This Wild Ceramic Watch Just Shook Up Switzerland's Space Race
Bell & Ross outfitted the newest BR-03 with an astronomically cool dial.
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There are plenty of moon watches and space watches out there, but the newest entry from Bell & Ross brings Mars into the picture.
While the French watchmaker has always been influenced by aeronautical engineering and heritage, the BR-03 Astro ascends into near-Earth orbit.
Built into a ceramic version of the familiar BR-03 case is a wild and vividly detailed dial depicting the Earth, Moon, Mars and a satellite. The celestial bodies are set against a photorealistic view of stars strewn across the night sky.
Though the dial is unusual, this watch still meets the high-performance standards that Bell & Ross is known for. The case is built from high-grade ceramic and has a 100-meter dive rating, and it runs on a caliber BR-CAL.327 automatic movement.
Bell & Ross has produced fun and experimental dials in the past, often emulating airplane instrument panels or using vivid colors and transparent materials. But the French watchmaker has never made a dial quite like this one before.
The Astro dial shows Earth from space with our closest galactic neighbors in view. The starry background is a plate of blue aventurine quartz crystal with laser-engraved details.
The other three objects move in continuous orbit, tracking the time in a counterintuitive but astronomically sensitive fashion. Mars is a small red dot placed farthest from the center, but because the Red Planet has the slowest orbit from Earth's perspective, it depicts hours.
The Moon is the next fastest-moving object from our home planet and, therefore, represents the minute hand. Closest to Earth, with the fastest orbit, is a satellite representing the seconds hand.
This arrangement is challenging to decipher at first, but once you understand the astrophysical logic, it makes perfect sense.
Most impressive of all is the hemispherical cap hollowed into the center of the sapphire glass to house a geometrically accurate Earth. With each orbital body placed on concentric transparent plates, the dial as a whole has a mesmerizing effect.
Bell & Ross's BR-03 is the French watchmaker's best-known and most successful line. Like Rolex's 'Mercedes' hands and Grand Seiko's intricate dial textures, the square case with exposed screws securing a round dial has become an unmistakable brand signature.
For the Astro, the entire case and band were given a matte black finish to emulate the dark vacuum of space and direct complete attention to the dial itself. The case is high-grade ceramic that has been sandblasted to create a course but uniform surface.
A synthetic rubber strap with a pin buckle is attached to the ceramic case. As part of the limited edition set, the decorative case includes a second two-piece nylon strap with velcro closure.
This interplanetary time machine is powered by a caliber BR-CAL.327 automatic movement made by Sellitta, one of the top names in Swiss movement manufacturing. Although this movement is found in most of the BR-03 line, it has likely never supported a dial as ornate and unusual as this one.
The Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro is a limited edition run of 999 units. It is available now from Bell & Ross and authorized dealers for $4,800. Included is a special edition decorative box and an additional nylon two-piece strap with a velcro closure.
$4,800 at Bell & Ross
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