Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph Watch Review


As a more timeless and dressy watch, the Ball Trainmaster Standard Time case is sized at 39.5mm broad and is just 11.15mm thick. With that said, the Trainmaster Standard Time ought to be quite a suitable option for casual to formal use.Through a sapphire crystal display caseback window, the rear of the watch delivers a view of this base Swiss ETA or Sellita automatic movement which Ball describes as their standard RR1105-C. The motion has further been COSC Chronometer certified, which adds a bit of overall value and explains the $2,000-plus price point. The watch’s automatic movement and Chronometer certification status are memorialized via cursive text published on the dial wrap around the subsidiary seconds dial.I personally favor the bracelet option on the Ball Trainmaster Standard Time watch, but this is just my personal taste. As a dress watch that is directly inspired by turn-of-the-century pocket watches, you really can not go wrong here unless you’re interested in something a bit bigger – and if you’re, you might as well just get an actual turn-of-the-century pocket watch that has been converted into a wrist watch (as those do exist). If anything, this is an excellent watch for people that are suffering from diminished dreams or are just beginning to understand how to read an eye with analog hands vs electronic. You’d be amazed just how many people out there suffer from not being able to readily read the time on analog watches – that is not anything to be embarrassed of. Or maybe that the Ball Trainmaster Standard Time is a good choice since you want the subtle “C-cup-style” crownmolding. Cost is $2,499.

Standing high and wide in a lot of titanium, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph ref. DC3036C-SA-BK Ball Watch Kelvin Replica looks intimidating as you take it out of the box. While it is a traditional Swiss watch through and through, the modern design elements and busy dial don’t lend themselves to a comforting, familiar feel as you place the heavy (for a titanium watch), highly functional sports watch on your wrist. Ball watches are not known for their demure presence or restrained style, with an emphasis on marrying the historic once American brand into the modern age of the luxury sports watch. I am a known fan of Ball watches, but what was it going to be like to wear around this 45mm wide, 18.3mm thick mega-timepiece that contains features I’ll likely never have an opportunity to use? Let’s find out.

This isn’t my first Ball watch rodeo, so I have a fair amount of experience with the brand. We even debuted the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph watch here. Even though not all new Ball watches excite me the same way, I am really bullish on the brand because they seek to capitalize on many of the things modern guys like about mechanical watches without taking prices into territories that are reserved for people who order their automobiles with personalized interiors. Ball isn’t about that type of glitz either, even though they do have some more classically-inspired watches in gold. The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph is more about sports and performance.


I never assumed that a world timer dive watch would be useful, but consider the fact that it’s popular enough for Ball watches to have produced another run of them. Since this is the very first review of this type of watch, we can bulk the older and the new together. When compared with the first from 2010, the 2016 versions look a little more sporty and sporty, in my opinion, but the differences for the new version are rather tiny. Ball points to how the new versions have upgraded technology, but exactly what that signifies is unclear.Ball indicates that the technology that provides the real-time complication is in-house. That is because they constructed a module over a foundation Swiss ETA automatic movement that unite to form the Ball grade RR1501. It was brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre and Girard-Perregaux that helped make this very useful kind of complication something folks wanted to see in game watches.

If you like the appearance of this dial and love what Ball is trying to do with this item, then I feel a great deal of people will locate the Ball Engineer Master II Diver Worldtime a remarkably useful timepiece. This is especially true for regular travelers who want something trendy, sporty, not especially showy, and that does not seem like most other world time watches. At the time, the less than $7,500 gold-cased watch proved to be a veritable bargain compared to the price of other gold watches out there, and its traditional pocket watch style made for a lasting and favorable conservative design.Ball was instrumental in the creation of the American railroad industry – that relied to a large extent on everybody agreeing exactly what time it was. The first Ball Trainmaster Standard Time was said to be a celebration of the adoption of standard time in America, which is the reason why the timepiece has this name.

The first major surprise is how well I was able to get the comfortable titanium bracelet to fit. I normally don’t spend a lot of time in a Ball Watches Victoria Replica review talking about a watch bracelet, but Ball’s bracelets are worth a lot of discussion, as they are really relevant to this review. A bad bracelet would have easily made such a large watch totally unwearable. A good bracelet means you can get a snug fit, which vastly increases the comfort of a larger-sized timepiece. In terms of design, you have a two-link style bracelet with a polished inner link. I like the little bits of polishing on the outer edges of the links as well. It makes for a really good looking yet modern sports watch bracelet.

What makes the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph bracelet so comfortable? In addition to being fluid on the wrist, Ball includes not one, but two half links. These are smaller links that allow for a more precise fit – which we generally encourage all brands to offer on their bracelets. Also, if you need a bit of extra room in the bracelet, Ball has designed this style of bracelet with two extensions – one on each end of the butterfly-style deployant. Each gives just a few millimeters of extra space, and when both open, there is enough room to put the Ball Watch 150 Anniversary Replica over a thick jacket sleeve or diver’s suit.

The simple, brushed case is in steel, 45mm wide, 15.4mm thick, and water resistant to 300 meters. With the appearance and feel of a significant tool watch, this can be Ball at its best, with something strong, bold, and manly with no really loud. Ball also promises shock immunity to 5,000 Gs and anti-magnetic operation around 4,800 A/m. I would not call this the prettiest Ball Watches Night Train Replica in the world, but the layout grows on you like a helpful truck. You might have not chosen it for its looks, but its usefulness and confidence quickly endear themselves into you.While the center Ball product works well, a number of their existing case layouts such as the Master II are becoming a bit old and may use some upgrading. There’s a classic appeal to it because it’s technically contemporary but with conventional proportions. However, I feel like I need a bit more edginess in the design to coordinate with the contemporary feeling of this dial.The outside of this case includes screw-down crowns for both the principal crown along with the upper crown that controls the rotating inner bezel. I really do quite like the Engineer Master II matching steel bracelet, but on the black rubber strap it doesn’t look so bad either and can be really comfy. I really think a lot of people would prefer to wear it like that. That said, the gap in cost between the version of the Diver Worldtime on the ring and the bracelet is just $100. Therefore, in the event that you get the watch, it’s probably better to choose the version with the bracelet and then just purchase a strap to have it as an option, because that is more affordable than having an optional necklace.

This Ball deployant isn’t new, and I’ve discussed it before. It works very well, with precision made parts unlike most anything else you’ll find at this price level. One issue is that when closed, there is a small section that juts out with the Ball logo. It isn’t that big of a deal, but the thicker underside of the bracelet does make it more prone to being susceptible to scratches. The last thing that I will say about the bracelet is that the links themselves aren’t overly thick. Sometimes, watches of this size feel the need to get really “heavy duty” with their bracelets, but Ball is focused on simple style and a comfortable feel on the wrist.

Given that you can precisely fit the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph on the wrist, the size of the case begins to matter a lot less. Being able to snugly wear a watch right around your wrist bone means that it won’t get in the way when you bend your wrist, and you won’t feel it flying around as you move your hand. The worst thing is having a poorly fitting timepiece that ruins the overall experience. So at least for me, that was not an issue here, and I was able to wear this 45mm Ball watch with pure comfort.

With a good fit, the large dimensions of the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph dissipated, and I was able to admire its overall design, functionality, and unique set of features. There is, of course, some flair as well, which I think is welcome in limited amounts on luxury sports watches. A good example is how Ball designed the chronograph pushers on the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph. As you might know, Ball is known for being the most high-end brand to regularly feature Swiss made Tritium gas tubes as hour markers and in their hands. These gas tubes self-illuminate for darkness viewing. Ball decided to put a tube inside each of the chronograph pushers behind a small window. Why? Because it was cool to do so.

As a sport watch, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph has a lot of appealing stats. First is the thick AR-coated sapphire crystal over the dial, then you have 100 meters of water resistance, which is good, given that it is a chronograph and with Ball’s Amortiser feature (more on that in a second). The case is shock resistant to 7,500 Gs and anti-magnetic to 4,800 A/M. You also get Ball’s robust crown protection system. Here you have another bit of “flair” as the small pusher-released protection bar lifts, allowing you to unscrew the crown. That “RR” on the crown stands for “railroad,” which is a reference to Ball’s history.

In the video part of this Images Of Ball Watches Replica review, I discuss how Ball’s Amortiser system works and what it does. The idea is that during certain instances, if you anticipate that your watch will be subject to a lot of shock or vibration, you can manually lock the automatic rotor on the movement from moving. That’s right, you can lock the rotor if you anticipate you are going to be in a “danger zone.” The way this works is pretty simple. You first need to remove the watch and then twist the caseback in the direction indicated with your fingers. The propeller motif in relief on the caseback makes that simple. It is easy to tell when the caseback is in the locked or unlocked position.

With the Ball Amortiser activated, the rotor is locked, and you are ready for horologically dangerous situations. Of course, the irony is that you need to anticipate these situations, and with the Amortiser activated the mechanical movement will not automatically wind. A good feature to have combined with the Ball Amortiser is a power reserve indicator. Ball actually did that with the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Hunley watch (hands-on here).

As a more classic and dressy watch, the Ball Trainmaster Standard Time case is sized in 39.5mm wide and is just 11.15mm thick. That said, the Trainmaster Standard Time should be a very suitable option for casual to formal use.Through a sapphire crystal display caseback window, the rear of the watch offers a view of the base Swiss ETA or Sellita automatic movement which Ball refers to as their standard RR1105-C. The motion has further been COSC Chronometer certified, which adds a little overall value and clarifies the $2,000-plus cost point. The watch’s automatic movement and Chronometer certification status are memorialized via cursive text published on the dial wrap around the subsidiary moments dial.I personally prefer the bracelet choice onto the Ball Trainmaster Standard Time view, but this is only my personal taste. As a dress watch that is directly inspired by turn-of-the-century pocket watches, you truly can’t go wrong here unless you’re interested in something a bit bigger – and if you’re, you may as well just get an true turn-of-the-century pocket watch that’s been converted into a wrist watch (as people do exist). If anything, this is an excellent watch for men and women that are suffering from diminished dreams or are just starting to understand how to read an eye with analog hands vs digital. You’d be amazed just how many people out there suffer from not being able to easily read the time on analog watches – that is nothing to be ashamed of.

Will you use the Ball Amortiser feature all that much? Probably not. Desk divers love dive watches and don’t dive, and people who wear Ball timepieces or most other luxury sports watches don’t do half the things those timepieces were meant for. Still – we love them, and such features add to the “story” behind why we want these products on our wrists and in our collections. Now, let’s move on to the dial of the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph watch.

The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph has a dial that is about as busy are your standard Breitling chronograph. That means a lot of markers, but still you manage to read everything. In the dark, the dial is amazing, as Ball uses 39 total Tritium gas tubes in various colors, as well as a traditional SuperLumiNova luminant marker-filled bezel. The “night shot” of the dial is among the most amazing I’ve been able to photograph, and in the dark, it is truly amazingly legible. Little touches like the GMT hand being in a different color help a lot. Unfortunately, Ball was not able to design the dial so that the subsidiary dials have any luminant. This means the chronograph isn’t really useful in total darkness – but for me, that isn’t a deal breaker.

If you want the appearance of the dial and love what Ball is trying to do with this item, then I think a lot of people will find the Ball Engineer Master II Diver Worldtime a surprisingly helpful timepiece. This is especially true for regular travelers that need something trendy, sporty, not particularly showy, which does not seem like most other world time watches. Pricing for your Ball Engineer Master II Diver Worldtime reference DG2022A-S3AJ-BK / DG2022A-P3AJ-BK watches is $2,899 on the rubber strap, and $2,999 on the steel bracelet.For 2016, Ball introduces this handsome steel-cased version of this Ball Trainmaster Standard Time watch that aBlogtoWatch originally debuted in 18k rose gold back in 2013. At the moment, the less than $7,500 gold-cased watch proved to be a veritable bargain compared to the price of additional gold watches on the market, and its traditional pocket watch style made for a lasting and favorable conservative design.Ball was instrumental in the creation of the American railway sector – which depended to a large extent on everybody agreeing what time it was. The first Ball Trainmaster Standard Time was regarded as a celebration of the adoption of standard time in America, which is why the timepiece has this title. Now, in 2016, the Ball Trainmaster Standard Time is right back into a well polished steel case offered on both a matching steel bracelet or a leather strap – the price is not bad either.

On close inspection, you’ll see that the chronograph subdials are slightly recessed with a concentric circle pattern in them – this is a welcome decorative touch. I also like the small dauphine-style subdial hands. While the dial of the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph watch is on the busier side, Ball really didn’t design it with anything unnecessary. While I happen to like it, or at least not be bothered by it, not everyone will like the use of a magnifier crystal over the date window. It does actually help to read the date a lot better, but not everyone likes the protrusion on the sapphire crystal. Around the dial is a bi-directional rotating bezel with compass markers on it. This navigational feature can be used in combination with the GMT hand, which allows you to roughly know the compass directions when used in combination with the position of the sun.

Inside the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph watch is their caliber RR1404 automatic movement. It is a Base Swiss ETA or Sellita mechanical chronograph movement with a GMT module added to it which adds a second time zone – though the GMT hand can be used to indicate whether you are in AM or PM time as well. It isn’t the most unique movement in the world, but you aren’t paying the price you might for the most unique movement in the world. It gets the job done nicely and Ball adds some nice touches to it.

Any immediate skepticism about the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph I had before wearing it melted away after enjoying time with the Is Ball Watch Worth Buying Replica on my wrist – this really turned out to be my type of timepieces. In titanium, the 45mm wide case wasn’t too heavy, and honestly, you’d never know it was titanium by looking at it, given the excellent finishing. The dial proves both functional and legible, and the overall design is exactly what I like in a modern sports watch: traditional without being retro stale, and visually contemporary. Of course, there is no one Ball watch with all the best features. The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph doesn’t have Ball’s SpringLOCK feature – which admittedly would be a bit redundant with the Amortiser. Sadly, if you love Ball timepieces, no one watch will satisfy you – so get ready for some collecting…

Price-wise, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph isn’t cheap in the scheme of things most people buy on a regular basis, but it is very well-priced for what you get in terms of both features and quality. Ball has never tried to be a watch brand you are buying because of the name, but rather because you associate a certain look and feature set with the name. Ball watches, for the most part, make suitable daily wears, and their focus on things like functionality and ergonomics can only be truly appreciated when checking some of the competition. Of course, with their prolific designs, you never know what will come next, but for now, if you are looking for a feature-packed sporty chronograph, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph ref. DC3036C-SA-BK is a solid choice. Price is $5,999. ballwatch.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Ball
>Model: Hydrocarbon Engineer Spacemaster Orbital II Chronograph reference DC3036C-SA-BK
>Price: $5,999
>Size: 45mm
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Non-brand snobs looking for an absolutely modern, well-conceived Swiss mechanical sports Ball Watches Grey Market Replica with some character.
>Best characteristic of watch: Series of features and design elements work well together in a functional, comfortable, well-priced package.
>Worst characteristic of watch: No luminant on chronograph subdial hands. Deployant clasp is thick.