BALL Fireman Night Train

The development of the watchmaking industry in America is largely due to the emergence of the railroads. Until the advent 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 according to 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 the 1883 agreement. In 1891, he was appointed Chief Inspector of the lines and as such, he introduced an inspection system covering 175,000 miles of railway network, which later expanded to include even Mexico and Canada. Today, Ball is one of the most respected and established brands in the United States. The company constantly updates its product range in order to keep up with the latest trends, but regardless of the changes in appearance, the founding spirit of the brand remains unchanged. Every single detail – from the shape of the hands to the font of the numerals – was established by the brand's founder and carries a sense of incredible precision and responsibility. Ball relies on a wide range of models – from very classic, retro-looking watches to modern and extravagant divers and chronographs. If we had to choose which category to place it in, we would put the model presented today in the middle – the design is classic and simple, but the overall feeling is that of a completely modern timepiece. The base of the dial is a unique dark blue color, the hands are white with good luminescence, which allows for perfect visibility at any time of day or night. One of the most interesting things about this model are the markers- for every minute on the dial there is a separate marker- an unconventional design solution that certainly has its charm. The date window is located at the standard position- “3 o'clock”. Powering all this beauty is the automatic caliber BALL RR1103, based on the ETA 2824-2 (28,800 vph, 25 jewels, and a 38-hour power reserve). The brand does not allow us to enjoy the movement, due to the closed back, but in return, the back features an engraving of a locomotive- the symbol of the brand. The case has the elegant dimensions of 40 mm, with a thickness of 11.3 mm, and is made of high-quality 316L steel, while the crystal is sapphire with a double anti-reflective coating. The model is limited to only 1000 pieces