If this year has had one dominant horological theme, it is space. IWC has developed a mechanical watch specifically for commercial spaceflight, Breitling has returned to the Cosmonaute with an Artemis II edition and Bremont is preparing to send a Supernova Chronograph on a one-way trip to the Moon. And last month, Bell & Ross got in on the act, too, albeit in a more nuanced way.

While it may not actually be heading for the stars, the dial of the new BR-X5, uses material that has come from them: Meteorite. To be precise, it is Muonionalusta meteorite from Sweden with an estimated age of 4.5 billion years and. The monochromatic slashes of the Widmanstätten pattern were formed by the heating and cooling of its iron and nickle content as it hit Earth in a fire ball and slowly cooled down.

This dial is different to many other meteorite dials in that it is not a sliver of stone applied to a brass base. Rather it is a solid slice attached directly via the dial ‘feet’. The surface has a protective PVD layer topped with rhodium-plated indexes and baton hands, both filled with Super-LumiNova. Balancing the layout, there is a triple date window  at 3 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 9.

The industrial flavor that the BR-X5 is known for works particularly well with the meteorite – the irregular crystalline pattern adds just enough interest and texture without taking away from the watch’s technical aethetic. The brushed and polished case complements the gray and silver tones of the dial, while both the integrated steel bracelet and the alternative black rubber strap continue the tone-on-tone effect.

Tech Specs: Bell & Ross BR-X5 Meteorite

Movement Self-winding Caliber BR-CAL.323; COSC certified; approximately 70-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes and seconds; large date at 3 o’clock; power-reserve indicator at 9 o’clock
Case Satin-finished and polished steel; 41mm diameter; 12.8mm thick; screw-down crown with crown guard; sapphire caseback; 100m of water resistance
Dial Solid Muonionalusta meteorite; rhodium-plated applied indexes with white Super-LumiNova; skeletonised rhodium-plated hands with white Super-LumiNova; satin-finished 60-minute flange
Strap Satin-finished and polished steel bracelet or black rubber strap; folding steel buckle
Price USD 9,200 on strap; USD 9,700 on bracelet
Availability Limited edition of 250 pieces