Since it was founded in 1994, aviation has always been a passion for Bell & Ross. Over the years, the watch brand has become a leading benchmark in the instrument watch field. In 2011, the brand launched the eye-catching Red Radar. Quirky yet innovative, this futuristic timepiece drew its inspiration from an aircraft radar screen – and has been met with huge success. This year, Bell & Ross is back with a new Red Radar, the spectacular BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic. This avant-garde timepiece is also inspired by a radar screen and brings its own innovative reinterpretation to the watch display.
It forms part of Bell & Ross’ iconic Flight Instruments collection which brings together exclusive timepieces, inspired by instruments onboard jet planes.
It is available in a limited edition of 999 pieces.
When it was released in 2011, the famous Red Radar captured imaginations. It broke the rules. Its design – very similar to an aircraft radar – was surprising and spectacular in equal measure.
Its graphics reproduced the scanning motion of the light beam on a radar screen with stunning realism. The bright red crystal topping the dial is reminiscent of the flight control instrument.
It was a phenomenal success at the time and remained one of the brand’s best-sellers for a long time.
This year marks the return of this watchmaking UFO.
The style of the new Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic version is as modern as ever. Its display breaks the traditional watchmaking codes by revisiting the graphics of an aircraft control radar.
The time can be read via a system of rotating discs, combined with an analogue hand. The dial is topped with a red sapphire crystal.
The newcomer adopts the BR 03 case, which is 42 mm in diameter. In constant pursuit of innovation and performance, on this occasion, Bell & Ross has chosen to use ceramic. This high-tech material is scratch-resistant, yet soft to the touch.
It is released in a limited edition of 999 pieces.
Playful and realistic face
The Bell & Ross Red Radar Ceramic revisits the innovative display of the Red Radar, with a more realistic, playful look.
The system comprises two concentric discs which fuse with the dial. Its playful design is reminiscent of a stylised toy. These elements replace the hour and minute hands. In a major new feature, the discs move two tiny screenprinted planes, giving the impression that these are flying over the dial.
The hour scale is screen-printed on the inside (back) of the sapphire crystal, and so is well protected from impacts and abrasions.
For this innovative display, two ultra-light discs had to be designed to preserve the power reserve. These very robust discs will not deform and they maintain a constant parallelism. Our watchmakers worked hard to ensure that the precision of the watch movement was not altered by friction. The assembly of each of these components was fine-tuned to the nearest micron. Guaranteeing such precision required all our in-house engineers to pool their expertise.
How exactly does it work?
The principle is very simple. The two rotating discs on this ground-breaking display take the place of the conventional hands. The two stylised planes replace the traditional arrows :
– The passenger plane travels on the large, outermost disc, showing the hours.
– The fighter plane flies on the smaller-diameter disc, nearer the centre of the dial, showing the minutes.
– A slim, analogue central hand accompanies these two planes, showing the seconds.
The passenger plane travels more slowly than the fighter plane, as it does in reality. The former completes one lap of the dial in 12 hours, the latter in sixty minutes.
Ultimately, there are two levels on the display :
– lower level: the discs, the planes.
– upper level: the hour-scale printed on the inside of the sapphire crystal.
The large red hand navigates between the two.
Bell & Ross is in constant pursuit of innovation and performance.
Its ground-breaking, avant-garde new BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic perfectly embodies this spirit. This timepiece combines excellence in watchmaking and design.
Contemporary and sophisticated, it will appeal to collectors of original watches, fans of cutting-edge design, and aircraft enthusiasts alike.
Bell & Ross BR 03 RED RADAR CERAMIC Technical Specifications and Price
Ref. BR0392-RRDR-CE/SRB – 999 Limited Edition
Functions
- hours, minutes and seconds.
Movement
- BR-CAL.302.
- Automatic mechanical.
Case
- 42 mm in width.
- Matt black ceramic.
- Water-resistance: 100 metres.
- Crystal: sapphire with red anti-reflective coating and red-painted numerals and indices.
Dial
- black.
- Centre minute disc and outer hour disc with small red aircraft markings.
- Red painted seconds hand.
Strap & Buckle
- black rubber and ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric.
- Buckle: pin.
- Steel with black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish.
Price
-
3,900 €
Bell & Ross BR 03 RED RADAR CERAMIC Gallery
2005 – 2021 Flight Instruments Collection
Bell & Ross is a leading brand in the world of professional watches for use in aviation. The new BR 03-92 Red Radar Ceramic forms part of the brand’s Flight Instruments collection.
This range includes around a dozen exclusive timepieces. Each revisits the graphics of aircraft navigation instruments, transposing these to the watch, thereby offering a new way to read the time. These are timepieces and not actual radars or altimeters.
It all started back in 2005, with the launch of the iconic BR 01, which was reminiscent of a jet cockpit clock. This legendary timepiece was the first to feature the famous Bell & Ross case: a circle within a square.
This range also includes the Radar collection. The first in this line – the BR 01 Radar – made its appearance in 2010. It was the first to feature an innovative display with rotating discs. In 2011, the Red Radar was added to this range. Its dial was topped with a mysterious red sapphire crystal.
This year, the BR 03-92 Red Radar, in ceramic, is the third addition to this successful family.
In reality you can only read the time in brightly lid spaces. I bought it on the basis of reviews in many websites and regret it. The display in shaded spaces(where you are most of the time) is nearly impossible to read.