On the wrist, the Ball Trainmaster Manufacture is 40mm wide by 10mm thick. This creates an extremely well-proportioned apparel watch, and also the thin lugs offer it an even dressier look. Otherwise, the majority of the Ball Trainmaster Manufacture’s design is rare for a Ball timepiece. That said, there is a big “Ball” logo on the dial, and what exactly the watch lacks in fresh identity it makes up for in simple, elegant style.Ball calls the caliber RRM1101 “fabrication,” however it isn’t quite clear what that means. I really don’t think that Ball personally produces the movement (at least the vast majority of it), therefore this is just what you could call an “exclusive” motion versus an “in-house” one. The motion is easy but pleasant to look at through the sapphire crystal display caseback around the back of this watch. The caliber RRM1101 is an automatic with a custom automated rotor and decent finishing. It is not “haute horology,” but it is decently finished along with a nice visual experience around the reverse of an otherwise very straightforward dial.UPDATE: Ball has offered a little more information about the RRM1101 motion and clarifies what “Manufacture” means. In accordance with Ball the movement is designed by them and assembled by them. They do not produce the components, but rather use quality providers to create the components. Ball doesn’t have the machines or people to produce the components but they do have expertise developing modules and other motion components. So again, while the sections of this “Manufacture” RRM1101 aren’t created in-house, Ball says that the design was designed by these, and they assembled the movements in-house.
Ball Watch Company, recognized for their tritium gas vial-illuminated sports watches, announces a preorder campaign for any limited edition version of one of their most widely used pieces. The new Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne II was created in collaboration with and to commemorate the united states Air Force Pararescue community.
Given the elite special operations environment for which the new piece is designed, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne II is meant to be robust and features a 42mm stainless case and tapered bracelet with Ball's durable buckle design. A ceramic unidirectional bezel, illuminated with Super-LumiNova, completes the no-nonsense concept and adds another way of measuring hardiness.
The case is also adapted to give extreme protection to the crown, a traditional weak point in watches. Instead of traditional crown guards, Ball Watch 2nd Hand employs a hinged steel guard for that screw down crown which protects it from impacts that might affect the movement. An anti-reflective and scratch-proof sapphire crystal protects the dial.
In addition, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne II sports no less than 24 micro gas tubes which are 1mm each for Ball's signature enhanced nighttime legibility. The timepiece is resistant to 120m of water pressure, 4,800A/m of magnetism, and 5,000G shocks because of Ball's patented SpringLOCK anti-shock system. SpringLOCK employs a cage that limits the unfurling of the coils in case of any external impacts and decreases the risk of breakage to the link between the balance spring and the balance.
Ball's Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne II is completed by the inclusion of a COSC-certified BALL RR1102-SL (ETA 2836-2) caliber which guarantees excellent accuracy inside a piece designed to time high-stakes military operations. Protecting the movement is a caseback engraved with the US Air Force Pararescue emblem and with the option of adding a personalized engraving. Note that the maker of tritium gas tubes MB-Microtec, who we visited here, can also be credited on the caseback.
The Ball Watch Hong Kong Price Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne II, restricted to only 1000 pieces, is going to be available with either a black or blue dial along with the option of a stainless steel bracelet or a rubber strap with a pin buckle. Pre-order pricing, available through the brand’s site until November 15, 2021, is $1,699 on a rubber strap or $1,799 on the stainless steel bracelet. Pre-ordered Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Airborne II watches are required to ship between February and March of 2021 with general ordering to open in April at full retail prices of $2,999 and $3,199, respectively. ballwatch.ch
