BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST Dive Watch
Heres a new and very well-specd dive watch from BALL, the DeepQUEST. The DeepQUEST has a water-resistance rating of 3,000 meters, setting it apart from your typical field of dive watches. In fact over the last year or so the Hublot Oceanographic 4000 is the only other timepiece that I can think of in this ultra-deep dive rating category, so kudos to BALL on this release. The 3,000 meter water resistance is achieved largely through a monoblock case construction. This means that the entire case was milled from single block of metal, in this case titanium, thus minimizing possible weak points that could compromise the timepieces water integrity at great depths. Enhanced crown seals are also used as this is perhaps the most vulnerable point for a watch with this depth rating. The sapphire crystal is also a very hefty 5.3mm thick.
Technical elements aside, I really like the clean dial and simple functionality of the watch. BALL keeps the look simple and functional with a simple 3-hand layout (hours, minutes, second), which allows the watch to stand and be recognized on the merits of its impressive 3,000 meter depth rating rather than diluting its appeal with additional functions and a busy dial. This said, you can see that there is a small date window on the watch, and while this is a feature which I would have preferred not to see on the dial, it does not detract from the overall aesthetic by much. I also appreciate that this watch has a 43mm case size (16mm thick), a very wearable size. Black and silver dial variants are offered. Priced near $4,500, a lot of watch for your money. All in all, a very nice dive watch with nice design and impressive technical specs that results in a very attractive piece.
BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST Dive Watch
43mm monoblock titanium case (16mm thick), ! automati c mechanical movement (ETA 2892, COSC), tapered titanium + stainless steel bracelet with extension system or rubber strap with pin buckle
Of coures this watch would not be complete without BALLs signature tritium gas tubes to light up the dial and bezel like a Christmas tree!
I would add that this piece features a rotating bezel that is equipped with a BALLs new patented setting system (SafetyDIVE) that allows the diver to count down with a half-minute precision its immersion time. Exactly how this functionality works is not obvious to me but Id guess it has something to do with the second set of hash marks on the lower-left bezel quadrant.
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