The development of the watchmaking industry in America is largely due to the advent of the railroads. Until the emergence of trains as a means of transportation, there was no real need for precise timekeeping. At the end of 1883, the railroad industry adopted an agreement by which the country was divided into four time zones. Webster Clay Ball was the first jeweler to introduce standard time in Cleveland, in accordance with this agreement. In 1891, he was appointed Chief Inspector of the lines and introduced an inspection system covering 175,000 miles of railway network, which later extended to Mexico and Canada.
Today, the timepieces of Ball Watch Company are among the most respected and established brands in the United States. The company constantly updates its product range to keep pace with trends, but regardless, the core spirit of the brand remains unchanged. Every detail—from the shape of the hands to the font of the numerals—carries a sense of precision and responsibility.
Today, we have the pleasure of presenting to you a timepiece from Ball's so-called "Engineer" series – the Engineer III Invigorating Serpent.
Marking the Year of the Serpent according to the Chinese zodiac, in 2025 Ball presents this impressive model. Its most distinctive feature is the dial, crafted from malachite—a natural green stone to which healing properties are traditionally attributed. Due to its natural origin, each dial is unique, as the patterns differ. The Chinese character for "serpent" is filled with Super-LumiNova and is located at the 6 o'clock position.
Visually, the watch is exceptionally striking—the bright green malachite contrasts with the hour markers, which are made of tritium gas tubes. The bezel is smooth and fixed, and the hands are designed in an interesting way—all three are fitted with tritium tubes, with the seconds hand featuring the brand's signature "RR" counterbalance. The date window is positioned at 3 o'clock.
The watch is powered by the automatic caliber BALL RR1103, based on the proven ETA 2824-2—a reliable, durable, and easy-to-maintain movement used in numerous models and brands.
Each hour marker, as well as the hands, are equipped with tritium gas tubes (14 in total), which provide light up to 100 times brighter than standard luminescent coatings and guarantee up to 25 years of constant visibility.
The watch is shock-resistant up to 5000 G, anti-magnetic up to 4800 A/m, and water-resistant up to 100 m—fully sufficient for swimming and water activities.
The case has a contemporary size of 40 mm and a thickness of 13.15 mm, crafted from high-quality 316L steel. The crystal is sapphire with a double anti-reflective coating, and the case back is engraved in honor of Ernest Shackleton's expedition and its 100th anniversary.
The model comes with a solid steel bracelet with a double clasp, decorated with the brand's logo in the form of a "double RR," which completes the overall look of this truly distinctive timepiece.
