New Release: Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum Watch

Creating a blue version of an existing model is the opposite of a novel concept in the watch industry, although simply changing the color to blue rarely promises to correct a defect in the original, non-blue watch. Last year, in 2023, Bell & Ross introduced the limited edition BR-X5 Green Lum with a fully luminous green glowing body, and although enthusiasts were naturally attracted by the generous use of lume, not everyone liked the appearance in the light, which had a pale green/yellow hue that some compared to slime. As a successor to last year’s model, Bell & Ross has developed a blue version of the fully luminous BR-X5, and while the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum is basically just a blue version of last year’s debut model, it has numerous luminous components in daylight a noticeably more pleasant pale blue color and emit a bright, aqua blue glow in the dark.

I often joke about how a significant number of watch releases can be summed up in a single sentence “Last year’s watch, now in blue” But that’s really not an oversimplification of this new model. We covered the original BR-X5 Green Lum in both a sponsored post and a hands-on review, and the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum (Ref. BRX5R-BLUM-TC/SRB) is as impressive in design as it is identical in terms of design and construction point of view. Swap out green for blue throughout the watch and you have the exact idea behind this latest addition to the Bell & Ross range. However, even in the brand’s official press images for the original BR-X5 Green Lum, its pale green-tinted components didn’t sport a particularly attractive color, and although I’ll reserve final judgment until I see the BR-X5 Blue Lum in the metal, its bright ones shine Components have a soft powder blue hue, significantly reducing the strange, sickly hue that characterized the original Green Lum model.

Since the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum is just a color variant of last year’s model, its dimensions remain the same at 41mm wide and 12.8mm thick, while a screw-down crown helps maintain the same 100-meter water resistance is offered across the entire BR-X5 collection. While the middle part of the multi-part case is made of grade 2 sandblasted titanium with a black DLC finish, the upper and lower parts (as well as the upper part of the bezel) are made of a photoluminescent composite material called LM3D made of quartz fibers and luminescent material suspended in one Resin matrix. Just like last year’s green version, a clear sapphire crystal protects the dial of the BR-X5 Blue Lum, while the caseback has a smoked glass. The only difference regarding the exterior of the new blue version is that the glowing LM3D housing components have been updated from green to blue.

Just like the case, the dial and hands of the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 watches are. A trio of hands indicate the time on rounded, baton-shaped hour markers, while there is a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock and an arched date window at 3 o’clock. Although the brand’s “Lum” models are all about celebrating luminosity, neither the Green Lum nor Blue Lum versions of the BR-X5 come with fully luminous dials, and the BR-X5 features Blue Lum instead A matt black dial with hands and hour markers are coated with blue Super-LumiNova to match the case. In addition to luminous hour markers, both the date window and the power reserve indicator are coated with Super-LumiNova, and all of the luminous elements of the BR-X5 Blue Lum glow aqua blue in the dark.

Part of the more premium BR-X5 collection, the Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum is powered by the brand’s BR-CAL.323 caliber automatic movement, made for Bell & Ross by Swiss manufacturer Kenissi. The Bell & Ross BR-CAL.323 operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and has a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. It shares a basic architecture with other designs manufactured by Kenissi and is generally viewed as a solid step up from the Sellita calibers used by Bell & Ross in its various entry-level models. Finally, the BR-X5 Blue Lum is completed with a black ventilated rubber strap, which appears to be identical to the strap on last year’s Green Lum model, extending from the case’s integrated lugs with a noticeable taper before connecting to one signed black lacquered folding clasp.

Ultimately, the Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum is just a blue version of last year’s model, although I would argue that it is also a much more successful expression of the brand’s popular “Lum” concept. While countless collectors appreciated the novelty of a watch with a luminous case, its appearance in daylight was significantly more controversial, and the BR-X5 Blue Lum’s pale blue hue seems like a significantly more pleasing color that would be easier to integrate into someone’s everyday wardrobe (at least based on this in the press photos). Additionally with an official retail price of $13,300the Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum (Ref. BRX5R-BLUM-TC/SRB) costs exactly the same as what the brand charged for last year’s model, and exactly like its green predecessor, the new BR-X5 Blue Lum is produced in a limited edition of 500 copies. For more information about the Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum, visit the brand’s website.