Since 1891, BALL Watch Company has been producing mechanical timepieces that comply with the most stringent criteria for precision, quality and reliability. As pioneers of chronometry standards and with a rich past closely associated with the history of the American railroads, BALL Watch remains one of the most respected and well established watch brands in the United States.
The history of BALL watches is inseparable from that of the railroad pioneers. On April 19, 1891, a catastrophic head-on collision between two trains in Kipton, Ohio—caused by the inaccuracy of one of the engineers’ watches—resulted in eight fatalities. The main American railroad companies then entrusted watchmaker Webster Clay Ball with the responsibility of establishing strict chronometric precision standards for all watches used by railroad employees. Webb C. Ball spent the better part of his life helping design a timepiece that fulfilled the requirements of an accurate watch, one that would withstand the rigors of the rough handling and dirt that was inherent in the railroad industry.
The Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer reveals a perfectly balanced design promenading elegance while appearing quite sporty at the same time. The BALL logo, a symbol of precision in accordance with official railroad standards since 1891, has been added on the dial along with the prestigious "Swiss Made" manufacturing origin’s designation and the Chronometer mention as a pledge of accuracy. As a trademark logo on many of the brand’s classic models, the RR (“RailRoad”) monogram stands out delicately at the end of the seconds hand and subtly recalls BALL’s railroad heritage. The dial has voluntarily been kept as plain as possible, with the attention going directly to the wide, luminous gas tubes.
BALL Watch Co. not only distinguishes itself by providing accuracy under adverse conditions, its micro gas tubes also allow a peerless night reading. The tubes provide superior brightness that is about 100 times brighter than the conventional luminous paints commonly used in the watch industry. This state-of-the-art Swiss technology used by BALL Watch consists in encapsulating H3 gas in glass microtubes. Light energy is released when the H3 molecules strike the internal colored surface of the tubes, without requiring recharge from any outside light or energy source. The Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer features a total of 14 micro gas tubes, yellow at 12 o’clock and green for the rest of the dial and hands.
The Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer watch is provided with a COSC certified chronometer movement, the automatic caliber BALL RR1103-C. To protect it, a mu-metal anti-magnetic shield has been selected. Mu-metal is an alloy of nickel, iron, copper and molybdenum with very high magnetic permeability, enabling it to attract and deviate static or low-frequency magnetic field lines.
The use of mu-metal is a genuine industrial feat, capable of protecting a mechanical watch against magnetic fields up to an astonishing intensity of 1,000 Gauss (or 80,000A/m). This model provides hours, minutes, sweep seconds and a magnified date. A screwed-in crown allows a water resistance up to 100m/330ft and the case is made of 904L stainless steel for higher durability. Thanks to its extra amounts of chromium, molybdenum, nickel and copper, 904L steel features superior resistance to corrosion, rust and acids. The Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer is now available in a variety of colours, from the classic black, blue and grey to the modernist green, red and ice blue. Today, more than ever, BALL Watch is continuing its journey and asserting its role as a key protagonist in the exploration of modern time and the evolution of watchmaking history.
About BALL Watch Company
BALL Watch Company is a timekeeping pioneer and celebrated manufacturer of quality, precise and reliable timepieces since 1891. The company was literally founded by accident. Following a tragic 1891 Kipton, Ohio head-on train collision, American railroad companies appointed Webster Clay Ball "Chief Time Inspector" to supervise newly synchronized timing protocols. This standardized "railroad time" efficiency originated the popular "Be on the Ball" proverb and inspired the future Swiss Society of Chronometry (COSC) which governs the highest watch timing certification standards today.