or its new instrument watch, Bell & Ross returns to its love for motorcycles and continues with an exploration of dynamic shapes. Inspired by the avant-garde lines of stealth aircraft, the new BR 03-94 Blacktrack chronograph watch is the perfect match for the Blacktrack BT-06 motorcycle, created jointly by Sacha Lakic and the watch brand’s designers.

Some designers are truly gifted. From automotive and industrial design including interiors, architecture, furniture and even bicycles and scooters, for Sacha Lakic, nothing can slow down inspiration. Lakic expresses his talent across many creative areas: furniture design with the Bubble sofa, an iconic piece from Roche Bobois, street furniture with Stay Concrete, and even designer furniture for dogs and cats for Bogarel, the brand he co-founded.

But speed and movement remain at the heart of the designer’s work. The man behind the style of the Venturi exceptional electric vehicles, Sacha Lakic has received several awards for his daring designs. His concepts are behind several extraordinary motorcycles, notably for the French brand Voxan, before branching out and creating his own brand in 2016: Blacktrack.

“The goal is to create functional products full of passion that give their owners pleasure and stir up emotion. Blacktrack creates that rare feeling that emanates from an extraordinary meeting of performance and shape, colour, and distinctive design,” says Lakic. This approach is manifested directly in his café racers and, more recently, in the launch of a range of lifestyle accessories.

It’s no secret that Bell & Ross is intrinsically linked to aeronautics. But fans of the brand are also aware of its forays into the world of motorcycles over the past decade. This exciting adventure combining design, technique and performance began in 2011, when Bell & Ross joined forces with Shaw Harley-Davidson to create a unique motorcycle: The Nascafe Racer Bell & Ross. Among its notable features are the special BR 01 Carbon watch inserted in the central console, like an on-board tool. In 2014, Bell & Ross paid a creative tribute to the golden age of two-wheel speed records with the spectacular B-Rocket. Inspired by the first jet planes designed in the USA, the concept bike was created with engineers from Shaw Harley-Davidson. The B-Rocket directly inspired Bruno Belamich, Creative Director of Bell & Ross, to create two instrument watches: the BR 01 chronograph and its little sister, the BR 03 B-Rocket. In 2023, the BR 03-94 Blacktrack opens a new chapter in this fascinating and daring saga. At the heart of the project is the idea of a motorcycle fairing inspired by the faceting on stealth planes, with a desire to create a machine with flat, angular surfaces.

Once again, the iconic Bell & Ross design is manifested in a surprising way with the new BR 03-94 Blacktrack chronograph, featuring a 42mm case in matte black ceramic that is water-resistant to 100 metres. Its appearance is still inspired by the world of aeronautics. This creative source can also be found in some elements of the design of the Blacktrack BT-06 motorcycle, whose faceted angles are a direct reference to the technical design of stealth aircraft. Bikers will notice the motor-inspired black calfskin strap right away, hemmed with a red edge and lined with high-resistance technical material. The strap closes with a steel pin buckle with black PVD coating, while the quilting on the strap itself is a nod to the motorbike saddle covers and rider’s suits.

Innovative and iconoclastic, the new BR 03-94 Blacktrack dial takes on the appearance of a dashboard. Bell & Ross is known for transferring the precision of cockpit instruments to the wrist; now, for the first time, the counters on this chronograph adopt the very specific design of the dials on motorcycle handlebars. The link with motorcycle instrumentation is clear. In the red tone of a gauge, the 30-minute chronograph totaliser is immediately readable. The dial features a subtle detail: the superposition of the off-centre chronograph second hand over the minute hand creates the Blacktrack “B”. This faceting work is also found on the bezel, which has an octagonal shape when viewed from above. With a subtle contrasting mix of grey and black, feature notable exquisitely on the numbers, all the information is present and readable on a dial that leans into dark tones, complete with an openwork cooling grid. At the flange and indices, the typography of the numbers is carefully crafted. The indices are treated with Super-LumiNova, and same applies to the skeletonised hands. To mark the ever-existing connection between Bell & Ross and Motorcycles, the BR 03-94 Blacktrack chronograph can be inserted in the centre of the motorcycle console, allowing the instrument watch to be moved from wrist to dashboard: the symbiosis between the two machines is complete.

As with all Bell & Ross watches, the BR 03-94 Blacktrack does not stop at fine aesthetic execution. Above all, it is an instrument watch designed to be precise, readable, functional, and reliable. The focus on performance and reliability is at the centre of this collaboration. As such, the design has a fine engine: at the heart of the sporty contemporary timepiece is the BR-CAL.301 self-winding mechanical movement. A calibre with sophisticated finishes and a 42-hour power reserve, it allows the display of the hours, minutes, seconds and date, as well as chronograph functions. It perfectly meets the performance of the 1,200cc that powers the Blacktrack motorcycle. Efficiency meets personality.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Movement: calibre BR-CAL.301. Automatic mechanical. 42-hour power reserve.

• Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds at 3 o’clock. Date. Elapsed time chronograph: 30-min timer at 9 o’clock, central chronograph seconds. Minute track on the flange.

• Case: 42 mm in width. Matte black ceramic.

• Dial: black. Indices coated in Super-LumiNova®. Metal skeletonised Super-LumiNova®-filled hour and minute hands. Black flange with grey coated numeral and indices.

• Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating.

• Water-resistance: 100 metres.

• Strap: black and red calfskin leather and ultra-resilient black synthetic fabric.

• Buckle: pin. Steel with black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) finish.