Bell & Ross Instrument BR 01-97 Commando Power Reserve

Work for the Government? Wear a bulletproof jacket more often than a Brioni business suit? Then the new Bell & Ross Instrument BR 01-97 Commando Power Reserve automatic watch is just the right timekeeper for you.

Sporting B&R’s traditional square-shaped body with oversized hour and minute hands and huge Arabic hour indices, the new Bell&Ross Instrument BR 01-97 Commando Power Reserve nevertheless preserves a discreet and unobtrusive appearance of a watch whose dial was inspired by instrument gauges of military planes.

The reason, of course, is the wide use of different technologies providing the watch with a stealth-style look.

Its dark-grey stainless steel case, for example, is sandblasted and coated with carbon. Its sapphire crystal features antireflective coating on both outer and inner sides. And its hands and indices are coated with a generous amount of grey luminescent substance.

The only minor stylistic mistake is the power reserve indicator that looks like it was ripped off some other, normal watch and directly transplanted into the matte gray face of the BR 01-97.

The new watch is powered by a well-known (but modified with a power reserve module and new calendar wheel) ETA 2896 automatic caliber that offers a standard minimum power reserve time of 42 hours and has a special disc-locking mechanism that preserves the movement in case of severe shock.

Although the original ETA 2896 offers an easy to read big date indication, this watch is equipped with a simpler calendar that displays current date via a tiny aperture at 3 o’clock.

But if you can live with this minor annoyance, then this watch is certainly for you. If you will manage to get one of only 500 copies destined to be sold all over the civilized world.

Photo: Bell & Ross

Bell&Ross Instrument BR 01-97 Commando Power Reserve watch specification

Price range: Around $4500
Movement: ETA 2896, automatic, Swiss Made
Complications: Date, power reserve indicator
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case material: Stainless steel
Case size: 43 mm x 43 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Grey
Water resistance: N/A
Strap: Grey leather or a synthetic NATO strap
Crystal: Sapphire, double antireflective coating