Looking for a watch that says you are a biker, car enthusiast……or maybe a watch that says you love the world of aviation? Well here is a watch that gives you that aviation accuracy with a biker look, the B-Rocket watch from Bell & Ross.
Bell & Ross partnered with Shaw Harley Davidson to create a one-of-a-kind “airplane-motorcycle” whose design would incorporate classical aeronautic elements. More than a year in the design stage, the B-Rocket motorcycle has a conical nose resembling that of a jet plane, adjustable fins that look like wings, jet-engine-like side-mounted turbines, and an aerodynamic rear section inspired by the cabin of a 1960s aircraft.
Just like the high-speed motorcycle it is designed to go with, this instrument is impressive; its case measures 46 mm in diameter. However, it is above all the quality of the chronograph that sets the BR 01 apart. The ultimate in terms of timing your speed, it has a large minutes counter, with a tachymetric scale on the outer edge of the dial, which as a matter of priority measures short periods of time and so allows your performance to instantly be displayed.
It also has three additional counters which provide further information: a 60-second, 30-minute and 12-hour counter. From a functional point of view, the chronograph is automatically triggered by the highway push-piece. And in a flash, the small seconds counter, at three o’clock, replicates the graphic display used in experimental vehicle testing.
In the more elaborate BR 03 B-Rocket version of the watch, the 42 mm satin-brushed steel case is fitted with two complications. The hours, minutes and seconds display also features a large date window and a power-reserve indicator. As regards the sub-dial, there are cut-outs in the dial revealing the discs operating the large date window, highlighting just how sophisticated the mechanism is. The circular power-reserve counter at 6 o’clock is reminiscent of the fuel gage seen on racing motorcycles or cars.
With their sophisticated finishes, the BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket can communicate, making dimmed headlights within easy reach. In terms of colors and materials, nothing has been overlooked in the detail of the finish of these models: red, black, steel and padded leather are there to prove it. Their satin-brushed steel cases, worthy of the most superb fuselage, are powered by a self-winding Swiss mechanical movement. The azure counters with their guilloché finish are the mark of a quality finish. Each model is finished using techniques in keeping with the finest watch-making traditions.
The matte black dial, the graphic display of which is reminiscent of a motorcycle tachometer or a road vehicle or airplane instrumentation panel, emphasizes the color contrast. To accentuate the emphasis on readability, the skeletonized hours and minutes hands are also coated with a photo-luminescent material. To stress their association with the world of driving, a red triangle marks 12 o’clock echoing the triangle visible on the B-Rocket’s tachometer and turbines.
Finally, both watches are fitted with a padded leather strap, lined and edged in red, modeled on the seat of the B-Rocket. Naturally, to meet the requirements of Bell & Ross in terms of reliability, resistance and readability, both the BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket are water resistant to a depth of 100 meters and fitted with anti-glare treated sapphire crystal.
BR 01 & BR 03 B-ROCKET
LIMITED EDITIONS TO 500 PIECES
BR 01 B-ROCKET
Movement: mechanical automatic.
Functions: hours, minutes and small seconds. Date.
Tachymeter scale. Chronograph: Three-counter (60 seconds30 minutes and 12 hours accumulators).
Case: diameter 46 mm. Satin-polished steel. The red push-button is made from steel with a polycarbonate-ABS protective cover.
Dial: matte black. Skeletonised metallic hours and minutes hands filled with superluminova.
Crystal: antireflective sapphire.
Water-resistance: 100 m.
Strap: padded black leather, edged in red and black heavy-duty canvas.
Buckle: pin buckle. Satin-polished steel.
BR 03 B-ROCKET
Movement: mechanical automatic.
Functions: hours, minutes and seconds. Big date at 12 o’clock.
Power reserve indicator.
Case: diameter 42 mm. Satin-polished steel.
Dial: matte black. Skeletonised metallic hours and minutes hands filled with superluminova.
Crystal: antireflective sapphire.
Water-resistance: 100 m.
Strap: added black leather, edged in red and black heavy-duty canvas.
Buckle: pin buckle. Satin-polished steel.
