At this point, we should all be familiar with the Ball Watch formula – take classic take on a steel sports watch, toss in some constant-glow tritium tubes (both narrow and wide), and make a robust watch that will serve you well, all day every day, for years to come. Design elements obviously set apart the different models, but this latest has historical honors coming along with it. Meet the Ball Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders.
Who were the Doolittle Raiders? They were crews that manned the B-25 bombers that headed out after the attack on Pearl Harbor on April 18th, 1942 to attack Japan. This was no simple task, requiring modifications to planes, no escorts, and not enough fuel to make it back to their carrier. These were brave volunteers manning these planes, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle.
Now, of course, we’ve marked the 80th anniversary of that flight and military mission. To commemorate this mission that started to turn the tide for the Allies, Ball has released three models of the Ball Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders. There are two automatic models (40mm and 45mm) and a manually-wound watch (at 46mm) that thematically fits the era being honored (editor’s note: we’ve only included photos of the 40mm version for simplicity).
There are a number of watches in the Engineer II lineup, but this latest release is the most visually similar to the Engineer III Marvelight (note, the III-series, not II) with large flat tubes for indices, bladed hands with narrow tubes, and a cyclops over the date display. Specifically to change things up, we’ve got an onion-style crown (a nod to the aviators), the Doolittle Raiders emblem (at 9 o’clock) and the Naval Aviator Wings (at 6 o’clock). Also worth noting is that the limited edition number is painted onto the dial just above those wings.
For all the specs, check those out down below. As expected, these watches have a variety of resistances, and should be ready for whatever your day throws at it, even if it is a trans-ocean flight. Pre-order pricing for the Ball Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders has the 40mm version at $1,699, the 45mm at $2,349, and then the 46mm manual wind at $2,049; all three versions will only have 999 pieces created. Check them out, and get an order in, directly at ballwatch.ch.
Tech Specs from Ball Watch
- Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders 40mm
- Pre-order price: USD 1,699
- Full price: USD 1,949
- Automatic caliber BALL RR1103
- 15 micro gas tubes for night reading capability
- Hours, minutes, sweep second and magnified date
- Ø 40mm, height 13.6mm
- 5,000Gs shock resistance
- Stainless steel case
- Anti-magnetic to 80,000A/m
- Mu-metal shield
- Water resistant to 100m / 330ft
- Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
- Screwed-in crown
- Green, blue or black dial, stainless steel bracelet
- Limited edition to 999pcs
- Additional NATO, rubber and calf straps available
- Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders 45mm
- Pre-order price: USD 2,349
- Full price: USD 2,749
- Automatic caliber BALL RR1108
- 54 hours Power Reserve
- 14 micro gas tubes for night reading capability
- Hours, minutes, sweep second and magnified date
- Ø 45mm, height 14.65mm
- 5,000Gs shock resistance
- Stainless steel case
- Anti-magnetic to 4,800A/m
- Water resistant to 100m / 330ft
- Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
- Sapphire crystal transparent case back
- Screwed-in crown
- Green, blue or black dial, stainless steel bracelet
- Limited edition to 999pcs
- Additional NATO, rubber and calf straps available
- Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders 46mm
- Pre-order price: USD 2,049
- Full price: USD 2,399
- Manual caliber BALL RR2102
- 14 micro gas tubes for night reading capability
- Hours, minutes, and subsidiary seconds
- Ø 46mm, height 12.35mm
- 5,000Gs shock resistance
- Stainless steel case
- Anti-magnetic to 4,800A/m
- Water resistant to 100m / 330ft
- Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
- Sapphire crystal transparent case back
- Push-in crown
- Green, blue or black dial, calf leather strap
- Limited edition to 999pcs
- Additional NATO and rubber straps available
