This Wild Ceramic Watch Just Shook Up Switzerland’s Space Race

Bell & Ross outfitted the newest BR-03 with an astronomically cool dial.

close up of the corner of a black Bell and Ross BR-03 Astro watch with earth on the dial

Published February 14, 2025

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There are plenty of moon watches and space watches out there, but the newest entry from Bell & Ross brings Mars into the picture.

While the French watchmaker has always been influenced by aeronautical engineering and heritage, the BR-03 Astro ascends into near-Earth orbit.

a black watch with earth on the dial — The BR-03 Astro has three objects orbiting Earth as the hands on the dial.

Built into a ceramic version of the familiar BR-03 case is a wild and vividly detailed dial depicting the Earth, Moon, Mars and a satellite. The celestial bodies are set against a photorealistic view of stars strewn across the night sky.

Though the dial is unusual, this watch still meets the high-performance standards that Bell & Ross is known for. The case is built from high-grade ceramic and has a 100-meter dive rating, and it runs on a caliber BR-CAL.327 automatic movement.

An astronomical dial

Bell & Ross has produced fun and experimental dials in the past, often emulating airplane instrument panels or using vivid colors and transparent materials. But the French watchmaker has never made a dial quite like this one before.

all of the parts for a black watch laid out — Each hand ornament is applied to a transparent plate to create depth.

The Astro dial shows Earth from space with our closest galactic neighbors in view. The starry background is a plate of blue aventurine quartz crystal with laser-engraved details.

The other three objects move in continuous orbit, tracking the time in a counterintuitive but astronomically sensitive fashion. Mars is a small red dot placed farthest from the center, but because the Red Planet has the slowest orbit from Earth’s perspective, it depicts hours.

a watch with earth on the dial on a man's wrist — The quartz plate dial background has been laser engraved to look like deep space from a telescope.

The Moon is the next fastest-moving object from our home planet and, therefore, represents the minute hand. Closest to Earth, with the fastest orbit, is a satellite representing the seconds hand.

This arrangement is challenging to decipher at first, but once you understand the astrophysical logic, it makes perfect sense.

a watch with earth on the dial floating in space — The Earth is applied to a hemispherical cutout in the sapphire crystal.

Most impressive of all is the hemispherical cap hollowed into the center of the sapphire glass to house a geometrically accurate Earth. With each orbital body placed on concentric transparent plates, the dial as a whole has a mesmerizing effect.

A serious timepiece

Bell & Ross’s BR-03 is the French watchmaker’s best-known and most successful line. Like Rolex’s “Mercedes” hands and Grand Seiko’s intricate dial textures, the square case with exposed screws securing a round dial has become an unmistakable brand signature.

a black watch laying flat on a white surface — The BR-03 Astro comes with a synthetic rubber strap.

For the Astro, the entire case and band were given a matte black finish to emulate the dark vacuum of space and direct complete attention to the dial itself. The case is high-grade ceramic that has been sandblasted to create a course but uniform surface.

A synthetic rubber strap with a pin buckle is attached to the ceramic case. As part of the limited edition set, the decorative case includes a second two-piece nylon strap with velcro closure.

a black watch case with accessories — The Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro comes in a decorative box with tools and an extra strap.

This interplanetary time machine is powered by a caliber BR-CAL.327 automatic movement made by Sellitta, one of the top names in Swiss movement manufacturing. Although this movement is found in most of the BR-03 line, it has likely never supported a dial as ornate and unusual as this one.

Availability and pricing

The Bell & Ross BR-03 Astro is a limited edition run of 999 units. It is available now from Bell & Ross and authorized dealers for $4,800. Included is a special edition decorative box and an additional nylon two-piece strap with a velcro closure.