Bell & Ross X S.T. Dupont Launch Limited-Edition Watch That’s Made For Cigar Lovers
Light up your wrist game.
Crafting a fine cigar and crafting a luxury watch share many of the same artisanal sensibilities and careful composition, as Bell & Ross offers up a new, cigar-inspired timepiece alongside luxury lighter brand S.T. Dupont.
The handsome Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono S.T. Dupont marks the fourth timepiece from the French-founded Swiss watchmaker to take inspiration from the world of cigars, building off previous releases like its BR 05 Chrono Edición Limitada. The collaboration with fellow French maison S.T. Dupont, masters of luxe lighters, smoking accessories and thoughtfully designed writing accessories, is called “an unprecedented partnership” by Bell & Ross, famed for its rugged tool watches.
With a lineup of wrist candy that draws design cues from pilot instruments, high-end motorcycles and the French Air and Space Force aerobatic team, the air, land and sea-focused horologist is no stranger to intensive craft and remarkable finishing details. S.T. Dupont also recently dabbled in a new area of expertise, diving into the world of high-end art by partnering with Richard Orlinski on a Wild Kong pen and lighter collection. The Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono S.T. Dupont, on the other hand, represents what the professional instrument watchmaker calls “a hedonistic pause” in nodding to the epicurean world of fine cigars.
The Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono S.T. Dupont arrives with a sense of dashing flair and refinement, using rich tones of brown, silver and gold across both a textured leather strap option and a stainless steel set of multi-color links. Cigar lovers and watch enthusiasts should certainly count themselves lucky if they’re able to score one of just 150 limited-edition sets, an offering that delves far deeper beyond an exceptionally well-crafted watch. The Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono S.T. Dupont release is accompanied by its own wooden cigar storage case, complete with a lighter and cigar cutter, all reminders to embrace the luxurious notes of a fine cigar and an enviable timepiece.
Bell & Ross is well aware of the overlap between the two thoughtful, lavish fields in releasing this soon-to-be-rare watch. “The cigar universe is one of complexity, craftsmanship, and excellence. There are many parallels with watchmaking,” the horologist notes of the thought process behind developing the sunray brown dial and rich color array behind its latest 42mm tool watch. “Just like choosing a watch, enjoying a cigar—alone or with friends, in celebration or contemplation—is a lifestyle rooted in rituals and a sense of sharing. A philosophy that Bell & Ross fully embraces,” the watchmaker noted.
Humming along thanks to the 60-hour power reserve of the company’s Calibre BR-CAL.326.movement within, two chronograph sub-dials pair nicely with the regal S.T. Dupont logo at the 6-o’clock marker. Other details across the luxurious partnership were considered with utmost care and perhaps a dash of lavish fun, as the Macassar ebony wood presentation box can be converted into storage for 50 stogies.
Priced at $15,200 on its faux alligator leather strap or $19,100 for the elegant rose-and-stainless steel bracelet, the newest Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono marks familiar yet elevated territory for the watchmaker, as B& R “adopts the codes of the cigar world and boldly merges them with its urban BR-05 line, for the pleasure of connoisseurs.”