Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Black. Introduced in 2013, it utilizes the ETA 2892-A2 automatic movement and it is chronometer-certified. Moreover, it is equipped with Ball Watch’s patented SpringLOCK anti-shock system. There is the magnified date display (a la Cyclops lens) at 3 o’clock. The watch is extremely lightweight as it comes in a 42mm diameter titanium case with DLC coating. The Engineer Hydrocarbon black has a 5.3mm thick anti-reflective sapphire crystal and it is water-resistant to 300m / 1,000 ft. The Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Black was developed for one of the brand’s ambassadors, the death-defying free solo rock climber Alex Honnold. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2014.

In the not so distant past, all I wore for sleep were my jammies (pyjamas). However, in recent years, accessories came into play and to before continuing any further, it is best to set things straight: these were definitely not for boosting one’s libido.

The “accessories” worn include the Philip Stein Sleep Bracelet (which we will leave for a future story) and the Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Black that was introduced in 2013.

For those not in the know, the main draw for any Ball Watch is the enhanced time-reading legibility in total darkness thanks to the use of micro-gas tubes coupled with its robustness while not forgetting the characteristic crown guard and locking system on their Engineer Hydrocarbon collection.

While the Ball Watch models I have are welcome partners for travel, they were not quite suitable for wearing to sleep because of the stainless steel bracelets that make them rather heavy.

That was until the lightweight Engineer Hydrocarbon Black came along. Built to be lightweight because of its 42mm diameter case in titanium, the Engineer Hydrocarbon Black features a black DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating and a ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel.

Moreover, it comes fitted with a rubber strap and tang buckle and not a steel bracelet.

What kind of weight difference are we looking at for a watchcase in steel as compared to one in titanium? The Ball for BMW TimeTrekker in steel for example, weighed in at around 180 grams while the Engineer Hydrocarbon Black was a mere 120 grams.

Trust me, the 60 grams weight difference is a different ball game (pun most definitely intended) altogether.

That being said, the day the Engineer Hydrocarbon Black was collected back in 2014 was the day, or should we say the night it became a good sleeping buddy.

Going to sleep and wearing the Engineer Hydrocarbon Black on the wrist isn’t difficult because it is lightweight coupled by the fact that the rubber strap sits rather comfortably on the wrist.

The Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Black in total darkness. It features
35 micro gas tubes on the Arabic numeral hour indexes including the hour, minute and seconds hands. The unidirectional ceramic rotating bezel has SuperLuminova in blue. The time displayed is 12.44 and 35 seconds. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2014.

When awakened in the middle of the night for whatever reason and with the need to know the time, all it takes is to position the wrist within one’s line of sight and, eureka!, time can be told without exposing the eyes to any sudden burst of bright piercing light (on demand) from the table clock or mobile phone placed on the bedside table.

With 35 micro gas tubes on the dial including the hour, minute and sweep seconds hands, you can safely depend on the Engineer Hydrocarbon Black to offer enhanced time-reading legibility in total darkness.

Apart from those nights where keeping track of time is important, especially for important early wake-ups, the Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Black is also a highly reliable buddy in the dark when engaging in other nocturnal activities, like cycling or fishing.

It may sound tacky, but one is truly not alone in the dark with a Ball Watch.

This article is specially dedicated to:
1. Kelvin Wong, former Managing Director, Ball Watch Southeast Asia & Oceania, who relinquished his position in January 2016 as one of the main priorities of his is to spend more time with his family;
2. Philippe Antille, former Chief Technology Officer, Ball Watch, for all the sharing and highly informative discussions;
3. The late Yap Yew Piang, a long-time friend, mentor and professional photographer (one of the best I have known). Both of us had acquired the Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Alligator on the same day.