A skull-shaped movement housed in a sapphire case.

The Skull line launched by Bell & Ross in 2009 provides a surprisingly clearer insight than other series, allowing you to trace the evolution of the watch brand founded in 1992.

Within this short space of time, the design of watches has gone from wristwear tributes to traditional cockpit instruments to transparent models with an eccentric cyber-styled skull (and a skull-shaped movement!).

The company's co-founder Bruno Belamich (Bell) and CEO Carlos Rosillo (Ross) came up with the idea to use a skull in their watches, which also highlights the brand's connection with aviation.

The main source of inspiration for the creation of the first R 01 Skull model is believed to be the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Division, who dropped into Normandy shortly after midnight on D-Day, June 6th, 1944, with the motto "Death From Above".

When the Cyber Skull model appeared with an angular skull in 2020, the watchmaker explained that its silhouette is reminiscent of stealth aircraft: technology widely used in aviation to make aircraft invisible to enemy radar.

But the brand was also fairly quick to depart from the masculine black Cyber Skull. The company began the year 2023 with the BR 01 Cyber Skull Bronze, and ended it with the BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire Ice Blue.

The transparent 45-mm case made of sapphire crystal serves as a display case of sorts, showcasing the main exhibit: a skull rendered in an icy blue hue.

The Jolly Roger by Bell & Ross comes to life when the watch owner begins to wind the spring. This fun complication that makes the skull's jaw move gives the model an added charm.

The watch runs on a hand-wound movement, so the owner will see the skull moving quite often. BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire Ice Blue is equipped with caliber BR-CAL.209, which has a 48-hour power reserve.

The movement is skeletonized in the shape of a skull: it can't be seen from the dial side, but the transparent caseback provides a view of the bridges which bend to create just the right quirky shape. Availability of the watch with a soft silicone strap (also transparent) is limited to 25 pieces.