As you may have already guessed, this Ball Trainmaster Celsius (ref. NT1050D-LJ-SLC) is the same good old Trainmaster TMT in a new, dressier skin.
As many of you may have already noted, the main problem of the American-owned, but Swiss-based Ball Watch company is the lack of consistency of design even inside a single collection.
When it comes to the Trainmaster family, there are all kinds of styles, starting with Baroque and going all the way to contemporary minimalism.
The approach probably lets Ball Watch company sell more watches, but definitely erodes its brand visibility.
While the aforementioned Trainmaster TMT was designed with Art-Deco in mind, the new Ball Trainmaster Celsius is more influenced by Breguet timepieces, but with a certain twist to it.
The signature Breguet-type Arabic numerals, for example, are not printed or transferred, but are made of polished steel and applied to the silvered dial.
The dauphine-style hands that normally come without any lume are equipped with their trademark luminescent gas tubes filled with ever-glowing tritium radioactive isotope.
The twelve hour markers that dot the railway-type minute track are, too, equipped with tiny tritium bulbs.
Very eclectic, as usual.
However, the main point of attraction of this timepiece is its unique thermometric indication gauge, which is conveniently placed at 6 o’clock.
According to the company, the temperature module is capable of measuring environmental temperature in a wide range from -35 to +45°C (that roughly converts to -30 — 110°F) with a maximum error of not more than 3 percent.
Independent tests suggest that the thermometer is indeed accurate for such a complex mechanical device squeezed inside such a confined space.
While in the world of electronic watches the function is far from being rare, it will take you a long and tiresome search to find a dressy timekeeper that has such a useful module.
The feature is provided courtesy of the Ball caliber 9018 automatic movement. First presented around four years ago in the Engineer Master II Diver TMT model, the caliber is based on the well-known ETA 2892-A2 automatic movement with an exclusive temperature module installed in close quarters of just 6 millimeters in diameter.
It is a pleasure to admit that the whole layout is legible both in a broad light and in total darkness (Ball Watch claims that their tritium tubes are around 100 times brighter than an average luminous substance used in normal wristwatches,) although it would be even better to have a small bulb attached to the thermometer gauge as well.
As you can see in the photos, the watch itself features the same stainless steel case used by other similarly styled members of the family.
Comfortable 41 millimeters in diameter and only 12 millimeters in height, the case is equipped with an oversized setting crown that makes it easier to operate the watch, but will certainly bite from time to time the back of your hand if you, like me, prefer to wear a watch lower on the wrist.
The lugs aren’t particularly long, so, even if you have a thin wrist, the watch will not look ridiculous on you.
There is still no info regarding the timekeeper’s price, but it will probably retail at around $4500 or maybe even less*.
See also: Radioactive! Ball Storm Chaser DLC Glow
* UPDATE ON PRICE: It turned out that the watch retails at even more interesting $3999. By the way, if metric system doesn’t excite you, there is an almost identical version that has a Fahrenheit scale on its temperature gauge. It is sold as ref. NT1050D-SJ-SLF and is offered at the same price of $3999.
Photos: Ball Watch
Ball Trainmaster Celsius (ref. NT1050D-LJ-SLC) specification
Price: $3999 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Ball Caliber 9018, based on ETA 2892-A2, 28,800 vph, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, temperature gauge
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Size: 41.00 mm
Lug width: 20.00 mm
Case height: 12.00 mm
Dial: Silvered
Numerals: Arabic, Breguet-type
Hour markers: Luminous, tritium tubes
Hands: Luminous, tritium tubes, Dauphine
Water resistance: 50 meters
Strap: Brown leather strap
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Sapphire
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I am a founding father of this weblog since 2008.
Bought my first mechanical watch in 1986 and it took me ten more years to realize that I have a problem: at some point in time watches became my passion. Well, it could be worse.