Bell & Ross / BR-X3 Black Titanium
Key Highlights
- Bell & Ross becomes Official Timing Partner of Defender Rally in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) from 2026.
- Defender D7X-R crews are equipped with the BR-X3 Black Titanium for demanding rally-raid stages.
- The collaboration underscores shared values of precision, endurance, performance and clear functionality.
- The Bell & Ross “circle within a square” design echoes the purposeful lines of the Defender D7X-R.
A New Timing Partner for Rally-Raid
Bell & Ross takes on the role of Official Timing Partner of Defender Rally in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) from the first round of the 2026 season, positioning its watches as instruments for competition rather than accessories.
Rally-raid legs in the Saudi desert expose equipment to heat, shock and relentless pace, a context that aligns with Bell & Ross’ focus on functional tool watches and places its expertise in precision and robustness in a visible real-world laboratory.
Shared Values: Precision, Endurance, Performance
The alliance rests on values common to both the Defender D7X-R and Bell & Ross: precision, endurance and performance, with drivers trusting their vehicle and navigation over hostile terrain as professionals rely on a watch that remains accurate and legible under stress.
Carlos Rosillo, Co‑founder and CEO of Bell & Ross, presents the W2RC as an expression of boldness and exploration, a mindset he sees at the core of the brand and embodied by the BR-X3 Black Titanium.
BR-X3 Black Titanium: Instrument for the Desert
As part of the partnership, Defender Rally drivers wear the BR-X3 Black Titanium, conceived as professional equipment for long stages and harsh climates, with a grade 2 titanium case combining strength with low weight for comfort and resistance over extended periods.
A COSC-certified manufacture movement underlines the watch’s chronometric credentials, while the dial layout prioritises immediate legibility so indications remain clear amid dust, glare and vibration, mirroring the Defender D7X-R’s mission to tackle demanding landscapes.
From Aviation Cockpits to Rally-Raid Stages
Founded in 1994 by Carlos‑A. Rosillo and Bruno Belamich, Bell & Ross built its reputation on professional aviation watches inspired by cockpit instruments and summed up in the “from the cockpit to the wrist” motto.
The BR-01 translated aeronautical displays into a square case with a round dial, a design that now defines the professional BR-03 collection, the urban BR-05 line and the avant‑garde BR-X5 manufacture range, while collaborations with La Patrouille de France and the Rafale Solo Display extend this performance universe across air, water and desert competition.
Design Dialogue with the Defender D7X-R
Bell & Ross highlights the affinity between its square professional watches and the Defender D7X-R’s purposeful lines, with the signature “circle within a square” case, introduced with the BR-01 in 2005, translating the look of cockpit instruments into a wrist-worn format with clear angles and an instrumental aesthetic suited to rally-raid.
According to Bruno Belamich, Co‑Founder and Creative Director of Bell & Ross, this functional design language naturally echoes the Defender D7X-R, with both expressing an uncompromising character grounded in clarity, robustness and utility.
Why It Matters
For enthusiasts and collectors across the GCC, where desert terrain is part of everyday life, the partnership between Bell & Ross and Defender Rally places the BR-X3 Black Titanium in a context that feels authentic and locally resonant. By proving its instruments in the Saudi desert under W2RC conditions, Bell & Ross shows how its design and engineering philosophy responds to environments familiar to regional drivers and watch aficionados.
This collaboration also signals the brand’s intent to remain closely connected to high-performance arenas that speak to GCC audiences, from aviation to motorsport, with watches conceived as serious tools for those worlds.
