Bell&Ross: BR 03-92 Radiocompass

Bell & Ross is the benchmark brand for aeronautical-inspired watches. In 2022, the house pays homage to air radionavigation instruments – advanced tools that use radio waves to guide jets – by launching the BR 03-92 Radiocompass. This highly technical watch takes the name of the Radio Compass, an on-board radio receiver which defines the position and direction of an aircraft via beacons on the ground. This indispensable navigation tool guides pilots regardless of the visibility. It allows particularly to fly at night, in the fog or in the rain. 

Modern and colorful, thr new BR 03-92 Radiocompass joins the iconic Flight Instruments collection from Bell & Ross. This family, created in 2010, incorporates air navigation tools into horological pieces as the BR 01 Radar from 2010, the BR 01 Red Radar from 2011 and the HUD (Head Up Display) from 2020.

READABLE AND GRAPHIC DIAL 

The unique dial of the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Radiocompass, reproduces the display of the eponymous tool. It reinterprets its hands and its graduations which allow optimal readability under all circumstances. For the display of the BR 03-92 Radiocompass, the Bell & Ross development teams have faithfully reproduced the graphics of the instrument that served as an inspiration. 

The matt black dial contrasts with the white graduations arranged in 3 circles. The innermost circle features the hour numerals. The minute indexes follow, and finally the seconds numerals are on the flange. A white triangle at 12 o’clock in Super-LumiNova® enables you to find your bearings at night. Little novelty, all the numerals are arranged in a targeted way. Usually, they are placed, but in this timepiece, they are turned towards the centre of the dial as on a navigation instrument. The numerals adopt isonorm typography, with very legible graphics. This technical and functional typeface is used in the industry. Finally, the dial also houses a date window between 4 and 5 o’clock.

SPECIFIC AND COLOURED HANDS 

Much of the great originality of the BR 03-92 Radiocompass comes from its very unusual hands, which take up the particular shape of the hands on the Radio Compass, the reference instrument. They also adopt 3 com- plementary colours. These pop, almost fluorescent shades contrast with the matt black of the dial. They allow easy and immediate reading of the time. 

With its shape and colour, each hand is associated with a time indication.
The largest one indicates the hours. Painted in orange, it is made up of two branches and features a stylish H. The very long baton hand, adorned with a stylish M, gives the minutes. Painted yellow, it protrudes on both sides. The thinnest hand, painted green, displays the seconds. 

Certain indications on the dial are coated with Superluminova. At night, the luminescent indexes take on blue tones, the minutes stand out in green, and the hour hand first turns yellow and then ends its luminescence in green. 

Water resistant to 100 meters, the new BR 03-92 Radiocompass is combined with a black rubber strap and produced in a limited edition of 999 pieces. (Price € 3.900)