Bell & Ross and Dassault Aviation share the same passion for aviation, which guides them in their respective creations. In 2013, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Falcon business jet, Bell & Ross paid homage to the civil aviation of the 1960s by presenting the Vintage Falcon model.
This year, the two companies are joining forces once again to celebrate the most successful multi-role fighter aircraft on the market: the Rafale.
Engineers, master watchmakers, designers and professional pilots have combined their skills to give rise to an original concept: the instrument watch. As aeronautical instruments are the absolute benchmark in terms of legibility, reliability and performance, the BR 03 adopts the same fundamental design principles as a cockpit clock and expresses the Bell & Ross philosophy, whereby function must define form.
Similar to the Rafale, which was produced with innovative, highperformance materials, the case of the BR 03-94 Rafale watch was designed using ceramic, a material holding a privileged position in the aerospace sector.
To create the ceramic BR 03-94, the Bell & Ross designers had to rethink the already complex structure of its case. Therefore, the BR 03-94 is built around its movement - the mechanical chronograph movement with automatic winding Calibre BR-CAL 301 - and its steel container, protected by a cover, top and back made of ceramic. The eight screws, which are visible from the outside of the ceramic case, are functional and fasten the entire watch like a clamp, ensuring that the case is perfectly solid and water resistant
The stealthy matte black ceramic case is a reference to the anti-reflective tints of instrument panels in aeroplane cockpits. Rafale’s characteristic colour adorns the dial: a monochrome camouflage grey. The typography of the numerals recalls that of the registration numbers that feature on the plane’s fuselage. The hands used for the chronograph functions have orange tips (in aviation, this is the colour of essential features and test flights), and offer excellent legibility. On the flange, the tachymeter scale enables speeds to be calculated. The auxiliary counter of the small seconds displays the distinctive silhouette of the Rafale as a signature at 6 o’clock.
The BR 03-94 Rafale watch is equipped with a black natural rubber strap.
With a limited edition of just 500 pieces, the BR 03-94 Rafale will be presented in Le Bourget, at the International Paris Air Show, which will take place in France from 15 to 21 June 2015.
