BALL Watch Company Engineer Master II Pilot GMT

The vintage aviation watch is revisited as a tribute to all our aviation heroes

With its close ties to the world of exploration, BALL Watch was fortunate enough to have one of its watches tested by Captain Poindexter of NASA in 2010. After sending the Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster into space, BALL Watch conceived a model to honor the memory of the captain, in collaboration with the Poindexter family. Today BALL continues on the same trajectory and presents a new model as tribute to the pantheon of heroes from the world of aviation: the Engineer Master II Pilot GMT watch. Over the decades, aircraft pilots have shown constant courage and valor, whether in wartime or during expeditions for the benefit of science. This model is dedicated to them, in gratitude for their bravery and their achievements.

Captain Alan Goodwin « Dex » Poindexter (1961 – 2012) was an American naval officer, NASA astronaut and commander of the United States Space Shuttle. His unique leadership in the US space program is also closely linked to the BALL Watch Company’s history, as he was the first man to wear and test a BALL timepiece into space. As commander of the STS-131 mission in April 2010, Captain Poindexter was the first man to reach space with a BALL watch aboard the United States Space Shuttle Discovery. Having a man of this caliber requesting a BALL timepiece for an expedition to space was an honor for BALL Watch Company. STS-131 was a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Discovery’s crew performed three spacewalks to replace external equipment of the station and to transfer more than 13'000 pounds of hardware, supplies and material. During all this time, the BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster was on the wrist of Captain Poindexter, providing him accurate timekeeping in the most adverse conditions. In recognition of its contribution to this mission, BALL Watch Company received an official Certificate of Authenticity from the NASA, attesting the presence of the BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster aboard
the United States Space Shuttle.

Dedicated to aircraft heroes, the Engineer Master II Pilot GMT watch has been conceived by the renowned designer Magali Métrailler. A resolutely vintage style combined with contemporary finishes brings this unique timepiece up-to-date. The structure of the dial gives the model a sense of perspective while the flange displaying the indexes adds greater depth to the watch. The impressive openness of the 43.5 mm-diameter dial makes for excellent legibility and accentuates the model's finesse.

As with all BALL watches, the Engineer Master II Pilot GMT is all about light, with its indexes and hands fitted with luminescent micro tubes containing H3 gas. This state-of-the-art Swiss technology is 100 times more effective than conventional luminous paints yet requires no exterior light or energy source. Most of the indexes are blue in color, while the numeral 12 is marked out by its green tubes. The hours, minutes and seconds hands are colored orange, while the GMT hand and the indexes on the rotating bezel have been painted luminescent green. BALL has showcased the luminosity of this model by offering a different finish on the dial.

The dial is in fact made up of two layers: a silvercolored sub-dial that houses the gas tubes, and a visible dial that has been cut out to make space for the indexes.

This design allows for maximum visibility of the tubes, since their sides are opened up. The wide opening of the dial is emphasized by a bidirectional rotating aluminum bezel that has been delicately worked and ribbed, in order to allow for easy rotation. With gradations over 24 hours, the bezel allows for rapid setting of the GMT hand on the second timezone display. The GMT hand extends over the full radius of the dial, since the "embedded" gas tubes allow the hands to pass right around the whole diameter of the timepiece. In order to make the watch as practical as possible, an additional complication has been added
with the date, which appears at 3 o'clock. 

Its Swiss Made mechanical movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. To perfect the aeronautical character, a world map has been beautifully engraved in the center of the dial. This discreet touch gives the watch a unique character that is in perfect accord with its theme. A touch of red adds some contrasting color to the watch and allows for easy reading of the second time-zone. With a quick glance the wearer can differentiate between the two time-zones without cause for confusion.

The strap, available in crocodile leather and with a standard buckle to maintain a vintage style, has stitching in the same shade of red, giving the whole
timepiece a harmonious, balanced look. This model is also available with a stainless steel bracelet with a folding buckle.

Today, more than ever, BALL Watch is continuing its journey and asserting its role as a key protagonist in the exploration of modern time and the evolution of
watchmaking history.