Five Questions with bell & ross’s creative director/co-founder Bruno Belamich

What are some of the most exciting developments at Bell & Ross today?

The main challenge is to design something new every year, yet remain faithful to the brand and its vision. The only way to make sure we are not deviating is to always go to the original objective and vision; to create watches for professionals of the extreme that answer their needs.

I am very excited by one project in particular this year. As the benchmark in aeronautical watches, we share Dassault Aviation’s values of innovation, quality and reliability. It became only natural for us to team up to celebrate the Falcon’s 50th anniversary and launch the Bell & Ross Vintage Sport Heritage. To mark the celebrated jet’s 50th anniversary, Bell & Ross has created two limited edition timepieces: the Vintage Falcons.

What watch do you wear daily?

I tend not to wear my own watches! I dream about creating THE watch, the one that doesn’t exist yet.

Which Bell & Ross timepiece are you most proud of?

I love the Vintage WW1 Jumping Hour because it embodies Bell & Ross’ expertise in watchmaking. With its combination of the complexity of a mechanical movement and the simplicity of a completely new reading system, we perfectly succeed in our original mission of harnessing technology to promote legibility.

However, the BR 01 instrument watch has revolutionized the traditional approach to watchmaking, and has naturally made its mark on that world of watchmaking. Through its bold design, we demonstrate it’s remarkable creativity and pioneering spirit, while underlining it’s functional and utilitarian purpose. It is, to me, the most representative of a clear brand philosophy like ours, and an iconic watch of the 21st century.

How did your training as an industrial designer influence the creation of Bell & Ross?

In my 20s, my motto was: “Every opportunity should be taken to transform a moment into design.” So it was quite natural that I should turn toward a career as a designer. I’ve always been passionate about functionalism in design and this is the pure essence of our brand: function takes precedence over design. The essential is never compromised by the superfluous. This has become our motto, and it embodies the values of the identity of Bell & Ross: legibility, functionality, water resistance and precision.

What is your favorite work of architecture and why?

Mies van de Rohe’s Farnsworth House. It is to me the emblem of modern architecture and epitomizes the minimalist approach that “less is more.”