Bell & Ross WWI Monopoussoir Chronographe Ivory

Though Bell & Ross is a relatively young company, as far as watch manufacturers go, with just over two decades under its belt, the brand has convincingly demonstrated that they know what they’re about and where they’re going. Many brands attempt but only a handful of them succeed in producing watches with a true vintage feel. Take the Monopoussoir Chronographe for instance; this watch nails it with its design and amazing technical innovations. Monopoussoir Chronographe literally translates to single pusher chronograph.

There are only a very limited number of brands that can say that they have a single push piece chronograph in their inventory. The reason is simple: most brands don’t possess the mastery to produce them and there isn’t an overwhelmingly large market for single pusher chronographs. However, when it is done right like this model from the WWI collection, it is truly superb.

The case is carved out from a single block of stainless steel and carries dimensions of 45mm across, this doesn’t include the prominent main crown. The main crown is ridged on its lower half for adjustments to the time and date, and for winding this piece. Its upper half is smooth and flattened at the top making it easy to use the chronograph. A single pusher chronograph is where the start, stop, and reset buttons are all controlled by one pusher which is also the main crown.

In keeping with the vintage appeal for this watch, Bell & Ross offers a domed ivory dial – a style that was very prominent in the 1920’s as well as a domed sapphire crystal. The chronograph counter at 3 o’clock indicates the minutes, while the chronograph seconds are shown with a central hand. The register at 9 o’clock counts the continuous seconds on this fine timepiece. Large Arabic numerals are located at the 12 and 6 position giving the dial a balanced look. The hands are all crafted from blued steel which contrasts nicely with the dial.

Powering this piece is a self-winding movement. Securing this watch to the wrist is a dark blue alligator strap with an ardillon buckle made from stainless steel. The WWI Monopoussoir Chronographe from Bell & Ross is water resistant to 50 meters (5 ATM).