Spotlight: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic

Back when I first started looking at watches with a keener interest, I remember learning of certain brands and watches which were totally different to anything I had seen before. Discovering these watches served to completely open my mind, shifting my paradigm of what a watch can be.

These brands tended to be in the independent sector, more specifically I remember discovering brands like MB&F or De Bethune which immediately drew me in. The watch designs were like nothing I had ever seen before, and they even opened my mind to the idea of a watch taking a form beyond that of a round case with hour and minute hands, and perhaps a date or a chronograph.

Further to the designs, there were other brands, too, which I immediately felt an affinity with owing to the stories behind them. Growing up (and even to this day) I have always had a passion for aviation, very much inherited from my Grandad; on my 15^th birthday, I took my first flying lesson (as soon as it was legal for me to do so!) and the noise of the Merlin engine of a Spitfire is guaranteed to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck to this day.

With that, it perhaps comes as no surprise whatsoever, that brands such as Bremont, Breitling and Bell & Ross and their pilots watches resonate with me greatly.

Last summer, when Bell & Ross released the BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic, it ticked a lot of these boxes for me – it’s something different, it’s fun, and it certainly put a smile on my face. On a recent visit to the Bell & Ross boutique in London, I was able to get hands on with the watch and enjoy it for a while.

Before looking at the watch, let’s take a look at Bell & Ross as a brand.

Bell & Ross

Founded in 1992, Bell & Ross is the brainchild of Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo (the “Bell” and “Ross” as it were, respectively). Drawing on inspiration from aviation and military specifications, the goal was to create watches that could be used by professionals in extreme environments.

Underpinning the brand is the idea that function drives form – key features such as legibility, functionality, precision and reliability were top of the priority list, with the design then completed to meet these requirements.

The watch for which the brand is perhaps best known is their 2005 release of the BR-01, a square, 46mm watch designed to look like the dial on an aircraft cockpit instrument panel. A lot of watches claim their designs are inspired from various sources, but I believe that the BR-01 is the watch where this link is most clearly visible. Once you’re aware of Bell & Ross, it is very difficult to look at an aircraft instrument panel and not affirm the link in your mind.

Since the BR-01, Bell & Ross went on to become an incredibly popular choice for aviators, as well as supplying the likes of NATO, the French Air Force, and even the French Security Service Bomb Disposal Unit.

In addition to aviation inspired watches, there is more to the Bell & Ross catalogue and brand, including dive watches, more traditional vintage inspired watches, contemporary pieces with high-end complications, and motorsports inspired watches following the brand’s partnership with the Renault, now Alpine, Formula 1 Racing Team.

BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic

So, what is it about the BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic that I liked so much? Well, firstly it sticks with the core brand principles, and resembles an aircraft cockpit instrument display – however, just perhaps not the type of display that you might expect as being useful for telling the time! I really appreciate this creativity, and seeing the brand incorporate this into a watch is something I really enjoy and brings a smile to my face.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that Bell & Ross has used the Radar theme, although it was the first time that I had seen it myself. Doing my research for this piece, I found that it was first used in 2010 with the BR-01 Radar, and swiftly followed in 2011 by the BR-01 Red Radar.

The original Radar watches work by using three rotating discs, or radar ‘sweeps’, on the dial of the watch – one completing a rotation of the dial every 60 seconds, one every 60 minutes, and one every 12 hours – replacing the conventional hands on the watch face.

I love this idea; I think it’s a really cool twist on conventional watch designs and is very much in keeping with the Bell & Ross brand.

With the BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic, this has been accompanied by a deep red sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating over the dial, and the display updated such that there is a single radar ‘sweep’ completing a rotation of the dial every 60 seconds, and a fighter jet and an airliner rotating every 60 minutes and 12 hours respectively.

In effect, this means the “longer hand” or outer disc indicator represents the hour, whilst the “shorter hand” or inner disc indicator represents the minutes – reversing the conventional way of displaying hours and minutes on the dial.

Whilst I imagine this could easily be annoying for some people, I don’t think it would take long to get used to it (at least the fighter jet is the faster moving indicator, if the fighter jet was slower than the airliner then I think that would be more annoying!)

The dial is set within a square, 42mm black ceramic case, with the same four screws in each corner as seen on the original BR-01 watches. Ceramic is one of my favourite materials for watches, and I would love to have a ceramic watch one day. Where the ceramic case ensures that the watch will remain resistant to everyday scratches and scuffs, looking as good in years to come as it does today, it is still worth noting that ceramic as a material is not infallible: if you were to drop the watch from a height, it is possible the ceramic may chip or crack.

I found that whilst the watch is very wearable on my wrist, it definitely wears bigger than a regular 42mm watch. This is both because of the square shape as well as the wider-than-usual rubber strap which is fastened by larger size pin and buckle.

Sticking with the idea of function over form and remembering that this watch is ultimately a descendent of the BR-01, this size strap and buckle certainly ensures that the watch is secure and well-fastened, as well as being inherently less fiddly to secure and remove than its smaller sized contemporaries.

Flipping the watch over, we have a solid caseback featuring an inscription which resembles a kind of military label, almost giving connotations of a dog-tag… maybe?! The caseback shows the full brand logo (the only pace on the watch case with this, as the dial and crown contain only the brand’s ampersand insignia), the chemical symbols for the ceramic case material, indication of the 100m water resistance rating, and an individual number from this 999-piece limited edition run.

This is a watch that makes me really happy to know exists, and I am super happy that I was able to spend some time with it in person and get to enjoy it. Whilst it is probably a little larger than I would like to wear personally as an everyday watch, it is definitely something I would wear for outdoor events and would make for a perfect summer watch (and air-show season).

Yes, it’s a big watch – but it is supposed to be. If it were any smaller, it wouldn’t be the same and would lack the authenticity as an aviation watch that it exudes so wonderfully.

In Summary

Firstly, a huge thank you to Marta and Erlind at the Bell & Ross boutique in London for taking the time to show me the watch.

I really love the design of the BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic, and introducing a ceramic case is a super touch. Just as when I saw the release announced last year, when I had it on my wrist, it put a smile on my face and that is – after all – what it is all about. Watching the Radar ‘sweep’ as it makes its way round the dial and seeing the aircraft work their way round the Radar screen is just… fun! All things considered, for the enjoyment it would bring as well as the ceramic case, I think it’s pretty good value at £3,600.

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