Pure Amazon Sets Sail: A New Standard in Luxury River Cruising
Pure Amazon has begun journeys deep into Peru’s Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, combining contemporary design, Indigenous craftsmanship and intimate wildlife encounters in one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
3 min
Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary, has officially launched its voyages into the 21,000-square-kilometre Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.
Designed for just 22 guests, the new vessel positions itself at the high end of wilderness travel, offering quiet, immersive, and attentive experiences with a one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. The focus is on proximity to wildlife and landscape, without the crowds that have made parts of the Amazon feel like tourism has arrived before the welcome mat.
Where Architecture Meets the River
The design direction comes from Milan-based architect Adriana Granato, who has reimagined the boat’s interiors as part gallery, part observatory. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame rainforest scenes that shift hour to hour, and every space holds commissioned artworks by Peruvian artists.
The dining room’s centrepiece, Manto de Escamas de Paiche by Silvana Pestana, uses bronze and clay formations that mirror the scale patterns of the Amazon’s giant fish. Pestana’s works throughout the vessel reference environmental fragility, especially the scars left by illegal gold mining.
In each suite, hand-painted kené textiles by Shipibo-Konibo master artist Deysi Ramírez depict sacred geometry in natural dyes. Cushions by the BENEAI Collective feature 20 unique embroidered compositions, supporting Indigenous women artists and keeping traditional techniques alive in a meaningful, non-performative way.
Wildlife Without the Tame Script
Days on board are structured around early and late river expeditions led by naturalist guides. Guests may encounter pink river dolphins cutting through morning mist, three-toed sloths moving like they’re part of the slow cinema movement, and black caimans appearing at night like something from your childhood nightmares.
The prehistoric hoatzin appears along riverbanks, giant river otters hunt in packs, and scarlet macaws behave like the sky belongs to them. The arapaima — the same fish inspiring Pestana’s artwork — occasionally surfaces like an apparition.
A Regional Culinary Lens
The culinary program is led by a team from Iquitos with deep knowledge of Amazonian produce.
Nightly five-course tasting menus lean into local ingredients rather than performing them. Expect dishes like caramelised plantain with river prawns, hearts of palm with passionfruit, and Peruvian chocolate paired with fruits that would be unpronounceable if you encountered them in a supermarket aisle.
A pisco-led bar menu incorporates regional botanicals, including coca leaf and dragon’s blood resin.
A Model of Conservation-First Tourism
Pure Amazon’s conservation approach goes beyond the familiar “offset and walk away” playbook. Through A&K Philanthropy, the vessel’s operations support Indigenous community-led economic initiatives, including sustainable fibre harvesting and honey production in partnership with Amanatari.
Guests also visit FORMABIAP, a bilingual teacher training program supporting cultural and language preservation across several Indigenous communities. Notably, the program enables young women to continue their education while remaining with their families — a rarity in remote regions.
Low-intensity lighting, heat pump technology, and automated systems reduce disturbance to the reserve’s nocturnal wildlife.
The Experience Itself
Itineraries span three, four, or seven nights. Mornings often begin with quiet exploration along mirrorlike tributaries; afternoons allow for spa treatments or time on the open-air deck. Evenings shift into long dinners and soft-lit river watching as the rainforest begins its nightly soundtrack.
Granato describes the vessel as “a mysterious presence on the water,” its light calibrated to resemble fire glow rather than a foreign object imposing itself on the dark.
It is, in other words, slow travel done with precision.
Pure Amazon has begun journeys deep into Peru’s Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, combining contemporary design, Indigenous craftsmanship and intimate wildlife encounters in one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
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The French-Swiss watchmaker expands its aviation-inspired universe with three bold new releases, each blending advanced materials, luminous design and mechanical precision.
2 min
Bell & Ross has re-engineered its iconic BR-03 line with the launch of the BR-X3 series, a new generation of professional instrument watches designed for those who live at the edge of performance.
The new models — the BR-X3 Black Titanium, BR-X3 Blue Steel and BR-X3 Night Vision — take the brand’s signature “circle within a square” aesthetic into more experimental territory, merging technical mastery with striking design.
At the heart of the BR-X3 line is the BR-CAL.323 calibre, a self-winding mechanical movement developed by Kenissi for Bell & Ross, offering a 70-hour power reserve and COSC-certified precision.
Each piece is built around a multi-component 41 mm case that uses advanced materials including titanium, steel, carbon fibre, and luminescent resin, with a 5-year warranty across the range.
Three Takes on Flight
The BR-X3 Black Titanium focuses on lightness and strength, combining micro-blasted titanium plates with a perforated rubber strap for comfort.
The BR-X3 Blue Steel channels the colour of the stratosphere, with polished and satin-finished steel, anodised blue aluminium pillars, and a sunray blue dial inspired by space flight.
Completing the trilogy, the BR-X3 Night Vision pushes into nocturnal territory, its LUM-CAMO carbon-fibre case infused with photoluminescent resin for readability in total darkness — a 250-piece limited edition referencing the green glow of aircraft head-up displays.
A Partnership Born in the Skies
Unveiled at the 2025 Paris Air Show, Bell & Ross became the official partner of the Rafale Solo Display, the French Air and Space Force’s official flight demonstration unit.
To mark the collaboration, the brand released the BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display, a 500-piece limited edition that embodies the precision and performance of the fighter jet it honours.
Housed in a 42 mm micro-blasted black ceramic case, the chronograph features the BR-CAL.301 automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve.
Its matte black dial incorporates aviation-inspired details — a yellow dotted line around the date window, orange chronograph hands, and the Rafale Solo Display insignia.
The watch comes on a black rubber or ultra-resilient fabric strap, both built for durability under extreme conditions.
Precision Meets Passion
Since its founding in 1994 by Carlos-A. Rosillo and Bruno Belamich, Bell & Ross has built its identity around precision timekeeping for professionals — from fighter pilots to deep-sea divers.
The BR-X3 and BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display extend that lineage, fusing experimental design with the technical sophistication expected of modern instrument watches.
For collectors and aviation enthusiasts alike, these new releases represent Bell & Ross at its most daring — and most authentic — where mechanical innovation meets the thrill of flight.
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