New Watch! • 01 Oct 2024
Enter the Cockpit of the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon
Bell & Ross is known for its affinity towards aviation while also paying plenty of attention towards diving watches too. The BR-03 is one such collection with different variations, all of which are either geared towards pilot or diver watches. Keeping in tradition with its history, the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon is the latest watch to come out from the brand as it pays homage to one of the most iconic flight instruments from an aircraft’s dashboard.
Part of the BR-03 Auto collection of watches, the BR-03 Horizon brings something new to the table – a unique blue hue on the dial. This isn’t Bell & Ross’ first foray when it comes to adding a splash of colour on its watches with some exceptions being the BR-03 Blue Steel, BR-03 Type A Patrouille de France, and the BR-03 Patrouille de France 70th Anniversary to name a few. Of course, these were contrastingly different shades of blue as the BR-03 Horizon has adopted a more pastel-like shade of blue.
In the Sky & On the Ground
What makes the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon stand out from the hoi polloi is the artificial horizon indicator located on the dial of the watch. Seen as one of the most emblematic instruments on an aircraft’s dashboard, it would help pilots orient its position while in flight. Bell & Ross has managed to combine the illustration of the earth and the silhouette of the aircraft into its round and square dial (a signature identity of the brand) to symbolise the philosophy of instrument flight.
The figurative representation takes the form of a sphere divided by two red lines to showcase the aircraft’s orientation. The upper half of the sphere is painted blue to represent the sky while the bottom half is black to represent the earth. The outer graduation of the dial indicates the aircraft’s lateral title angle while the central graduation shows the pitch. The BR-03 also provides ease of readability with two hands adjusted to the finely graduated inner bezel.
These two hands represent the minute and seconds hand with the former being much larger and in white while the latter is bicoloured in black and white. As for the hour indication, Bell & Ross decided to utilise the central disk that forms the dial as its hour hand. There is a large central indicator arrow that will serve as the hour marker, which can be located at the top-half of the dial. The blue half of the dial is also coated in luminescence, ensuring greater legibility during the night.
Built for Style & Substance
Powering the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon is the brand’s very own BR.CAL-327 automatic mechanical movement with a 54-hour power reserve. It’s also water resistant up to 100 m while also being adorned with anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass. The 41 mm case of the watch is coated in micro-blasted black ceramic, and it comes with two different strap options.
There is a black rubber strap that comes with the BR-03 Horizon, complete with a steel pin buckle that is coated in matt black PVD and a micro-blasted finish. The strap is interchangeable, and one can swap to a much louder velcro strap that is bathed in bright orange.
Want to know more about the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon? Check out our catalogue or drop us a message to enquire further.