Ball Engineer Master II

Ball Engineer Master II is a series of diver watches that are popular for their exceptional performance underwater. These are sports and diving timepieces with unique diving rotating bezels and luminous micro gas tubes that are built for a lifelong experience. More than being essential watches for diving, these are also made with luxurious features and elements that watch connoisseurs are interested in. 

Ball Engineer Master II: Traditional Yet Modern Sport Watches

Since 1891, Ball has been on the list of respected watch brands in the United States. Though the watch-making industry is such a wide, challenging road to compete in, Ball was still able to produce top-notch collections that made a mark in horology.  One of which is the Ball Engineer Master II. This series is part of the brand’s innovation of their old models. As such, the Engineer Master II Diver Worldtime and the Engineer Master II Aviator are just two of the popular watches that you should get hold of. The stylish features and vital functions of a sports watch are all made possible by these dive watches.

Ball Engineer Master II Price List at a Glance

Take a quick look at the top watches for the Engineer Master II collection.

How Much is a Ball Master Engineer II Watch? 

These pieces have a price range of $2,000 USD to $4,000 USD, depending on the model’s features. Let us discover how Ball innovated the Master Engineer II wristwatches by looking deep at its details and functions, and see if their prices are worth the investment.

Diver Worldtime

For instance, the Engineer Master II Diver Worldtime DG2232A-SC-BK can be bought for $3,800 USD. That price comes with a world timer and at the same time, works as a dive watch. The world timer is a great feature for frequent travelers who love exploring different beaches around the world. 

Its combined purposes provide a 300m/1000ft of water resistance matched with a world time indicator in any of the 24 time zones. It is powered by an automatic caliber BALL RR1501-C, which is a Swiss-made ETA 2836 movement and is recognized as a chronometer-certified COSC. The world timer in this piece works by adjusting the time in a single direction and turning the bezel to set your local city’s 12 o’clock position. Moreover, 36 micro gas tubes are placed on the dial, indices, and hands for greater night reading capability. 

Aviator

Another best-selling model is the Engineer Master II Aviator NM1080C-S14A-BK that is worth $2,500 USD. This is a robust watch that contains a case that measures 46 mm in diameter attached to a tapered stainless steel bracelet with a folding buckle. It uses a high quality durable low-carbon stainless steel as a case material. 

A day and a date indicator are also placed on the dial, which is powered by an automatic caliber BALL RR1102. The screwed-in crown guarantees a 100m/330ft of water resistance and a 4,800A/m antimagnetic feature. With larger indices, this watch has 66 micro gas tubes on the dial for an even better night reading capability. Plus, its anti-reflective convex-shaped sapphire crystal and stainless steel case makes it scratch-resistant and shock-resistant to 5,000Gs. 

Normandy

The Engineer Master II Normandy CM3188D-SCJ-BE is another highly sought-after piece in this collection. It is a Limited Edition piece that costs $3,450 USD. Sold as a commemorative timepiece for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy and its historic defense of freedom, there were only 750 pieces of this watch released. This men’s watch comes with a 44mm stainless steel case with two dial shades, navy blue and black. Its dial is protected with a sapphire crystal with a bi-directional rotating stainless steel bezel surrounding it. The case back is see-through, allowing one to see the automatic movement of the watch. 

The functions are something that you should look out for in this wristwatch. It has a chronograph with accumulated measurements up to 12 hours with a circular slide rule. All the indices and the hands set are packed with 21 micro gas tubes, including the subsidiary seconds. 

Skindiver Heritage

Sold for $3,450 USD, Engineer Master II Skindiver Heritage DM3308A-SCJ-BK is directly inspired by the first Ball Skindiver watch created in 1962. This vintage-style 42mm stainless steel dive watch comes in a black or blue dial with a day and date display. It is equipped with 300m/1000ft water resistance, and has a Mu-metal shield with a shock resistance of 5,000Gs and 80,000A/m anti-magnetism. It has 15 micro gas tubes on the dial, and the most important feature of dive watches — the luminous ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel. This function guarantees a bright glow even in extreme depths, and gives more visibility to the professional diver, allowing them to measure their exact dive time with more ease.

Skindiver II

The Engineer Master II Skindiver II DM3108A-SCJ-BK, which is priced at $3,800 USD, is an updated version of the Skindiver Heritage. At 43mm, it has a slightly larger casing than its predecessor. Apart from its larger size, it also has a stronger water resistance of 500m/1,650ft, allowing one to dive even deeper into depths of the oceans. With a cleaner dial, it features just a date display. Aside from the micro gas tubes and luminous ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel, this timepiece also has the added function of the automatic helium release valve. The automatic helium release valve allows gas to release upon reaching the surface, preventing irreversible damage caused to the watch due to the effects of water pressure. 

Newest Ball Engineer Master II Model: Waco Glider 

The Engineer Master II Waco Glider is available in three models with a price of $2,866 USD each. All of the three models are Limited Editions on a pre-order basis that will be released in July 2021 in accordance with the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. With only 1,943 pieces available, these Ball watches are crafted in honor of those lives that were sacrificed for bravery during the darkest period in human history. 

The Ball Engineer Master II Waco Glide was named after a military plane, the Waco CG-4A glider, which was used for defeating the axis powers. Hence, the vintage style of the Waco Glide watches is inspired by this plane. It has a brown calf leather strap with pin buckle with a 53.5mm lug to lug size. The 46mm stainless steel case features a well-polished bezel and oversized onion crown that is very easy to grip even with gloves. 

A press of the button on the hinged case back reveals the intricate manual winding movement that can be seen through a sapphire window. It also features 26 micro gas tubes on the hands set, indices, and dial for better night reading capability and magnetic resistance of up to 1,000 Gauss (80,000 A/m). All of these functions are powered by the manual caliber BALL RR2102 with superior engineering.

This watch is customizable, so you can choose the dial that you want — black, blue, or green. All three dial options have a matte finish with four engraving name lines that can be customized according to your desire. You will be given the option of a green NATO strap, in case you want to have a more casual look for the watch.

Ball Engineer Master II History and Design Details

Did you know that the creation of the Ball watch company is intimately tied to the United States’ railroad system from back in the day? It was in 1891 that Webb C. Ball was enlisted to investigate the time and watch conditions of the Kipton Disaster. Today, the Ball watchmaking company is still one of the most recognized watch brands in the United States because of its industrial function and commitment to maintaining precise accuracy in timekeeping. If you look closely at every Ball watch, you will see the engraved letters: RR. Railroad. 

In response to the growing popularity of dive watches in 1962, Ball created their own version, the Skindiver collection. The designs of the Skindiver collection serve as the model upon which the Skindiver II and Skindiver Heritages watches are based on today. Back then, the Skindiver featured a 40.5mm case diameter with 300-meter water resistance and 4,800 A/m antimagnetic resistance. 

Since then, the brand has invested significantly into the development of more dive watches that have the ultimate design and features that a dive watch needs. The Engineer Master II is the epitome of a functional dive watch. All the models in this collection are equipped with luminous micro gas tubes fitted in the internal rotating bezel. It is also designed to meet all the strict requirements of professional deep-sea diving with excellent innovations. Some features that all Engineer Master II watches have in common include the durable anti-reflective sapphire crystal, screwed-in crown for the movement, shock-resistant stainless steel, micro gas tubes for the indices and dials, and the chronometer certification from COSC for the Ball watches with chronometers. 

Amongst these features, the stand-out of the Ball Engineer Master II series is its micro gas tubes. These gas tubes work as luminous material to make time-reading easy in low- and zero-light conditions. Without the need to recharge using sunlight, it is reported to be 100 times better than a conventional lume and lasts for at least 10 years with regular usage. These lightweight micro gas tubes need no battery to work and are ensured to be safe since the amount of tritium is low with a secured CO2 laser. 

Five Reasons to Buy a Ball Engineer Master II Watch

Just like other watch brands such as Bulova and Tudor, Ball is also a worthy brand to invest in. It is a competitive brand that upholds a commitment to precision and innovation, which paved the way for the Engineer Master II to be produced. Here are the five crucial reasons why a Ball Engineer Master II watch is worth buying:

1. 1. Reliable pieces that are certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres.
2. 2. Reliable Swiss-made movement.
3. 3. Highly resistant to magnetism, water, and shocks,
4. 4. Made for professional diving with luminous micro gas tubes on the dial.
5. 5. Reasonably priced. 

Ball Engineer Master II: Top-Notch Deep Divers

Ball Engineer Master II watches are among the American watch brands with a rich history and renown reputation. Its years of experience reveal to us just how it gained such a good reputation for making accurate time displays, not just for basic uses but for industrial functions, too. So, if you are looking for quality dive watches that cost less than $4,000, then the Engineer Master II is a great pick for you. Whether you are new to watches or an avid watch collector, you can never go wrong with a Ball Engineer Master II watch. 

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