It’s easy to forget, being the solipsistic creatures that humans are – and despite Einstein having been a household name for over a century – that time isn’t some kind of homogenous force rippling through the cosmos. And the Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro is a timely reminder (pun intended) that time, as we know it, is actually sidereal: specific to our infinitesimal speck of the universe and based upon the perceived motion of distant stars around Earth.
In other words, it’s the perfect watch for space exploration and astronomy buffs. The Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro has the tiny orb humans call home as the focal point of a blue aventurine dial, set within a 41mm black ceramic case, which is housed under a dome of anti-reflective sapphire glass. Around Earth, there are renderings of Mars (which shifts position every hour), the Moon (which depicts minutes), and a small satellite which functions as a seconds hand, making every glance at your wrist a little piece of cosmic theatre.
Detail of the different components of the Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro.
“The Cupola, the observation dome of the International Space Station (ISS), inspired this watch, which acts as a kind of porthole opening onto the planets,” explains Bruno Belamich, Creative Director of Bell & Ross, who co-founded the Franco-Swiss watchmaker in 1992 with Carlos Rosillo. “I imagined Earth seen from space in symbolic alignment with the Moon and Mars. The magic of this watch lies in its display – not as a technical interpretation of an instrument watch but, for once, in an imaginative dimension.”
“The magic of this watch lies in its display, not as a technical interpretation of an instrument watch but in an imaginative dimension.”
– Bruno Belamich
As with any themed timepiece like this, deeply complicated ingenuity lies beneath the thematic mischief: calculating the weight and positioning of the “hands”, in order that they accurately obey the diktats of the BR.CAL-327 automatic mechanical movement found within, required a meticulous approach to component design, micro-engineering and precision assembly. Robust, high-performing and water-resistant to 100 metres, the Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro is limited to 999 pieces and retails at £4,200.
For now, a watch like this is a light-hearted – if ingenious – acknowledgement of what exists on the other side of the Kármán line. But, four years after the first ever Martian aviator watch, the Konstantin Chaykin Mars Conqueror MK3, was introduced to the world, and with the space exploration race set to hot up in the coming decades, it’s well worth keeping an eye on what kind of role a brand inspired from the outset by aviation and exploration will play in proceedings.
Author: Nick Scott
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