No Hands, No Problem: How to Read the Bell & Ross BR-03 Helipad, Green Radar and Gyrocompass

The short answer: the Bell & Ross BR-03 Helipad, BR-03 Green Radar Ceramic and BR-03 Gyrocompass are three limited-edition Flight Instruments watches that tell time without conventional hands. A helicopter, three aircraft and a fighter jet do the work instead. All three are in stock now at Little Europe Jewellers in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, duty-free and tax-free.

They look like cockpit instruments because that is exactly what they are modeled on. Once someone shows you how to read them, it takes about ten seconds. This is that guide, with a real example from every dial.

The three at a glance

All three share the same 41 mm micro-blasted black ceramic BR-03 case, 10.6 mm thick, with a sapphire crystal, 100 meters of water resistance and two straps in the box.

Where these watches come from

Bell & Ross was founded in Paris in 1992 by designer Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo, with a simple brief: instrument watches for professionals who need to read the time instantly. The watches are designed in Paris and made in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. In 2005 the BR 01 put a cockpit gauge on the wrist, a round dial in a square case held by four screws, and that silhouette became the house signature.

In 2010 the BR 01 Radar opened what Bell & Ross calls its Flight Instruments collection: watches that read like the displays in front of a pilot. The three below are its newest members.

1. BR-03 Helipad: read it like a landing

Picture yourself above a heliport. The landing pad turns slowly beneath you to give the hour, the helicopter points to the minutes, and its rotor counts the seconds. It is the first BR-03 to take its inspiration from rotary flight.

1. Hours, the helipad. The black heliport disc makes one full turn every 12 hours. Find the short yellow marker on the yellow ring: that is your hour.
2. Minutes, the helicopter. Follow the nose of the fuselage out to the minute scale around the edge.
3. Seconds, the rotor. The blades turn once a minute, so you can see the watch running at a glance.

Pilot's tip: there are no hour numerals, so divide the scale by five. A marker at "50" means 10 o'clock; at "15" it means 3. After dark, the yellow heliport zone glows green with Super-LumiNova X2.

Limited to 500 pieces, on yellow rubber (a nod to the colors of air rescue) with a second strap in black fabric. Movement: automatic BR-CAL.327, 54-hour power reserve. See the BR-03 Helipad at Little Europe.

2. BR-03 Green Radar Ceramic: read it like a radar screen

On a real radar scope, a beam sweeps the screen and every aircraft shows up as a glowing blip on the range rings. Bell & Ross puts three aircraft on those rings, each riding its own rotating disc beneath a sapphire crystal tinted green all the way through. At 41 mm it is the most compact ceramic Radar the brand has made.

1. Hours, the Falcon, outer ring. The business jet circles the outer ring once every 12 hours. Read it against the large 12, 3, 6 and 9.
2. Minutes, the Rafale, middle ring. The fighter flies the middle ring once an hour. Read it against 15, 30, 45 and 60.
3. Seconds, the nEUROn, inner ring. The stealth drone sweeps the inner ring once a minute, like the beam of a real radar.

Pilot's tip: biggest circle, biggest unit. Outer ring hours, middle ring minutes, inner ring seconds. After dark, each aircraft glows green and leaves a luminous trail behind it, just as it would on a surveillance display.

Limited to 999 pieces. Movement: automatic BR-CAL.327, 54-hour power reserve. Just arrived on Front Street. See the BR-03 Green Radar Ceramic at Little Europe.

3. BR-03 Gyrocompass: read it like a heading

In the cockpit, the gyrocompass tells a pilot which way the aircraft is pointing. On the wrist, the compass card stays still and the jet turns, its nose pointing to the hour.

1. Hours, the fighter jet. The jet's nose is the hour hand. Use the compass points: N is 12, E is 3, S is 6 and W is 9.
2. Minutes, the white arrow. The hand with the large white arrow tip reads against the minute track on the flange.
3. Seconds, the counterweight hand. The slim central hand with its big counterweight sweeps once a minute.

Pilot's tip: think of N as noon, and every compass point after it as three more hours. This is the only one of the three with a date window. After dark, the cardinal points and the triangle at 12 glow green.

Limited to 999 pieces. Movement: automatic BR-CAL.302-1 with date. See the BR-03 Gyrocompass at Little Europe.

Which one is right for you?

• Choose the Helipad if you want the boldest of the three, the rarest at 500 pieces, and a strap with real color.
• Choose the Green Radar if you want the most immersive dial: three moving aircraft, a green crystal and the best show after dark.
• Choose the Gyrocompass if you want the easiest to read at a glance and a date for everyday wear.

Why buy them in St. Maarten

Little Europe Jewellers has been on Front Street in Philipsburg since 1976 and is an authorized Bell & Ross dealer. Every watch is new, carries the official Bell & Ross international warranty activated at the point of sale, and is sold duty-free and tax-free, with complimentary worldwide shipping. Prices above are Bell & Ross's published US retail; message us for our best value for price.

If you are arriving by cruise ship, the boutique is a short walk from the pier. If you are staying on the island or aboard a yacht, we are happy to arrange a private viewing. The best way to learn these dials is to hold all three side by side.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you read a Bell & Ross watch with no hands?

Each Flight Instruments watch swaps hands for an aircraft or instrument. On the BR-03 Helipad a rotating helipad shows the hour and the helicopter's nose shows the minutes. On the BR-03 Green Radar Ceramic three aircraft orbit three rings: the Falcon on the outer ring for hours, the Rafale in the middle for minutes, the nEUROn drone inside for seconds. On the BR-03 Gyrocompass the nose of a fighter jet points to the hour, with N as 12, E as 3, S as 6 and W as 9.

Are the Helipad, Green Radar and Gyrocompass limited editions?

Yes. The BR-03 Helipad is limited to 500 pieces. The BR-03 Green Radar Ceramic and the BR-03 Gyrocompass are each limited to 999 pieces.

How much do the Bell & Ross BR-03 Helipad, Green Radar and Gyrocompass cost?

Bell & Ross's published US retail prices are $5,200 for the BR-03 Helipad, $5,100 for the BR-03 Green Radar Ceramic and $4,800 for the BR-03 Gyrocompass. Little Europe Jewellers in St. Maarten sells them duty-free and tax-free; message us for our best value for price.

Which of the three has a date?

Only the BR-03 Gyrocompass, which uses the automatic BR-CAL.302-1. The Helipad and Green Radar use the BR-CAL.327 with a 54-hour power reserve and show hours, minutes and seconds.

Do these watches glow in the dark?

Yes. All three use Super-LumiNova that glows green: the heliport zone on the Helipad, the aircraft and their trails on the Green Radar, and the cardinal points and 12 o'clock triangle on the Gyrocompass.

Where can I buy the Bell & Ross Helipad, Green Radar and Gyrocompass in the Caribbean?

All three are in stock at Little Europe Jewellers on Front Street in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, an authorized Bell & Ross dealer a short walk from the cruise pier. Every piece is sold duty-free and tax-free with complimentary worldwide shipping.