Bell & Ross and Patrouille de France Fly High with the BR-03 Type A

Bell & Ross and the acrobatic demonstration unit of the French Air & Space Force known as the Patrouille de France celebrated the beginning of their partnership last year with the BR 03-94; a black ceramic chronograph with the aerobatic patrol’s emblem adorned on the dial. Bell & Ross is no stranger to collaborating with different military branches across the globe, and with the brand’s design language deeply rooted in aviation, naturally they’ve developed partnerships with various air forces. The Patrouille de France comprises 9 Alpha Jets capable of hitting a max speed of 1000 km/h and with its light frame powered by a twin engine, the aircraft boasts an incredible power-to-weight ratio. The acrobatic formation puts all of this on display and the need for an accurate watch to time these dynamic movements is just as important as any other instrument in the cockpit. Another year brings forth a new collaboration between Bell & Ross and the Patrouille de France with the new BR-03 Type A.

The BR-03 Type A gets a refreshed dial with the main feature being an analog-digital display. On the analog side of things, a set of sword hands and white markers against a blue dial present the main time. Digitally, the BR-03 Type A uses a pair of rectangular screens, one at the top of the dial displaying the function in use and another at the bottom of the dial displaying the function in action, with the default display showing running seconds. The suite of digital functions include a 1/100 chronograph, laptimes, countdown timer, second time zone, perpetual calendar and an option to choose between four different display languages. The screens are read via a gold font which visually pairs well with the blue dial and the Patrouille de France logo at nine o’clock.

The dial is rounded out by white markers and a 6-12 numeral configuration. Within the rehaut, the BR-03 Type A shows off Arabic numerals at five minute intervals as well as France’s home colors. Between the Patrouille de France emblem and the country’s colors subtly incorporated into the dial, it’s a watch that a Patrouille de France pilot will wear proudly as each pilot will receive the limited edition piece.

The case of the BR-03 Type A maintains the distinct look of the BR-03 case; a square silhouette housing the round display akin to the instruments found within a fighter jet cockpit. However this time the 42mm case is furnished out of stainless steel and sports a bidirectional fully indexed bezel with navy blue accents. The set of stout lugs protrude from the top and bottom of the case and houses a blue rubber strap with the Patrouille de France logo imprinted so that visually, it’s displayed just north of the dial and the Bell & Ross “BR” logo to the south.

The BR-03 Type A is powered by the BR-CAL.103 quartz movement and also comes equipped with 100 meters of water resistance. In addition to the blue rubber strap, the BR-03 Type A will also be delivered with a black synthetic fabric strap. The 2022 Bell & Ross x Patrouille de France BR-03 Type A is limited to just 100 pieces and retails for $4,400. Bell & Ross