Loading...For some this watch is considered vintage, for others not yet. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating timepiece, owned by a good friend who wrote about this watch’s story which I like to share with you.
My friend had this watch for a while and is looking for a new wrist which would like to sport this timepiece. So if you are interested in this watch, feel free to contact me. So here it goes.
(written by Martin)
While Bell & Ross mainly gained fame with their widely imitated BR-01, there was an era before this iconic model in the history of the young brand that was founded in the early 1990′s. Amongst their history is the Space 3 GMT, a direct descendant of the Space 1. The Space 1 was worn into space by German astronaut Reinhart Furrer and a most interesting watch since it was made by both Bell & Ross as well as the German watch manufacturer Sinn. In the early days of their existence, Bell & Ross did not have their own production facility, so Sinn made their watches, explaining the mixed pedigree of the Space 3 GMT.
The Space 3 GMT is basically the next generation of what is often referred to as a “Fliegeruhr” or Pilot’s watch. It has a very technical look, and legibility is a top priority. No wonder that for these types of watches, form follows function. Combine this with the direct yet elegant design style that most French products seem to poses and you have a jet plane for the wrist; sleek yet powerful.
Yes, you read it right, and it was not a typo; Behind the American sounding name, the “Swiss made” on the dial, and a link with the German Sinn is a Paris-based company founded by two Italian’s. What can we say? All mentioned countries are, or at least have been, considerable powers in the world of watchmaking, so this can only be globalization in the best way.
The Bell & Ross Space 3 GMT brings a very functional array of complications to the table. It combines normal time display with a sub-second at 9 o’clock and a date function at 3. Additional there is a chronograph with 30 minute counter and a second-time zone at six o’ clock. This makes the watch very practical, perhaps for a pilot, but most certainly also for people who like to travel.
Legibility was definitely a high priority with the design of the watch. To be honest, the date is the only function with which I have trouble reading it. Positioning it as a sub dial does wonders for the dial layout, but makes it kind of small to read. Of course, one does get spoiled by this watch when it comes down to readability. I have never experienced a watch that was easier to read, even at a glance. Because they identify each hour with both a marker as well as a number, it even beats the Panerai Luminor on that field, which is for me a benchmark on readability.
A nice touch of Bell & Ross was to give the hands that support the chronograph function a bright orange color. This makes them very easy to distinguish from the other hands and in the rest position the fall nicely over each other. I also never realized that it made a difference but the base of each hand, where it is connected to the movement, is painted as black as the dial. This way you can hardly see them and focus more on what the hand is telling you. Simple yet effective!
The case is where Bell & Ross score points! It is beautifully crafted and reminded me somewhat of an astronaut’s helmet. It all looks very organic, and the rounded shape does make sure that you never snatch behind something. The chronograph pushers are put nicely into the side of the case, yet they are still easy to use even with gloves on!
Also, the crown sinks completely into the case. Bell & Ross calls it their “Telescopic Crown System”. The idea is that you first retract a tube that will serve as a crown so that you can unscrew the actual crown.
The screw down case back features a nice, deep engraving of the &-sign, Bell & Ross its hallmark signature. This adds a nice touch to the watch, even though it is a private pleasure for the owner.
Movement
Bell & Ross uses a modified Valjoux 7750 to power the Space 3 GMT. The modifications include the second time zone and the date as a sub dial. This movement is almost an obvious choice for this watch. It more than proved itself as a rugged and dependable movement, not afraid of a little action. It is nice to see that Bell & Ross “upgraded” the movement for this watch, even though they also offer the Space 3 with a dial layout so typical for the basic Valjoux 7750.
Good accuracy, enough power reserve, this movement offers it all, but it is a pity that it also takes a lot of space, making the watch quite thick. Granted the deep dial and the added complications don’t help either, but a little slimmer would have been nice.
Bracelet
The bracelet on the Space 3 GMT is well made and, thanks to the titanium, comfortably light. Also, the relatively thin links contribute to this. The bracelet attaches to the case underneath the watch. This gives especially straps the look that they are integrated with the rest of the watch, but only hurts in the case of this bracelet. When you take off the watch, part of the bracelet hits the side of the case, creating a faint line which is visible when wearing it. This doesn’t take away from the fact that the bracelet is very comfortable to wear and comes with a well made and solid clasp.
On the wrist
The Space 3 GMT keeps his word for being an excellent travel companion on the wrist. It is comfortably light, and a quick glance is enough to check the time. The pushers are easy to operate but personally I missed an hour counter for the chronograph. A 30 minute limited is sometimes cutting it close. The fact that there is no crown pointing out from the side of the case is a true pleasure. No digging-in-your-flesh-during-activities!
A good thing is also that the second time zone can be set in half hours. This is of course especially handy for the few time zones on which the half hour difference applies, so it makes the Space 3 GMT world proof!
Sizes Space 3 GMT Titanium
Diameter 8 to 2: 42 mm
Diameter 9 to 3 including crown: 42 mm
Lug width: 20 mm
Clasp width: 18 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Price of this watch without box or papers: 1750 Euro‘s, trades welcomed as well, in particular, more elegant watches (vintage no problem)