My First Grail Watch: Carlos Rosillo Replica Watches Essentials

Welcome back to an original aBlogtoWatch feature, “My First Grail Watch.” In this series, we ask prominent people in the watch industry about the first timepiece that they lusted after. Today, we are talking with one of the co-founders of Bell & Ross, Carlos Rosillo. Read on to learn about the family watch that inspired (and inspires) him.

aBlogtoWatch (ABTW): Who are you and what is your relationship to the watch industry?

Carlos Rosillo: My name is Carlos Rosillo and I am the co-founder and CEO of Bell & Ross.

ABTW: Many people define a grail watch differently – how do you see them?

Carlos Rosillo: For me, the grail watch is the one that above all wakes up emotions. Besides the value of the materials and the craftsmanship, this kind of timepiece has to hold inside a high emotional weight. It’s the case for an inherited watch or an exceptional timepiece.

ABTW: Given that definition, what was your first grail watch, and what did you like about it?

Carlos Rosillo: The first one was a very old pocket watch that my grandfather owned and that I was always admiring for its elegance and its simplicity. That piece woke up my passion for watches, and I was thrilled when I inherited it. Even today, it is one of my timepieces that I am very affectionate towards. It prompted me to eventually produce the Bell & Ross PW1 Minute Repeater pocket watch in Argentium, which is a durable form of sterling silver.

The fundamental modern elements that Bell & Ross has worked to the watch comprise the selection of rising minute increments for its Arabic hour markers, the pilot-watch-inspired hand configuration currently common in the “Classic” collection, along with the date window, which may have functioned better placed at 3 o’clock, or even left off the dial altogether, instead of hidden involving other numerals. One of the most fascinating contemporary features is in the dimensions of the crown– although many classic watches did have smaller crowns than those found on watches today, the ratio of the event to crown around the BR V1-92 Military actually looks smaller and subtler compared to these classic pieces. This design choice might have been to accentuate further the watch’s historical inspirations, but it’s certainly unusual for a timepiece evoking older models to miniaturize, instead of enlarge, any elements.As previously mentioned, this view isn’t based on any particular version, but instead puts its focus on bringing together many interesting historical details to generate a modern yet vintage-appearing piece. Whether or not this sort of re-interpretation is desirable or not is a matter of personal taste, but on aesthetic value alone the BR V1-92 Military is, to me, a fascinating watch. The piece also represents, along with a number of other pieces in the next generation of this brand’s “Vintage” collection, a growing fascination with mainstream watchmakers to appeal to the growing marketplace of retro-hungry consumers. It appears the trend is no longer limited to long-established players such as Omega and Longines, or start-up independents such as Nezumi, but is expanding to all corners of the marketplace seeking to ride this wave of horological nostalgia while it continues.

ABTW: It’s great to have that sort of heritage in a family. What drives you these days?

Carlos Rosillo: I am passionate and a collector of military watches. When I founded the company with my partner Bruno (Belamich), our goal was to create perfectly reliable military timepieces with the help of today’s modern technology.

So, then, I was lucky to be able to have my milestone timepieces, such as when we received the first Halliburton briefcase with the very first 12 Bell & Ross prototypes.

ABTW:  I can only imagine how exciting that occasion must have been! What other creations have been highlights for you?

Carlos Rosillo:  Owning Bell & Ross allows me to create my dream watches. We enjoy of the high degree of craftsmanship of our watchmakers, and thanks to this, I could offer myself timepieces that I’ve always dreamed about. For example, now, I am wearing the WW1 Pink Gold Regulator, with its pink gold case, its retro and elegant dial that for me is a timeless piece.