Ball Marvelight Caring Edition
Ball Marvelight Caring Edition - Source: Ball Watch

Ball Watch Engineer III Marvelight Caring Edition Review

An appealing timepiece with rainbow scheme on the dial

Date Published
June 24, 2022
Author
Gnomon Watches
Category
Shop Highlights

Having a colorful palette on one dial might be uncommon for most watches. Yet, there is always a place for the art of creation and innovation as in the Ball Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer Special Caring Edition NM2028C-S29C-BK (hereafter: Ball Marvelight Caring Edition). The watch brings out a rainbow palette presented on the hour markers, resulting in an aesthetic appearance. 

Akin to the other Engineer collection, the Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is designed as an everyday watch equipped with basic complications, such as a date window. In addition to that, the use of tritium gas tubes as Ball’s tradition elevates the watch’s charm to another level — now you can imagine how enchanting the watch is when it glows in the dark.

In brief, the color scheme creates a nice combination contrasting with a dark dial background. Yet, there’s still much to see in a closer look. Therefore, this article would scrutinize the watch closely to provide more details for you. Let’s get into the review of the Ball Engineer III Marvelight Caring Edition. 

What You Need to Know About Ball Engineer Watches

The production of Ball’s watches can be traced back to the history of the railroad system in America. A fatal train collision happened in Ohio as a result of the employees’ engineer watch inaccuracy. Due to that major collision, the need to make a precise timing standard for the employees’ watches was in demand.

Webster Clay Ball was the person who initiated the production of the most accurate, precise, and robust watches possible. Up to the present, the Ball Watch company still continues the tradition by producing timepieces with a high standard of anti-magnetism, shock resistance, legibility, water resistance, and precision. 

Ball Watch Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer Caring Edition
Ball Watch Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer Caring Edition – Source: ballwatch.com

The Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is another effort from Ball to produce a reliable timepiece. In addition to that, the production of Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is following the pandemic of Covid-19. Ball mentioned that a total of $300 from every sale would be donated to the Salvation Army as a form of care and aid.

The watch is produced in a limited edition which makes it much more treasured. This rainbow dial timepiece is another charming entry from Ball that definitely worth attention to be in your collection.

Read also: Ball Railroad Watches: The Origin of Railway Standard Time

Ball Engineer III Marvelight Chronometer Caring Edition Review

As an exceptional timepiece, the Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is a package of impeccable performance and beauty. Let’s take a look at each part that would intrigue your interest.

The Dial

A watch dial is basically everything about appearance. Every appealing element is mostly placed on the dial as the face where people can see it in clear sight. As for the Ball Marvelight Caring Edition, the dial embraces a more colorful scheme giving an extraordinary look.

Let’s first talk about the hour-marker shaped in a large rectangular. These markers are actually the tritium gas tubes that provide a glowing light in a dark environment. Each tube is surrounded by a border with a different color representing the color of the luminous material applied in the tube. The tritium isn’t only applied in the hour markers but also underneath the surface.

Ball Watch Company has been known to use tritium gas tubes for their watches. This particular glowing material gives some advantages compared to its counterparts the LumiNova. Tritium gas tubes don’t need an external light source to charge as they are self-powered. They can give an extreme brightness in the dark but it will be half as bright after 12,3 years. 

As for the dial background itself, I love the matte black dial as it makes a good contrast with the tube markers. The handsets are also another point on the dial. They are highly polished and in an angular shape, giving a dressy appearance to the overall look.  The symbol of RR is also engraved beautifully on the top part of the dial that stands for Railroad. 

I personally prefer a dial with a cleaner layout that makes a crisp and uncluttered layout. The overall appearance of the Ball Marvelight Caring Edition managed to bring a good layout combination, both for the placement of the date window and the design for the markers. 

Despite its colorful and rainbow appearance, the minimalistic vibe from the handsets and dial background have balanced everything to make the dial looks perfectly fine. Curving the dial is the flat sapphire crystal equipped with an anti-reflective coating. You can also notice the date magnifier at the 3 o’clock position.

Read more: The 5 Best Watches with Tritium that Glow Constantly

The Case

The Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is introduced in two case sizes which is definitely a good thing. The wearer can choose to opt for the 40mm or 43mm — both are well-proportioned for slender and big wrists although you might prefer the latter for a wrist sized 7″ and above. Meanwhile, it is measured at 13.6mm in height.

The watch indeed wears large, especially with 50mm lug to lug distance — it makes a statement on its own while worn on the wrist. However, the shape of the case and slopping lugs make the watch wear just fine on most wrist sizes. 

The stainless steel case has been entirely well-polished which elevates the dressy vibes of the watch. On the right side is the screw-down crown that gives protection for the inner parts while giving water resistance up to 100m. It’s always a good combination for looking like a dress watch while giving a performance like a sports watch.

The Movement

Besides an appealing appearance, accuracy is everything about the watch. Looking to the Ball’s root as a manufacturer specified to railroad watches, accuracy is the utmost priority to avoid any malfunction due to inaccuracy. 

The Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is driven by the Caliber BALL RR1103-C movement which is a modified ETA 2824-2. Its accuracy has been certified by the COSC Chronometer ensuring the high precision of the watch.

Driven by that reliable movement, the watch is able to provide a 38-hour power reserve, beats at 28.8kbph, and a date function. To top it off, the movement is equipped with an Amortiser anti-shock system to protect the overall part of the watch from shocks and the mu-metal shield to resist magnetic fields up to 80,000A/m.  

The Bracelet

The bracelet of the watch is certainly a part that shouldn’t be missed out. It’s an element that would secure the aesthetic dial onto the wrist. The Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is paired with a stainless steel bracelet with an H-link design. As the name mentioned, H-link is a typical design in which you can spot the H are joined together by sub-links. 

This Marvelight H-link design is equipped with a butterfly closure. It’s no doubt that these joined links add luxury and a dressy look to the watch. 

Final Thoughts

The Ball Marvelight Caring Edition is an appealing timepiece with a rainbow scheme around the dial. While it might be quite flashy for some people, I personally think that the watch is well-balanced with a touch of aesthetic and a colorful vibe. 

Yet, I agree that the watch might not be a perfect pair for most formal occasions. It would be a nice piece of the wrist for informal gatherings or holidays to attract attention. After all, the flashy hour markers are charming point that gives a fun brightness in the dark environment. 

You might also like: Rado Watches Review: Durable Watches That Won’t Fail You

Gnomon Watches first opened her doors for business online in early 2002, founded by bona fide horology suitors who share a profound passion for watchmaking and fine craftsmanship.

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