Bell Ross BRocket- 17

A rocket has hit Kuala Lumpur, one belonging to Bell & Ross. The watchmaker's crazy neo-retro B-Rocket concept bike, on display at the Bell & Ross boutique in Pavilion KL till September 17, was brought in to accompany the launch of two "driver's watches", the BR01 and BR03 B-Rocket.

The B-Rocket was designed by Bell & Ross together with Shaw Harley Davidson to break records. Based on a Harley-Davidson Softail Blackline FXS, the 350 kg bike is powered by a 1.6 litre V-twin engine and can reach 200 km/h.

Bell & Ross is famous for its aviation watches and the B-Rocket has many obvious plane-inspired elements. The two side-mounted turbines, evocative of jet engines, functions as an air intake (right) and oil cooler (left). The curved rear section is a hand-worked aerodynamic area that was manufactured using over 30 different sections of steel. The bike's tachometer was designed by B&R.

Now the watches. The BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket feature satin brushed steel cases as well as black padded leather straps with red edging and lining modelled on the B-Rocket's seat. The BR 01 is a chronograph with a large minutes counter as well as a smaller hours counter. A tachymetric scale is inscribed on the outer edges of the dial, and the small seconds counter at the three o'clock mark replicates the graphic display used in experimental vehicle testing.

The smaller, more elaborate BR 03 features a large date window as well as a power reserve indicator. Cutouts on the dial reveal the discs underneath that operate the date window, highlighting the complexity of the mechanism. The circular power reserve indicator at the six o'clock mark mimics a racing fuel gauge.

To further strengthen the connection to the world of racing, the matte black dials on the BR 01 and BR 03 B-Rocket feature graphics inspired by a motorcycle tachometer, and the red triangle that marks 12 o'clock echoes the triangles on the B-Rocket's rev counter and turbines. Both watches are water resistant up to 100 metres in depth and fitted with anti-glare sapphire crystal.