News 
Bruno Belamich, head of design at Bell & Ross, dreamed of a motorbike capable of land speed record racing on the Bonneville salt flats (Utah/USA).
The idea: to design an original machine with a profile that paid tribute to American aviation of the fifties and sixties, and which would become the inspiration behind a new watch for the brand. The objective: the motorbike, the B-Rocket, was to capture the mood of the times and the magic of that legendary place. In the event, it inspired the designer to create two watches which, through their size and their functions, complemented the project: the BR-01 chronograph, and its smaller sister the BR-03 B-Rocket.
To rise to the challenge, Bell & Ross teamed up with Shaw Speed Motorcycles, an official Harley-Davidson dealer in England already well known to the brand from earlier collaborations. Bruno Belamich designed for them a motorbike in the shape of a water droplet, the perfect idea for an expedition to the salt lake. The adventure got off the ground last June when a small team visited the location to shoot a film. With the motorbike… and the watch, naturally - the key character in this highly unusual watchmaking saga.
The trip was an exciting human adventure for the entire team and in particular for Simon Pocok, an experienced motorcyclist who was asked to step up unexpectedly following an injury to the first-choice rider. He was able to push the bike to its limits. «Out there, at one with the machine, the runs were unbelievable. It’s the first time I’ve felt anything like it on a motorbike. If they asked me to go again tomorrow, I’d jump at the chance».
A convincing testimony if ever there was one, marking another date to be added to the adventures of Bell & Ross in its unusual quest to design watches… A journey to the desert salt flats, where speed - and thought - know no bounds.
October 16, 2014