Muriel Hurtis Jewelry

Coming up for auction sale is a watch that just doesn’t meet the “standards” – for important watch maker Bell & Ross. Lot number 267 at the Antiquorum sale is quite different for the folks at B&R. However, it does look like your standard tonneau shaped metal case and metal bracelet watch of many other styles. One does not expect this style from these good makers – one expects to find a watch that looks like it had been yanked out of a helicopter instrument panel. This refined piece is expected to sell for up to twenty five hundred dollars – without reserve. Clearly, you should have no reservations about the replica Bell & Ross watch.

Of course, the original is a fine watch from another era (the 1990’s) and those are not generally reproduced. Close though is the C1W “BR INSTRUMENT ROSS 12A”. This one does come in a burnished (not polished) steel tonneau shaped case. Unfortunately, this does not reproduce the handsome metal bracelet of the original – it has gone in the direction of the modern rubber BR strap. This strap looks like it may be “pinned on” to the hinges – which might mean a limited useful life time for this watch. The dial is black and does look like the current “instrument-style” B&R face. The A1 version of this is more attractive with the bright blue hour markings on its dial.

For a more accurate replica, find the HR “Bell and Ross BR02 Instrument Pro Diver Automatic Replica Watch”. The hour markings and lettering on this one looks sharper and nicer. The sixty second diver dial has a dramatic little red and white arrow indicator. “1000M” is in red on the bottom half of the watch – but this should not fool the pro diver. The hands are partially marked in luminescent orange on this replica Bell & Ross watch.