some time: the Instrument BR 01-92 Compass.
As you can see, the design is inspired by a traditional aviation compass. Rather than hands that move around a dial, the movement contains two disks — one for hours and one for minutes — that rotate beneath a stationary vertical line. The time is read through the top window while the other side of the disks are visible through the tinted bottom crystal. Very unique.
Here are the facts:
- Automatic ETA 2892 movement.
- Hours and minutes (no date or seconds).
- Stainless steel 46mm PVD-finished case.
- Screwdown crown.
- Water-resistant to 100 meters (about 330 feet).
- Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating (darkened on the lower portion).
- Leather and rubber strap.
- Limited to 500 pieces.
Nice looking piece, in my opinion. I don’t know how long it would take to adjust to telling time using rotating disks rather than hands, but I suspect one would adapt pretty quickly.
No work on pricing or availability as of yet.
By Christian Cantrell
