A few months back at a watch collector’s get together, I was asked by a friend how we at Worn & Wound decide what to write about when it comes to new releases. It’s a good question. Obviously, we can’t cover everything, so decisions have to be made somewhere about what we devote time and energy to, and what we ultimately think is less essential. Obviously, there are a number of brands that are almost always going to be somewhat newsworthy and of interest to our readers, and they tend to be prioritized. There are also watches that are of a more personal interest to some of us, maybe less commercial, but still noteworthy in some respect. A category, though, that almost always makes it through, is when a watch comes around that makes me want to check off the “unique” button in our content management system. Not a diver, not a dress watch, not sport or tactical. A watch that can only or primarily be described as “unique” is almost always going to get a pass.
Bell & Ross has a knack for these, and the latest is the BR-03 Astro, a 999 piece limited edition inspired by nothing less than outer space, and our own solar system. Bruno Belamich, the brand’s co-founder and creative director, says he was inspired specifically by the view of the earth from the observation dome, the Cupola, of the International Space Station. The dial is blue aventurine (obviously evoking a star filled sky) with the brilliant blue, spherical representation of earth at its center. An engraved moon, a distant Mars, and an orbiting satellite round out the scene.
There are no hour or minute markers on the dial, and you’ll find no traditional hands, but time telling is relatively straightforward. Those representations of Mars, the moon, and the satellite all rotate around the earth at the dial’s center. Mars gives you a reading of the hours, the moon is the minute “hand,” and the satellite is a constantly runnings seconds. You don’t need to be an astronomer to realize that there’s an obvious issue with the layout: Mars doesn’t actually revolve around earth. Still, I’m willing to give Bell & Ross a pass here in the name of crafting a dial that resonates in a poetic sense. They make no actual claims that this dial functions as a true planetarium.
The BR-03 case is 41mm wide and crafted from black ceramic. It measures 11.5mm tall and is water resistant to 100 meters. The watch is powered by the BR.CAL-327, an automatic caliber with a 54 hour power reserve. It’s mounted to a black rubber strap, and also ships with a fabric strap, also black. These newer, smaller, BR-03 cases wear very well, and offer a significant improvement in overall proportions compared to the earlier generation. Brad Homes went hands-on with the more refined BR-03 design back in 2023, and his evaluation is worth a read.
Bell & Ross is a favorite of mine because they’re very good at making both incredibly simple sport watches and watches that are quite audacious, and sometimes have a skull built right into them. The Astro isn’t the most insane thing they’ve ever made, but it definitely warrants “unique” designation, and is a fun, modern take on the classic “mystery dial” concept. Just don’t use it as a teaching tool in an astronomy class.
The retail price of the BR 03 Astro is $4,800. Bell & Ross
