They didn’t disappoint. Brian Binnie, a US Navy pilot, made a brief (approximately 5 minutes) trip into space in 2004. Strapped to his wrist as he hurtled through the edge of space was a Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon. Today they’ve added to the model and tacked on the name “Spacemaster” afterward, but at its core it’s still the same model.

That brief flight made history in a very big way. For years there’s been talk about the private, commercial opportunity available in space. In hospitality, in tourism, in mining–the possibilities were there. But for whatever reason, be it psychological or financial, the industry failed to take off. The Ansari X Prize was the first time that a reusable vehicle was used exclusively by a private corporation. Though the $10 million dollar award paled in comparison to the money spent on research and development (approximately $100 million), the technological breakthroughs were forecast to advance the pace of development.

That was 2004, and things have certainly progressed on both the watch front and the space front since then. While Ball Watch Company has tacked on the name “Spacemaster” to its Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon, things have moved forward in the commercial space sector. The Falcon 9 launched successfully recently, and a number of other firms are exploring everything from space suit improvements to inflatable lunar bases. Virgin Galactic is getting close to its maiden voyage as well. It’s hard to believe that all this started just 6 years ago with a Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon and an experimental craft.

Located all over the world, blue holes aren’t quite bottomless, but they can extend to a depth of several hundred feet. Still, this is enough to give it its characteristic blackness. Light itself is unable to penetrate this far below the surface. The result is easily visible. In tropical, shallow waters such as those around the Bahamas, the sea appears light blue and clear to the diver. A blue hole interrupts this pristine environment; right on the bottom of the ocean, a giant pit yawns–an abyss.

All this doesn’t seem to bother free-diver Guillume Néry the slightest. His combination of two of the world’s most dangerous sports into one of the most inhospitable and dangerous environments speaks volumes to his courage, as well as to the ruggedness of the Ball Watch timepieces that accompany him on his daring feats. What are these two sports, you might ask? Free-diving requires a diver to descend into the deep without the benefit of air tanks. But Néry also incorporates elements of what’s known as base-jumping. Base-jumping is usually done from mountain peaks and ledges. The jumper wears an outfit which allows him to essentially fly.

Néry’s dives are viewable on YouTube, as well as on the Ball Watch Company’s website. Beyond the sheer amount of time the extreme diver’s required to hold his breath for, and the audacity required to plunge into the deepest ocean hole in the world, consider the physical pressure placed upon the diver’s body in such a short period of time. Every 33 feet equals approximately one atmosphere. All this pressure is subject to the watch as well, and it’s with justifiable pride that Ball Watch Company advertises its products on these grounds.

To celebrate this truly great human performance The Ball Watch Company has reinvented their Engineer Hydrocarbon watch.

SpaceShipOne’s pilot Brian Binnie marvelled at the thin ribbon of electrical blue light that separates the atmosphere and the blackness that is space. In paying homage to the once fantasy now turned reality endeavours of SpaceShipOne the new Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Glow creates it own magical blue ribbon.

Ice blue and yellow micro gas tubes have been added to the bezel and the dial for a special night reading capability. Over 80 gas micro tubes used on the hour, minute, second hands and the dial alone. These micro tubes are also included in the numerals and indexes on the unidirectional rotating bezel.

To enhance the grip and shock protection of the Spacemaster Glow a new patented crown protection system has been introduced. The entire crown now sits within its crown guard; with the locking mechanism on top. The crown itself has been improved with deeper ridges to enable it to be turned even while wearing gloves.

Not surprisingly, this amazing timepiece, in a stainless case, has been created to withstand 7500 Gs in shock tests.

Today, each of Ball’s watches have hands and dials fitted with gas tubes that allow them to be read under all circumstances, even in adverse conditions.

The secret lies in pioneering Swiss technology where tritium gas is encapsulated in glass microtubes. Light is then emitted from these tubes when the tritium molecules strike the coloured inner surface of the tube. This phenomenon lasts up to 20 years without requiring ‘recharging’ from an external light source.

The light emitted from these tubes is a hundred times brighter than light sources more commonly used in watch-making. An infinite palette of emitted colours are possible because there exists a wide variation in colours available for the inner coating. And, the microtubes can be used to create numbers or shapes.

The secure photogenic tube system enables the performance benefits of tritium to be exploited without any concern about radioactivity.

With this innovative technology Ball’s designers can produce watches that are aesthetically pleasing both by day and by night.

So as darkness shortens the day with a Ball watch you can easily read the time precisely whether you are in broad daylight or at night, on the go, or on the sofa.