If you attended Hands On Horology this weekend and visited the Ball stand, you would’ve had the opportunity to see their latest limited edition release in the metal. It’s the Ball Engineer Master II Snoopy Flying Ace, the first collaboration between the watch brand and the iconic Peanuts character.
Starting with the case, it measures a very broad 46mm in diameter. That leans into the watch’s aviation heritage inspiration because pilot’s watches are historically among the largest tool watches – in order to provide a large dial and easy to read display which is vital for the precise timings required during aerial manoeuvres. However, at a thickness of 12.35mm, it’s not as massive and imposing on the wrist as you might first expect upon hearing that diameter. Another pilot’s watch element is the inclusion of an onion crown at 3 o’clock, making it easy to manipulate while wearing pilot’s gloves.
For the dial, they’ve opted for a super legible design. A matte black base with white timing scales and hands makes for a high contrast that’s easy to read. Snoopy in his WWI Flying Ace outfit sits at the centre of the small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. Compared to existing Engineer Master II models, the hour markers have been slimmed to a thinner proportion that looks much smarter. They’re still made of micro-gas tubes though, providing low light legibility without the need for any charging.
Snoopy himself is also luminescent for added character in the dark. Although Snoopy isn’t the only Peanuts character present either. His best friend and companion Woodstock is presented as the tip of the small seconds hand, doing laps around the subdial. It adds a nice bit of whimsy to what is otherwise a serious tool watch.
The Ball Engineer Master II Snoopy Flying Ace offers 100m water resistance and Ball’s signature 4,800 gauss anti-magnetic field resistance, making it versatile for all occasions. Protected by those specs is the Ball RR2102 manual-winding movement with 46-hour power reserve. Being manual also gives you a nice excuse to use that onion crown frequently.
This special edition is limited to 410 pieces at a price of £2,510. It also comes with the option to have your name engraved on the caseback as well as having the opportunity to choose your limited edition number out of the 410 available. Snoopy is one of the most common characters to see on wristwatch partnerships so I like that Ball have kept it relatively subtle instead of plastering the character over the entire display. It keeps the watch feeling classy and practical.
Price and Specs:
More details at Ball.
