Bell & Ross BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket: A 42mm Automatic Inspired by Speed Skiing
Inspired by Simon Billy’s record run, the BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket pairs a white-and-red racing dial with an automatic chronograph and 60-hour reserve.
Simon Billy’s speed-skiing record gives Bell & Ross a vivid starting point for the BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket: a 42mm automatic chronograph that borrows the look of vintage racing watches. The design carries the French skier’s red-and-white palette onto the brand’s square-cased BR-05, while the movement and display keep the watch grounded in familiar chronograph territory.
Bell & RossBilly reached 158.7 miles per hour in 2023, setting the world speed-skiing record. He is also a four-time reigning gold medalist in the Speed Skiing World Championships. Bell & Ross created the limited-run BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket in recognition of those achievements, drawing on the visual impact of his red race suit against snow.
A racing look on the BR-05 platform
The Snow Rocket builds on Bell & Ross’s BR-05 Chrono, introduced in 2020. That model brought a bicompax chronograph to the brand’s integrated sports watch, recognizable by its rounded-square case and bezel with four exposed screws. The Snow Rocket keeps that case architecture but gives the dial a distinct identity, leaning toward automotive timing instruments more than conventional ski imagery.
Its white face is marked in red, with applied italicized Arabic numerals and skeletonized baton hour and minute hands. A tapered central seconds hand adds another sharp line to the display. The subdials retain the BR-05’s rounded-square shape, while a tachymeter scale runs around the rehaut. Bell & Ross has also moved the date window to 6 o’clock, leaving the main dial layout to carry the racing influence.
The 42mm stainless steel case combines satin-brushed flat surfaces with polished chamfers. An extended crown guard sits between the screw-down crown and the angled, bumper-style chronograph pushers. These details preserve the BR-05’s substantial, angular character while the brighter dial brings the Snow Rocket’s theme into view at a glance.
Two strap choices, one automatic caliber
Buyers can choose an integrated, tapered steel bracelet or a tapered red rubber strap. The bracelet uses brushed H-links, polished center links and a butterfly clasp. The rubber option echoes the dial accents more directly and gives the watch a sportier visual finish.
Inside, the BR-Cal.326 automatic movement is based on the Sellita SW510. It runs at 4Hz and offers a 60-hour power reserve. A sapphire exhibition caseback exposes the movement and its red, circular skeletonized rotor, decorated with a stylized image of Billy in motion. The watch is rated to 100 meters of water resistance, according to its specifications.
The Snow Rocket’s appeal rests on how it translates a specific athlete’s achievement into a watch design without relying on literal snow-sport equipment cues. Its dial reads like a motorsport chronograph, while the red rotor and strap option make the connection to Billy’s speed-skiing story more apparent. For readers drawn to the BR-05’s integrated case and chronograph layout, those details set this edition apart.
Availability and specifications
Bell & Ross lists the BR-05 Chrono Snow Rocket at $7,200 on the rubber strap and $7,700 on the steel bracelet. The reported specifications include a 42mm case, automatic BR-Cal.326 movement and 100-meter water resistance.
Bell & RossWith its 60-hour reserve and two distinct strap configurations, the Snow Rocket keeps the BR-05 Chrono’s core format while making its color story the defining feature. The record behind it is remarkable; the watch’s strongest case is the way that speed-inspired palette works with a racing-style dial and the familiar squared steel case.
