Belly of the beast

The Bellytanker is a modern recreation of the 1940s and ’50s race car built and driven by hot rod icon Bill Burke, and to coincide with the debut of this futuristic retro-racer, Bell & Ross has also revealed a new watch duo inspired by the car. Limited to 500 examples each, and both designated with the Bellytanker nomenclature, the BR V1-92 and BR V2-94 are modern timepieces with a vintage feel. With metallic copper dials, Arabic numerals, and satin-polished stainless-steel cases, the two are primarily differentiated by size (and price). The 38.5mm BR V1-92 is powered by the automatic calibre BR-CAL.302 and features a power reserve of 38 hours, an added date function, and a leather strap, while the BR V2-94 is 2.5mm larger, with an added column wheel chronograph function, and a more powerful calibre increasing its power reserve to 42 hours. Unlike its smaller sibling, the BR V2-94 is available with either a leather strap or steel bracelet and the caseback can be opened to reveal the movement inside. Although there has been no confirmation as to whether the Bellytanker racer will be made available to the public, the BR V1-92 and BR V2-94 can be purchased for €2,218 and €3,867, respectively — or if you want a steel bracelet to match the exposed metal body of the Bellytanker racer, the BR V2-94 can be available with such for €4,152.

Photos: Bell & Ross