Bell & Ross Adapts the Cockpit Dial to the New BR 03 Gyrocompass Watch

While the word, ‘cockpit’, usually evokes images of aeroplane controls, a ‘cockpit’ timepiece honours the role of navigation in aviation and maritime settings. It has been the raison d’être of the BR 03 collection ever since it was launched in 2005. After showcasing its BR 03 variant in black ceramic and stainless steel this month, Bell & Ross has now launched yet another classic — the BR 03 Gyrocompass, a 999-piece limited-edition timepiece.

Bell & Ross introduced the flight instrument series in 2010, taking the collection to unprecedented heights. These watches have all been modelled on such instruments as a compass, an altimeter, a radar or a turn coordinator. A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass, which is based on a fast-spinning disc and the rotation of the Earth (or another planetary body if used elsewhere in the universe) to find geographical direction automatically.

Evidently, the Bell & Ross BR 03 Gyrocompass takes off from the variant released in 2013. The new 41 mm watch comes in a  signature rounded square, black ceramic case with four screws. The black dial gets a large inner black flange with four navigation markers (North, South, East, and West) and a white minute track with triangular markings for 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes, treated with Super-LumiNova®, sporting a green emission colour. In other words, the timepiece has four cardinal points coated with green Super-LumiNova®.

The time indications are highlighted by an immediately recognisable blue emission. The hour hand, shaped like a jetfighter, is proudly coloured in yellow, with green emissions dominating the display. The minute hand gets a white arrow tip and the seconds use traditional and discreet matte black hands, here only the white luminous tip remains visible.

The dial also gets a circular date window at 4:30 with a black background and white numeral. However, we’re talking about a simplified display that uses traditional central hands instead of discs. The watch is run by calibre BR-CAL.302, marking the latest evolution of Sellita SW300, with an extended power reserve of 54 hours. The watch is worn on a black rubber strap — with an optional fabric strap also being included with a pin buckle — and sports a steel with black PVD (physical vapour deposition) finish. The BR 03 Gyrocompass watch does not feature a gyrocompass, but has a watch movement with proven reliability.