The cigar has its own sense of time. It demands a pause, a rhythm, and attention to detail. This is precisely the realm that Bell & Ross has been exploring for nearly twenty years with its Edición Limitada series. In 2026, this connection finds a new expression through a collaboration with S.T. Dupont, another specialist in objects designed to accompany time rather than measure it.
The new BR-05 Chrono S.T. Dupont draws inspiration from the urban silhouette of the BR-05 collection. Its 42-mm case combines satin-finished steel and 18-karat rose gold. The brown sunburst dial features a color palette that evokes aged tobacco leaves more than the traditional world of sports watches. Behind this aesthetic, the watch retains the line’s technical features: an automatic chronograph, water resistance to 100 meters, a sapphire caseback, and a power reserve of approximately sixty hours.
What truly sets this edition apart, however, is not its mechanics. It is its presentation.
For a long time now, certain watchmakers have sought to go beyond the simple watch to offer a complete world of their own. Bell & Ross takes this concept a step further by creating a triptych. Each of the 150 pieces comes in a Macassar ebony box lined with Spanish cedar, designed to hold up to fifty cigars. Alongside it are a Ligne 2 lighter and a cigar cutter developed by S.T. Dupont in the same brown and gold tones as the watch.
The box itself is worth noting. Macassar ebony, recognizable by its distinctive dark grain, is a wood that has historically been used in high-end cabinetmaking. As for the Spanish cedar that lines the interior, it remains the gold standard for cigar storage thanks to its ability to naturally regulate humidity.
This collaboration also reveals an interesting shift in Bell & Ross’s positioning. Founded on the concept of the professional tool watch, the brand is now allowing itself a more hedonistic detour. The chronograph is no longer just an instrument; it becomes a companion for a specific purpose, for a chosen moment. The world of precision meets the world of indulgence.
In a market saturated with opportunistic collaborations, this partnership at least has a tangible coherence. Both brands share a fascination with objects that are cherished, cared for, and develop a patina over the years. A mechanical watch, a soft-flame lighter, a cigar cutter: three objects whose function ultimately matters less than the ritual they inspire.
Perhaps that is the true focus of this limited edition—not the coming together of two brands, but that of two cultures of time.
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