Bell & Ross’s new BR 03-94 Multimeter packs several useful calculation tools into a colourful and unique new watch
The chronograph watch is best associated with racing, its stopwatch function naturally lending itself to the timing of all kinds of sports. However, historically it has served a multitude of purposes that makes it perhaps the most versatile complication, and explains why it remains one of the most popular and ubiquitous today.
The first chronograph is thought to have been invented by French watchmaker Louis Moinet in 1816, a pocket watch devised specially for use by astronomers. And in the centuries since, it has been adopted by everyone from pilots preparing their flight plans to the navy to determine the position of ships at sea. It’s also proved useful in the medical field, with special models that allow the accurate reading of a pulse.
The new Bell & Ross BR 03-94 Multimeter is a smorgasbord of all these functions and more in one, a true celebration of the chronograph and its capabilities. Designed as something of a one-stop shop for sports and fitness enthusiasts, its eye-catching brightly hued dial is one of the most information-rich on the market, enabling the wearer to conduct multiple measurements at the click of a button.
This is achieved via the tracks that run around the edge of the dial. The orange is a pulsometer; count 15 beats and stop the chronograph hand to display the pulse rate per minute. Similarly, the asthmometer, marked in dark green, monitors expirations per minute on a five-breath basis. The remaining three tracks are each tachymeters, calculating the speed an object is travelling in km/h. These are based on the time it takes to travel a set distance (100m, 250m and 1km), here corresponding to a runner, cyclist and sports car respectively.
Adding to its bold aesthetic is the choice of Bell & Ross’s signature round-in-a-square case shape, itself a nod to the flight instruments found in cockpits that this watch resembles in its technicality. Whether you take your athlete pursuits seriously, or are simply into idiosyncratic horological design, this limited edition of 500 is sure to catch the eye.
