
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Bell & Ross wristwatch, ref. 110, 1990s
- Maker / attribution
- Bell & Ross (brand / maker)
- Date
- 1990s
- Historical period
- Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
- Country of origin
- France
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- stainless steel
- Dimensions
- diameter 38 mm; length 170 mm
- Auction house
- Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
- Lot
- Lot 350-8
- Credit line
- Auction lot record: LOT 8, Geneva,May 9, 2022
- Catalogue title (original)
- BELL & ROSS REF. 110 S AUTOMATIC STEEL (English)
Editor's note
The auction catalogue gives 'circa 1990', but Bell & Ross was founded in Paris in 1992, so the watch is dated here to the 1990s.View the source record (auction lot) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva (lot Lot 350-8), this is a wristwatch by Bell & Ross, made in France, dated 1990s. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. Recorded dimensions: diameter 38 mm; length 170 mm. The record is illustrated with 1 photograph.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Antiquorum catalogue description
Fine, self-winding, water resistant to 100 meters, stainless steel wristwatch with date, case back with glassed port hole to view the movement.
Lot specifications (Antiquorum)
Reference: 110; Case No.: 123.A-S11336; Material: Stainless steel; Bracelet: stainless steel Bell & Ross bracelet with double deployant clasp.; Caliber: 2896, 21 jewels; Diameter: 38 mm.; Length: 170 mm.; Signature: Dial, case and movement
Inscriptions & marks
Dial, case and movement
Historical context
Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.
Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution
Atlas type guide
Automatic (self-winding) watches
Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.
What to look for
- A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
- 'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
- A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.
Dating clues
- Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
- Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
- Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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