HANDS-ON: The Bell & Ross Vintage WWI Edición Limitada
Felix ScholzThe story in a second:
Slow down, relax and savour the finer things in life with the Bell & Ross Vintage WWI Edición Limitada.
It’s easy to pigeonhole Bell & Ross as the guys who make big, square macho pilot’s watches. But just because this style of watch is their bread and butter doesn’t mean they can’t release a watch that breaks the mould sometimes.
The Vintage WWI Edición Limitada is one such watch. When I spoke to Bell & Ross CEO Mr Carlos Rosillo at Baselworld earlier this year the Edición Limitada was on his wrist. He didn’t mention it until the very end of the interview, when I asked the (inevitable) smartwatch question. Mr Rosillo laughed (I suspect it wasn’t the most original question), and took the watch off his wrist, and placed it in front of me: “This is our response to the smartwatch. It’s a watch that encourages you to be unconnected, and to take your time. It’s about savouring time.”
Of course, Mr Rosillo is right – for a luxury brand this is the perfect riposte to the ongoing connected watch hype. The Edición Limitada is genuinely about celebrating time and consciously thinking about your relationship with it. The brand new, manually wound calibre is beautifully finished and prominently on display through the case back as well as the dial aperture. The ritual of winding your watch every five days is a tactile experience, enhanced by watching the gradual movement of the power reserve indicator on the dial.
The Vintage WWI Edición Limitada isn’t just about enjoying time – it also takes inspiration from another refined pleasure: the Cuban cigar. The rich red gold case, the tobacco brown dial, gold dust coated arabic numerals and brown alligator strap are all inspired by the world of fine cigars. The Vintage WWI case is also the perfect design choice for this watch, as it would not look out of place in Cuba’s golden age. The Spanish dial text and the Makassar ebony presentation box (which doubles as a humidor), further heighten the Cuban link.
Everything about the Edición Limitada paints a compelling picture. I can think of no better scenario than to sit back on a sun-drenched balcony for a long Friday afternoon, spending the last hours of daylight savouring a Cohiba in one hand, a Havana Club in the other and the Edición Limitada on my wrist. Even though this idyllic dream will remain just that for many (as the realities of modern life are so rudely insistent), at least this Bell & Ross serves as a reminder to occasionally takes things slow, and to enjoy the simpler pleasures.
Bell & Ross Vintage WWI Edición Limitada Australian pricing and availability
The Edición Limitada is limited (as you’d already know if you spoke Spanish) to 99 pieces. It has a retail price of $31,550 and is available from the Bell & Ross boutique in Melbourne.
Images by Kristian Dowling/Time+Tide Images.