Space time: watchmaker Bell & Ross looks to the stars The Times Chris Hall Space time: watchmaker Bell & Ross looks to the stars new The brand is raising its sights from specialising in aviation watches to celebrations of all things celestial From left: Bell & Ross BR-05 Blue Diamond Eagle, ￡4,300; BR-03 Astro, ￡4,200 Getty images Chris Hall Friday October 16 2026, 11.00pm BST , The Times Listen 0:00 / · 3:36 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save Puzzles Challenge yourself with today's puzzles. W hen Bell & Ross was founded in 1994, it was with the intention of reinterpreting the decades-old trope of the pilot's watch for a new generation. Its co-founders, Carlos Rosillo and Bruno Belamich, whose surnames gave rise to the brand name, brought a playful French sensibility to this most serious genre of tool watches. The core concept remained intact: strong, legible designs that were ready for action. But with exaggerated typography, clean, monochrome designs and clever ideas about how to incorporate the technical elements of fighter cockpits, Bell & Ross successfully evolved the form-follows-function staple that originated in the late Thirties into something a bit more contemporary. All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we will earn affiliate revenue Luxury newsletter The inside track on tech, travel, philanthropy and the hottest handbags, cars and spas. Sign up with one click You've successfully signed up to the Luxury newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Luxury newsletter Explore our newsletters BR-X5 Meteorite, ￡8,200, bellross.com Most commented 1 Sonay Kartal defeats Elina Svitolina to reach Wuhan Open semi-finals Tennis 16 comments Now it is raising its sights higher to address the world beyond our skies. “We take inspiration from what has been happening in the field of aviation, which you will notice now always describes itself as aerospace,” Rosillo says. “Therefore, we move one step beyond, and instead of doing an instrument that is in the cockpit, we look through the cockpit.” Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics The result is a series of watches loosely connected by an extraterrestrial theme. In 2025, Bell & Ross released the BR-03 Astro, a high-concept watch with no hands, numerals or logo. Instead, the time was indicated by the passage of the moon (minutes), Mars (hours) and a satellite (seconds) around a central Earth. More recently, it has added the BR-05 Blue Diamond Eagle, a 36mm stainless steel model with an aventurine glass dial studded with diamonds to depict the constellation Aquila, the eagle. This watch did have traditional hands but is notable for moving Bell & Ross into more poetic and abstract territory. Advertisement BR-05 Blue Diamond Eagle, ￡4,300, bellross.com Top stories 1 Theo Paphitis: I bought a ￡100m business for ￡1 and two packs of Benson & Hedges Family Finances 2 Record fines for motorist victims of car cloning Family Finances 3 Premium Bonds are fun – until you realise what they are costing you Saving & Investing 4 Will Lyons: my vintage wine tour of South Australia Inspiration Space provides an array of aesthetic and technical paths to pursue. In August, Bell & Ross launched the BR-X5 Meteorite, a 250-piece limited-edition take on its flagship core model. Powered by a chronometer-certified movement produced by Kenissi (the factory founded and majority-owned by Tudor, the sister brand of Rolex), the BR-X5 has a 70-hour power reserve. In this edition, its futuristic case lines are juxtaposed with the jagged patterns natural to the metallic meteorite dial (which is sourced from a rock that landed in northern Sweden about one million years ago and was discovered in 1906). Bell & Ross has treated it to give it a bright finish in line with its polished steel case. The brand's most recent debut, the BR-03 Space Mission, revisits the Astro's concept, with rotating elements depicting the time. In this iteration, a space shuttle (the Vortex by the French aerospace manufacturer Dassault, a company with which Bell & Ross has a partnership) represents the minutes, while the moon shows the hours. BR-03 Astro, ￡4,200, bellross.com Rosillo denies it was a conscious decision to become less literal as the brand's inspiration evolved, but he agrees that the appeal of space-themed watches is a romantic one. “You cannot look at the sky without having an emotion,” he says. “I don't think it's possible. Even Elon Musk, when you see him speaking about space exploration, he gets a sparkle in his eyes much more than when he's talking about politics. Space gives you an enthusiastic perspective.” Advertisement Read more luxury reviews, advice and insights from our experts Life & Style LUXX Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save