Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD Review

A few weeks ago Ball sent us four watches to review that covered a good spectrum of their current collection. So far we have reviewed the Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer Day-Date and the Engineer Master II Diver Chronometer, both pieces really impressed me with their build quality and value, but to me personally the other two watches Ball sent were more interesting.

Before we get into the next watch we'll be reviewing from Ball, let's first go over a quick history of the brand. If you'd like a more detailed history of Ball, you can read the beginning of the Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer Day-Date review where we go into much more detail of the founding and history of Ball.



Ball was founded in 1891 after a tragic train collision in Kipton, Ohio which was caused by one of the engineer's watches stopping for four minutes and causing a fatal timing error. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway ended up appointing Cleveland jeweler Webb C. Ball as their new Chief Time Inspector to establish a timing standard to ensure incidents like this would never happen again.

Ball ended up creating the "RR Standard" or Railroad Standard which set strict requirements for accuracy, reliability, durability and readability for any timepiece used on a railroad. Initial Ball did not produce any watches but rather had watches from manufactures like Elgin, Hamilton and Waltham marked with the "Ball Standard" seal. In time Ball started to release their own watches which focused on precision and durability, these watches often used high quality Swiss movements.



As the railways started to decline in importance and the watch industry was destroyed by the quartz crisis, Ball became a shadow of its former self. Ball ended up being acquired in the 1990s and had their entire operation moved to Switzerland where the watches would now be manufactured. This acquisition revitalized the brand and Ball soon became a very innovative brand going so far as producing their own movements as well as using unique lume solutions like self-powered tritium gas tubes. Today Ball is known for producing extremely high quality watches that tie in nicely with their railroad heritage.

Initial Thoughts

Having gone over the history of Ball, let's now talk about my initial impressions of the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD. When the watch arrived the first thing I noticed about it was just how beefy of a timepiece this watch was. Even being crafted out of lightweight titanium when sized for my 7.25 inch wrist the EOD weighed in at 165 grams and has a thickness for 14.3 mm (14.9 mm with the magnifier). The watch just looks like a machined tool for your wrist as well. This watch was designed in collaboration with the United States Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) so it's no surprise it looks so substantial. The EOD was designed to survive a 10 meter free fall and is by far the most robust watch ever produced by Ball.



The second thing I noticed about the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD during my initial time with the watch was the crown protection system. While being exposed to some of the most extreme conditions imaginable, the last thing you want to worry about is the crown of your watch. The crown of the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD is actually covered by a black cap connected to the crown protector. When you unscrew the cap you are able to flip the crown protector up and expose the crown. It's a little reminiscent of the crown protector found on a Panerai Luminor, but instead of ensuring the crown is locked down for water resistance, the EOD's crown protector's main purpose is to make sure the crown isn't damaged.

The final thing I took note of when I first looked over the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD was the use of lume on the dial and bezel. Like what is expected from Ball watches the hour markers and hands are equipped with micro-gas tubes that glow a stunning green and yellow in low light and when exposed to UV light. All the markings on the 60 minute bezel are also highly lumed with 0 to 20 being covered by yellow lume that appears red in daylight and the rest of the markers being covered by green lume that looks black in daylight. When the watch is hit by UV light it really gives off quite the lightshow.



Technical Specifications

Now that we've covered my initial thoughts of the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD, let's take some time to go over the technical specifications of the watch. The case of the watch is crafted out of titanium and has a case diameter of 42.7 mm and a lug to lug length of 53.2 mm. As mentioned earlier when sized for my 7.25 inch wrist the EOD weighs 165 grams and has a thickness of 14.3 mm, which increases to 14.9 mm when you include the magnifier over the date window at 3 o'clock.

The Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD is fitted with a flat sapphire crystal that has an anti-reflective coating. On the right hand side is a magnifying crystal that sits above the date window. Beneath the sapphire crystal is a flat black dial with a printed minute track around the outside of the dial. All hours except 6, 9 and 12 are made up of stick hour markers formed by micro-gas tubes that glow green and require no charging to be legible in low light. Arabic numerals made out of yellow colored micro-gas tubes make up the hour markers for 6, 9 and 12. 3 o'clock does not get an hour marker since a white backed date window is placed there instead.



The hour and minute hands are done with large sword style hands also featuring yellow micro-gas tubes. The seconds hand has a red tip featuring a small yellow micro-gas tube and has a counter balance in the shape of the Ball double R logo. The hands are finished in a matte silver color to further show how much of a tool watch the EOD is. Finishing off the dial is Ball branding at 12 o'clock and "1000 Gauss Chronometer SpringLOCK – SpringSeal 300M – 1000FT" printed at 6 o'clock. Another nice touch is "T Swiss Made T" printed at the bottom of the dial. The "T"s designate that the watch contains radioactive tritium, but it is safely contained in the micro-gas tubes.

Moving on from the dial is the titanium bezel that has Arabic numerals for each of the first five minutes in the hour until 20 and then 10 minute increments after. Five minute increments after 20 are marked with long stick markers while short stick markers are used for each minute. Super-Luminova is used for these bezel markings with 0 through 20 being done in yellow lume that appears red in daylight and the rest of the markings done in green lume that appears black in daylight. Strong green lume is also used on stick markers at 0, 15, 30, and 45.

The uni-directional bezel has a very solid feel to it and has zero back play. Each click has a very clear and defined sound to it as well. The bezel is nicely scalloped and should easily be able to be operated with gloves on. While the EOD isn't intended to be a diver, it more than easily could play that role, especially with its solid dive bezel and 300 meters of water resistance.



The bezel of the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD along with its case and bracelet are brushed in finish. The only polished areas are the chamfers which give the watch a bit more visual interest as opposed to everything being brushed. The brushed finishing really gives the EOD the look of a true tool watch as well.

Looking at the profile of the EOD you can see just how thick the mid case is. Inside of the case are two anti-shock systems that keep the regulator and balance spring safe from shocks. A newly patented elastomer ring surrounds the dial and movement allowing just enough movement to protect the watch from drops as high as 10 meters and impacts of 50,000 Gs. The SpringSEAL and SpringLOCK systems absorb and release impact energy keeping crucial parts from breaking. From the side you can also see how the lugs slope down and contour to your wrist. The EOD has an anti-magnetic rating of 80,000 A/m (1,000 Gauss) which is extremely important when dealing with explosives.

The right hand side of the case also contains the oversized crown protector. There is a large titanium loop that has a black crown cap attached to it that covers the crown of the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD. When you unscrew the crown using the crown cap you can now flip the crown protector up. When the protector is out of the way you can now see the exposed true crown. The crown also has a nice scalloping to it and should also be able to be used while wearing gloves.



Once un-screwed and in the resting position you can now wind the automatic movement. Pulling the crown out to position one allows you to set the date and pulling the crown all the way out to position two stops the seconds hand and lets you set the time. Pushing the crown back in causes no jump in the minutes hand either. To screw the crown back in, simply flip the crown protector back down and click it closed. The crown protector and crown cap have now pushed the crown down and all that is needed is a few turns to screw the crown back in. With the crown already pushed in, this system makes the EOD the easiest watch I've ever used to screw the crown back in. There is zero play needed to get the crown to line up and catch, all you do it turn the crown a few times and it's locked in place.

Flipping the watch over shows off the solid titanium screw down case back complete with an engraving of the seal of the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Underneath the case back beats the Chronometer COSC certified Swiss Made automatic movement caliber BALL RR1101-CSL. This movement is based on the ETA 2892-A2 which has a frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz) and a power reserve of 42 hours. Ball modifies the movement by adding the SpringLOCK hairspring anti-shock system as well as the SpringSEAL regulator anti-shock system. Special movement oil is also used to make sure the watch runs between -49 and 176 degrees Fahrenheit. On our timegrapher the EOD showed an accuracy of -1 seconds per day when averaged out over several positions. This is well within chronometer specifications.



The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD comes with drilled lugs and the bracelet is affixed to the case using screws instead of traditional spring bars. This is an awesome choice since a spring bar might not be the ideal part to use when dealing with a watch as over-engineered as the EOD. The lug width of the watch is 21 mm and it comes on a titanium bracelet that has an H-link construction. The links are brushed and like the case feature polished edges. The bracelet tapers down from 21 mm at the lugs to 18 mm at the butterfly deployant clasp. The bracelet is sized by my preferred method of using screws to remove and set links.

The deployant clasp is brushed and features the Ball double R logo. Two pushers are required to release the clasp as well. Each side of the clasp has an extension link that when flipped out each add 10 mm of length to the bracelet. With both extensions out the watch should be able to fit over a 3mm thick wetsuit. Normally you don't see anywhere near 20 mm of additional extension from clasps, so it's a very nice feature to see.



On The Wrist

On my 7.25 inch wrist with a 55 mm flat area the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD fits perfectly. The 53.2 mm lug to lug length covers my wrist nicely and there is no overhang. The 14.3 mm thickness works well for the watch since it is a larger watch. Being crafted out of titanium keeps the weight down to a manageable 165 grams, I couldn’t even imagine what the watch would weigh if it was made out of stainless steel. A lot of the added weight of the watch is credited to the bracelet, I'd imagine the watch would almost pass for a lightweight if on a rubber or fabric strap. I do feel some added weight can also be attributed to the movement protection. Either way, the watch never gave me wrist fatigue but never really disappeared on the wrist either.

If you've read my review of watches on bracelets you know that I'm not a fan of bracelets. I've spent way too many 100 degree Texas summers with watches that get way too tight to tolerate them anymore. Even watches that have micro-adjustments aren't enough to get me to embrace bracelets. While the bracelet on the Engineer Hydrocarbon was really nice, I do feel like I would have enjoyed the watch much more if it was on a rubber strap. I do know that I am in a minority when it comes to this line of thinking though.



To test the legibility of a watch I try to tell the time with just a glance while driving. With its large black dial and contrasting greenish yellow markers the EOD easily passed my legibility test. The mixture of large Arabic numerals and stick markers when paired with oversized hour and minute hands made quick time telling a breeze. The always on micro-gas tubes also meant that the watch was always legible during all hours of the night since the lume never needed to be charged. One quick note is that the bezel uses traditional Super-Luminova which needs to be charged and fades away after some time of no light source.

The aesthetic of the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD is very neutral so it went well with everything I wore it with, which was mostly a black t-shirt, shorts and sneakers. The titanium case and bracelet along with the black dial means the watch really won't clash with anything you pair it with. I wore the watch during my rather boring errands and also out to dinner and drinks. The watch was a great daily companion and did everything I asked of it. If you have smaller wrists the bulk of the watch might be a bit too much, but I felt it suited me fine.



While wearing the watch out I did notice that quite a few people were looking at it. I did have two different people ask about the watch and it was fun explaining the collaboration between the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Ball. I also showed the watch to a few friends of mine while we were out as well. People mostly commented on the crown protector as well as the micro-gas tubes when I showed them the watch. We do carry a tiny UV light with us that made the lume really shine. The purpose of the watch and its connection to the U.S. Navy EOD was also really interesting to everyone. Finally everyone though the price of the EOD was more than fair.

Value and Position in the Market

Speaking of price, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD retails for $3,349. For that price you are getting a large and unique watch crafted out of titanium with a certified chronometer movement. The movement also employs two separate anti-shock systems and can withstand 50,000 Gs of impact. The crown protector system gives the EOD a very unique look as well. The micro-gas tubes, as always, are unique to Ball and make the dial just sparkle in the dark. Finally the connection to the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal gives the watch amazing credentials. Now is the perfect time to compare the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD to other watches with similar specs and credentials and see how it comes out in terms of features and value.



First up we have the Marathon GSAR Type II Diver which has a 41 mm case made out of stainless steel. The watch features the same 300 meters of water resistance and runs on a Swiss made Sellita movement. The dial also uses similar tritium gas tubes like the Ball but not nearly as many. The Marathon also has a military connection in being developed for the Canadian military's rescue divers. The Marathon is priced a bit less than the Ball at $2,000, but isn't crafted out of titanium or chronometer certified.

Next we have the Sinn EZM 3F which has a 41 mm case made out of stainless steel. The EZM only has 200 meters of water resistance and is powered by the same Sellita movement found in the Marathon. The Sinn uses traditional Super-Luminova instead of micro-gas tubes as well. On a bracelet the EZM 3F retails for $2,630 which is also less than the Ball, but isn't made out of titanium and once again isn't chronometer certified.



Moving on is the Pelagos FXD from Tudor which has a 42 mm case crafted out of titanium. The Pelagos has less water resistance than the EOD at 200 but does run on a chronometer certified manufacture movement with 70 hours of power reserve. Like the Ball and Marathon some members of the FXD family are produced for military units, the base model we are looking at isn't, but was inspired by older MILSPEC Tudors. The Tudor is a bit more expensive than the Ball at $4,325 and does not come on a titanium bracelet, but instead it comes with rubber and fabric straps.

Finally we have the S.A.R. Rescue-Timer by Muhle Glashutte which has a 42 mm stainless steel case. The S.A.R. only has 100 meters of water resistance and is powered by the same Sellita movement as the Marathon and Sinn. The S.A.R. also uses traditional lume as opposed to the micro-gas tubes found in the Ball and Marathon. The S.A.R. also has a military pedigree being developed for the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service. The Muhle Glashutte is a bit less expensive than the Ball at $2,499 but once again isn't made out of titanium and is not a certified chronometer.



The four watches we compared the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD to have similar specs to each other with the Ball being a bit more premium in being both crafted out of titanium and being chronometer certified. The Tudor was the only other watch which had both of those but did not come on a titanium bracelet and was more expensive. Taking everything into account the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD is a good value for everything you're getting with it.

Closing Thoughts

So in the end is the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD for me? Of the three watches we have now reviewed from Ball, the EOD is by far the closest to something I would collect personally. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the bracelet, but that's just because I don't like bracelets on my personal watches. On a rubber or fabric strap the EOD would be right in my wheelhouse though. The 53.2 mm lug to lug length is in my goldilocks zone and I also love overbuilt watches. Knowing the movement can survive a shock of 50,000 Gs while still being chronometer certified is nuts. I'm just a huge sucker for lightweight materials like carbon, ceramic and titanium, so the full titanium construction of the EOD is a huge plus for me. I'm also always in awe of the tritium micro-gas tubes used by Ball and the EOD puts them to use nicely. Finally the unique crown protector really makes the EOD standout from a crowded field of diver/sports/MILSPEC watches.



Would I then recommend the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD to somebody looking for a rugged sports watch? I really would in a heartbeat. The look and feel of the EOD just scream tool watch and being designed for the kind of work the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal does is awesome. I can't really think of a watch that is designed for more extreme work, maybe some of the 4,000 plus meter water resistant watches could see a more extreme environment than disarming explosives. The EOD just has a presence on wrist as well and really gets noticed when being worn. The EOD really doesn't look like anything else currently on the market than I can think of.

The extremely accurate chronometer certified movement is also a big positive to the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD. The movement is based off an ETA caliber that is a true workhorse and should be able to be serviced by just about any watchmaker. Handling and wearing the EOD just relays how well the watch is built as well. There is really no better word to describe the watch then "Solid".

So far all three watches we've reviewed from Ball have been extremely well crafted timepieces. The Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD has by far been my favorite and is a watch I could see in my collection, albeit on a rubber or fabric strap. We have one more watch left to review from Ball in the coming days and if the other three are any indication I'm sure I'll be equally impressed with it as I have been with the others.



For more information about the Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD please visit : Ball

Technical Specifications

Reference Number: DM3200A-S1C-BK

Retail Price: $3,349

Case Size: 42.7 mm

Lug to Lug: 53.2 mm

Thickness: 14.3 mm (14.9 mm with Magnifier)

Weight: 165 Grams (Sized for 7.25 Inch Wrist)

Case Material: Titanium

Bezel: Titanium

Strap: Titanium Bracelet with Deployant Clasp

Movement: BALL RR1101-CSL (ETA 2892-A2) Swiss Made Automatic

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date

Power Reserve: 42 Hours

Water Resistance: 300 Meters