So you think that you have seen everything from Bell & Ross’ BR-03, think again! Presenting the latest Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon which transposes one of the most iconic flight instruments, the Artificial Horizon from an aircraft’s dashboard onto the wrist.
Press Release information with commentary in italics.
New & Reviewed: Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon
The Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon has a recommended retail price of SGD 6,300. Prices are inclusive of GST . Limited edition of 999 pieces.
Review commentary
Well, do you think that you have seen everything that can be offered from Bell & Ross’ BR-03 lineup? Well, think again! Introducing the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon that’s directly inspired by the flight instrument panel known as the Artificial Horizon. The BR-03 Horizon is the latest iteration of the brand’s family of aeronautical instrument watches. It features the familiar Bell & Ross micro blasted ceramic square case with a round face along with the tried and tested BR.CAL 327 automatic movement.
What makes the BR-03 Horizon different from its brethren, though the entire collection is built for the aviation enthusiast, is the dial. This special dial on this time only watch takes on the design of the Artificial Horizon in the plane’s instrument panel. The hour hand is replaced by a disc that rotates once around the dial every 12 hours. The light blue section which features an arrow which is the “hour hand”. This feature is not only eye catching but it is functional where it helps the wearer to register the time of day with just a quick glance due to the contrast in colour along with the huge arrow. Though the unusual arrangement of the hour and minute hands take a bit of getting used to, after a short acclimatisation, it is second nature to read the time, even at a glance.
As is expected from a Bell & Ross watch, legibility in the dark is excellent and every bit as legible as it is in good light.
Once we get past the amazing and interesting case and dial, the other eye catching aspect is the interchangeable watch strap. The box comes with a separate orange velcro watch strap which adds on to the playful vibe that this “instrument panel” watch offers. It also keeps the watch functional as there might be pilots that would like to wear it over their flight suit to give themselves a flamboyant look. Now that’s really one kind of attention to detail that we appreciate.
The watch wears true to size, and is amazingly comfortable for a 41mm square watch.
The movement is the BR.CAL-327 which is based on the SW300-1. But as usual, this is a typical workhorse, without the accoutrements of a haute horlogerie movement. Nor is one expected at this price point. Bell & Ross have made the right choice to use a closed case back with appropriate verbiage instead.
Though some aviation nerds may have been happier if it actually carried a vertical horizon indication, we feel the BR-03 Horizon does not disappoint. The visuals of the artificial horizon are on point and carry the aviation theme very well. Watches with aeroplane instrument panels reminds us of this core value proposition of Bell & Ross: designed for aviation geeks. Car dashboard inspired watch dials are a dime a dozen, but it is rare that we have a watch that mimics the flight instrument panel. And Bell & Ross has done it not only with this BR-03 Horizon, but the strong aviation theme is also seen in the BR 03-92 RadioCompass in 2022 and BR-03 Gyrocompass in 2023. We look forward to which interesting flight instrument the brand would use for inspiration next year!
Press release
BR-03 Horizon: In the Sky and on the Ground
With the new BR-03 Horizon, Bell & Ross transposes one of the most iconic flight instruments from an aircraft’s dashboard onto the wrist. Essential for pilots, the artificial horizon allows spatial orientation. Original and playful, this watch, limited to 999 pieces, with a unique aesthetic, completes the collection of concept watches directly inspired by onboard instrumentation.
A Specific Display
The artificial horizon indicator is one of the most emblematic instruments on an aircraft’s dashboard. Combining the illustration of the earth and the silhouette of the aircraft, it symbolizes the philosophy of instrument flight. This figurative representation takes the form of a sphere divided by a line. The upper part, blue, represents the sky, while the lower part, dark, symbolizes the earth. In the center, the aircraft appears schematically with its wings represented by two red lines. The outer dial graduation indicates the aircraft’s lateral tilt angle, while the center one shows the pitch. Combining the round and the square, the identity shape of the House, the BR-03 Horizon replicates the design of this highly symbolic aeronautical tool present in all cockpits.
A Necessary Function for Pilots: The Artificial Horizon
Cockpit instruments were invented to facilitate the pilots’ tasks. Early aviators could only navigate by sight. For their aerial navigation, aviation pioneers could hardly guide themselves other than by observing natural elements, notably mountains or the sea, and often had to follow railways on the ground to trace their route. But how to navigate at night or in clouds, especially at high speeds? To compensate for the lack of natural information, engineers invented a fundamental gyroscopic cockpit instrument for navigation: the artificial horizon indicator. Along with the airspeed indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, gyrocompass, and vertical speed indicator, the attitude indicator – its other name – is part of the essential instruments on a dashboard. Thanks to this vertical axis gyroscope, the pilot can always control the aircraft’s attitude and tilt, as the instrument indicates in real-time the angle of pitch or dive relative to the horizon.
Intuitive Readability
Sophisticated at first glance, the new BR-03 Horizon proves intuitive and offers easy reading thanks to the two hands adjusted to the finely graduated inner bezel. The large white hand indicates the minutes. The large bicolored hand, black and white striped, marks the seconds. The hour indication is directly represented by the central disk forming the dial. It features a large central indicator arrow that serves as the hour marker. Readability is one of the primary concerns of aeronautical instrument designers. Everything must be evident to the pilot. Simple yet precise. The challenge is no different when designing a watch. For Bruno Belamich, Bell & Ross’s Creative Director, the clarity of a dial, even complex, is essential.
A Present Time Indicator
Evocative of the aeronautical universe, the BR-03 Horizon is also a style element and an indicator of a shared passion for aerial adventure. Technical, the 41 mm case, water-resistant to 100 meters and adorned with an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, is dressed in micro-blasted black ceramic. Efficient, this watch is equipped with the automatic mechanical movement BR.CAL-327. Robust and inspired by pilot equipment, the black rubber strap is interchangeable and can be alternated with an orange velcro strap. Limited to 999 pieces, the new BR-03 Horizon allows the wearer to know their exact position in time at any moment. Its finishes, meeting the highest Swiss standards, also make it an original timepiece for design and aviation enthusiasts.
BR-03: The Family of Instrument Watches
The ultimate instrument-watch collection, the BR-03 range has been at the heart of Bell & Ross’s creations since 2010. The full extent of the Franco-Swiss watchmaking house’s creativity is expressed here to successfully transfer aircraft dashboard indicators to the wrist. An identity piece of Bell & Ross, the BR-03 line is known for its shape, featuring specific elements like the four screws in the corners of the square case, and recognized for its functionality directly inspired by the aeronautical universe. Last year, the BR-03 Gyrocompass watch provided a horological interpretation of the gyrocompass, another essential navigation instrument for pilots. Bell & Ross continues today to compose its dashboard of horological instruments with a new timepiece rich in symbolism.
Bell & Ross BR03A-HRZ-CE specifications
| Movement: calibre BR-CAL.327. Automatic mechanism. 54-hour power reserve. | Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating. |
| Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds. | Water-resistance: 100 metres. |
| Case: 41 mm wide. 10.60 mm thick. Microblasted black ceramic. | Strap: black rubber and orange synthetic fabric. |
| Dial: Hours indicated by a blue and black disc. White minute hands. Black and white striated seconds hands. Red decal to indicate the horizon. | Buckle: Pin. Steel with matt black PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) microblasted finish. |
