Winter is upon us and with it some weather cold as ice. But ice is nice when it’s played into an engaging watch, a case in point being the Skeleton Arctic Blue from the house of Bell & Ross. This engaging watch is a masterpiece of elegance and style. It offers thrilling blue and silver tones all matched up together on the dial, case and wrist band. This mirrors the landscape of polar regions which are imbued with a unique beauty and ice is a beautiful thing, captivating, celebrated by great explores, adventurers and writers. The BR-05 Skeleton Arctic Blue is an ode to the beauty of ice and the blue, a delicate and subtle shade, was carefully selected to best reflect the glacial hues of the Arctic.

It is the dial that draws one immediately into this stunning timepiece. “The idea behind the Arctic finish of the dial is to play with a design that can be seen as hyper- realistic or abstract. The realism of cracked ice can give the illusion of flying over a frozen lake. The dial seems carved from a piece of ice. The white etched lines can also be perceived as an abstract pattern on a transparent blue background. However you view the dial, the magic of the design works,” explains Bruno Belamich, the co-founder and creative director of Bell & Ross. The dial is made of a blue-tinted glass plate upon which irregular lines are laser-engraved above and below, reproducing the depth of cracks in frozen expanses throughout the thickness of the glass. Like frost marking the path of cracks, a white decal has been added via pad printing. This effect brings the vast icy landscapes of the Arctic to life on the dial of the watch. The steel case is a wonder of surfaces alternating between the polished and the satin. “The cold gray color of the case and steel bracelet enhances the impression of a frozen watch, filled with ice,” notes Bruno Belamich.

Meanwhile the open skeleton dial allows light to pass through showcasing the gears as they come to life. For the crystalline dial reveals the mechanics of the in-house automatic BR-CAL.322-1 movement. The watch is outfitted with a 40mm diameter steel case, water-resistant to 100 meters, its integrated bracelet makes for easy wearing. And the the BR-05 collection bears the signature aesthetic of Bell & Ross: the circle within the square. The unique BR-05 Skeleton Arctic Blue has been brought out in a limited edition of 250 pieces. It benefits from selective distribution, for this model will be available exclusively in Bell & Ross boutiques and through its online sales platform. A collector’s item is the ice watch cometh. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. https://www.bellross.com/eu/en-gb/store