Flying high with Bell & Ross

CARLOS Rosillo is friendly with the Malaysian royal family, but it isn’t clear if that’s why he chose to officially open his new watch boutique in Kuala Lumpur in end-January, on the day the new Malaysian king ascended the throne.  

That morning, as the king was crowned – in keeping with the tradition of having a monarch as the head of state – the Bell & Ross co-founder was holding court with the media.

And the continuation of the French watch brand was very much on his mind. He spoke to the journalists of Bell & Ross’ “elevation”, a theme repeated that evening in his dinner speech to guests, which included a Malaysian princess.

Sky’s the limit

Bell & Ross has what it takes to elevate itself as a brand – solid foundations, knowing itself and where it’s going – according to the 59-year-old, who is also its chief executive officer. The question is how to progress from there.

“Listen to people and your surroundings,” said Rosillo.

“Have something aspirational which gives hope to do better. Produce something with a concept more powerful than just an object, which drives you to keep progressing, something which produces strong emotions and is very inspirational.” 

It’s how the brand has grown so far, making timepieces recognised by cases in the shape of a circle in a square. Less visible are the pillar “concepts” behind them: the inspirations from the airplane’s cockpit, the stress on readability and functionality, and the push to break boundaries.

Bell & Ross has produced timepieces with luminous materials that provide readability even in the dark.

It called for courage in the 2008 global financial crisis by rolling out an all-black skull watch. While often a symbol of death, Rosillo said the skull also represents bravery.

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In the new BR 03 Cyber Ceramic, Bell & Ross transposes the readability of flight instruments to the wrist with a graphic edge. The unique quality of the new watch lies in its faceting, which instantly evokes the design of stealth aircraft.

The talks of elevation came a year after Rosillo and co-founder Bruno Belamich announced the brand branching into the higher end of the market, when they unveiled the new BR-X5, powered by a sophisticated and exclusive movement made from scratch by movement specialist Kenissi. 

The BR-X5 was almost an instant hit and today accounts for a huge 17 per cent of the brand’s total sales – and still rising.

Yet, Bell & Ross is not forsaking the existing collections or neglecting them with the new emphasis on “elevation”.

“We’re keeping the (BR) 03 to complement (the BR) X5,” Rosillo explained.

“03 is the basic, but it’s still going strong. It’s important and our core business, it’s who we are. We’re evolving the 03, increasing its power reserve without big price increases; it will grow with the market.” 

On its toes

Bell & Ross can’t rest on its laurels. After being around for over 30 years, it’s seeking “to regenerate”. “We need (to regain) flexibility and (come) unstuck in old ways,” Rosillo said.

The brand remains “very strong” in its home market of France.

Still, as with many markets in the rest of Europe, the French market has matured. Bell & Ross continues to grow strongly in the US, but it’s in Asia where its future lies.

Apart from Malaysia where it now has seven boutiques, nearly one-third of its global total of 25, the brand is planting more boutiques in Japan and India.

There’s more room for growth, even when the brand already has 600 points of sales worldwide. And it has a “good base” to realise its long-term vision of becoming a full global label.

“We’ve a good team,” Rosillo said.

“The Bell & Ross personality is easy to understand. It’s growing and an inspiration for ourselves and the people keen on the watch market.” The latter is a reference probably to the brand’s backers, the deep-pocketed Chanel fashion house, in particular. 

“Chanel offers us the luxury to think long-term,” he said. “Independent watch brands like us usually don’t have the resources to look far ahead, so it’s great to have this godfather.”