Like all Ball watches, the Engineer Master II Slide Chronograph features a series of H3 gas microtubes for maximum illumination in low-light conditions. The gas in the cylindrical micro-tubes — 15 in total, including two in the hour and minute hands, 12 in the hour indices, and an additional one incorporated into the chronograph’s slide bar — releases light continuously and requires no additional light source to activate its luminosity, distinguishing it from the more common Super-LumiNova.
Ball says that the H3 gas is also 100 times more powerful than conventional luminous paints and lasts up to 25 years.
The Ball Engineer Master II Slide Chronograph contains a Swiss-made automatic mechanical movement, called BALL RR1402 (an ETA 7750 base upgraded with the patented slide mechanism) and comes in an extremely robust case that is impact-resistant to 5,000 Gs, resistant to magnetic fields to an intensity of 4,800 A/m and water-resistant to 100 meters. The crown screws down securely and the crystal has a nonreflective treatment. The watch, which will be available at retail this fall, comes on a stainless steel bracelet with a folding buckle and will be priced at $3,399.