Oracle Time’s second collaboration watch is here, following in the footsteps of the Dune Shoreline. However, this time our collaborative partner isn’t Christopher Ward, it’s Ball, the titan of tool watches and master of magnetism (or rather, anti-magnetism). As this is a creation we have spent a year working on it’s obviously very difficult to be objective but I will try my absolute best to be as unbiased as possible by focussing squarely on the Ball x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle in the metal. If you’d like to learn more about some of our thoughts on why Ball are the ideal collaborative partner and the design thoughts that went into the production, check out our full cover feature article from Issue 113 of Oracle Time.
Taking the Ball x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle out of its packaging, the first thing you notice is unquestionably the dial. It’s a riot of shape and colour with dynamic angles in white, grey and black. It’s also embossed, giving it a subtle three-dimensionality that really makes the shapes pop. Dazzle camouflage, upon which the pattern is based, is not a traditional style of camo because it’s not designed to hide anything – it’s impossible to hide a ship floating above the horizon line. Instead, it’s more about obfuscation, deceiving the eye like an illusion (in order to make enemy torpedoes miss or strike less valuable targets onboard) and the dial replicates that quite well.
Fortunately, while obfuscation is the name of the game, the Ball x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle remains surprisingly legible. Because of the inconsistent angles of the Dazzle pattern, the consistent rectangles of the hour markers actually makes them stand out quite significantly. They’re also made from Ball’s signature H3 tritium micro-gas tubes meaning they glow in low light conditions more intensely than traditional lume without needing to be charged by light. They’re hard to miss.
The colour of the emission is a pale blue, which is starting to become something of an Oracle Time signature at this point. That blue colour is matched by the tips of the hour, minute and seconds hands, helping them to stand out against the dial as another safeguard to preserve the readability of the watch. I personally also find that the combination of the monochromatic dial and blue accents gives the watch quite an arctic feel, like a rocky tundra beneath the ice.
On the wrist, the Ball x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle has the reassuring heft of a 40mm tool watch, produced from 904L stainless steel. That’s not to say it’s bulky because it really isn’t with a thickness of 11.5mm. It has a circular design with a smooth bezel and brushed lugs creating a nice amount of contrast between the finishes across the piece. The lugs lead smoothly into a three-link steel bracelet with butterfly clasp.
Undoing the clasp and turning the watch over reveals something fairly uncommon for a Ball watch, an exhibition caseback. Most Ball watches use solid casebacks in order to maintain their incredibly high anti-magnetic resistance, which means you can’t see the movement housed inside. However, as the Ball x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle houses the lovely calibre BALL RR1101-C, we wanted you to be able to see it. Plus, the watch still maintains a magnetic field resistance up to 4,800 A/m, which is plenty for day-to-day life.
In terms of specs, the BALL RR1101-C features a 56-hour power reserve, putting it just inside that weekend proof goldilocks zone, meaning you can put it down on Friday evening and it will still be ticking on Monday morning (just about). On top of that, it’s COSC chronometer certified, which means it’s undergone strenuous testing by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres to ensure a high level of accuracy and reliability in multiple positions.
The Ball x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle is priced at £2,480 (incl. VAT) and is limited to 100 pieces. Oracle Time members will have priority access to purchase the watch from 11th June with general sale beginning on 14th June when the watch is presented at Hands On Horology. If you aren’t yet an Oracle Time member, you can sign up here to receive all the benefits including early access to collaborations, exclusive member events plus receive 10 issues of Oracle Time magazine straight to your door.
Price and Specs:
Model:
BALL
x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle
Ref:
NM9016C-S8C-BK
Case:
40mm
diameter x 11.5mm height, 904L stainless steel, anti-reflective sapphire crystal front and sapphire exhibition caseback, screwed-in crown
Dial:
Embossed
dazzle-camouflage pattern, 15 micro-gas tubes on hands and dial for night-reading
Water resistance:
100m
(10 bar)
Movement:
BALL
calibre RR1101-C, automatic, COSC-certified, shock-resistant 5,000 Gs, anti-magnetic 4,800 A/m
Frequency:
28,800
vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve:
56h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds
Strap:
Stainless
steel bracelet (blue NATO strap available separately)
Price:
£2,480
(inc. VAT), limited to 100 pieces
More details at Ball Watch.
Oracle Time