In 1986, Huey Lewis and the News launched the song Hip to Be Square as their second single from their album Fore!, which achieved multi-platinum status. As well as the song might have worked for them, the square shape in watchmaking was always met with varied success. While some brands have made successful square watches in the past, it still played third fiddle at best, behind the more popular round and rectangle shapes. As sports watches became increasingly more popular at the expense of dress watches, it was unlikely that the square shape would ever lay a claim to fame again in the watch world.
That all changed when Bell & Ross saw its potential and used it to create a watch whose design was so powerful that it fast became the hallmark of the brand. Founded in 1992 by Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo, Bell & Ross quickly made a name for itself with its tool watches that stood out because of their clean design with high legibility. Inspiration came from the world of aviation and the military, where form follows function. The brand often explored the less beaten tracks of the watch world. This resulted in the Space series, a collection of chronographs housed in ergonomically shaped cases made for and also worn on space missions. The Type Démineur was a timepiece made to the specification of explosive ordnance disposal specialists, while Bell & Ross also joined the quest to explore the deepest parts of the ocean with the Hydromax, which, thanks to its oil-filled case, could withstand the pressure of 1,110 ATM.
This story is from the Special Issue - 2024 edition of WatchTime India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Special Issue - 2024 edition of WatchTime India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TAG HEUER'S NEW TOUR DE FORCE
The watchmaker has high hopes for the new Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph
COURSE FOR VICTORY
Victorinox is shaking up its watch offerings and a visit to its Watch Competence Centre in Delémont showed what exactly this entails
Larger than Life
Wildlife conservationist Dean Schneider has dedicated his life to protecting wild animals, and part of this is Hakuna Mipaka, his 400-hectare private sanctuary that is home to thousands of different species. On a recent visit to India as part of his collaboration with NORQAIN, Schneider spoke to WatchTime India about the Hakuna Mipaka watch collection and the values he shares with the brand.
Unending Passion
Kerala-based orthopaedic surgeon Vijay Jayan has more than 1,000 watches in his collection, nearly 500 of them G-Shocks. We stepped inside his watch wardrobe...
THE MAN, THE LEGEND
In conversation with Kikuo Ibe, the father of G-shock
IN IT TO WIN IT
What does innovation in sports watches mean? We found five timepieces that showcased exciting developments this year.
ABOVE AND BEYOUND
An overbuilt, mechanically complex, yet simplified timepiece developed for all diving functionalities, including the time before and after a dive, unlike other dive watches in the market. To add to that, the Singer Divetrack is the only mechanical diving chronograph ever built.
Hip To Be Square
How a shape took Bell & Ross's success to the next level
The Forever Dive
The Quantième Complet Phases de Lune is the most complicated model in the Bathyscaphe collection. It is finally also available with a black ceramic case, and-for the first timealso with a matching bracelet.
THE BULGARI ALUMINIUM BRINGS FUN BACK LGARI
The vanguard watch for casual and stylish luxury is better than ever