If you are a watch admirer, you probably know that bronze has taken the watch industry by storm in recent years. Many watchmaking brands use this material more and more often, both in dials and bezels.
More recently, Skull elements have begun to attract the attention of watch admirers. Personally, I still don’t seem to be ready for a skull-featuring watch. But if everyone is asking about such timepieces, I thought I would do a review of one of them.
A suitable model for my purpose today is the Bell and Ross BR01 replica watch. It is a watch that combines both current trends, i.e. both the bronze material and skull-design elements.
To be honest, we received this imitation from a new factory, with which we have never collaborated before. So it’s a new partnership for us at AAAReplica and I’m curious to find out how well they reproduce replica watches. All I know about this new factory is that for now, it mainly focuses on Bell and Ross knockoffs. Long story short, let’s observe the replica watch, so we can conclude about the factory.
General overview of Bell and Ross BR01 Skull Bronze replica watch
Our portfolio of Bell Ross knockoffs is rich in bronze models. But none of them have a skull theme. So this imitation is the first of its kind in our collection of replica watches. The skull theme is integrated into the dial of the watch, which gives it a mystical and quite unusual charisma. Surely these replica watches must have a very specific audience.
The case of the replica watch is the one that concentrates the most abundance of bronze. The knockoff comes with an unusually wide and unusually old-looking leather strap. However, I can’t say that it doesn’t match the bronze of the case, which all together form a slightly vintage charisma.
In the same context…
The case of the replica watch has a square silhouette, the corners of which are finely rounded and aesthetically joined with the edges of the 2 cross bones behind the dial. The texture of the case is processed in genuine bronze, which automatically becomes attractive for lovers who adore the patina of watches. The bronze material is the most suitable to develop signs of aging on it. The beautiful part is that these aging signs are absolutely individual, not finding their equal among other watches of the same kind. A good example of this is the Bronzo Panerai 382 replica watch. It has not yet lost its popularity, even though it is not exactly the newest watch from the Panerai collection.
The watch is generous in size. It measures a diameter of 46mm. On one hand, the proportion seems to be much too generous for lovers of smaller sizes. From another point of view, I suppose a smaller case would compromise the skull-like dial, making it look less expressive. After all, this imitation is an accessory that demands the attention of those around it and its small size has no place in the context.
As expressive as the diameter of the imitation is, as modest is its height. If we omit the raised skull, the height of the knockoff measures only 7.5mm, being identical to the authentic model.
Further details
The most unusual and attractive element in this replica watch is, of course, the skull-like dial. I have to admit that the factory worked very carefully on the outline of the skull because I don’t notice any aesthetic errors. The corners of the case, which also suggest the edges of the 2 crossed bones, are fixed with 4 screws, the shape and proportions of which look exactly like the authentic watch.
What impressed me in this imitation is the strong lume that does not appear only in the hour markers and hands, as in most other watches, but is cast on the entire dial plate. The light reflecting in dark conditions is very strong. According to the factory, it is Swiss BGW9 material that emits a vibrant turquoise light, impossible to avoid noticing. The question is how long this brightness lasts. Because for a qualitative lume, not only does the degree of illuminance matter but also its durability as well. Unfortunately, I did not manage to test this aspect, I was called to an emergency meeting. But as strong as the light looks, I assume that it might have a pretty long-lasting effect.
Drawing attention to the dial skull…
I notice that the manufacturers respected all the details of the authentic model. The dial plate behind the skull has a slightly grainy texture. Contrasting with this texture, the skull plate has a softer and more polished texture but is not shiny. The contour, the shape of the eyes, the shape of the nose, and the oral cavity have been masterfully reproduced, I would say, because they look really good and close to the authentic truth. The manufacturers have even reproduced the distance between the center of the dial marked by the starting point of the hands and the nose of the skull. I admit, the execution is worthy of respect.
Protection
To protect the unconventional dial, the manufacturers used sapphire crystal. This material offers very promising protection because it is durable and resistant to impacts. At the same time, the manufacturers processed the crystal with an anti-scratch technique to make it resistant even against minor scratches. We all know that sapphire crystal has many advantages, but its negative side is that it is sensitive to scratches, so a preventive method never hurts.
On the back, the manufacturers used a titanium plate to close the replica watch caseback. The good part of things is that even a person allergic to bronze can wear this replica watch. The titanium plate is like a protective cushion between the skin and the watch so that the skin does not interact with the bronze material.
Bottom line
As for the first attempt, I can say that the factory gave me a quite good impression. The replica watch is of good to high quality. In addition, the factory asked a fairly reasonable price for it and I think that the price justifies its quality 100%, even more. I assume that it is an entry price on the market that will later be raised because the imitation is really better than its price. Its only disadvantage is that it does not seem to be water resistant. Considering the shape of the case and the dial, I do not rule out water penetrating the construction. Either way, this factory seems to be a promising partner.