Category: BALL Replica

Ball Watches Free Dive Ambassador Guillaume Néry Surfaces With New Underwater Epic Video


Guillaume Néry stunned the world with the release of his 2010 short film Free Fall. In it, the world-champion French free diver and Ball Watches brand ambassador explores the depths of the sea within “Dean’s Blue Hole” – the deepest such ocean cavity in the world. The resulting cinematic experience became a spectacular viral video: if you haven’t seen it yet, it will blow your mind. (We’ve included it at the bottom of the post, just in case you’re not one of the near 21,000,000 people who’ve seen it on YouTube.) And now Néry is back with a new film, Ocean Gravity (above), following in the wake of some stunning Ball Watches Gold Replica collaborations.

Ball Ambassador Guillaume Néry & His Limited Edition Watches (image: iWmagazine.com)

Néry launched his pro career with his 2002 record descent of 87 meters, with Ball sponsorship following in 2006. A charter member of Ball’s Explorers Club, Néry has collaborated on a number of his own very cool dive watches with the fascinating brand famed for its impossibly tough tool watches – including a very cool signature dive chronograph (named “FreeFall” after Néry’s cinematic triumph) and the awesome Engineer Master II Diver Worldtime.

Personally, I find Néry’s signature timepiece one of the most beautiful and distinctive divers out there, with its stunning ocean-blue dial and intriguing bezel integration; some serious anti-reflective coating on the sapphire crystal, rugged, yet well finished steel casing, 300 meters of water resistance, and a chronograph function to measure the free diver’s precious remaining moments of breath register this as a serious tool for divers. It also has Ball’s trademark 5,000 Gs of shock resistance – actually a more necessary feature than one might think for diving (protecting above and beyond more than most dive watches do, taking into account the considerable impact a timepiece endures when a diver hits the water). And yes, it has a helluva lot of wrist presence, as does the award-winning Diver Worldtime, which boasts a dazzlingly postmodern yet timeless design from current star Ball Watches In Australia Replica designer (and possible next Gerald Genta) Magali Métrailler.

The Ball Engineer III CarboLIGHT is available in both 40mm and 43mm case sizes with a thickness of 13mm. Both variations are closely balanced and even the bigger version is intended to wear comfortably as a result of this situation’s lightweight properties. A massive crown allows for easy operation plus a durable scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with date magnifier rounds outside from CarboLIGHT’s slick layout. Moreover, the Ball Engineer III CarboLIGHT can be configured with both a blue or a black dial. Both finishes nicely compliment the carbon fiber instance composite and the screen is as straightforward as they come. Large baton indexes mark the hours and large sword hands are used for fast and easy legibility. Here, we also see a Ball signature — self-powered miniature gas light tubes that need no external charging.Another standout characteristic is the movement, which will be a COSC chronometer certified automatic caliber Ball RR1103-C. The base is the ETA 2824 with a 38 hour power reserve and 28,800bph operational frequency. Apart from the highly precise nature of the motion, the added Amortiser® system helps protect it from lateral impacts. At length, the Ball Engineer III CarboLIGHT includes a calf leather strap with pin buckle or a black rubber strap for a more rugged and casual feel.

While History Of Ball Watches Replica aficionados love his Ball watches, Néry is better known to the general public for his mindblowing YouTube videos. (Although, of course, he did indeed rock his limited-edition Engineer II Master Diver in Free Fall.) Now Néry and his filmmaking partner Julie Gautier are back with another incredible diving video, Ocean Gravity, and it’s sure to go viral again – and yes, he is repping Team Ball in it! Per the press release, Ocean Gravity depicts “a man, in a weightless condition, orbiting around a planet. Motionless, he glides at a high speed into a cosmos that appears to be endless. After a few seconds, we realize the reality… The cosmos is the ocean, the planet is the submerged surface of the earth, and the astronaut is a freediver. Welcome to the surrealist world of Ocean Gravity.” And if you missed Néry’s Free Fall must-see masterpiece, well, here it is below. Enjoy. ballwatch.com

Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT Watch


One of the reasons I really enjoy Ball watches so much is the incredibly prolific nature of their watch department. It isn’t just the amount of new watches Ball releases each year, but also the sheer variety that interests me. That, and the fact that despite all the visual novelty, most Ball watches are good at retaining that sense of core brand DNA which makes their products distinct and noticeable. Another new 2014 model is this Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT timepiece.

Ball even goes so far as to name the designer personally – something which is highly unusual in the Ball Watch Ohio 38mm Replica industry, especially when it comes to watches priced under $100,000, when “art” is sold more than the sheer utilitarian nature of the watch. The Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT watch was designed for Ball by Magali Métrailler, a talented female watch designer who also created their well-regarded Ball for BMW watch collection, as well as design work for Jaeger-LeCoultre. What I think most typifies Magali Métrailler’s work, from my perspective, is her ability to combine a sense of composed Swiss/French elegance with a resolutely modern take on design. She is an up-and-coming star in my personal opinion, who I hope continues to be featured in more and more high-profile watch design projects.

Whereas Ball has been very successful with design as of late, they still haven’t quite be able to mirror that sentiment in their “watch naming department” (should one even exist). With all the majesty and refinement they bring to the world of modern macho watch design, Ball watch names seem to be a sometimes random assortment of often redundant terms which, in my opinion, do not fit the high-quality personality most of these products have going for them. Why is this an issue? Primarily because I don’t think consumers can recall the names of their watches, which makes it hard for them to think about looking for them or asking about them in stores.

Consumers (for the most part) aren’t going to recall the reference numbers of watches, so brands have a vested interest in creating easy to remember names for their products that consumers can hear (or read) just a few times and commit to memory. Having said that, as part of the Ball Engineer Master II collection this reference GM3090C-SAJ-BK or GM3090C-LLAJ-BK (depending on the strap) is 43.5mm wide in steel, and just 11.9mm thick – making for a very wearable albeit modern sport watch, available on a leather strap or good-looking steel metal bracelet.

A new famous for supplying substantial value and high-end construction in the watches they produce, Ball Watch Company is once again introducing another exciting timepiece to their growing Engineer collection. The Ball Engineer III CarboLIGHT is the brand’s most recent model and a Ball Watch 999b Replica that fuses two groundbreaking substances into the case construction. Here, carbon fiber and mu-metal are both utilized to produce a situation that is ultra-light, corrosion resistant, and highly anti-magnetic. Ball describes this as their CarboNANO technologies and now, the Ball Engineer III CarboLIGHT is readily available for a very special pre-order price.Together with the accompanying stainless steel version — the Ball Engineer III IronLIGHT — the CarboLIGHT marks Ball’s most recent plunge into the world of producing robust timepieces with advanced materials. Maybe the version’s most standout characteristic is its case, which has a distinct irregular pattern that makes each watch unique. This is a distinguishing trait that is due to utilizing carbon, which weighs about 50% significantly less than stainless steel and delivers a significantly lighter texture that is long-lasting. Beneath the surface, Ball also incorporates a full layer of mu-metal around the movement that allows the watch to both draw and deflect static or low-frequency magnetic field lines for interference-free functioning.

If the dial of the Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT looks a bit different than most Ball watches, that is because it is. While the hour markers look like those you typically see on Ball watches – meaning they are made using tritium gas tubes – what is different is how they are applied. Rather than sit on top of the dial, they are set flush with the dial. This offers a new type of look for Ball and was done so that the GMT hand can move while being placed low on the dial. While the GMT hand has a familiar Rolex Explorer look, it doesn’t use tritium gas tubes. In fact, the Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT Ball Watches Latest Model Replica is among the few Ball timepieces that has SuperLuminova on the dial in addition to tritium gas tubes. That means the GMT hand can look more traditional, but isn’t going to be as visible in the dark.

In order to keep the main watch dial clean, there is a flange ring for the minutes and a bi-directional rotating bezel with a 24 hour scale on it. Magali did a nice job of giving the piece an overall classic design but with a more modern flair. Like most Ball watches, the case of the Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT is admirably durable, being water resistant to 100 meters and shock resistant. Over the dial is an AR-coated sapphire crystal. The case would have been anti-magnetic, but Ball decided to go for a sapphire crystal caseback window that allows for the wearer to see the movement – something that is rather rare for Ball’s sport watches.

Inside of the Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT History Of Ball Watches Replica is a base Swiss ETA 2893 automatic GMT movement that Ball calls their caliber RR1201. As I said above, you can see the movement through the caseback window. The overall look of the design is very indicative of what the brand is best at today, and more importantly is a relatively good value. I know a lot of watches with the same movement and even more simple cases that are priced at twice as much as the Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT.

I have nothing bad to say about the black crocodile strap with red stitching which is available with the watch, but my preference is most always going to be with a metal bracelet, when one is offered. In this case, the steel bracelet, with a design common to other Ball watches, matches the modern look and feel of this sporty yet rather thin (for a Ball) GMT watch. Of course, when you step outside of the “conservative box” you know that often times designs will be polarizing – something that Ball knows only too well. With that said, I think the Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT has appeal to not only typical Ball watch fans but also those who don’t typically like the modern design of Ball’s products. Another testament to the watch design work of Magali Metrailler. Price for the reference GM3090C-SAJ-BK and GM3090C-LLAJ-BK Ball Engineer Master II Pilot GMT watch is $2,499. ballwatch.com

Ball Engineer II Magneto S Watch With Iris Anti-Magnetic Caseback


A brand known for supplying considerable value and luxury construction from the watches that they produce, Ball Watch Company is once more introducing another exciting timepiece to their developing Engineer collection. The Ball Engineer III CarboLIGHT is your brand’s most recent model plus a Ball Watches Usa Replica that fuses two revolutionary materials into the case construction. Here, carbon fiber and mu-metal are both used to generate a case that’s ultra-light, corrosion resistant, and thoroughly anti-magnetic. Ball describes the as their CarboNANO technologies and now, the Ball Engineer III CarboLIGHT is available for a very special pre-order price.Together with the accompanying stainless steel model — the Ball Engineer III IronLIGHT — the CarboLIGHT marks Ball’s latest plunge into the world of producing robust timepieces with advanced materials. Maybe the version’s most standout characteristic is its case, that has a distinct uneven pattern which makes every watch unique. This is a distinguishing characteristic that’s due to utilizing carbon, which weighs about 50% significantly less than stainless steel and provides a significantly lighter feel that’s long-lasting. Under the surface, Ball also incorporates a full coating of mu-metal around the motion that allows the watch to both draw and deflect inactive or low-frequency magnetic field lines for interference-free functioning. Pair this with Ball’s Amortiser® system that protects against extreme shock, and you also own a wristwatch which could get you through anything.

Perhaps the most exciting new Ball watch from Baselworld 2014 was not yet complete, but we did get to play with a prototype. It is the Engineer II Magneto S watch, and it offers a distinct approach to offering a modern anti-magnetic timepiece. In a nutshell, here is how it works. The bezel of the watch actually operates an iris-style shield that opens and closes over the movement. Ball calls this new system “A-PROOF” and it is being debuted here in the Engineer II Magneto watch.

Of course, A-PROOF comes at a time when anti-magnetic is “hot” thanks to Omega’s >15,000 Gauss 8 Ball Watches Replica and new Master Co-Axial movements. Omega’s approach is more passive and automatic in the sense that their movements aren’t really magnetic at all, so therefore they simply don’t react to most magnetic fields. Ball takes a more interactive approach that, while perhaps a bit less practical, makes for a good tool tech toy. Ball claims that most of their anti-magnetic watches are resistant to about 12,000 A/m, while A-PROOF allows a watch to be resistant to 80,000 A/m.

The iris-style blades that open and close like a camera shutter are produced from a new type of metal for the watch industry called “mumetal.” Sadly that is the best name they someone with little creative skills was able to come up with. Mumetal is an alloy and, according to Ball, is far superior to shielding against magnetic fields than the soft irons historically used. Of course, the coolest thing is seeing the blades open and close over the movement, which I admit to being very fun to watch.

Ball includes more tech into the Engineer II Magneto S watch including SpringLOCK (covered more here), which protects against the accuracy destroying nature of vibrations. This is all part of the Ball caliber RR1103-CSL movement which is a base ETA that has been heavily modified and is COSC Chronometer certified. It is cool that if you anticipate being around magnetic fields you can use the bezel to “secure” the movement, but if you want to see the movement through the sapphire crystal caseback you can do that as well. Of course, you need to be aware of whether you are going to be exposed to a magnetic field, but if you are at least you don’t need to remove the watch from your wrist to protect it.

The prototype version of the Engineer II Magneto S watch we played with at Baselworld 2014 wasn’t quite ready for action so we didn’t take pictures, but I can say that the concept works and the watch is cool looking. The Magneto S is 42mm wide and not too thick at 12.9mm. The overall design is rather military and retro inspired, especially with the cordura textile strap and green accents. I do like the legible dial and of course it is fitted with tritium gas tubes in the hands and hour markers for illumination. It’s really a great watch if you like green accents, but not a green watch.

I anticipate Ball to commercially release the Engineer II Magneto S ref. NM3022C-NCJ-BK watch later in 2014. It will be a test for the new A-PROOF technology, which, if successful, will show up in future watches–though it will likely not be as prevalent as SpringLOCK that has more application in a wider array of Ball timepieces. This is also one of at least two comic book sounding watches–in addition to the Magneto S there is also the Marvelight for 2014. ballwatch.com

Ball Conductor Transcendent Watch Review


By now, you are surely aware of the ties Ball Watch has to the railroad industry (in a nutshell, they created the first watches certified for use to keep the trains on time and not running into each other). That is reflected in the names of the watches that they have created (for instance, the Engineer and Fireman lines). What about the person who keeps things orderly in the passenger compartment – the conductor? Turns out, Ball has not left that position behind in their naming. Today, we will be reviewing what seems to be an overlooked slice of their collection, the Ball Conductor Transcendent.

When you compare the Ball Conductor Transcendent to the rest of the lineup, it is definitely the odd man out. While other watches give off an air of rugged durability, this Ball Watch Trainmaster Worldtime Chronograph Replica instead shoots for a more elegant feel, albeit one that is in a case shape you simply do not see in dress watches (or, at least, I have not). At first glance, you might thing the steel case was a simple square one with a bit of rounding. As it turns out, it’s actually a bit more rectangular leaning (37.5mm by 47.5mm), and has a lot more curves hiding in it than a quick glance would reveal.

The most prominent of those comes courtesy of the sapphire crystal, which the brand labels as a TV screen style. And you know what? I see it – it definitely has the shape and curve of an old CRT type of screen. It is an interesting look, and it helps the case height to slope down side to side and top to bottom, making for a more compact fit on the wrist. The other “hidden” curve helps in that regard as well, and shows up on the reverse of the watch.

Yes, that is right – the Ball Conductor Transcendent has a curved case back. This is something I have not run across a lot, but it definitely helps to snug the watch in tighter to your wrist. For a more compact dress piece like this, I think the curves (front and back) work quite nicely in terms of the styling, and, of course, help to get the watch out from under a cuff (and back in) without any issue.

Even with the curved caseback, you do still get an exhibition window through which you can see the Ball RR1101 automatic movement. This is due to the fact that the center of the case is actually flat. You can pick that up on the dial side as well. Taking a closer look at the dial, you see that the corners actually angle down (to accommodate the curvature of the case), leaving you with a sort of “hidden” circle that is visible on the dial. This is, obviously, due to the fact that the movement itself is not curved. I rather liked the look, and frankly, it is not all that noticeable (the corners bent down) unless the light hits it just right.

The rest of the dial is rather well-balanced, with the the larger numerals (so the tritium tubes can be affixed) taking a prominent place. Quite obviously, between the numerals and indices, seeing the time day or night is quite easy, and provides the lightshow that Ball is known for. The one wrinkle in that part of the performance comes in courtesy of the hour hand. While the minute hand is a good size for the dial (and accommodates a bigger tritium tube), the hour hand falls a bit short – literally.

There is a central circle with the minute hashes called out, and it gives an obvious frame of reference for the hour hand. The hand itself falls short of actually reaching to that track. Additionally, since the hand is so short, it required a smaller tritium tube to be mounted. While I would not go so far as to say it made it hard to read the time, it definitely was not as easy as you would expect (in the dark), and the proportion just felt a touch off. Not a major deal, but also a small design tweak that I think would help.

On the wrist, the 62g (yes, only 62 grams!) Ball Conductor Transcendent is a lightweight and elegant companion to face the day. As I mentioned earlier, the curved nature of the case and crystal ensure that the watch slips under a cuff quite easily, right after a quick glance to check the time. If you do spend some more time checking the watch out, you will notice that the play of light across the grooved center of the dial adds some nice dimensionality, and of course, those curved corners are their own sort of style.


As promised, I am finally placing these watches together for the pleasure. A few disclaimers: this isn’t an ideal matchup. The Omega and Ball are all offered in similar sizes and dial up colors, but these particular examples aren’t perfectly aligned. Still, the overall design and quality points can be determined in the photos. So what do you get for approximately double the price?The resemblance is instantly evident. Though the Ball has selected to utilize broader-spaced lines, each has selected the perpendicular stripes (teak dial). Their hour markers are quite similar.The difference in lume is very obvious even in day light. The Omega’s blue lume is a clean white, in which the tritium tubes have a subdued green look to them. I believe they both seem great.No doubt partly attributable to the Omega’s gray dial (versus the black one in the Ball), the warmth resistance is noticeably improved on the Omega.The hands and markers are both nicely done, but also the Omega’s are substantially more complex. Do note, but the large level of polish used on the inside of the Ball’s day/date display.The different choices daily windows will be highly divisive. Personally, I really enjoy the angular appearance of the Omega, but I’ll confess, the display is significantly more readable on the Ball, largely due to its high contrast look. Additional you get an extra complication with the Ball.There are a few areas that I think will be incontrovertible. First, the Omega includes a far prettier movement. It also features a much longer power book, though they share the same 5 position adjustment and COSC score. Additional the ETA-based Ball actually has a marginally smoother shave hands compared to the Omega.Here is the Aqua Terra and the Red Label side by side, immediately after the Omega has been subjected to a bright light. Initially, that the Omega easily outshines the Ball.

You will also notice (as I did) that the date wheel stands out like a sore thumb on the black dial version we reviewed (the white dial, of course, would be a non-issue). Here, it really feels jarring, and I would prefer to see it deleted if a color-matched date wheel was not available. Yes, this is a common complaint we have about watches, and there are costs involved, but it is surprising to me that more brands have not addressed this yet.

Even for the issues I picked with some smaller details, I did enjoy my time with the Ball Conductor Transcendent. While Ball’s lightshow-on-the-wrist more often takes a sportier, more robust form, here, we have something that really is ready to be a dress watch. While it worked well enough at the office, it really felt like it shined brightest when I had it paired up with a suit. This is also a particularly affordable route to get into the Ball catalog, with the Ball Conductor Transcendent commanding a price of $2,699 (for either the strap or the polished bracelet). In the current design, I think the white dial might be the better option of the two. When it comes to a tritium-equipped dress watch, however, I think the Ball Conductor Transcendent needs to be at the top of your list to check out. ballwatch.com

Necessary Data

>Brand: Ball
>Model: Conductor Transcendent
>Price: $2,699
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes. Likely just for more formal occasions, but yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: This is perfect for the guy who is wearing suits frequently, but wants something more of a “wow” factor in their watch, which the curves and tritium certainly deliver.
>Best characteristic of watch: The curves of the case (back and sides), crystal, and dial. It just makes for an uncommon and intriguing configuration.
>Worst characteristic of watch: I’m going to pick on the date wheel again – either color-match it or delete it.