The Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Bellytanker is the brand’s second watch on the Bellytanker theme. Like the three-hand BR V1-94, it was inspired by Bell & Ross’s own reinterpretation of a hot rod created by Bill Burke in 1946, using a military surplus auxiliary fuel tank from the Mustang P-51, and later a similar fuel tank from the P-38. It has the same overall colour scheme as the BR V1-94, except that there is more black, because the subdials are this colour. This watch is also larger than the V1-94, at 41 mm. It has a screw-down crown and pushers, enabling it to retain a 10 bar/100 metre water resistance rating.
There are two versions of the watch, one with a sappire caseback providing a view of the movement, and one with a solid caseback with an engraving of the B&R Bellytanker. The two subdials are for 30 chronograph minutes (9 o’clock) and continuous seconds (3 o’clock). The bezel is fixed, and it has a tachymeter scale. The hour and minute hands are coated in SuperLuminova for night-time visibility.
Strap or bracelet
There are two trap options, a soft leather strap that has been treated to give it a vintage, aged look, or a satin-polished steel bracelet.
Movement
The watch is powered by the self-winding BR-CAL.301 movement. This is based on the ETA 2894-2, which has 37 jewels, runs at 4 Hertz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and has a 42-hour power reserve.
References and prices
The Bell & Ross BR V2-94 is a limited edtion of 500 watches, with two versions. Reference BRV294-BT-ST/SCA has a leather strap and costs €3,990; reference BRV294-BT-ST/SST has a steel bracelet and costs €4,300. Read more on the Bell & Ross website.