If you are a fan of Bell & Ross and the Patrouille de France, you’d probably see this coming. After the BR 03-92 and BR 03 Type A got the Patrouille de France treatment, it is now the newest BR series’ turn. Behold the Bell & Ross BR-X3 Patrouille de France.
The BR-X3 is already one of the boldest watches in Bell & Ross’ current lineup, so giving it the colors of the French Air and Space Force aerobatic team feels like a natural fit. And yes, this thing absolutely looks like it belongs in the cockpit of an Alpha Jet.
Limited to just 250 pieces, the BR-X3 Patrouille de France features a 41 mm satin-polished steel case with Bell & Ross’ signature “circle within a square” design, now elevated with a layered construction that includes blue anodized aluminum structural columns and bezel ring. The blue accents are not random decoration either. They mirror the flight suits, helmets, and aircraft used by the Patrouille de France.
The dial is where Bell & Ross had a little fun. It uses a three-plate construction combining matte black, blue, and white elements, with a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock decked out in the colors of the French flag. The central seconds hand even gets a tiny Alpha Jet-shaped counterweight. Because if you are making a Patrouille de France watch, subtlety is probably not part of the briefing.
Inside is the BR-CAL.323 manufacture automatic movement developed with Kenissi. It is COSC-certified, offers around 70 hours of power reserve, and comes with a five-year warranty. Functions include hours, minutes, seconds, date, and power reserve display. Water resistance is rated at 100 meters.
The watch ships with two straps: an openworked black rubber strap and a sky-blue synthetic fabric strap that looks like it came straight out of a pilot’s gear locker.
Bell & Ross says the partnership with Patrouille de France is built on shared values like precision, rigor, cohesion, and operational excellence. Which sounds very noble and serious. Most people, though, are probably just going to look at this watch and think: “That looks cool as hell.”
The Bell & Ross BR-X3 Patrouille de France is available now for US$8,100.
Images: Bell & Ross.
