The New Instrument-Inspired Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon

Paris-based brand Bell & Ross introduced its now-iconic BR-03 series in 2005 as a 42mm alternative to the larger 46mm square-shaped aeroplane dashboard instruments-inspired BR-01. Last year, the BR 03 collection – now the brand’s core offering – received a welcome update. The latest addition, the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon, is part of the Flight Instrument series and continues the tradition of challenging wearers to read time in a new way. Like the BR 03 HUD, Red Radar, Radiocompass, and Gyrocompass editions, the BR-03 Horizon brings the look and feel of aircraft navigation instruments to the dial with a distinctive, stylish aesthetic.

Bell & Ross first introduced the monochromatic Horizon in 2012 as part of its 46mm BR-01 range, alongside the Altimeter and Turn Coordinator models, so the concept isn’t new – but the presentation certainly is. With the recent updates to the collection, the new BR-03 Horizon now features the slightly smaller 41mm x 41mm case with more refined, curved lugs, and made from black ceramic with a micro-blasted finish. The case is 10.6mm thick and offers 100m water resistance. Designed for improved comfort and aesthetics, the updated case has more rounded corners and more expansive slopes on the sides and bezel while still retaining the signature four screws at the corners and an easy-to-grip crown.

The now vibrant BR-03 Horizon dial draws inspiration from the artificial horizon, a crucial gyroscopic cockpit instrument that informs pilots of the aircraft’s orientation relative to Earth’s horizon, indicating pitch (tilt forward and back) and bank (side-to-side tilt). 

Here, the horizon line is presented as a red decal on the sapphire crystal’s inner side, stretching from 3 to 9 o’clock. The rotating central disc, split between blue and black, forms the dial, with a black triangle serving as the hour indicator. Hour markers are positioned on the black inner bezel, which also features the minutes and seconds track. A white triangle at the top denotes the 12 o’clock position. A white hand is used to indicate the minutes, while a double-long, black and white-striped hand fixed at the centre tracks the running seconds.

The new BR-03 Horizon uses the automatic BR-CAL.327 calibre with a 54-hour power reserve, based on the latest version of the Sellita SW300 – one of the main elements of the updates applied to the BR-03 collection last year. 

The Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon is offered with an orange synthetic fabric strap with a Velcro closure and a black rubber strap, closed with a steel pin buckle with a matte black PVD micro-blasted finish. It is a limited edition of 999 pieces, priced at EUR 4,900.

For more details and orders, please visit www.bellross.com.