F
FLIGHT TIME
Bronze is the new stainless steel. Or at least it seems that way
these days. The latest brand to join the ever-growing list of watch
companies bringing bronze-case models to market is Ball. The brand
known for their railroad watches, lume and being the first to bring
T-100 to the US is joining the bronze club with gusto.
The Engineer Bronze Star is limited to only 3,000 pieces for
the world. The sister edition, the Silver Star, will not feature a limited
production and is in surgical grade stainless steel.
Billed as a pilot’s watch, Ball is building the Bronze Star using
top-grade bronze comprised of copper and aluminum and the simple,
clean lines of the case should patina beautifully. This no-nonsense
approach is mirrored on the dial, where the indicators (in both tritium
tubes and Superluminova) are both big, clear and easy to read – a
must for any pilot’s watch. Both models feature Ball’s SpringLOCK
and Amortister in-house, anti-shock resistance systems to maintain
accuracy in tough conditions. The Star models also include a mu-
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metal anti-magnetic shield (which is just a multi-component alloy) that
protects the movement from fields up to 80,000 A/m, which will
appeal to serious pilots. This, in effect, means the watch can take a
pretty sharp hit or fall and can handle being around most any magnet
you would encounter in normal life, as long as you don’t bring it in
with you for an MRI.
The 43 mm case features and anti-reflective sapphire crystal and
and automatic Ball caliber RR1102 movement.
The watch is water resistant to 10 ATM and comes on a calf
leather strap for the bronze with a bracelet optional for the silver.
The bronze retails for around $2,300 and the silver $1,800. The
luminosity consists of 14 tritium radio-luminescent tubes for constant
illumination with Superluminova on all indicators for an initial pop of
increased brightness.
Find out more at www.ballwatch.com.