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Founded in 1891, Ball Watch Company is a stalwart brand that was at the heart of American watchmaking. In fact, Ball Watch Company was, in the brand’s own words, “literally founded by accident.” In response to a tragic railroad accident in Kipton, Ohio, in 1891, Webb C. Ball, who was then appointed “Chief Time Inspector,” devised new timing protocols and, in particular, created the RR standard. Among many criteria, these RR Standard timepieces are required to run no more than 30 seconds per week, and approximately plus or minus 4.29 seconds per day. This made the brand well-known for its railroad pocket watches, thanks to the reliable and coveted chronometry that its timekeeping devices provided railroad workers. This standard is said to have inspired Switzerland to create COSC, and it has since become the go-to standard for independent chronometer certification. You can read a detailed history of the Ball Watch Company here, but today we’re taking a hands-on look at one of the brand’s newest creations, the Ball Roadmaster M Model A.
The brand has been owned by the Chinese company Asia Commercial Holdings Limited since 2019, and its watches are manufactured in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. A quick summary of the Ball brand’s distinct tool watch and chronometry roots. That’s because the Roadmaster M Model A, like many ball watches, is a tool watch built to be rugged, COSC accurate, and easy to read both visually and audibly. However, more on the latter later.
case
At 41mm in diameter and 15.2mm thick, the case is definitely a large contortion with a strong presence. In the modern watch market, 41mm is unintimidating to most buyers and sits comfortably within the sports/tool watch segment. If anything, I think the thickness is more of an issue for some people. However, note that this case is 5,000G shock resistant and 100 meters water resistant, and has two screw-down crowns with double gaskets instead of one. Naturally, one crown is linked to the time, GMT and date complications. The other thing, of course, adds a bit of thickness to the watch, allowing users to take advantage of the watch’s patented 12-hour alarm feature.
dial
Highly legible black dial surrounded by a black and red ceramic “Coke” style bezel with 24-hour scale, featuring the letter T next to the words “Swiss Made” at the bottom of the dial is prominently displayed, indicating the use of tritium. . While most watch brands have stopped using tritium, Ball explicitly utilizes it in its 29 micro gas tubes to ensure that the dial is always luminous whether you realize it or not.
Buyers can choose between “classic” or rainbow emissions (see above) from the micro gas tubes, and the emissions from these tubes are charge-independent. No matter what, the luminous display lights up as soon as you take your watch into a dark place, ensuring visibility at all times. Luminescent material is also used for the 24-hour scale on the bezel. When it comes to visibility, the date window is easy to read thanks to the Cyclops magnifying lens.
If you look at the photo above, you can see that the hours and minutes are pointing to 10:13, and the central red-tipped second hand point is at the 24-second mark. The red GMT hand has an openwork finish and a partially luminescent tip, indicating that it points to the 16th 24-hour position on the GMT scale. But what about the tiny luminous hands inside the medallion in the center of the dial? These hands are linked to the watch’s patented “AlarmMATIC®” feature. The central medallion is actually a rotatable disc, and while it’s not necessarily obvious to the naked eye, there are 12 hidden openings on the dial to increase the volume of the sound using the alarm function. The indicator that appears when an alarm is set uses a micro gas tube, like the other dial elements, and can be illuminated at all times.
bracelet
At first glance, the bracelet appears to be a fully integrated bracelet, but if you remove the bracelet using the case’s perforated lugs, the entire bracelet will be removed, revealing the circular surface of the case band. You can see. . This is good news for those who find the bracelet flare to be too wide, even though it is fixed. The case, excluding the bracelet, is listed at 48.5mm from lug to lug, which should be a good fit for most people’s wrist sizes. Unfortunately I don’t have exact measurements, but the effective lug distance is much more than that. That being said, as I mentioned earlier, this is a slanted flare that seems to fit well on average-sized or larger-sized wrists. The 904L steel bracelet is crafted in an H-link style with fully brushed front edges and embellished with thin polished bevels on both the middle nugget link and the H-link.
movement
The 40-hour automatic movement is COSC-certified, which is in line with the pursuit of precision for which the Ball Watch Company was born (promising an accuracy of +6/-4 seconds per day). Beyond the hours, minutes, seconds and calendar functions, the highlight complication is, of course, the patented alarm function. There are two mainsprings within the RRM7379 movement, both of which can be wound automatically by automatic rotors. A separate dedicated mainspring triggers the alarm function, which can be set at any time in 5-minute intervals and will sound for 18 seconds at the desired time. While most alarm clocks emit a buzzing sound similar to crickets, Ball describes the sound produced by its patented alarm mechanism as “a fun school bell.”
First, instead of a dome-shaped gong, Ball chose a ring-shaped metal gong protected by a specially made polymer outer layer. Ball Watch Company describes this dual material construction as one of their versatile pieces. “It isolates the treble bell, eliminates unnecessary noise and vibrations, and also acts as an Amortiser® anti-shock system, protecting the mechanical movement from harsh external shocks. The ideal striking frequency of the integrated hammer The carefully calculated AlarmMATIC® system delivers chimes that are clearer, purer, and louder than ever before.
judgment
Some may be troubled by the Ball Roadmaster M Model A’s $6,299 price point. But the thought experiment I would like to suggest is the usual suspicion that no one would compare this watch and make a watch that has both GMT and an alarm. It’s also worth highlighting the unique tritium micro gas tube element that the dial boasts. All in all, for those in the market for a robust tool watch with an unusual feature: an alarm, this watch is highly refined by Ball to provide a better experience, with larger tilt dimensions. I am also satisfied with this watch, so this watch is certainly worth it. Checking it out for further evaluation.
Ball Roadmaster M Model A Pricing and Availability
The Ball Roadmaster M Model A is currently available as a limited edition of 333 pieces. Price: $6,299
Brand Ball Model Loadmaster M Model A Reference DA9100C-S1-BK | DA9100C-S1-BKR Case Dimensions 41mm (D) x 15.2mm (T) x 48.5mm (LTL) Case Material 904L Stainless Steel Water Resistance 100 Meters, Screw-in Crown Crystal Sapphire Crystal Front and Back Dial Black Strap Stainless Steel Bracelet, Folding Clasp Movement BALL RRM7379, AS5008 base, automatic power reserve 40 hour function Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT, 12 hour alarm Availability Online exclusive, limited to 333 pieces. Price $6,299