The Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro captures the cosmos with another unconventional dial layout
Nina Scally- This modern take on a mystery watch captures a view of the Earth from space on its blue aventurine dial.
- This unconventional dial layout features a Moon for the minutes, the hours via Mars, and a satellite for the seconds.
- The watch is a limited edition run of 999 pieces worldwide and features the Earth recessed into its sapphire crystal.
If you never used to dream of being an astronaut and zooming off to some mysterious forbidden planet, were you even a child? Even though very few of us will ever get the chance to go to space, it doesn’t stop us from marvelling at the unorthodox layouts and futuristic-looking space watches that several brands have brought us over the years. Indeed, space is a fertile ground for watchmaking, both the quirky and the functional – the latter category of which Bell & Ross falls into with its latest limited edition release, the BR 03 Astro.
The BR 01 watch first put Bell & Ross on the map for making square watches. Despite being a relatively young brand (founded in 1994), it has come a long way since then: the brand’s circle-within-a-square concept soon became a cornerstone of its instrument panel-inspired watches. Turns out that this overtly masculine and industrial-looking design works well as a dive watch, too, and as a more aggressive sports watch like the BR 05.
This is not the company’s first reference to space, however. The Bell & Ross Space 1, 2, and 3 models (they look nothing like a Bell & Ross watch today and more like something IWC would make) were basically re-branded Sinn watches. These early designs marked a transitional period during the 90s whereby Bell & Ross began venturing into independent manufacturing. However, the Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro watch is entirely different in design and structure. Its blue aventurine dial captures the vastness and mystery of the universe by adopting the Earth, the Moon and Mars as the fundamental time-telling elements.
If you’re familiar with the BR 03-92 Red Radar watch of 2011 (and then again in 2021), you’ll already know that this is not the first time Bell & Ross has played around with the rules of traditional timekeeping. Presented in the graphics of an aircraft control radar, the wearer would follow the time on this watch via a series of rotating discs under a red-tinted sapphire glass. The hours could be followed by the location of the large passenger plane, the minutes on the fighter plane, and a slim analogue hand for the seconds. In that same vein, the BR 03 Astro replaces the conventional hands of an analogue dial with celestial bodies, giving time a new medium.
Starting with the case, the BR 03 Astro watch cements the aerospace instrument feel of the series with the knurled crown and exposed screws, giving the case a highly engineered aesthetic. The ceramic bodywork also suits the military background of this collection down to a tee, giving it a look of stealth. The watch takes on the modern 41mm width that Bell & Ross began rolling out a couple of years ago but with a height more familiar with the BR V2-92 and BR 123 models.
The 100-meter water-resistant case is topped with a sapphire crystal specifically curved with a spherical cap at the centre, allowing for a clear view of the Earth in relief. A chunky rubber strap with black PVD hardware keeps the watch on one’s wrist. Overall, the wear and feel of this watch should be similar to the brand’s other matte black ceramic models, the micro-blasted finish on the case capturing the darkness of space quite aptly.
The dial brings the most noticeable and unusual difference to the BR 03 design. Although just as practical as any other model from the series, Bell & Ross definitely steps up the fun element with the Astro. It’s inspired by the dome of the ISS (the International Space Station) and shows a great deal of creativity from co-founder Bruno Belamich. Acting, quite literally, as a window to Earth, the sapphire top shows our rendered planet, which experts achieve through a meticulous decal process, giving it a remarkably realistic finish. Cleverly, the weight of the dial components and their positioning have all been carefully considered, allowing the laser-engraved metal Moon (the minutes) to be advanced by each small movement of the satellite, denoting the seconds. It’s a very modern execution of a mystery watch.
Meanwhile, Mars has been drawn on a transparent plate and moves with every hour that passes. Adding more depth to the dial is the brand’s use of aventurine. In the past, we’ve seen brands like H. Moser & Cie, Ulysse Nardin and Czapek master the aventurine dial, so it’s nice to see Bell & Ross flexing its experimental muscles here with a new dial material. Under the hood is the BR.CAL-327 movement that was previously used in the BR 03 Horizon watch. It’s based on the latest Sellita SW300, complete with a 54-hour power reserve.
Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro pricing and availability
The Bell & Ross BR 03 Astro is a limited edition of 999 pieces worldwide. Price: TBC
| Brand | Bell & Ross |
| Model | BR 03 Astro |
| Reference Number | BR03A-EMM-CE/SRB |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 11.5mm (T) |
| Case Material | Micro-blasted black ceramic |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Blue aventurine |
| Strap | Black rubber strap with PVD steel buckle, additional Velcro-style strap |
| Movement | Calibre BR-CAL.327, Sellita SW300 base, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 54 hours |
| Functions | Mysterious hours, minutes and seconds |
| Availability | Limited edition of 999 pieces |
| Price | TBC |