The BWT Alpine F1 team —formerly Racing Point and Renault— may be a relatively new player in the Formula 1 arena, but Renault’s famous sportscar arm has plenty of motorsport heritage. The 2021 rebrand of the team marked the next step in Renault’s F1 revival. With a rich legacy dating back to 1986, Alpine boasts a remarkable history of success and innovation.
Known for their striking blue and white livery with chassis A523 —hence the name of the watch bears this letter and number— powered by Renault, the team shows dedication on the race track even though lately they haven’t secured many pole positions or podiums. Combining cutting-edge technology with the expertise of their skilled drivers —Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon—, Alpine displays an unwavering commitment to excellence just as Bell & Ross has done the same in the last 10 years.
This year, as part of the partnership with BWT Alpine, Bell & Ross presents the BR 05 Chrono A523 Alpine in stainless steel and in a limited edition of 500 pieces. Bearing the blue and white colors of the team, this chronograph features subtle codes and design elements that characterize its F1 team partnership nature. The choice of chrono movement meets the needs of Team Alpine, who are of course measuring speed and sports performance. Bell & Ross conveys the Alpine identity in each of its designs through the color code and logo.
Things to Know About the Watch
The 42 mm stainless steel case with its slightly square and slightly rounded shape is the perfect casing for the matte black dial with Arabic numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock. Decorated with a French flag at 6 o’clock, a flange in the same hue of blue as the BWT Alpine team, and the Alpine logo serving as a counterweight to the central chronograph hand, the finely graduated black dial features running seconds register at 9 o’clock and a 30-minute chrono register at 3 o’clock with blue and white hands to add the right amount of contrast and readability.
The new Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523 Alpine focuses on readability and functionality under all circumstances whether you wear the watch for a dinner in the city or a day at the track in the Grand Prix paddocks. Offering a very refined look thanks to the alternate polished and satin-finished surfaces, the watch can be worn with the steel bracelet with flexible, comfortable links, or on a black calf leather strap with blue contrast stitching.
The BR05 Chrono A523 Alpine is water-resistant to 100 meters thanks to its screw-down crown and the watch features a sapphire crystal display case back that allows full views of the automatic movement calibre BR-CAL.326. The crystal features the limited edition information as well as the BWT Alpine F1 Team logo.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Bell & Ross BR 05 Chrono A523 Alpine Limited Edition wears true to its size and incredibly well. Without a doubt, the newish BR 05 case shape makes this watch much more appealing than the usual signature fully square cases offered by Bell & Ross. As far as thickness, the BR 05 Chrono A523 Alpine sits right below the 15 mm mark at 14.25 mm. The chronograph is quite smooth for not being an in-house chrono and for the price, the watch over delivers with regards to the price-value equation, especially if you are looking for an F1 team partnership timepiece that won’t break the bank.
Sticker Price $7,200 USD on a bracelet and $6,700 USD on a strap. For more info on Bell & Ross click here.
