And we’re off to the races as BaselWorld 2017 flags off. Hot on the heels of the Bell & Ross and Renault Sport Formula One team announcement of a brand new car for the coming F1 season in London, the Swiss watchmaker reveals the BRX1 RS17 at the annual Basel watch fair. We only have a spec sheet to go on right now but what we see so far is intriguing because the watch is a skeletonised chronograph, done in an entirely contemporary way.

The case itself is also fascinating, featuring Carbone Forge, (a composite of compressed carbon fibres and thermosetting resin, superheated in a steel mould), ceramic and rubber inserts. The calibre is the new BR-CAL 313, which is distinguished by its X-shaped upper bridge; the watch is very much like the 2015 BR-X1 Carbone Forge, which we first saw in 2015. Speaking of naming conventions, this is actually the second watch in a row featuring the RS17 identifier, the other being the BR03-94 RS17 that Bell & Ross showed at the London launch event.

Held at the Royal Horticultural Halls, the event marked the continuing partnership between the racing team and Bell & Ross, a duet that started last year. Intriguingly, the new BRX1 RS17 and the BR03-94 RS17 are part of a trio that will be revealed in full at BaselWorld. The names of the watches – or at least the RS17 bit – are nods to the new Renault F1 car, the R.S. 17.