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| Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster X-Lume Watch | Rating: 
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| Posted: Sat Nov 21st, 2009 05:49 pm |
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1st Post |
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oagaspar Site Founder 
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I have never owned a Ball watch before nor have I been a big fan of gas tubes but this new Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster X-Lume is tops on my list of must haves! yahoo.gifThe review below is from "A Blog to Read" which always has up to the date info on some awesome watches!... hand6.gif Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster X-Lume Watch Posted on November 15, 2009  This is the star new Ball watches of the year in my opinion. This timepiece is a smooth evolution of the Hydrocarbon watch design. It combines so much of what I like about Ball watches and presents it in a nicely refined package that I certainly feel has the quality of a new classic for the brand. No doubt there will be spin-offs on this design for a while to come. I recently discussed some Ball watches that I like when I was visiting with Ball in Las Vegas here. Enough of you commented positively that I realized I was not alone in appreciating this brand. Which means that I think enough of you will agree with me on this watch. The new watch is the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster X-Lume. This of it as the astronaut themed version of the Hydrocarbon watch. Most watches of this caliber really don't need and special enhancements to be good for use is space, but some new branding won't hurt. The watch uses a Swiss automatic ETA caliber 2836-2 movement that has the time, day, and date. The movement has also been COSC Chronometer certified. The case is thick, and in steel, but not very large at 41.5mm wide. Being curved and with a domed sapphire crystal gives the watch a larger look on your wrist though. The case is water resistant to 333 meters.   There is new stuff all around aside from the smoothly polished design of the ultra readable case. Ball uses a mix of grade 316L and N 1.4435 steel to achieve a durable and lasting case. Ball also boasts about how precision milled the watch and its components are. Pieces are cut to 1/100 of a millimeter precision via their CNC machinery (for cutting precision sized metal parts). The case of the Spacemaster X-Lume has a familiar look that you recognize as being a Hydrocarbon watch, but here you see Ball designers really starting to get comfy with the design, solidifying it at a true icon of the brand. Kept are the distinctive crown and surrounding elements with the slide up guard piece. The case looks better rendered, and the bezel has a new treatment that is a good mix of rugged, functional looks, and a reduction in its complexity. What is left in the bezel are only four "claws," place two at the top and two at the bottom. They help keep the bezel from feeling too wise. I like the special style of coined-like edging around the bezel as well, and there is lume built into it. All of these elements are improvements over previous designs. You'll get a new style of bracelet for the watch as well. Aside from a slightly new and improved look, the steel bracelet has a brand new, sophisticated clasp. The extremely secure butterfly clasp has two diver's extensions in it, that can be operated with one hand, and without taking the watch off. They offer something like 20mm of extension (or less) to fit over all sorts of equipment. Luminant all over the watch is a serious of different color tritium gas tubes that Ball utilizes so well. The small tubes glow by themselves for 20 years or so without the need to be charged by light. Ball uses them all over the dial, and in a bevy on inviting colors such as green, blue, and orange. This is one easy to read watch in the dark. Large hands make the dial easy to read. While the dial design is totally functional, it has a certain nerdy tech polish to it that I think will appeal to all men who enjoy using their minds while at work. It is like a thinking man's sport watch. Overall I am really excited about this timepiece. I would guess price to be between about $2,000 - $3,000 and for it to be released soon
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| Posted: Sat Nov 21st, 2009 07:57 pm |
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2nd Post |
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mcwright Admin 
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Having owned a number of Luminox and Traser watches with gas tubes (and even a Graf Zeppelin tuber), I purchased my first Ball last week. It was the silver dialed Night Train on a bracelet. The lume is awesome. Is it brighter than a Seiko monster? No, but it is a constant, never changing glow readable in low light to total darkness WITHOUT the need for a charging source. And, unlike luminous paint, it is always on. With paint, it is its best right after a charge. From then on, it is all down hill (so-to-speak). Better have a flash light handy or watch it fade away. The following picture is not mine, but it shows the Ball Night Train in its full glory. :cool: Attachment: 1525169450_bc067e30dc.jpg (Downloaded 129 times)
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| Posted: Sat Nov 21st, 2009 11:19 pm |
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3rd Post |
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ncvol17 3T WIS 
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once in St Martin, I was planning on taking a Left to the Ball watch store but my wife had me go right where I found a store selling Panerai....I went with the Marina but I still crave the Ball Engineer...So very nice..well done on obtaining a Ball...
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| Posted: Sun Nov 22nd, 2009 02:14 am |
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4th Post |
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smith1792 3T WIS 
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One caveat when it comes to tritium tubes: they fade and die out with time. Green last the longest (supposedly ~25yrs.), then the orange, yellow, red and finally blue (~5 yrs. tops). After owning a few tritium watches, the oldest for about 7 years, they have already faded. Ball asks a lot of money for something that will die out, but lume can be redone. I haven't heard about anyone replacing gas tubes when they're dead. Just something to think about. Stu P.S. - To any gun enthusiasts, this applies to your night sights too.
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| Posted: Sun Nov 22nd, 2009 07:03 am |
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5th Post |
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Nabco 3T WIS 
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I'm with you oscar, never owned a Ball before, recently saw the new Fireman First Miler and it peaked my interest
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| Posted: Sun Nov 22nd, 2009 10:50 am |
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6th Post |
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Paxman 3T WIS 
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Another great looking watch from Ball though I haven't been a fan of the models with the tubes at the cardinal numbers. Imho it makes them too blocky. I prefer the models with the tubes only at the indices like Mike's Night Train or my vey own Fireman.;) By all accounts Ball makes a great watch and they can usually be found at reasonable prices.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 23rd, 2009 06:34 am |
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7th Post |
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bigrustypig 3T WIS 
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smith1792 wrote: One caveat when it comes to tritium tubes: they fade and die out with time. Green last the longest (supposedly ~25yrs.), then the orange, yellow, red and finally blue (~5 yrs. tops). After owning a few tritium watches, the oldest for about 7 years, they have already faded. Ball asks a lot of money for something that will die out, but lume can be redone. I haven't heard about anyone replacing gas tubes when they're dead. Just something to think about. Stu is right........from what I read recently, tubes go away in about 10 years and have to be replaced. The tritium on my 1990 SIG is gone but the Fuji lume-tipped fishing rods are still ok and still glow in the dark 
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| Posted: Mon Nov 23rd, 2009 06:37 am |
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8th Post |
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bigrustypig 3T WIS
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Paxman wrote: Another great looking watch from Ball though I haven't been a fan of the models with the tubes at the cardinal numbers. Imho it makes them too blocky. I prefer the models with the tubes only at the indices like Mike's Night Train or my vey own Fireman.;) By all accounts Ball makes a great watch and they can usually be found at reasonable prices. Agree with Mark. Ball makes really good watches and present superior value all the time. I had a simple entry model Trainmaster with the softest leather strap about 4/5 years ago but had to flip it because it was too small for me.;)
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| Posted: Wed Nov 25th, 2009 02:47 am |
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9th Post |
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Rocky55 3T WIS 
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I wish that I had money for that model, it is soooo cool! :((( After how many years will tritium tubes start loosing brightness?
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| Posted: Wed Nov 25th, 2009 03:11 am |
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10th Post |
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mcwright Admin
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I have about a 15 year old Luminox Alarm clock. The lume is NOT DEAD. Still glows in the dark. Maybe not as bright as when it was new, but it is plenty readable. My six year old Luminox still glows bright as new. "What is Tritium? Tritium is a heavy form (isotope) of hydrogen and for this reason behaves chemically exactly like it. Pure tritium therefore, forms a gas T2 (like hydrogen forms H2).However, tritium is not stable but decays to the inert gas helium with a half-life of 12.3 years. This means that after this time half of any amount of tritium will have become helium. This transformation process is called a pure beta-decay. In this process no gamma radiation occurs and only a low energy electron is emitted." Also: "traser H3 watches are warranted against defects in materials and manufacture by mb-microtec for a period of two years from the date of purchase. The mb-microtec illumination system (gaseous tritium light sources) is guaranteed for 10 years. In the event of failure within this period, the watch will be repaired or replaced with an equivalent model by mb-microtec."
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| Posted: Wed Nov 25th, 2009 08:52 am |
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11th Post |
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teddyhanna Guest
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I have never owned a Ball, but I think their awesome looking....:cool:
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