One of the Year’s Elite Dive Watches Doesn’t Look Like a Diver

Don’t let the square case fool you, Bell & Ross’s revamped diver competes with the best of ’em.

a black bell and ross dive watch lies next to some black gear

Published June 24, 2024

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Founded in the early 1990s, French luxury watch brand Bell & Ross really came into its own a decade later when it released its first square-cased watch, the BR 01. The design established a unique identity for B&R centered around square pilot watches inspired by cockpit instrumentation.

That reputation continues today, and Bell & Ross is largely seen as a maker of pilot’s watches. But you shouldn’t sleep on the brand’s other offerings. Its integrated BR 05, for instance, is an excellent example of how the square design can work as an integrated bracelet sports watch.

Then there’s the brand’s unique square-shaped dive watch, the BR 03. The watch functions like a typical diver — it even has a round rotating timing bezel — but stuffed inside a four-sided silhouette.

B&R’s diver has always stood out for its unorthodox shape, offering buyers an alternative when looking for a dive watch that’s a bit out of the ordinary. Now, the brand has given the BR 03 a complete overhaul, making it not just a unique diver but one that can compete with just about any luxury diver on the market.

Bell & Ross BR 03 Diver

$4,400 at Bell & Ross

Big Square, Don’t Care

The new BR 03 sees some big improvements across the lineup that put the watches more in line with other luxury divers while still maintaining its unique signature square-shaped design.

First, the bezel insert is now made of hard-wearing ceramic rather than aluminum, making it far more resistant to scratching and fading.

The dial of the new diver has been redesigned to enhance legibility while also offering a more aesthetically pleasing and modern look. The applied indices appear larger and deeper than before, and a new more dramatic arrow-shaped hour hand and sword-shaped minute hand replace the more demure outgoing handset.

blue bell and ross dive watch — The redesigned handset and indices and ceramic bezel insert all improve legibility while adding a more premium look and feel.

Under the hood is a more refined movement, with the BR-CAL. 302-1 automatic replacing the BR-CAL. 302 and providing an upgraded power reserve of 54 hours as opposed to the 40 hours of the outgoing diver.

The black rubber strap of the BR 03 has also been redesigned. It now integrates better into the case and has a more streamlined and attractive appearance overall. There’s also the option of a new ultra-durable synthetic fabric strap that’s highly customizable to any wrist size thanks to its Velcro closure.

Carrying over from the old version of the diver are the 42 x 42mm square case dimensions, the 300m depth rating and the ISO 6425 standard classification that allows the watch to officially be labeled a diver’s watch.

arm swimming while wearing bell and ross watch — Once you get past the aesthetic and mechanical improvements, the BR 03 remains as rugged and capable underwater as ever.

Steel? Ceramic? Full Lum?

At launch, the new and improved Bell & Ross BR 03 diver comes in five variants. The most basic are three versions in stainless steel — a black dial, blue dial and white dial — with the blue getting a color-matched bezel and strap and the other two receiving black bezels and straps.

Two other versions have matte black ceramic cases instead of stainless steel. One has a black dial for a completely stealth look, while the other is part of B&R’s “Full Lum” line and features a light blue fully-lumed dial that lights up completely in the dark.

bell and ross dive watch glowing underwater — The Full Lum Ceramic version is both the most unique and premium of Bell & Ross’s new offerings.

I’d like to see some brighter color options — personally, I think an orange version would look incredible, in either stainless steel or black ceramic — but this is a pretty solid lineup to start.

All five references are available now from Bell & Ross, with the three stainless steel versions priced at $4,400, the blacked-out ceramic version going for $4,990 and the Full Lum Ceramic topping out the collection with an SRP of $5,400.

Bell & Ross BR 03 Diver

Bell & Ross’s revamped square-cased dive watch gets a ceramic insert, a more legible dial, a more streamlined rubber strap and an improved automatic movement to become a seriously compelling option for anyone looking for an unorthodox diver.