French luxury watchmaker Bell & Ross transposes one of the most iconic flight instruments from an aircraft’s dashboard onto the wrist with the new BR-03 Horizon.
Essential for pilots, the artificial horizon allows spatial orientation. Original and playful, this watch, limited to 999 pieces, with a unique aesthetic, completes the collection of concept watches directly inspired by onboard instrumentation.
A Specific Display
The artificial horizon indicator is one of the most emblematic instruments on an aircraft’s dashboard. Combining the illustration of the earth and the silhouette of the aircraft, it symbolises the philosophy of instrument flight.
This figurative representation takes the form of a sphere divided by a line. The upper part, blue, represents the sky, while the lower part, dark, symbolises the earth. In the centre, the aircraft appears schematically with its wings represented by two red lines. The outer dial graduation indicates the aircraft’s lateral tilt angle, while the centre one shows the pitch.
Combining the round and the square, the identity shape of the House, the BR-03 Horizon replicates the design of this highly symbolic aeronautical tool present in all cockpits.
A Necessary Function for Pilots
The Artificial Horizon Cockpit instruments were invented to facilitate pilots’ tasks. Early aviators could only navigate by sight. For their aerial navigation, aviation pioneers could hardly guide themselves other than by observing natural elements, notably mountains or the sea, and often had to follow railways on the ground to trace their route.
But how to navigate at night or in clouds, especially at high speeds? To compensate for the lack of natural information, engineers invented a fundamental gyroscopic cockpit instrument for navigation: the artificial horizon indicator.
Along with the airspeed indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, gyrocompass and vertical speed indicator, the attitude indicator – its other name – is part of the essential instruments on a dashboard. Thanks to this vertical-axis gyroscope, the pilot can always control the aircraft’s attitude and tilt, as the instrument indicates in real-time the angle of pitch or dive relative to the horizon.
Intuitive Readability
Sophisticated at first glance, the new BR-03 Horizon proves intuitive and offers easy reading thanks to the two hands adjusted to the finely graduated inner bezel.
The large white hand indicates the minutes. The large bicoloured hand, black and white striped, marks the seconds. The hour indication is directly represented by the central disk forming the dial. It features a large central indicator arrow that serves as the hour marker.
The blue part of the dial is luminescent allowing the time to be read perfectly in night vision. Readability is one of the primary concerns of aeronautical instrument designers. Everything must be evident to the pilot. Simple yet precise.
The challenge is no different when designing a watch. For Bruno Belamich, Bell & Ross’s Creative Director, the clarity of a dial, even complex, is essential.
A Present Time Indicator
Evocative of the aeronautical universe, the BR-03 Horizon is also a style element and an indicator of a shared passion for aerial adventure.
Technical, the 41 mm case, water-resistant to 100 metres and adorned with an antireflective sapphire crystal, is dressed in micro-blasted black ceramic. Efficient, this watch is equipped with the automatic mechanical movement BR.CAL-327. Robust and inspired by pilot equipment, the black rubber strap is interchangeable and can be alternated with an orange velcro strap.
The new BR-03 Horizon allows the wearer to know their exact position in time at any moment. Its finishes, meeting the highest Swiss standards, also make it an original timepiece for design and aviation enthusiasts.
BR-03: The Family of Instrument Watches
The ultimate instrument-watch collection, the BR-03 range has been at the heart of Bell & Ross’ creations since 2010. The full extent of the Franco-Swiss watchmaking house’s creativity is expressed here to successfully transfer aircraft dashboard indicators to the wrist.
An identity piece of Bell & Ross, the BR-03 line is known for its shape, featuring specific elements like the four screws in the corners of the square case, and recognised for its functionality directly inspired by the aeronautical universe.
Last year, the BR-03 Gyrocompass watch provided a horological interpretation of the gyrocompass, another essential navigation instrument for pilots. Bell & Ross continues today to compose its dashboard of horological instruments with a new timepiece rich in symbolism.
For more information, please visit www.bellross.com.