The Bell & Ross 01 Cyber Skull Watch Is Made From Sapphire Crystal
Skull and bones swag.
In watchmaking, sapphire is a popular glass substitute because it’s tough and scratch-resistant. Bell & Ross, one of the most innovative watchmakers out there, decided to really go all in with it on the new BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire.
This is an elegant and novel design even for Bell & Ross, a watch that is truly visually striking and also brings with it the company’s legacy for tough and durable timepieces that are aware they’re competing with big guns like the iconic Omega or more modern designers like Richard Mille. And this icy beauty is made almost completely from sapphire, which surely presented as big an engineering challenge as anything.
In creating the Cyber Skull Sapphire, B&R was, in part, nodding to the already-existing skeletonized watch tradition, which refers to a timepiece in which the dial has been removed and you can see the inner workings ticking away. Designers added an amber-colored sapphire skull to the face which sits centrally in the all-sapphire case.
The main effect is it looks like an epically huge jewel on the wrist. It isn’t just for show, though. The BR 01 sports a new BR-CAL.209 movement crafted just for this model, only adding to its uniqueness.
Below are some additional specs from Bell & Ross:
- 45 mm wide
- Hand-wound
- Water-resistant to 50 meters
- 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
- 48 hours power reserve
- Clear rubber strap
The bummer here is that this is a very limited edition watch and it is being sold exclusively for Only Watch, which describes itself as “a biennial charity auction of luxury timepieces made by the finest watchmakers.”
It will be available at Only Watch in Geneva, Switzerland as of November 6, 2021. Expect to pay a price equal to approximately $98,000 – $120,000 USD.
If you just like the Cyber Skull line in general and don’t care if it’s this ghostly, gorgeous piece, Bell & Ross has those here at bellross.com, starting at $10,900.00