A few years back, there was another watch (from another of my favorite watch companies) honoring Jim Thorpe (you can see that here). Now, we have Ball coming at us with not one, not two, but three different sizes of the new Ball Engineer III Bright Path.
Who was Jim Thorpe?
Jim Thorpe is undoubtedly most well-known for the two gold medals he won in the 1912 Olympics, and then had stripped from him (and later restored after his death). Aside from those feats, he also played football, basketball, and baseball, and also was the president of what eventually became the NFL (you can read more on him here). His original name was Wa-tho-huk, which translates to “Bright Path” – hence the name of this new limited edition.
What is the Ball Engineer III Bright Path?
The Ball Engineer III series has taken on a number of different looks over the years (you can see some of those here). In this version, it’s back to its basics, with a clean case profile and smooth bezel, the comfortable (in my opinion) three-link bezel, and extra-wide tritium tubes on the dial. Here, we’ve got the needle-hands (with narrower tritium tubes) to indicate the time, and a cyclops over the date disc to make reading the date a breeze.
What’s different on this model?
That’s the big question, right? Well, the most obvious difference on the Ball Engineer III Bright Path – as opposed to other Engineer III models – is going to be that dial. Here, Ball says the material is Tigerite, which is not something you can actually find. From reading through the descriptions in the PR, it looks like it’s Tiger Eye (more on that here), a semi-precious stone. Regardless of the specifics, this is a very striking gold-and-brown variegation, making each dial pretty unique across the range.
Wrapping things up
For this release of the Ball Engineer III Bright Path, there are actually three versions being released. All with the same dials and feature set, it really boils down to what case size you prefer. There’s a version in 36mm ($2,749), as well as versions in 40mm and 43mm (those go for $2,449). In other words, you can get the one that fits your preferences, or even getting matching watches for you and someone with a different wrist size. Across the three sizes, 1000 of each are being made. If you want to pre-order one, be sure to do that by April 9, 2025, directly from ballwatch.ch
Ball Engineer III Bright Path Tech Specs
- Limited edition 1,000 pieces
- Model number
- NL9616C-S10CJ-YTE (36mm)
- NM9026C-S50CJ-YTE (40mm)
- NM9028C-S46CJ-YTE (43mm)
- Movement
- Automatic caliber BALL RR1101-C (36mm)
- Automatic caliber BALL RR1103-C (40mm & 43mm)
- Chronometer certified COSC
- Functions
- 14 (36mm & 40mm) or 15 (43mm) micro gas tubes on hour, minute and second hands and dial for night reading capability
- Shock resistant to 5,000Gs
- Anti-magnetic to 1,000 Gauss / 80,000 A/m
- Water resistant to 100m/330ft
- Hours, minutes, sweep seconds and magnified date
- Case 904L stainless steel
- Ø 36mm, height 11.50mm
- Ø 40mm, height 12.50mm
- Ø 43mm, height 12.75mm
- Amortiser® patented anti-shock system
- Mu-metal shield
- Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
- Screwed-in crown
- Band: 904L stainless steel bracelet with folding buckle
- Dial: Tigerite
- Recommended retail price
- US$ 2,749.- (36mm)
- US$ 2,449.- (40mm & 43mm)
