Review: new Bell & Ross BR 03-92 RadioCompass

Bell & Ross releases an extension to their flight instrument range with a distinctive looking BR 03-92 RadioCompass modelled after the radio navigation tool.

Review: new Bell & Ross BR 03-92 RadioCompass

Retail price for the new Bell & Ross BR 03-92 RadioCompass is SGD 5,700 inclusive of GST. Limited Edition of 999 pieces.

Bell & Ross, as a brand, occupies a position in the industry for watches inspired by aeronautical and military instruments in 1994. The brand has become a reference in the field of professional aviation watches. The models draw their inspiration from the design of on-board instruments. The latest addition is this BR 03-92 Radiocompass, which takes its name from a radionavigation tool, the Radio Compass, is distinguished by its original coloured hands that guarantee optimal readability.

This new watch joins the iconic Flight Instruments collection from Bell & Ross,a family, created in 2010. This new model takes name and inspiration from the air radionavigation instruments – advanced tools that use radio waves to guide jets. The Radio Compass is an on-board radio receiver which defines the position and direction of an aircraft via beacons on the ground. This indispensable navigation tool guides pilots regardless of the visibility. It allows particularly to fly at night, in the fog or in the rain.

The case and dial

The case is the now classic rounded square measuring 42mm (10.4mm thick) and is used by other Bell &Ross in the instruments family. Crafted in ceramic, and finished in a matte black satin case, the watch looks in place within the cockpit instruments of a flight deck.

The dial is rather special, and consists of white markings arranged in 3 circles. The innermost circle features the hour numerals. The minute indexes follow, and finally the seconds numerals are on the sloped periphery chapter ring. A white triangle at 12 o’clock in Super-LumiNova® enables you to find your bearings at night. The numerals are turned towards the centre of the dial as on a navigation instrument.And the typography uses the same style as in the instruments, with excellent legibility.

Much of the great originality of the BR 03-92 Radiocompass comes from its very unusual hands, which take up the particular shape of the hands on the Radio Compass, the reference instrument. They also adopt 3 complementary colours. These contrast with the matt black of the dial, allowing easy and immediate reading of the time. They also give a fun appearance to this watch.

With its shape and colour, each hand is associated with a time indication.

• The largest one indicates the hours. Painted in orange, it is made up of two branches and features a stylised H.
• The very long baton hand, adorned with a stylised M, gives the minutes. Painted yellow, it protrudes on both sides.
• The thinnest hand, painted green, displays the seconds.

Certain indications on the dial are coated with Superluminova®. At night, the luminescent indexes take on blue tones, the minutes stand out in green, and the hour hand first turns yellow and then ends its luminescence in green.

And though the BR 02-92 RadioCompass is a three hand watch with date, it looks rather whimsical, and akind to the instruments on the flight deck.

The movement

THe movement is the BR Cal.302 which it is used in many other Bell & Ross watches and is known to be reliable, accurate and a workhorse movemtnt based on the Sellita SW300-1. The case back is closed and the movement is not visible without opening the back.

Knowing the base Sellita and having examined the BR-CAL.302 elsewhere, we are satisfied that though movement finishing is not anything exciting by any stretch of imagination, the watch will run well and take the use and abuse of dailuy life.

Concluding thoughts

The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 RadioCompass is a unique looking watch, hence the absence of a Competitive Landscape analysis in this review. And combines the flight instruments inspiration into a watch which captures the feel of being in the cockpit. The splash of colour of the hands make a whimsical and fun element to the watch, at the same time legibility is not compromised in good or poor lighting.

Water resistance of 100m makes the BR 03-92 a good choice as a tool watch. We think the price point is also immanently fair considering the ceramic case and 999 limitation.