Reply With QuoteI have got a few Ball watches and for me the build quality is excellent and i would recommend them for a potential purchase.
Stu.
This is a new brand to me, what are people's thoughts? I'm quite taken by the divemaster
http://www.jurawatches.co.uk/Ball-Watch ... ch-(BL-053)
Seem's good value, are they solidly build, nice to wear etc?
Oh and i'm new to the forums so 'Hello'
I have got a few Ball watches and for me the build quality is excellent and i would recommend them for a potential purchase.
Stu.
+1. Bought one as i liked the look of it but wasn't sure whether it would be a keeper. Its been on every day saving my Monaco as a dressier watch, great quality, solid build, and the lume.... wow. serves as my bedside clock now :D
Hi, Superb quality, value for money amd a lot of technology for the price.
Shock risistance very high
Steel and Titanium mix for strength.
MB Microtec tubes.
Thick Sappire cyrstal.
Srcew in solid bars
Crown gaurd.
screw down back
Swiss made
And on and on..
If you like, get one.
ish
Haven't bought one but they look nice. Diver GMT would be my pick.
I have one of their Engineer hydrocarbon models. Very good quality - it's a really hefty robust construction. Obviously the tritium tubes are a big draw too. I'd happily get another one day.
regards,
Nick
I've got an Engineer Master II Moonphase...its one of my favourite watches. Very well put together indeed.
I am waiting delivery of the ball diver worldtime, so you can guess my thoughts. I was impressed with the build quality when I tried it. Very good value for money.
I love them - I've got three no less and was just thinking about the fact that there are a couple of others I'd like to add to the collection. Build quality is superb, I love the designs and they are still good value for money, even though they are a lot more expensive now then they were when they were first launched in the UK :(
Had a Fireman, excellent build quality, mine kept exceptional time and nothing beats those trit tubes for lume! A bit expensive new, but quite good value in the used market IMO. Unique designs is another thing I like about them.
Mine is lots of fun to wear! If you like the divers, you might enjoy this amazing video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQITWbAaDx0
For me Ball watches are very well put together, different enough to stand out in the crowd, and the best lume around.
Here's some photos of my Balls :D
Big, brash, very American - obviously given where the brand came from - and quaintly upfront and old-fashioned about the advertising. The horological equivalent of a Chevrolet Corvette (not a bad thing IMO; it's a very effective vehicle), featuring down-home names like "Ball Master Engineer Hydrocarbon TNT Titanium Mad Cow". cf. Oldsmobile Cutlass Brougham Ciera for example. A big chunky slice of Americana, regardless of where it's made.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
HI have also got a Fireman, it is a really great watch and the lume is fantastic. It does not seem to work like other luminous products, if you were to cup your hand around the watch to look at the lume ( is it just me that does this? ) then there does not appear to be much of a glow, but at night time the watch glows brighter than any watch I have ever owned, it glows all night. I also really like the dial, it has a SM300 influence with a very clear, clean design. The hands are reminiscent of Bell and Ross, and the whole package works really well IMO. I have also been really impressed with the quality of the case and finish, it is really sharp and the graining is nicely applied. I normally collect vintage watches and this is the only real exception in my collection, I felt it was good value considering the quality of the product, although it is the entry model and quite a bit cheaper than their chronographs. A friend of mine recently bought a Cannonball, which is at the other end of the price scale. This watch also appealed to me, he has the white dial model and the blued hands are lovely.
Thanks for all the replies so far. Verdict seems unanimous! So a second question, any good places to look for second hand models, other than here obviously! They don't seem to come up on ebay too often.
A difficult question! This is probably the best place as TZers tend to pamper their watches and move them around quite a lot! There is always the WTB section here....
love my hydrocarbon gmt
i have seen many for sale on watchuseek (please delete if i cant refer to another forum here!)
I used to own a TMT diver dlc. Lovely looking watch and the tritium tubes are amazing in the dark. Wasn't a keeper though.
try to buy used as you're likely to take a huge hit when you come to selling (if you do)
I had one for a while and found it to be extremely nicely made, very good value. I prefer their simpler looking models, but they do make some nice looking watches.
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Dougair, check your PM :)
Originally Posted by captainhowdy
For me Ball watches are very well put together, different enough to stand out in the crowd, and the best lume around.
Here's some photos of my Balls :D
should be intresting when you put them on the chopping block. :lol:
This isn't Timezone-US; here we acknowledge the existence of the world outside our little environment.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I really like ball watches and still kick myself over a used example that was silly cheap at the time, before you could buy them on most highstreets. One day i'll invest in one I'm sure, until then I can just dribble on my keyboard
I really like the 'Aviator' watch;
I can't imagine buying one brand new though as the prices are a bit steep in my opinion.
i just dont get ball, they seem to be a bit overengineered, using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. a thinking mans graham perhaps. i do love all the shiny gtls things, but again a bit ott in alot of cases - think selfridges christmas tree.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
The UK version of this one is 46mm, which is a little bit large for me, you can however get a 44mm by way of special order.I really like the 'Aviator' watch;
I can't imagine buying one brand new though as the prices are a bit steep in my opinion.
Come on Andrew, it was an American brand resurrected they're just playing on the past history which they don't have any involvement in. Seems to be the true way of business for most industries today. I remember them being a Chinese owned company and was a well known fact a few years back.
Forgot to add...Hamilton uses the same clever "Americana" type name game why not use what sells :wink:
That's the one I had, in 46mm. Oddly, it didn't wear as big as you'd think, I only have 17.5cm wrists and it was fine on me.The UK version of this one is 46mm, which is a little bit large for me, you can however get a 44mm by way of special order.I really like the 'Aviator' watch;
I can't imagine buying one brand new though as the prices are a bit steep in my opinion.
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
There's even a brand out there, claiming to hail from Italy, but only Baz believes that old wives tale :)
Come on Andrew, it was an American brand resurrected they're just playing on the past history which they don't have any involvement in. Seems to be the true way of business for most industries today. I remember them being a Chinese owned company and was a well known fact a few years back.
Forgot to add...Hamilton uses the same clever "Americana" type name game why not use what sells :wink:
There's even a brand out there, claiming to hail from Italy, but only Baz believes that old wives tale :)
Come on Andrew, it was an American brand resurrected they're just playing on the past history which they don't have any involvement in. Seems to be the true way of business for most industries today. I remember them being a Chinese owned company and was a well known fact a few years back.
Forgot to add...Hamilton uses the same clever "Americana" type name game why not use what sells :wink:
Which one Anonimo, Squale ??? :twisted: as far as Panerai you could just assume they've returned to their original roots IWC could be called American :mrgreen: if you get picky
Sensational pics of your balls! They look great...For me Ball watches are very well put together, different enough to stand out in the crowd, and the best lume around.
Here's some photos of my Balls :D
It's childish, I know, but I just can't resist quoting that... :lol:
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
I appreciate it's a complete re-heat, but the styling is bold and chunky (compare GM or Chrysler cars to an Audi A4) and the advertising is down to earth and fairly objective rather than wishy-washy and MBAd to death. I mean compare the ad for, say, a Mad Cow - full of specs, measurements etc, bold statements claiming various objective abilities - to the vague apparitions of Omega, invariably featuring some soft-focus overpaid shleb sipping a Nespresso (R) whilst wearing an Omega (tm) watchproduct and winking suggestively into a camera as if to say "I Omega. Do you?".
Come on Andrew, it was an American brand resurrected they're just playing on the past history which they don't have any involvement in.
That the history is totally unconnected to the original American company is neither here nor there these days - so few watch brands, it seems, can claim unbroken lineage to their founding :?
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
:lol:
Thanks for that. I was planning on getting myself an Omega one day...
I have had 3 Ball watches and still own 2 - they are very good value for the money, extremely well built with a high standard of fit and finish. I also bought all three from Jura and when I had a problem with the deployant clasp on my Moonlight Special, they handled it perfectly and coupled with the good level of Ball Customer service, I can only recommend you get one!!
Positive enough? I think they are one of the most undervalued brands out there. I have to add that I only sold the one I did to free up some cash to buy my Panerai for my 40th birthday - if it wasn't for that, it would still be in my collection now.
Best Regards and enjoy whichever Ball you buy
Mike
I'd like another one someday. Ball do seem to churn out new models at quite a fast rate, most of which are a bit too "shiny" for my liking. Their engineer hydrocarbon line has some good toolish models.
regards,
Nick
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