The Ball Watch crown protector is found on all
Hydrocarbon Engineer models.
BALL WATCH:
ENGINEERED PRECISION
BY MICHAEL THOMPSON
The historical U.S. watchmaker, now in Switzerland, stays true to its heritage
with in-house technical modifications to enhance security and accuracy.
WHILE KNOWN FOR ITS MICRO-GAS TUBE ILLUMINATED DIALS AND
EXPLORER-FOCUSED COLLECTIONS, Ball Watch is equally proud of the
micro engineering found under its well-lit dials. In recent years, the historic
American brand (now made in Switzerland) has released an impressive
series of anti-shock and anti-magnetic solutions within its collections of
adventure watches.
All these proprietary components, which include a unique crown
protector, the anti-shock SpringLOCK, SpringSEAL and Amortiser systems
as well as several different anti-magnetic techniques, make all Ball watches
both precise and well protected, according to Ball Watch Executive Kevin
Kouch. He explains that the modern Ball Watch is quite serious about
maintaining the legacy of its historical achievements.
“Today’s Ball Watch still carries the same DNA developed by the
original Ball Watch Company in Cleveland, Ohio,” he adds. “We do not
take our responsibility lightly. We take care to preserve our heritage, yet
we understand the need to modernize our collections.”
As a result, Ball Watch adds its accuracy and protective systems to all
its watches. With the exception of the unusual locking crown protector
and the ultra-visible tritium self-powered luminescent tubes that mark
nearly all Ball models, most of these proprietary systems are hidden from
view within the watches. Above all, tritium luminescence marks a Ball
Watch, differentiating it from all others currently on the market, Kouch
explains.
“Ball watches compete in a very crowded price point. As such, it is
essential to differentiate from the competition. Tritium gas tubes and how
we incorporate them are an iconic element that is both form and function
and make our timepieces unique,” he says. (See our iW Interview within
this article to read more about what Kouch has to say about Ball Watch
USA’s approach to selling watches in the United States.)
LATEST DEBUTS
Four new watches underscore Ball Watch’s ‘Accuracy Under Adverse
Conditions’ mission, notably by combining the company’s proprietary
protective techniques inside each model. The newest examples include
three dive watches and one aviation model. Several of these new watches
also feature multiple-time-zone displays, and most watches boast Ball
Watch’s own crown protector, an easy-to-spot feature that makes Ball
among the most identifiable watches on any wrist.
SPRING 2020 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 39