Ball Trainmaster Moon Phase Silver & Blue Dial Review

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Ball Trainmaster Moon Phase Silver & Blue Dial Review

 

Ball has finally released their new Trainmaster Moon Phase, one of their most popular entrants at 2015's Baselworld. Like their extremely successful Ohio Moon Phase, Ball has chosen to use large moon phase complication, really the centerpiece of the entire watch, but this time with a bit of a more classical presentation. Read on to learn more. 

 

 

Ball had a pretty versatile lineup for Baselworld this year, from almost tactical looking watches like the Volcano to vintage inspired watches like their new Skindiver II, but my favorite was this Moon Phase. It's a contemporary watch, but very classic in appearance, and that oversized and illuminated moon phase complication looked amazing. 

 

Illuminated moon phase complications are very rare, but when they do exist, it's virtually always by means of luminous paint. If you're a fan of Ball, you already know they greatly prefer to use tritium tubes, which give off the same amount of light whether or not they've been "charged" by an external light source, so it's no surprise that they went this way for the moon phase. Because the moon is composed of many tritium tubes, side by side, the appearance is very bold. 

 

Today we'll be looking at two models, identical except for the color of their dial. As such, I'll be discussing them somewhat interchangeably. 

 

Each has a 40mm steel case that contains an impressive 27 individual tritium tubes, making it legible all the way up until dawn. Before I get into the dial, it may be worth it to note that this watch has been reported as having a screw-in crown. That would be a rather counterintuitive choice for a dressy watch like this, and I can confirm that the production version of the watch does not screw down, as is appropriate for this design. 

 

 

The dial is easily the most impressive aspect of the Ball Trainmaster Moon Phase. It's definitely a stunner. 

 

We'll begin with a glance at the blue dial. While both have deep, textured dials, the "sunburst" effect is definitely more prominent on the blue dial. 

 

When the light source is perfectly even, it's a rich, but very dark, blue. 

 

When the light hits it at an angle, however, the dial really comes alive. It's very impressive. 

 

We'll just get to what everyone wants to see, the lume. As I alluded to earlier, Ball is obsessed with tritium tubes. These tiny tubes are powered internally, unlike conventional luminous paint, which absorbs its energy from ambient light. As a consequence, the light output of a tritium tube is not altered whether all of your lights have been off for 1 hour or 6. It will glow the same brightness throughout the night. 

 

The "lume," as you'd expect, is incredibly cool, particularly the centerpiece, the moon phase. This is a really interesting approach to dial work because it draws all of your attention to the moon phase, which is a complication used today almost entirely for aesthetic purposes. This means that the tritium tubes on the moon phase complication are basically useless, which is great. There is no reason that design must be tied to functionality. The point of the Trainmaster Moon Phase is to look great, and it does. 

 

While tritium is not, at least not in watch applications, as bright as a large dose of conventional luminous paint on, say, a Seiko Prospex, it's important to note the way photography can mislead watch collectors in this comparison. Virtually all watch collectors, myself included, will use a bright light to charge the lume of our watch immediately before taking a photo. This gives us the best case scenario for luminescence in the watch. In just an hour it will be much dimmer, and in 5 hours it will be difficult to read, even on quality dive watches. Of course, we're aware of that, but when we look at watches like this Ball, which simply are not as bright as conventional lume, we have to recognize that this is not a best case scenario. It's dimmer, yes, but it will actually be far brighter in just a couple of hours, and the difference will be "day and night" 4 or 5 hours in. To take these photographs I used long exposure times, which make them brighter than they really are, but if you understand tritium in context, you will see why being somewhat dimmer than conventional lume is not actually a problem, but more of an illusion created by the way we photograph watches. 

 

This Ball Trainmaster Moon Phase is silver, but in many photos it comes off as white. 

 

The sunburst effect is a bit subtler, but nonetheless present, on the silver dial. 

 

While both beautiful, I will say that the blue dial is slightly more legible as the stainless hands can get a bit lost on the silver dial. 

 

The hands are very classic. In both watches, fully polished dauphine hands are used, as well as the traditional Ball RR (railroad) counterbalance on the seconds. Thin tritium tubes adorn the hour and minute hands which are actually fairly subtle from a normal distance. 

 

Of course, what you're here for is the moon phase complication. As you can see, it's quite beautiful. It lives at this cool intersection of three different textures, with a rough, moon-like surface surrounding the complication itself and a fine sunburst beneath it. 

 

The moon itself is fascinating. It's composed of a series of yellow tritium tubes, oriented vertically, which match the marker on the 12:00 marker, also vertical. Adorning the moon is a sprinkling of tiny colorful crystals. I was a bit divided on these at first, but at night, and from a slight distance, it gives the moon a rough, textured character which makes it a bit more realistic in appearance. 

 

In each instance, a series of six highly polished stars accompany the moon. On the silver dial they are a bit subtler. 

 

The date, a white ring on both models, is nicely beveled. If I had to offer some suggestions, I would say make an additional version without the date as well, but this certainly looks fine. 

 

With the camera pulled back and a little more light on the watches, you can see that the tritium is actually white in most daytime conditions. While both are beautiful, I think I lean slightly towards the blue myself. 

 

 

Each 40mm case is fairly reserved in design, but that works to the watch's advantage. 

 

A good approach to watch design, in my opinion anyway, is that when you have an extremely elaborate dial, you may want to avoid using a complicated case. An excellent example of this approach is with most diver watches, which often have simple, matte black dials with three hands, but the case is more elaborate, with a rotating bezel, typically with a different-colored insert and a helium escape valve. Ball probably agrees with this approach as this case, aside from the crown anyway, is extremely simple. 

 

The one flourish that Ball has allowed is something of an elaborate crown. 

 

The crown, which does not screw down (thankfully), is a bit larger in diameter than you might expect on a subtle watch like this, although that does make it easier to wind or set the time. 

 

The lugs are simple and curved but do have a nice beveled edge to them. In terms of the way this watch wears, I'd say it's very similar to a Grand Seiko, which is certainly not an insult. 

 

The case is a bit thicker than it looks at 14.55mm. In real life it doesn't seem nearly that thick. 

 

The case back is also fully polished with large and bold writing. I'm a fan of display backs, even on ETA movements, so I appreciate this myself. 

 

It's very classic and, as I've said in many other areas, 40mm is really kind of an ideal modern size for the average man. Of course, everyone's tastes vary, but I find that 40mm is fairly unobjectionable. 

 

Here's my obligatory ruler shot, apparently everyone's favorite photo from the comments I get. Keep in mind that the silver dial above is sitting on its strap, so the measurements are only accurate near the lugs where it's closest to the ruler. My own measurements are in line with Ball's, showing precisely 40 millimeters. 

 

The case doesn't really offer any surprises, but that's fine. Too much embellishment would have distracted from the focus of the watch, the moon phase. 

 

 

Check out our video of the Ball Trainmaster Moon Phase blue dial here and silver dial here. 

 

 

So the new Ball Trainmaster Moon Phase watches are pretty much what you'd expect from Ball: a classically styled watch with a huge moon phased complication and an abundance of tritium tubes. It's great. 

 

Each are quite captivating and have really exquisitely executed dials. 

 

For myself, however, I think I prefer the blue. Although the texture can be a tiny bit harder to see, given its dark visage, it really shines when placed in the right environment. 

 

Like this one, for instance. 

 

You needn't feel too pressured to choose between the two, however, as there is a third model we've yet to receive, a black dial. Additionally, there is a smaller mother of pearl model aimed at women. 

 

Still, while I have yet to see the black dial, I have a hard time believing it will supersede even my runner up, this beautiful silver dial. I'm sure it looks great, but it's difficult for me to imagine it being better than these two. On the other hand, the tritium tubes will probably pop a little more against the darker dial. 

 

I must confess, however, that I've always loved moon phase watches. As a young watch collector, they were, by far, my favorite complication, eschewing the sporty chronographs my friends preferred, so I'm a bit biased towards these watches. 

 

Great watch for moon phase and tritium lovers alike. Definitely take a look at the videos and check it out in person if possible.