We all look for different things in watches, whether that be how it looks or even just the price. But one thing that we can all agree on is we want our watches to last, be durable and survive in the environments that we ourselves can endure. The Engineer III Hurricane Hunters Limited Edition collection from BALL Watch Company promises just that with a design inspired by the brave adventurers known as “hurricane hunters”.
BALL Watch Company is certainly no stranger to engineering tough timepieces. Just this year alone, they’ve launched an incredible range of releases dedicated to adrenaline-seeking explorers and those that put their life on the line for others. Take the BALL Engineer III Legend II we reviewed in detail here or the Roadmaster Rescue Chronograph honouring the brave men and women part of search and rescue missions. The new BALL Engineer III Hurricane Hunters collection follows suit but this commemorates a group of individuals known as hurricane hunters. On July 27, 1943, a gentlemen named Maj. Joe Duckworth was dared by a fellow pilot to drive his propeller-driven, single-engine North American AT-6 “Texan” aircraft into the eye of a hurricane. Nearly eight decades later, hurricane hunting remains a necessity with individuals from both the U.S. Air Force’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration flying aircrafts directly into tropical storms and hurricanes. They do this to research and observe storms for better understanding and preparation – all for the greater good.
Designed especially for these missions, the BALL Engineer III Hurricane Hunters watch collection delivers a robust exterior, a COSC certified movement and a scratch resistant bezel offered in a handful of different designs. There are currently eight different Engineer III Hurricane Hunters watches to choose from, each available with a choice of a black or blue dial, a sapphire or ceramic bezel and a countdown or elapsed time scale. The countdown bezel has a 60 to 0 scale perfectly suited to those timing defined periods such as fight legs while the count-up bezel from 0 to 60 is ideal for tracking time spent performing a task. Both bezel designs are dressed in a sophisticated black colour in either sapphire or ceramic and adorned with micro gas tubes integrated under the ring for instant glow in darkness.
The case of the BALL Engineer II Hurricane Hunter Limited Edition measures to 40 millimetres in diameter and 13.8 millimetres in height and is engineered from 316L stainless steel. At 3 o’clock, a screw in crown not only delivers a healthy water resistant rating of 100 metres but has a unique quick set function. It allows you to independently set the 12 hour local hand without affecting the GMT and seconds for enhanced accuracy. Laid against a backdrop of black or blue, the bright red GMT hand, magnified date window at central hands for hours, minutes and seconds are powered by the BALL RR1205-C automatic winding movement which has been COSC certified to an accuracy of -4 to +6 seconds per day and promises a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.
As we’ve come to expect from BALL Watch Company, the dial is home to an array of baton-shaped micro tritium case tubes for a stunning visual display in dark conditions. The tubes deliver incomparable radiance to any other luminous technology in the watchmaking world, shining automatically from the first sign of darkness. They do not require any recharge from the sun or any external light source and do not drain any of the power reserve. The markers also guarantee superior brightness that lasts up to 25 years. The BALL Engineer II Hurricane Hunter watches are equipped with 19 micro gas tubes in total on the bezel, hour, minute, second and GMT hands and dial.
Limited to 1,000 pieces, the BALL Engineer II Hurricane Hunter is just as perfect for everyday wear as it is for surviving harsh conditions. Its tough aesthetic is completed by dome-shaped anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass, a material renowned of its scratch resistant, a solid stainless steel bracelet with folding buckle and a special mu-metal ring which guarantees anti-magnetic protection to 80,000 A/m (1,000 Gauss). The case back is screw down and uniquely decorated with a special engraving dedicated to hurricane hunters. From within, case is also endowed with the brand’s patented Amortiser anti-shock system which absorbs the shock impact that could otherwise damage components and harm precision. Inside and out, there’s no denying the BALL Engineer II Hurricane Hunter collection is kitted out for every kind of adventure, whether that’s inside a storm, up a mountain or in the skies.
For more information on the BALL Engineer II Hurricane Hunter Limited Editions and to order your own, head over to the Jura Watches website here. You can also contact our team with any questions on 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
Specifications: BALL Engineer II Hurricane Hunter Limited Edition Watches
- Case Size: 40mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Bi-directional rotating, stainless steel with ceramic insert or sapphire, count up or countdown scale
- Glass: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Screw down
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: BALL RR1205-C automatic winding
- COSC: Yes
- Functions: Hours, minutes, sweeping seconds, GMT, date
- Power Reserve: 42 hours
- Jewels: 21
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Black or blue with micro gas tube luminosity
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
- Buckle: Folding
- RRP: £2,390 (ceramic bezel), £2,600 (sapphire bezel)
- Limited Edition: 1,000 pieces
