Introducing Ball Unveils the Roadmaster M Model A with Multiple Complications

The Ball brand's founding story is deeply intertwined with a tragic event, the Great Kipton Train Wreck on April 18, 1891, when a fast mail train collided head-on with a passenger train. The crash was caused by the conductor of the passenger train failing to stop at the Kipton depot, in Ohio, United States, a mistake resulting from his watch malfunctioning and stopping for four minutes before restarting.

In the aftermath of the crash, on July 18, 1891, Webb C. Ball was appointed as the Chief Time Inspector for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway to oversee the accuracy of timekeeping devices used on the railroad. This position marked the beginning of his journey into the world of timekeeping. In 1894, he founded the Webb C. Ball Watch Company to supply high-quality and reliable watches for railroad workers. Over the years, Ball watches became synonymous with accuracy and durability. In 2017, the brand reached a significant milestone with the introduction of its first in-house movement, the Caliber 7309. Among its latest releases this year, the brand introduced a new edition featuring a patented mechanical alarm complication, the "Roadmaster M Model A".

The case of this watch is crafted from durable 904L stainless steel, measuring 41mm in diameter and 15.2mm in thickness. It features a bidirectional rotating black and red ceramic bezel with luminescent Super LumiNova indices, ensuring high visibility in low light. The anti-reflective sapphire crystal offers a clear view of the dial, while the transparent case back, made of the same glass, provides a glimpse of the complex movement inside. The case is equipped with two screw-down crowns, each with a double gasket, one crown controls the time, GMT, and date complications, while the other activates the 12-hour alarm function. The watch is water-resistant to 100 meters and can withstand up to 5,000g of shock, thanks to the Amortiser anti-shock system, ensuring it remains reliable under extreme conditions.

The watch features a sleek black dial, highlighted by hour and minute hands, a red-tipped central seconds hand emblazoned with the brand’s logo, a red GMT hand, and a small alarm-setting hand and the numbers and indices are embedded with 29 tritium gas tubes, which continuously emit light, unlike SuperLumiNova coating. The glow-emitting color can be chosen in either rainbow or classic hue, while 12 hidden apertures on the dial amplify the alarm volume. The 24-hour scale on the edges of the dial also incorporates luminescent material, enhancing visibility. The date window at 3 o’clock is magnified by a Cyclops lens, ensuring easy readability. 

The watch is powered by the BALL Manufacture Caliber RRM7379, an automatic movement that integrates both an alarm function and GMT complication. This movement is COSC-certified, and ensures accuracy of +6/-4 seconds per day and operates at a frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz). Additionally, the movement offers a power reserve of 40 hours. The RRM7379 features two mainsprings, one for the standard timekeeping functions and another to power the alarm, which rings for 18 seconds at the set time. Both mainsprings are self-wound by the rotor, with the alarm mechanism producing a distinctive school bell sound, adding a unique auditory element to the timepiece.

It comes with a brushed and polished 904L stainless steel bracelet. It's a limited edition of 333 pieces and priced at CHF 6,050 approximately equivalent to AED 26,600.

For more information, you can visit Ball’s official website.