Ball Watches have a reputation for their military collaborations and mil-spec inspired concepts (check out our own Ball x Oracle Time Engineer II Dazzle. So, it’s only natural that on the occasion of the U.S. Marines’ 250th anniversary they’d commemorate it with a limited edition: the Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST Protector.
At its core, the limited edition is a mil-spec interpretation of the Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST Ceramic. It features the same monobloc titanium case (the name Ceramic on the previous model coming from the bezel, not the case) measuring 42mm x 15.5mm with a whopping 1,000m water resistance rating. Monobloc means that the case is machined from a single piece of metal – lugs, caseback, case body and all. The only separate components are the pieces with mechanical complexity, such as the crown, rotating bezel and helium escape valve where the case leaves space for them to be added later.
As it’s based on the Ceramic model, the rotating bezel features a ceramic insert for extra scratch resistance. It’s very useful for a watch designed for vigorous use in the water where bumps and scrapes are a fact of life. That bezel is a refinement of the design of the DeepQuest II and in a similar manner, the dial of the DeepQuest Protector is a refinement of the dial of the DeepQuest Ceramic.
Instead of a multi-layered design with uniform bar indexes using Ball’s signature micro-gas tubes, the Protector swaps it for a more traditional dive watch display. It consists of a single plane with a combination of triangle, rectangle and circle hour markers, all of which are still made from Ball’s micro-gas tubes for high legibility in low light conditions. At 3 o’clock is a date window balanced on the other side of the display with the U.S. Marines logo. It’s overall a much cleaner and traditional display and I actually think it looks really handsome. A fitting tribute to one of the most famous military groups in the world. It’s available in a choice of black or green, suitably military colours.
Beneath that dial is the BALL RR1101-C automatic calibre with COSC chronometer certification. It’s Ball’s version of the ETA 2892-A2 with 42-hour power reserve. The watch is limited to 250 pieces in honour of the 250th anniversary and is available for pre-order at £2,721 with a retail of £3,630. For a monobloc titanium watch with 1,000m water resistance, it makes a lot of sense and if you have a connection to the Marines, it’s all the sweeter.
Price and Specs:
More details at Ball.
