For Consideration : Bell & Ross BR01-92 Casino PVD

Bell & Ross watches typically follow 4 design principles as per the following :

1) Readability;
2) Functionality;
3) Precision; and
4) Water resistance.

My first BR watch was the BR01-97 Reserve De Marche. Typical of the 46mm BR01 format, it was big and masculine, toolish and easily legible. I like it, although sometimes it was too attention-seeking due to its large frontal stainless steel case.

A PVD case would probably be more low-profile, I remembered thinking more than once. I was thinking of the BR01 Heritage for a second purchase.

I had also previously seen the BR01-92 Casino PVD and thought that it was a rather interesting piece. BR's inspiration was the roulette and it clearly showed in its translation to final design. A very eye-catching and creative piece, the Casino PVD was clearly not a typical BR watch that one could tell time from a mile away.

No sirree, you gotta squint and train up to tell time on this piece.

From personal experiences, BR AD typically provides a 30% discount on its RRP in Malaysia. For the Casino PVD, it had a limited run of 99 units so the discount extended by the AD could vary depending on your negotiation skills. RRP : RM22,600.

2 owners whom I met online revealed that they got different discounts for their respective purchases in Penang and KL. And a quick Google online and there was at least one online watch retailer selling the new Casino RG at 25% off the RRP. So be armed to negotiate your way to an acceptable discount!

I thought that a watch that had such a limited run, would be rather scarce in the local market. However, at almost the same time, there were 3 units in the market with asking prices circa RM19k. One seller informed me that he saw 2 units in Europe and bought them for resale here in Malaysia. Another seller bought a piece but thereafter lost interest in it, and was thus flipping it on. All 3 units range between 1-6 months old with plenty of warranty left, and were selling from RM15k - RM18k ono, after negotiation.

It was quite well-known that you would buy BR for its masculine design, and not for its resale value, as it was not a good contender in that department. However, for such a rare piece, you may still have a good fighting chance hedging your bets (all pun intended) on this very watch. Buy at your own risk though, of course.

I am rather tempted to pull the trigger on this watch but similarly, do not quite see much opportunity to wear it on many occasions. I am not a gambling man, and wearing the watch may portray a wrong impression otherwise. And it was too creative a watch for the corporate world, so I am rather torn on the purchase.

My brother-in-law was rather interested to get a BR piece, so I thought that he may be interested to pick this up. He went to the shop to take a look and was upsold to another piece instead; as he (like many) found that the watch simply did not had the essence of the typical BR watch. There goes my chance of borrowing the Casino PVD for a review on the blog, if he does pick it up.

So I am left with this dilemma... should I pull the trigger on this Casino PVD? Should I? Should I?

Perhaps not. But if anyone is interested, do send me a message and I would forward you the seller's contact nos. for you to negotiate directly.