It is no stranger that Bell & Ross square timepieces are inspired by the instruments of aircraft. But let’s be honest. When we say aviation- or aircraft-inspired, people immediately think of fixed-wing aircraft. Collaborations with the Patrouille de France quietly reinforce this notion, even though helicopters and airplanes share much of the same instrumentation. So, how do you make a watch more helicopter than airplane? Bell & Ross’ answer is the BR-03 Helipad.
Instead of borrowing cues from cockpit gauges, Bell & Ross turned the dial into a helipad. Better still, it made the helicopter part of the time display. The helicopter’s nose serves as the minute hand, the spinning rotor blades become the seconds hand, and the hour is indicated by a rotating black disc representing the helipad itself. Checking the time feels more like watching a helicopter patiently hovering overhead, waiting to land on the dial.
It is one of those ideas that makes you wonder why nobody thought of it sooner. Someone at Bell & Ross must have stared at a spinning seconds hand and blurted out, “Hang on… that looks like helicopter blades.” Thankfully, everyone else in the room agreed.
The BR-03 Helipad is housed in Bell & Ross’ familiar 41 mm micro-blasted black ceramic case measuring 10.6 mm thick. It is powered by the automatic BR-CAL.327 movement with a 54-hour power reserve, protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and water resistant to 100 meters (328 feet). The yellow landing circle and hour marker, together with the main indexes, are coated in green Super-LumiNova X2, ensuring the dial remains as easy to read in the dark as a real helipad at night.
Bell & Ross includes two interchangeable straps: a bright yellow rubber strap that leans fully into the rescue helicopter aesthetic, and a black synthetic fabric strap for those who prefer something a little more understated.
Limited to 500 pieces, the Bell & Ross BR-03 Helipad is available now for anyone willing to drop US$4,800. At the time of this post, it is still available. But if you want one, I’d rather not sit around and wait.
Images: Bell & Ross.
