Bell & Ross Continues Its Space Mission: BR-03 Space Mission

Bell & Ross continues the space narrative it began with the BR-03 Astro. On the new BR-03 Space Mission, the moon and a spacecraft take the place of the hands. The animated dial is housed in a 41-millimeter-wide black ceramic case; the edition is limited to 999 pieces.

Here’s how to tell the time

The Earth and its Moon are depicted on a transparent disc. It rotates like a clock hand, with the Moon serving as the reference point for the hours. A spacecraft moves along its own orbit; its tip indicates the minutes. With every movement, the scene changes above the black aventurine glass, whose inclusions are reminiscent of a starry sky. A small red dot represents Mars.

The spatial design replaces the traditional hands but retains the principle of displaying hours and minutes. The view of outer space thus serves directly as a time display and is more than just a printed dial motif.

Vortex: A Blueprint for the Future

The vehicle depicted is based on Dassault Aviation’s Vortex. The name stands for “Véhicule Orbital Réutilisable de Transport et d’Exploration,” a concept for a reusable orbital vehicle. Bell & Ross translates this vision of the future into a small, dynamic scene on the wrist. The collaboration also highlights aviation as a long-standing source of inspiration for the brand’s design.

The square case with a round display is inspired by cockpit instruments. In the Space Mission, it becomes a window into a fictional space scene.

From Space 1 to the Cosmic Time Display

Bell & Ross’s connection to space exploration dates back to the brand’s early years. As early as 1994, the Space 1—a chronograph born out of the brand’s collaboration with Sinn Spezialuhren at the time—was introduced. The German watchmaker had already made spaceflight history by that point: In 1985, astronaut Reinhard Furrer wore a Sinn 140 S during the Spacelab-D1 mission. Its automatic movement proved reliable even in zero gravity.

With the Space 1, Bell & Ross embraced this instrumental approach and made it an integral part of its own collection. The Space 2 and, later, the Space 3 continued the series.

A much more playful interpretation followed in 2025 with the BR-03 Astro. Against a blue aventurine dial, Mars, the Moon, and a satellite orbit the Earth at the center, serving as indicators for the hours, minutes, and seconds. The new Space Mission builds on this concept, transforming a spacecraft into the minute hand.

Bell & Ross thus remains true to its roots as a specialist in functional instrument watches, while at the same time allowing itself to venture into the realm of the unusual in their design.

Black ceramic and a 54-hour power reserve

The glass-bead-blasted ceramic case is 41 millimeters wide and 10.60 millimeters high. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects the dial; the watch is water-resistant to 100 meters. It is powered by the automatic BR-CAL.325 caliber with a 54-hour power reserve.

The BR03A-SPM-CE/SRB model comes with a black rubber strap and an additional strap made of durable black synthetic fabric. The pin buckle is made of glass-bead-blasted steel with a matte black PVD coating. The price is 4,990 euros.