A venerated military brand launches its most unique pilot’s watch in decades

Founded in 1994 (but dating back longer), Bell & Ross is one of the most distinct watchmaking brands on the market. The independent outfit is perhaps best known for its square-shaped cases, inspired by the instruments found in aircraft cockpits.

Even then, the brand’s latest drop, the Bell & Ross BR-03 Helipad, is especially extraordinary. This is a pilot’s watch that pays homage to an oft-overlooked form of aviation in a playful, unique way.

Get to the choppa!

At first glance, you might be wondering how, exactly, one reads this watch. I know I did. But it makes a lot more sense once you understand the overall functionality.

The dial is designed to mimic a helipad, complete with what appears to be a Black Hawk helicopter parked upon it — an intentional reference, along with the yellow colorway, to air rescue. Where it gets tricky is when you realize there are four rotary blades and no clear way to discern what they indicate.

It’s actually trickier than that (and simpler to understand, once you know how it works). The helipad itself is a rotating disc set into the dial, and the notch at the top of the H indicates the hour. Then the helicopter’s fuselage rotates to indicate minutes.

Finally, the rotary blades make up the second hand. However, since there are four of them, three are tipped in yellow to blend in with the disc outline, while the fourth has a white tip to indicate seconds.

You’ll also notice there are no hour numerals. However, there is a minute track around the chapter ring and minute numerals on the rehaut. Furthermore, the lume is subdued, relegated to just the hour markers and the helipad outline.

Rotary blades, Swiss-made

Unique dial layout aside, this watch is still made to the same stringent, craft-focused standards as all of Bell & Ross’s timepieces. The 41-millimeter case is crafted from micro-blasted black ceramic, making it lightweight and tough.

Inside that case, there’s a Swiss-made calibre BR-CAL.327 automatic movement with a 54-hour power reserve. And it has a sapphire crystal above the dial, complete with an antireflective coating.

The watch also ships with two straps, one in yellow rubber and another, more subdued option in black fabric. Despite being a pilot’s watch, the whole thing is rated to 100 meters, so you shouldn’t worry about getting it wet.

It is a limited edition, however. Only 500 examples were built and, once they’re gone, that’s it; they’re gone for good. However, with a $4,800 price tag, it will probably take some time to sell through.

Availability and pricing

The Bell & Ross BR-03 Helipad is now available on the brand’s official site for $4,800 apiece, but only 500 units have been built.

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