View single post by ral
 Posted: Sun May 16th, 2010 11:29 am
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ral

 

Joined: Sun Jul 5th, 2009
Location: Santiago, Chile
Posts: 185
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 My incoming Ball Engineer Master II Classic got here last Wednesday. First impression was not very good, as it looked plain, dial did not looked as I expected and, although it was not deeply scratched, the polished parts were thoroughly scratched. There was specifically one not so small rub mark on the polished bezel @ 6 PM. Do not think there is somewhere in a watch where it would be more visible than there...

However, I changed my mind. I like this watch! I spent some hours with the polishing kit, and now it looks minty.

My impressions:

Box: Not at the level of my "top notch" on this (the Gevril), but says quality in every aspect. A green tone very similar to the Rolex, classy and well made. My previous arrival was a Swiss Army - they win by far the "El Cheapo" box award...

Overall construction: This is a quality watch. Very well made. Feels heavy on the wrist (on a good way). Looks and feels solid as a rock.

Case: Looks pretty much like a Rolex Explorer. Guess it is kind of as classic as it gets. Back is good, with a nice and deep low relief locomotive and letters.

Crown: Very well made and engraved. Disengages from the winding mechanism when screwed in, which is also something good but not always present.

Dial: Very classic black dial (even looks like matte car paint on a first impression. No guilloche or similar, but very well executed.Very clean printing and discrete printing as well.

Hands: Gotta LOVE the Ball second hands...

Bracelet: This is how bracelets should be. Solid, well executed and decorated deployment clasp. Do not know why other brands use pressure pins or double screws instead of single screws like Ball does. Adjustment does not get easier than this. Comes with two half-links, which is not usual and shows no corners were cut.

Lume: Well, obviously a very high point in this watch. Have read this is one of the brightest in the whole Ball range, and it shows. Lume does not get more consistent and long lasting than this.

Timing: This is one of the surprising parts. It has been performing better than my well performing Omega Seamaster, my only COSC movement. Which is something I do not see and say often, except for my Quarts watches (which, by the way, I have never timed...). In theory, the same movement that inside my Dievas Vortex, which stated to be "timed and adjusted", but does not perform as this one.
I am not one of those that will say that every auto watch they have is performing "well within COSC", or "spot on every day". Do not think that happens. I guess that if a Miyota 8215 could perform consistently "within a couple of seconds" a day, Citizen would not put ten times that in their spec...


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Last edited on Sun May 16th, 2010 11:32 am by ral