Amidst the craziness of Baselworld 2015, we had the chance to take our time reviewing the Ball Engineer Master II Slide Chronograph ($3,300-$3,400). Since it was announced last year, we’ve wanted to check out this interesting new take on chronograph operation. Will the world of chronographs change forever? Probably not, but it’s a pretty cool mechanism – so, let’s check it out.
Pulling the Slide Chronograph out of its packaging, the most obvious thing was the size. I won’t beat around the bush: this is a big watch. At 47-millimeters wide and 15.5-millimeters thick, it’s literally the biggest watch I’ve worn for any extended period of time. Even with the curved, short-ish lugs, I couldn’t help from feeling like a kid walking around in my dad’s work boots. Luckily for Ball, not everyone has a wrist less than 7 inches, so I’ll keep the rest of the review as neutral as possible from that standpoint.
The slide button on Ball’s Slide Chronograph
The elephant in the room here is obviously the slide button which operates the chronograph – how does it work?! It works pretty damn well. Ball did an excellent job with the engineering of the button, and although I only used it for three weeks, each and every “slide” felt as good as the last. I’m not sure what Ball’s plans are for incorporating it into other chronographs, but I wouldn’t mind seeing it again in another model or two.
As you can see in the photos, the button sits in the middle of the track, where it returns after upward and downward slides. To start and stop, upward slides are required, with a downward slide returning the chronograph hands. Starting and resetting receive a little more resistance than stopping, but the energy required is quite similar to pusher clicks on the average ETA 7750. The only awkward aspect is simply getting used to using your thumb instead of your pointer or middle finger. I certainly don’t see it as a replacement to normal pushers, just a novel – and still functional – alternative.
Another shot of the sliding mechanism
I had the chance to sit down with a Ball representative at Baselworld and ask a couple of questions about the Slide Chronograph. What was at the top of my list was how the mechanism affects the size of the watch. According to his understanding, both the case height and diameter had something to do with the sliding button and its components. My hope is that if Ball is to continue using the slide chronograph, they figure out a way to slim it down – of course, this must also come with maintaining the mechanism’s integrity.
Ball Engineer Master II Slide Chronograph
Moving away from the slide button, the watch itself is ruggedly handsome. Starting with the inner bezel with luminous hour markers, there is a lot of depth under the crystal. It’s not easy to keep a busy dial legible, but Ball managed to do it. Having essentially three completely distinct planes is the key. The inner bezel is the closest to the eye, and holding only the hour markers makes it easy to read. Next, the tachymeter scale connects the inner bezel to the main dial, and its angle catches the eye hassle-free. Finally, on the main dial, Ball didn’t try to pack too many numbers in, and balanced the three subdials with the day-date window. What ties the whole look together is the slide and crown on opposite sides of the case, adding symmetry. And that’s the overall message I get from the Slide Chronograph – symmetry – which does a funny thing to the brain. It’s one of those things where you’re not sure why something is pleasing to the eye, until you really break it down into smaller parts.
I commend Ball Watch for trying something new. Having seen what was on offer at Baselworld 2015, there’s a lot of recycled designs and ideas, and it’s refreshing to see someone trying, however novel the attempt is. My main complaint is the size of the Slide Chronograph, but for some, that won’t be an issue. Aside from that, it’s an excellent looking watch with an intriguing new take on how the chronograph can, or should, operate.
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Chris
Interesting watch. Well priced and attractive to boot. Too bad it’s a boat anchor. It’s at least 5mm too wide, which is really unfortunate, especially in a time when we’re seeing watches start to shrink back to normal sizes.