Ask the average American to name a fine Swiss watch

Ask the average American to name a fine Swiss watch, and nine times out of tenyou're going to hear Rolex. You might get the occasional Omega or Tag Heuer, andif they really know what they're talking about, Breitling, IWC, Zenith, or maybeeven Patek Philippe.What you are not likely to hear is Bell & Ross, not because they don't makesome very compelling timepieces, but primarily because they have only been aroundsince 1992, which for a Swiss watch company, is practically brand new (compareto Rolex which has been around since 1908, Omega which dates back to 1848, TagHeuer which has been around in one form or another since 1860, and Patek Philippewhich was founded in 1839). Not only is Bell & Ross a relative newcomer to theworld of Swiss watches, but they are also not widely distributed in the UnitedStates. With only 45 retail locations throughout the country, you're averagingless than one store per state, which makes a Bell & Ross watch more than threetimes as difficult to find as a Patek Philippe. Fortunately, I happen to live about20 minutes from the only Bell & Rossretailer in the Washington DC area, so I went in one day for an afternoon of windowshopping and questions. What I found was a display case full of beautiful, unique,and very well made watches.Bell & Ross watches primarily focus on dependability. They are watches forprofessionals like pilots, divers, astronauts, and even bomb disposal experts,whose jobs -- and in some cases, even lives -- may depend on their watches. EachBell & Rosstimepiece is designed and built with four basic principles in mind: readability,performance, precision, and water-resistance.