The BR-X3 Micro-Rotor arrives in 2026 as the follow-up to the BR-X3 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor that Bell & Ross debuted in 2025. Where that piece stacked a tourbillon and micro-rotor into the same square manufacture movement, this iteration removes the tourbillon and lands at a significantly lower price point—without abandoning the structural proposition that makes the BR-X3 line worth examining seriously.
Things to Know About the Watch
The 40 mm BR-03 case does not simply house the movement: it is the movement's primary structural plate. A single machined steel block serves simultaneously as the case middle and the supporting structure for the calibre's bridges. An upper and lower sapphire crystal complete the enclosure—three components total. The result is full bilateral transparency and a watch that reads as unmediated mechanics under glass, at a total case thickness of 9 mm.
The movement is semi-skeletonized, but the material removal follows a structured grid rather than the arabesque forms common to the category. Vertical and horizontal bridges intersect across the square plate in a composition that creative director Bruno Belamich references to Mondrian and Charlotte Perriand—geometric abstraction and modernist architecture, respectively.
Finishing runs monochrome throughout: brushed bridges, microblasted mainplates, polished bevels, each surface differentiated by texture rather than color. Timekeeping is hours and minutes only, via a pair of photoluminescent central hands. No seconds hand is present—the running seconds are made legible instead by the exposed oscillating balance wheel in the lower right quadrant.
The Movement
At the heart of the BR-X3 Micro-Rotor is the calibre BR-CAL.390, an automatic movement with an in-plane micro-rotor—meaning the rotor sits within the movement's thickness rather than above it. This keeps the mechanics fully legible from both sides and contributes directly to the 9 mm case depth. Power reserve is 48 hours, and the movement carries a 5-year warranty.
Summary & Price
Limited to 99 pieces and without a tourbillon, the BR-X3 Micro-Rotor occupies an unusual position: technically more accessible than its predecessor, yet architecturally uncompromising. The case-calibre fusion is a genuine construction decision with real consequences for how the watch reads and for collectors who place weight on structural integration over outright complication, the argument is a sound one.
Sticker Price USD 22,500. For more info on Bell & Ross, click here.
