Bell & Ross Commando BR-01 96
New Bell & Ross Commando BR-01 96 A Tribute to Special Forces
If you are a recruit in the special forces you require certain attributes. You must be strong physically and emotionally. You must be able to put your fitness and intellect to work under extreme conditions to make split second life-or-death decisions. You also need to have determination and courage in order to throw yourself into uncertain and dangerous situations. Once you got all the mental and physical requirements down, you can get equipped. The gear associated with the job is light, rugged, and at the cusp of technology making it extremely effective, expensive, and lets not forget cool. This is why the Bell & Ross limited edition BR-01 Commando Instruments are indispensable to any member of the special forces.
Although my thesis statement is slightly exaggerated, Bell & Ross do make all their watches to be fit for professional use. The strong influence that the military and aviation sectors have had on the B & R style, have produced several models dedicated to different special units or regimes. The BR-01 Commandos capture the stealth and performance of Special Forces troops.
The dial is the primary aspect of the BR-01 96 Phantom that distinguishes it from the other BR-01 Big Date models. The dark gray color, while not black, still offers the same sort of feel as the all-black Phantom dials. The numerals and hour markers consist of copious amounts of the black, photo-luminescent paint that Bell & Ross made famous. While low in contrast in lit conditions, the substance exudes a strong green glow in the dark. The same substance is applied carefully to the bold hour and minute hands. The speciality of the BR-01 96 series is the big date complication. As the name suggests, the date display is larger then usual. This is achieved by displaying the date using two discs instead of one and is suiting for an oversize watch with large hour markers and hands.
A new rubber strap was introduced by Bell & Ross concurrently with the Commandos. Its dark gray color matches that of the dial's and completes the overall camouflage of the watch. The strap is wide and especially shaped to contour the lugs of the impressive 46mm square black stainless steel case. Blackening of the watch case is a military innovation that came about in order to eliminate any glint that could potentially give away the soldier's position.
Although not an actual military instrument, the BR-01 96 Commando is up to the task. More importantly, it captures a style that we have all come to know well through movies like "Black Hawk Down," "Mission Impossible," and a hundred others.
Written by Marco Gagliano an expert of Bell & Ross watches at Matt Baily
