Messages: 7216 Location: Shenandoah Valley
Registered: May 2008
What's your favorite Ball dress watch? Help me decide...
Wed, 23 January 2013 13:14
At some point I'm aiming to pick up a watch that I can use for more formal ("non-outdoorsy") occasions. For me, by "dress watch" I mean a watch that will be worn on a leather strap (not a bracelet) and has minimal complications (i.e., no stopwatch, etc.) and is not a sport/diver. Material-wise SS or RG is fine, but no DLC.
Thankfully, Ball has many options to offer. The photos below are from the Ball website and for some of the watches you need to picture them on a strap since they are shown on a bracelet. I've written some thoughts with each model.
Cleveland Express. This is a classic watch that looks good on a black strap (as shown) or bracelet. If I were to buy one for a dress watch, I'd probably opt for the blue dial w/black strap, followed closely the combination shown below: silver dial w/black strap. This watch is very high on my list...
60 Seconds. This is a very handsome watch that comes in either a white or black dial. I like it but ultimately the numerals are a bit over-stylized for me, and the extra 13, 14, 15... underneath the larger numbers seem unnecessary. It's nice but not high on my list.
Power reserve. Another handsome watch, similar to the 60 seconds above but the dial is far less cluttered and it adds a power reserve complication. I really like the white enamel dial but the numbers on the dial are similar to the 60 seconds--over-stylized. It's not high on my list but I like it better than the 60 seconds.
Ohio. This is a straightforward watch. I like the look of this watch, particularly the silver dial version. However, similar to the JLC Master control, I'm not wild about the mix of arabic numbers and stick markers. If I were to buy this watch, I'd opt of silver dial w/black strap. It's in the running but not high on the list.
Streamliner. This is a nice watch, similar to the Ohio but with "art deco-ish" numbers (similar to some GO models). The black dial version (shown below) is much more striking than the white dial version since the numbers/markers get lost on the latter. If I were to buy this watch, it'd be with black dial/black strap. Similar to the Ohio, it's in the running but not high on the list.
Legend. This is a very nice watch. The silver "sunburst" dial is quite fantastic and the minimal clutter on the dial is a plus. The watch comes in black/white/silver dials but Ball's website only shows the silver. I'd opt for a brown strap (as shown). It's medium high on the list.
Victory. This watch is similar to the Legend. It only differs with respect to the hour markers which are tritium "stick markers" throughout on this watch whereas they are only found at 12, 3, 6, 9 on the Legend. The black dial doesn't do much for me, but this watch also comes in a silver sunburst (similar to above) and would look very sharp on a black or brown strap. It's high on the list.
One hundred twenty. One of the few rose gold watches that Ball makes. It comes on a white or grey/black dial. It is a very nice watch and so here the only drawback is the price for me.
Flying Scotsman. This is another one of Ball's offerings in RG and it is a limited edition. I believe the dial is enamel but I'm not sure. While I like this watch, I'd prefer it even more with a central second hand and an "un-recessed" Ball logo so the dial would be less cluttered. It's not high on my list.
Eternity. This is a very nice watch that comes with either a textured silver dial (shown below), a blue "sunburst" dial, or matte black dial. The blue dial is really nice and would look great on a black strap. This watch is very high on my list.
Red label chronometer. This is a great watch that comes with a nice "vertical-grooved" dial similar to the Omega Aqua Terra. The grey dial/brown strap combination (shown below) is really nice. However, I'd probably opt for the white dial (that has hints of silver in the right light) on black strap. I also like that the watch comes in two case sizes 40mm and 43mm. This is very high on my list.
So there you have it. Ball makes plenty to chose from, and the fact that almost all of the above come with bracelet and strap options makes them more versatile. In reviewing what I wrote, it seems I'm zeroing in on the Eternity (w/blue dial), Victory (w/silver dial), Cleveland Express (w/silver or blue dial) or Red Label Chronometer (w/white dial).
What are your thoughts? If you were to buy one of these watches to be worn on more formal occasions, which would you choose?
When I'm not salivating over fine watches that I can't afford, this is what I do.
- verreauxi