Creating a blue version of an existing model is the antithesis of a novel concept within the watch industry, although rarely does simply changing the color to blue promise to remedy a shortcoming of the original non-blue watch. Last year in 2023, Bell & Ross unveiled the limited-edition BR-X5 Green Lum with a fully luminous green-glowing case, and while enthusiasts were naturally attracted to its ample use of lume, not everyone loved its in-the-light appearance, which exhibited a pale green/yellow tint that some compared to mucus. As a follow-up to last year’s model, Bell & Ross has created a blue version of the fully luminous BR-X5, and while the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum is very much just a blue rendition of the model that debuted last year, its numerous glowing components are a tangibly more pleasant pale blue color in the daylight, and they emit a bright aqua blue colored glow in the dark.
I often joke about how a considerable number of watch releases can be summarized by the single sentence “last year’s watch, now in blue” but that really isn’t 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 identical from both a design and construction standpoint. Swap green for blue throughout the entirety of the watch, and you have the exact idea behind this latest addition to the Bell & Ross lineup. That said, even in the brand’s official press images for the original BR-X5 Green Lum, its pale green-tinted components didn’t exhibit a particularly attractive color, and while I’ll reserve my final judgment until I can see the BR-X5 Blue Lum in the metal, its luminous components appear to be a gentle powder blue hue that significantly reduces the odd sickly tint that characterized the original Green Lum model.
As the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum is just a color variation of last year’s model, its dimensions remain the same at 41mm wide by 12.8mm thick, while a screw-down crown helps guarantee the same 100 meters of water resistance that is offered throughout the BR-X5 collection. While the central portion of its multi-component case is crafted from sandblasted grade 2 titanium with a black DLC finish, the upper and lower sections (plus the top portion of its bezel) are constructed from a photoluminescent composite material known as LM3D, which consists of quartz fibers and luminous material suspended within a resin matrix. Just like last year’s green-colored version, a clear sapphire crystal protects the dial of the BR-X5 Blue Lum, while a smoked crystal is fitted to its display caseback, and the only difference relating to the exterior of the new blue-colored version is that its luminous LM3D case components have been updated from green to blue.
Just like its case, the dial and hands fitted to the new Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum are the blue-colored equivalents of what can be found on last year’s green version, which themselves offer the same fundamental design as the standard BR-X5 watches. A trio of hands displays the time against rounded baton-shaped hour markers, while a power reserve indicator sits at 9 o’clock, and an arc-shaped date window resides at the 3 o’clock location. Although the whole point of the brand’s “Lum” models is to celebrate luminosity, neither the Green Lum nor Blue Lum versions of the BR-X5 are fitted with fully luminous dials, and the BR-X5 Blue Lum instead features a matte black dial with hands and hour markers that are finished in blue Super-LumiNova to match its case. Along with having luminous hour markers, both the date window and power reserve indicator also receive an application of Super-LumiNova, and all of the luminous elements on the BR-X5 Blue Lum emit an aqua blue-colored glow in the dark.
As part of the more premium BR-X5 collection, the Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum is powered by the brand’s Caliber BR-CAL.323 automatic movement, which is produced for Bell & Ross by the Swiss manufacturer Kenissi. Running at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 70 hours, the Bell & Ross BR-CAL.323 shares a fundamental architecture with other Kenissi-manufactured designs, and it is generally considered to be a solid step above the Sellita-based calibers that Bell & Ross uses inside its various entry-level models. Lastly, completing the BR-X5 Blue Lum is a black ventilated rubber strap that appears to be identical to the strap that can be found on last year’s Green Lum model, and it extends from the case’s integrated lugs with a significant taper before connecting to a signed black-finished deployant clasp.
At the end of the day, 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 an entirely 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 the daylight was significantly more divisive, and the pale blue hue of the BR-X5 Blue Lum appears to be a significantly more palatable color that can more easily integrate with someone’s daily wardrobe (at least based on the press photos). Additionally, with an official retail price of $13,300 USD, the Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum (ref. BRX5R-BLUM-TC/SRB) costs the exact same as what the brand charged for last year’s model, and just like its green-colored predecessor, the new BR-X5 Blue Lum will be produced as a limited edition of 500 examples. For more information on the Bell & Ross BR-X5 Blue Lum, please visit the brand’s website.
