Ever since we launched the Christopher Ward x Oracle Time Dune Shoreline collaboration watches have fascinated me all the more. As someone involved in the collaboration process I love the partnership of ideas that comes from working together with designers and as a collector I love the nuances and different directions collaboration watches go in that a watch brand might not explore under their own impetus. Which is a rather roundabout way to introduce Ball’s latest collaboration, the Ball x CronotempVs Collectors Engineer III 00BLU.
The central idea behind the Engineer III 00BLU is to emphasise one of Ball’s signature features: tritium tube numerals. These tubes use luminescent H3 gas to emit a consistent glow in low light conditions in a fashion that’s more reliable than traditional lume materials. The main low light condition we find ourselves in daily is the nighttime and so the Engineer III 00BLU pays tribute to the dark hours of the day by swapping the 12 numeral for 00, which represents midnight on a 24-hour clock. The 00 tritium tubes have a blue glow that contrasts to the white of the rest of them.
It’s a relatively small change in the grand scheme of things but instantly it makes the watch feel special and unique, standing out from the rest of Ball’s timepieces. Well, standing out from all except the 00RED, which was the original Ball x CronotempVs Collectors collaboration from 2022 that inspired this follow-up. That original timepiece, which had the same display as the 00BLU except for having red accents not blue, was a 43mm steel model and collectors loved it but found it to be too large. As such the Engineer III 00BLU is a more svelte 40mm in diameter.
The combination of the steel case with the grey dial and pop of blue accents really works well. After all, it does sound familiar for some reason – is it too much to include another hyperlink to the Dune Shoreline here?. Jokes aside, I do like the quiet strength that the Ball x CronotempVs Collectors Engineer III 00BLU exudes. It’s understated and effective.
Beneath the dial is the calibre RR1103-C, a movement based on the ETA 2824-2 with COSC chronometer certification. It’s protected by a 100m water resistance rating and a magnetic field 1000 gauss resistance rating, living up to Ball’s positioning as producers of versatile tool watches. The movement is hidden by a solid caseback depicting an image of train, harking back to Ball’s railway watch origins.
The Ball x CronotempVs Collectors Engineer III 00BLU is a limited edition of 91 pieces available through the CronotempVs Collectors platform at a price of €2,200 (approx. £1,825). CronotempVs Collectors is a group for collectors and watch enthusiasts interested in cool collaborative watches. Watches like the 00BLU make me wonder what would happen if someone really encouraged Ball to push the boat out with a more technical design.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Ball
x CronotempVs Collectors Engineer III 00BLU
Ref:
NM9026C-S45C-GY
Case:
40mm
diameter x 13.15mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial:
Grey
with 33 tritium gas tubes
Water resistance:
100m
(10 bar)
Movement:
Ball
calibre RR1103-C, automatic, COSC-certified, 25 jewels
Frequency:
28,800
vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve:
38h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds
Strap:
Stainless
steel bracelet
Price:
€2,200
(approx. £1,825), limited to 91 pieces
More details at CronotempVs Collectors.
Oracle Time