We like it when brands go out of their way to pioneer a new alloy or finish in their timepieces. Oftentimes it’s just to get that right sheen, grain or luster that characterises the watch. Beyond just a new veneer, the whole process demonstrates dedication to innovation and detail, and pride in the product.
So when chancing upon Bell & Ross’s ruggedly handsome BR-X1 Military, dressed in an intriguing shade of khaki (or olive-brown, depending on who you ask), some may stop to ask: what goes into this one?
The beauty’s not skin deep
Short, readily-available answer: high-resistance titanium (HRT). A quick Google search confirms that it’s a relatively unknown term; outside of news posts from watch titles heralding the BR-X1 Military’s launch, there’s little literature on the compound. So we wrote the team – and got some reassuring technical mumbo jumbo back.
Roughly distilled, HRT is essentially lightly-armoured titanium, sporting a tough, protective cladding achieved by passing current through the metal while its suspended in an electrolyte-filled bath. The resultant toughened layer of oxidation makes hardy titanium even harder to scratch, renders it more corrosion- and age-proof, and grants it a grained texture that’s great to the touch.
Features for days
Other elements that make the BR-X1 Military the tough cookie you want to bring to the field: the upper bridge with the signature diamond-like coating (DLC), the sapphire crystal and dial, and the perforated rubber strap.
These house the 56-jewel movement, the beating heart of the chronograph that boasts a small seconds, a regular as well as 30-minute chronograph (9 o’clock on the dial), and date functions. Superluminova C3 appliques daub the hands and dial of the watch – that’s the most luminescent variant of the industry’s spanking glow-in-the-dark paint tech – so you can read the watch in a pinch while deep in a dive or in the movie theatre.
The BR-X1 Military is limited to a run of 250 pieces worldwide – so if you fancy the slick design, killer material and functionality of the watch, snag one fast.
