For years now, the Ball Watch Company has been using their trademark high-powered tritium micro gas tubes to illuminate and showcase their pieces. This feature is quintessential to the brand, and now the watchmakers are implementing it in a whole new way with their latest product: The Engineer Hydrocarbon Original.
In previous watches we saw the luminescent tubes being placed directly on the dial or the design just opted for using traditional lume directly on the bezel. The new Engineer Hydrocarbon Original utilizes self-powered tritium (radioactive Hydrogen) tubes placed directly behind the dial markers, and behind the sapphire crystal inserts on the bezel, to provide the company’s trademark illumination.
The Design and the New Illumination System
The Engineer Hydrocarbon Original comes in an all steel case paired with a stainless-steel bracelet and has case dimensions of 40mm X 14.55mm. The design incorporates all the traditional bells and whistles, in the likes of, centrally placed hour, minutes, and seconds hands (proudly showing off the microtube design), along with the day and date presented on a curved black dial.
The bezel along the edge of the dial is movable and can be rotated unidirectionally from 0-60. The illumination of the bezel and the hour markers still utilizes the traditional lume design we are used to seeing in other Ball watches. The watch also features a unique crown protection system.
As Rugged as Ever
The Ball Watch Company has a legacy of making professional yet rugged watches. These watches can really take a beating and will definitely stand the test of time. The use of the patented Amortiser anti-shock system means the watch can easily resist impacts up to an impressive 7.5G.
Another distinct feature is the use of Mu-metal in the case construction, a characteristic feature of which, is shielding against magnetic fields (up-to 1000Gauss). The case construction is also strong enough to make the watch withstand water pressure up to a depth of to 200 meters. The beating heart of the Engineer Hydrocarbon Original is a COSC certified automatic Swiss movement. The watch is said to retail at $3,199.
