Bell & Ross have recently been experimenting with some fairly outlandish and distinctive designs that personally I have loved, adding a sense of fun and personality to the brand. Watches like the Astro and Horizon add colour and shape in a way that Bell & Ross have never explored before. However, in their heart of hearts Bell & Ross is still a tool watch brand and technical instruments for pilots and drivers will always be central to their collections. Watches like the new BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display.
If you were to summarise Bell & Ross with a single watch, this may well be the one you would pick. Featuring a 42mm micro-blasted ceramic case in a square shape with rounded corners and visible screws, it follows the archetypical BR design. It’s sporty, large and utilitarian with elements of industrial aesthetics, paired here with wide button pushers that flank the crown in order to operate the chronograph function.
For the dial, it’s that classic Bell & Ross fusion of pilot’s display and instrument panel. It balances legibility with a style of display that you might expect to find on the gauges and dials of a plane cockpit. Here that’s expressed through a high contrast black and white design punctuated by flashes of yellow and orange across the chronograph subdials, date window and chronograph seconds hand. You can also see the Rafale Solo Display logo at 6 o’clock.
Bell & Ross announced their partnership with the Rafale Solo Display earlier this year, an aviation display team made up of members of the French Air and Space Force. They specifically use the Dassault Rafale fighter jet, demonstrating the aircraft’s manoeuvrability and precision. Their routines consist of nine minutes of high-speed manoeuvres and intense flying in all weather conditions, requiring perfect timing, which is where a chronograph like the BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display can make all the difference.
Powering the watch is the BR-CAL.301 with 42-hour power reserve, based on the ETA 2894-2. The watch is limited to 500 pieces at a price of £5,400. That might seem expensive at first glance but you have to remember that this isn’t a PVD coated steel watch, it’s made from full high-tech ceramic, making it extremely scratch resistant and durable – built for high intensity situations like flying a Rafale. It truly is the most Bell & Ross-y watch that Bell & Ross have made so far this year.
Price and Specs:
More details at Bell & Ross.
