As much as I love GMT complications, I have to say that the name for this one is just silly. “Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Magnate GMT.” Four proper names plus GMT suffix?
That said, the watch itself is pretty nice looking. I’m not fond of the Rolex-style cyclops over the date, though some quite like them [Ed. note. You’ll see some hands-on images I took with watch here. I believe that the magnifier crystal is actually reverse mounted (inside the crystal) so as not to stick out of the crystal]. The fixed bezel is less useful than a rotating one, but on the other hand it’s filled with luminescent paint for a cool look in the dark. The textured and detailed dial has good balance and attains the not-too-busy look a good dress watch. The dark green GMT hand lurks in the visual background, behind mirror-polished hour and minute hands and the signature second hand with Ball logo counterpoise. Overall a good looking watch, with the bulked-up look Ball produces.
The bracelet is a variant on the classic Oyster, with triple deployant and diver’s extension in stainless steel. [Ed. note. Instead of the a three think design, they have a two link design which is a nice alternative. Ball spruces up the look of the bracelet significantly by adding polished bevels to the edges of the links. This is always a good idea.]
Specifications are quite good:
- ETA 2893-2 movement, COSC-certified chronometer
- 7,500G shock resistance
- 4,800 A/m of magnetism resistance
- Water resistant to 100m
- Anti-reflective-coated sapphire crystal
- 40mm across by 12.1mm thick – nicely sized
- Available with bracelet or rubber strap, with black or silver dial
- Bezel numbers are done with luminous paint (not tritium, obviously)
- Tritium tubes on hands (including the GMT hand) and dial.
It’s a nice looking watch, and I like that they didn’t enlarge it. 40mm is a perfect size for a versatile dress/sport watch design like this, and 12mm thick will slide under most shirt cuffs.
Ball has been a consistent leader in automatic movements plus tritium tubes [Ed. note. In the US Ball legally (yes, legally), has the right to have brighter tritium gas tubes than anyone else right now], and I like the combination a lot. GMT is great for travelers or, more commonly, if you need to Skype that relative back in the old country and can never remember the timezone difference.
List price is $2,900, though I expect that you’d find discounts if you search around. Overall a classic look and a good choice for someone who only has one nice watch.
