Bell & Ross joins Defender Rally at Dakar 2026, bringing its tool-watch mindset to the toughest race on earth.
There’s something fitting about Bell & Ross finding its way to the Dakar Rally. The watchmaker has always built watches for people who rely on them rather than admire them from a watch case, and rally racing sits comfortably in that same space. As part of the start of the new year, Bell & Ross will serve as the official timing partner for the Defender Rally as it competes in the World Rally-Raid Championship, beginning with the Dakar event. It’s less about logos on bodywork and more about being present where precision, endurance, and focus are non-negotiable, especially when stages stretch endlessly across the Saudi desert and its demanding terrain.
Dakar has a way of exposing weak links, mechanical or human, and that’s largely why it makes sense for Bell & Ross to be involved. Timing in rallies is functional, constant, and unforgiving. For drivers in the Defender Dakar D7X-R, knowing exactly where they stand at any given moment can shape decisions hours down the road. Bell & Ross has spent decades building its reputation around legibility and reliability in extreme conditions, first in aviation and later underwater, and now on track. Dakar is another chapter in that story rather than a departure from it.
The watch heading into the dunes with Defender Rally is the BR-X3 Black Titanium, a creation that leans heavily into its role as an instrument tool rather than a mere accessory. Lightweight grade 2 titanium, a COSC-certified movement, and a dial designed for easy readability all point toward usability over luxury. Visually, the watch’s square case and round dial echo the Defender’s own design language, clean, purposeful, and engineered with intent. In a race defined by long days, physical strain, and mechanical stress, the partnership is more about showing up with the right tools and letting the terrain speak for itself.
Source: Bell & Ross
