Bell & Ross, which became one of the cult names of the watch world with its aviation-themed models, celebrates the 70th anniversary of France's world-famous aerobatic team Patrouille de France with an exclusive model.
The brand, which has never lost touch with military and civil aviation since its establishment in 1992, is known for the watches it has produced for special forces, squadrons, astronauts, the French Naval Air Force, or elite teams such as GIGN and RAID. The newest model of the Parisian brand, which shares the same theme, is produced specially for the 70th anniversary of France's world-famous aerobatic team Patrouille de France, with which it announced its brand partnership in 2021.
The new model comes in a modern BR 03-92 style case measuring 42mm x 42mm x 10.40mm. The case, inspired by the indicators in the aircraft cockpits, is produced for this model from black ceramic with a micro-sandblast finish. The sporty case is equipped with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the front, and on the back, there is a flat case back with model-specific information. The stylish case sports a screw-down crown and offers resistance to water pressure up to 100 meters.
The thematic model houses a matte blue dial decorated with the Patrouille de France logo. SLN phosphorus-filled large numeral indices and thick hands display the time on the dial, which features an illustration emphasizing the team's 70th anniversary. There is a date window at 16:30 on the elegant dial, which also hosts an inner ring prepared according to the colors of the French flag.
The new model beats with the Caliber BR-CAL.302 movement. The Sellita SW200-1-based automatic movement, which is preferred by many entry, mid, and upper segment brands with its robustness and precision, oscillates at a frequency of 4Hz and offers a power reserve time of up to 38 hours when fully wound.
The model, limited to only 999 pieces, is available with two different straps; a blue calf leather strap and a black synthetic canvas strap. Both straps are secured by a pin-type buckle made of black PVD-coated stainless steel. The new model, which is available for pre-orders, comes with a list price of EUR 4,200. The first deliveries are scheduled for mid-July.
