Post by timelessluxwatches on Feb 24, 2015 10:03:13 GMT -6
Ball Magneto S
Today we look at one of the more innovative and interesting watches we've seen in a long time, the Ball Magneto S. Ball has really set itself apart from the competition by focusing on their case technology in addition to their obsession with tritium tubes over conventional luminous paint. But this is a first even for Ball, and there's no other way to describe it, it's just incredibly cool. The Magneto S has plenty of interesting touches and features, but the centerpiece is a metallic anti-magnetic iris on the back. This can be opened to see the movement or closed to provide a magnetic shield. Other than a handful of high-tech silicon-emphasizing movements, this is the only way so far to combine a high degree of magnetic resistance and a display back.
The Introduction
Ball Watch has a storied history on the American railroad but today it's headquartered and made in Switzerland. Nonetheless, Ball fully embraces their American heritage in pretty much every design they make. Railroad and vintage American inspired touches are sprinkled throughout their entire collection. These days, with American-styled watches relatively rare, Ball has found a nice niche for itself.
But there's a lot more than an American design heritage to recommend Ball. They are well known for their use of tritium tubes, radioluminescent containers that glow 24/7 without need for any sort of external light to power them. On top of that, they've committed a lot of resources to making their watches tougher, specifically in the area of the movement. They have very unique approaches to shock absorption, for both the hairspring and the rotor (although the latter is not featured on this Magneto S) and now they have defeated magnetism with, by far, the coolest mechanism possible.
You know that gun barrel James Bond is staring down in the beginning of every movie? That's what the Ball Magneto S' anti-magnetic metallic iris looks like--remarkably similar, in fact. This iris can be opened to appreciate a good look at the movement or closed for when you may be exposed to significant magnetism. More generally, I'd just leave it closed until I wanted to see the movement. The mechanism itself is cooler than the movement anyway--it's awesome. That is the pièce de résistance of the Magneto and where it takes its name. Other than the Omega Master Coaxial or perhaps our own Damasko in house movements (to a lesser degree), there are precious few options for those wanting a powerfully antimagnetic watch but still want to see the movement. The Magneto S is, for the time being at least, one of a kind.
The Face
I think there is an unwritten rule that anti-magnetic watches have to be colorful. The Rolex Milgauss, the Omega Aqua Terra Bumblebee (15000 Gauss), the Grand Seiko SBGX091 and now the the relatively restrained, but still very much green, Magneto S. The green comes from the seconds hand, a ring that goes through the chapter ring and the lime green accents at the end of the hour markers.
Perhaps the most prominent feature, however, is the massive chapter ring around the dial. It actually looks pretty cool, although I suspect its existence is the product of the space that was needed to create the metallic iris around the movement.
For many, the defining characteristic of Ball watches is their use of tritium tubes. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and its interaction with a phosphor coating on the tubes gives off light. What makes tritium tubes inherently superior to the luminescent paint that we're used to is that it glows day and night, at equal strength, regardless of exposure to external energy, for decades. Many watches glow intensely after exposure to sun light or a bright lamp, but 5 hours of darkness later, they're practically invisible. This isn't the case with tritium--exposure to light is irrelevant. At 5 AM it will glow just as bright as it did at 11 PM. One feature I like in particular is that the 12:00 marker is a different color, making orientation extremely easy, and a detail that is so often overlooked in watch design.
The use of tritium continues onto the hands. The green seconds hand has the classic RR (railroad) counterbalance, another indication of Ball's heritage.
The lume makes the watch very legible. I particularly love the differing colors. 12:00's chromatic distinction makes orienting the watch easy and the hands really stand out from the green hour markers. It's far from the most exotic Ball watch, in terms of tritium (that might go to the Spacemaster Orbital II) but it's very legible. It even has some secret tritium hidden in the case.
The date ring, being solid white, contrasts starkly with the dial. Opinions are mixed on whether the date ring should always match the dial color, but personally I've never really cared either way--what's important is that it's easy to find and read, which this is. I also appreciate that the minute hand, seen here, is skeletonized, so it doesn't completely cover the date, although it's so long that it doesn't make that much of a difference anyway. Really, we should just be glad to have a date--a lot of other anti-magnetic watches skip it entirely.
Overall the appearance is almost diver-ish. The giant chapter ring looks like an internal rotating bezel like you'd find on the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver. The tritium isn't quite as bright as the best of luminescent paint, at least not when the paint is fully charged, but it lasts much longer in the real world, so after only an hour I suspect the Magneto S will be as bright or brighter. But like its anti-magnetic brethren from different brands, it still has a very sporty look with an unconventionally colored seconds hand. Currently this is the only available version of the Magneto, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a light dialed version next year.
The Case
Finally we get to the part we all really care about (unusually enough): the Magneto S' 42mm case. The A-PROOF anti-magnetic iris, seen here fully closed, in particular.
And here's the iris fully open. It's not spring loaded--you can open or close it as much or as little as you'd like. The only reason you'd ever do this is to take a look at your movement, but I actually love seeing the movement in my watches, so while the practice is purely aesthetic, I appreciate it.
Interestingly, the Magneto S has a rotating bezel. Even more interestingly, it's this mechanism that actuates the iris. It stops after a little rotation, either clockwise or counter clockwise, when the iris is fully open or closed. It's actually a joy to use, very smooth and with a slight "mechanical" feeling to it. It reminds me a lot of the Ulysse Nardin Freak, with bezels on the front and back for setting the time and winding the watch.
But how do you know if you've opened or closed it if it's on your wrist when you do it? Ball has thoughtfully added another gizmo for this very purpose--a luminescent indicator in the side of the case.
Oddly, it's "on" only when the iris is fully open/movement exposed.
This is a tiny problem because it takes very little rotation of the bezel to get rid of almost the entire luminescent marker, meaning it's entirely possible to have the iris half way open but have no indication at all. In subsequent versions, I'd suggest that Ball switch this around so that the indicator is only visible when the iris is only fully closed. Still, it's extraordinarily unlikely that this would cause any issue in the real world.
It is reasonably bright at night, however.
So how, precisely, does the A-PROOF system work? Particularly since it doesn't cover the entire back?
Well, it's more than just a metal shield. The particular metal used is of great importance. Ball uses "mumetal," an alloy of nickle, iron, copper and molybdenum, which apparently is excellent at diffusing magnetism.
Perhaps most impressive is the thickness of the diaphragm--it's just 0.06mm. With even that tiny amount of shielding, the mumetal is still very effective at blocking magnetism.
Because of this, the watch is just 12.9mm thick. Compare this to the Milgauss' 13.1mm using conventional shielding, or interestingly, 13.2mm for the Omega Aqua Terra 15,000 Gauss, a watch that requires no shielding at all.
The signed crown screws down for a water resistance rating of 100 meters, so this is actually a pretty versatile watch in terms of where you can take it. The pool is fine, but you can still use or be near equipment that creates intense magnetic fields. It's actually extra tough against shocks too, but we'll get to that in the next section.
The Movement
The Ball RR1103-CSL is basically an ETA movement, but it does have a couple of things that set it apart from the crowd.
First off, it's a chronometer, meaning it's guaranteed to be very accurate, within +6 to -4 seconds per day.
Much more interesting, however, is the SpringLOCK system, which is unique to Ball and featured on this watch. Basically, SpringLOCK is a protective cage around the hairspring. If you look closely in this photo, you'll notice a bronze-colored drum where the hairspring now lives.
As I understand it, the SpringLOCK is basically a cage that forces a certain degree of dimensional stability onto the hairspring--it provides an outer limit that the hairspring can extend to. Vibration and shock are a major source of inaccuracy, and in extreme cases, like hard impacts, can cause failure. The SpringLOCK reduces the threat that shocks will damage the movement, and Ball even claims that it will increase your day to day accuracy.
So proud of their invention was Ball that they gave Eric Singer, drummer for KISS, a watch equipped with SpringLOCK to use for a concert. As you can imagine, a drum solo would be nearly a worst case scenario for a mechanical watch, but the Ball survived unscathed.
So while it's a fairly typical ETA movement, there are a few attributes that set it apart and give the owner some bragging rights. Of course, while not technically part of the movement, when looking at the back of the watch, all eyes are going to be on that gorgeous iris.
The Video
The Conclusion
So what do we make of the Ball Magneto S? Gimmick or genuinely useful feature?
Well, I suppose it depends on your circumstances--if your watches are magnetized frequently, or your job or hobbies put your watch at risk of frequent magnetization, then this should do the trick.
I'm not one of those people, so for me, it'd be a gimmick--but is that a bad thing? Whether you'll ever need the anti-magnetic iris or not, it's undeniably cool. I don't need a watch either--I have clocks all over the place, I'm on a computer all day and I have a cell phone--but of course, I do have a watch--several expensive ones, in fact. You're probably the same. The A-PROOF shield transcends functionality, although it is functional, because it makes your watch more interesting. And, in my opinion anyway, the worst sin a luxury watch can commit is to be boring. I could play with the iris all day long.
But what about the watch generally? Well, I'm impressed by how well insulated the movement is from external forces. It's anti-magnetic and water resistant, of course, but it also has added shock protection. For a company that doesn't currently make in house movements they've done a remarkable job of improving the performance of their watches. It's a really well thought out design and movement.
The watch looks great too, and although undeniably sporty, or borderline diver-ish even, it's quite classic. And despite the ample protection provided to the movement, it's actually surprisingly thin, thinner than its major competition. And I appreciate that I can still look at the movement whenever I want. If they ever make a dressier version it'll be a terrific go anywhere/do anything model.
Today we look at one of the more innovative and interesting watches we've seen in a long time, the Ball Magneto S. Ball has really set itself apart from the competition by focusing on their case technology in addition to their obsession with tritium tubes over conventional luminous paint. But this is a first even for Ball, and there's no other way to describe it, it's just incredibly cool. The Magneto S has plenty of interesting touches and features, but the centerpiece is a metallic anti-magnetic iris on the back. This can be opened to see the movement or closed to provide a magnetic shield. Other than a handful of high-tech silicon-emphasizing movements, this is the only way so far to combine a high degree of magnetic resistance and a display back.
The Introduction
Ball Watch has a storied history on the American railroad but today it's headquartered and made in Switzerland. Nonetheless, Ball fully embraces their American heritage in pretty much every design they make. Railroad and vintage American inspired touches are sprinkled throughout their entire collection. These days, with American-styled watches relatively rare, Ball has found a nice niche for itself.
But there's a lot more than an American design heritage to recommend Ball. They are well known for their use of tritium tubes, radioluminescent containers that glow 24/7 without need for any sort of external light to power them. On top of that, they've committed a lot of resources to making their watches tougher, specifically in the area of the movement. They have very unique approaches to shock absorption, for both the hairspring and the rotor (although the latter is not featured on this Magneto S) and now they have defeated magnetism with, by far, the coolest mechanism possible.
You know that gun barrel James Bond is staring down in the beginning of every movie? That's what the Ball Magneto S' anti-magnetic metallic iris looks like--remarkably similar, in fact. This iris can be opened to appreciate a good look at the movement or closed for when you may be exposed to significant magnetism. More generally, I'd just leave it closed until I wanted to see the movement. The mechanism itself is cooler than the movement anyway--it's awesome. That is the pièce de résistance of the Magneto and where it takes its name. Other than the Omega Master Coaxial or perhaps our own Damasko in house movements (to a lesser degree), there are precious few options for those wanting a powerfully antimagnetic watch but still want to see the movement. The Magneto S is, for the time being at least, one of a kind.
The Face
I think there is an unwritten rule that anti-magnetic watches have to be colorful. The Rolex Milgauss, the Omega Aqua Terra Bumblebee (15000 Gauss), the Grand Seiko SBGX091 and now the the relatively restrained, but still very much green, Magneto S. The green comes from the seconds hand, a ring that goes through the chapter ring and the lime green accents at the end of the hour markers.
Perhaps the most prominent feature, however, is the massive chapter ring around the dial. It actually looks pretty cool, although I suspect its existence is the product of the space that was needed to create the metallic iris around the movement.
For many, the defining characteristic of Ball watches is their use of tritium tubes. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and its interaction with a phosphor coating on the tubes gives off light. What makes tritium tubes inherently superior to the luminescent paint that we're used to is that it glows day and night, at equal strength, regardless of exposure to external energy, for decades. Many watches glow intensely after exposure to sun light or a bright lamp, but 5 hours of darkness later, they're practically invisible. This isn't the case with tritium--exposure to light is irrelevant. At 5 AM it will glow just as bright as it did at 11 PM. One feature I like in particular is that the 12:00 marker is a different color, making orientation extremely easy, and a detail that is so often overlooked in watch design.
The use of tritium continues onto the hands. The green seconds hand has the classic RR (railroad) counterbalance, another indication of Ball's heritage.
The lume makes the watch very legible. I particularly love the differing colors. 12:00's chromatic distinction makes orienting the watch easy and the hands really stand out from the green hour markers. It's far from the most exotic Ball watch, in terms of tritium (that might go to the Spacemaster Orbital II) but it's very legible. It even has some secret tritium hidden in the case.
The date ring, being solid white, contrasts starkly with the dial. Opinions are mixed on whether the date ring should always match the dial color, but personally I've never really cared either way--what's important is that it's easy to find and read, which this is. I also appreciate that the minute hand, seen here, is skeletonized, so it doesn't completely cover the date, although it's so long that it doesn't make that much of a difference anyway. Really, we should just be glad to have a date--a lot of other anti-magnetic watches skip it entirely.
Overall the appearance is almost diver-ish. The giant chapter ring looks like an internal rotating bezel like you'd find on the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Diver. The tritium isn't quite as bright as the best of luminescent paint, at least not when the paint is fully charged, but it lasts much longer in the real world, so after only an hour I suspect the Magneto S will be as bright or brighter. But like its anti-magnetic brethren from different brands, it still has a very sporty look with an unconventionally colored seconds hand. Currently this is the only available version of the Magneto, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a light dialed version next year.
The Case
Finally we get to the part we all really care about (unusually enough): the Magneto S' 42mm case. The A-PROOF anti-magnetic iris, seen here fully closed, in particular.
And here's the iris fully open. It's not spring loaded--you can open or close it as much or as little as you'd like. The only reason you'd ever do this is to take a look at your movement, but I actually love seeing the movement in my watches, so while the practice is purely aesthetic, I appreciate it.
Interestingly, the Magneto S has a rotating bezel. Even more interestingly, it's this mechanism that actuates the iris. It stops after a little rotation, either clockwise or counter clockwise, when the iris is fully open or closed. It's actually a joy to use, very smooth and with a slight "mechanical" feeling to it. It reminds me a lot of the Ulysse Nardin Freak, with bezels on the front and back for setting the time and winding the watch.
But how do you know if you've opened or closed it if it's on your wrist when you do it? Ball has thoughtfully added another gizmo for this very purpose--a luminescent indicator in the side of the case.
Oddly, it's "on" only when the iris is fully open/movement exposed.
This is a tiny problem because it takes very little rotation of the bezel to get rid of almost the entire luminescent marker, meaning it's entirely possible to have the iris half way open but have no indication at all. In subsequent versions, I'd suggest that Ball switch this around so that the indicator is only visible when the iris is only fully closed. Still, it's extraordinarily unlikely that this would cause any issue in the real world.
It is reasonably bright at night, however.
So how, precisely, does the A-PROOF system work? Particularly since it doesn't cover the entire back?
Well, it's more than just a metal shield. The particular metal used is of great importance. Ball uses "mumetal," an alloy of nickle, iron, copper and molybdenum, which apparently is excellent at diffusing magnetism.
Perhaps most impressive is the thickness of the diaphragm--it's just 0.06mm. With even that tiny amount of shielding, the mumetal is still very effective at blocking magnetism.
Because of this, the watch is just 12.9mm thick. Compare this to the Milgauss' 13.1mm using conventional shielding, or interestingly, 13.2mm for the Omega Aqua Terra 15,000 Gauss, a watch that requires no shielding at all.
The signed crown screws down for a water resistance rating of 100 meters, so this is actually a pretty versatile watch in terms of where you can take it. The pool is fine, but you can still use or be near equipment that creates intense magnetic fields. It's actually extra tough against shocks too, but we'll get to that in the next section.
The Movement
The Ball RR1103-CSL is basically an ETA movement, but it does have a couple of things that set it apart from the crowd.
First off, it's a chronometer, meaning it's guaranteed to be very accurate, within +6 to -4 seconds per day.
Much more interesting, however, is the SpringLOCK system, which is unique to Ball and featured on this watch. Basically, SpringLOCK is a protective cage around the hairspring. If you look closely in this photo, you'll notice a bronze-colored drum where the hairspring now lives.
As I understand it, the SpringLOCK is basically a cage that forces a certain degree of dimensional stability onto the hairspring--it provides an outer limit that the hairspring can extend to. Vibration and shock are a major source of inaccuracy, and in extreme cases, like hard impacts, can cause failure. The SpringLOCK reduces the threat that shocks will damage the movement, and Ball even claims that it will increase your day to day accuracy.
So proud of their invention was Ball that they gave Eric Singer, drummer for KISS, a watch equipped with SpringLOCK to use for a concert. As you can imagine, a drum solo would be nearly a worst case scenario for a mechanical watch, but the Ball survived unscathed.
So while it's a fairly typical ETA movement, there are a few attributes that set it apart and give the owner some bragging rights. Of course, while not technically part of the movement, when looking at the back of the watch, all eyes are going to be on that gorgeous iris.
The Video
The Conclusion
So what do we make of the Ball Magneto S? Gimmick or genuinely useful feature?
Well, I suppose it depends on your circumstances--if your watches are magnetized frequently, or your job or hobbies put your watch at risk of frequent magnetization, then this should do the trick.
I'm not one of those people, so for me, it'd be a gimmick--but is that a bad thing? Whether you'll ever need the anti-magnetic iris or not, it's undeniably cool. I don't need a watch either--I have clocks all over the place, I'm on a computer all day and I have a cell phone--but of course, I do have a watch--several expensive ones, in fact. You're probably the same. The A-PROOF shield transcends functionality, although it is functional, because it makes your watch more interesting. And, in my opinion anyway, the worst sin a luxury watch can commit is to be boring. I could play with the iris all day long.
But what about the watch generally? Well, I'm impressed by how well insulated the movement is from external forces. It's anti-magnetic and water resistant, of course, but it also has added shock protection. For a company that doesn't currently make in house movements they've done a remarkable job of improving the performance of their watches. It's a really well thought out design and movement.
The watch looks great too, and although undeniably sporty, or borderline diver-ish even, it's quite classic. And despite the ample protection provided to the movement, it's actually surprisingly thin, thinner than its major competition. And I appreciate that I can still look at the movement whenever I want. If they ever make a dressier version it'll be a terrific go anywhere/do anything model.
makes me laugh