REVIEW: BALL ENGINEER HYDROCARBON AEROGMT II

roadwarrior

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42mm case/50mm L2L/13.85mm height/21mm lugs

MARCH 6, 2020

WORDS BY ED JELLEYPHOTOS BY ED JELLEY https://wornandwound.com/review/revi...on-aerogmt-ii/

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Ball Watch Company is no stranger to the watchmaking world. They’ve been crafting timepieces since the late 1800s, always with a focus on accuracy. The company was founded in the aftermath of a railroad accident that resulted in a push to regulate timing protocols to avoid future railroad disasters. An accurate timepiece made the job easier, hence the creation of the Ball Watch Company. Today, the watches are aesthetically very different from those historical pieces, but the ethos remains largely the same. These are tough, feature-heavy watches designed with legibility and precision in mind, but with a contemporary outward appearance to entice the modern customer.

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Case

The AeroGMT doesn’t just look the part of a cockpit-ready watch, it’s actually built to perform. There are several ways that Ball has enhanced the case to protect the watch that you can’t see from the outside. First up, there’s 7,500 Gs worth of shock protection. This means that the case can take a slam from a pendulum impact testing machine with a 1.5 meter stroke. While the test sounds somewhat arbitrary, it essentially means that the watch will more than stand up to daily bumps and whacks and keep on ticking. Additionally, there’s 4,800 A/m of magnetism resistance, which again, is more than enough to stand up to daily wear and the occasional exposure to more significant magnetic fields. The standard denotes that after an exposure to 4,800 A/m, the watch will not deviate by more than 30 seconds a day. But that’s just on the inside.

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FEATURES

Movement

◆ Automatic caliber BALL RR1201-C
◆ Chronometer certified COSC

Functions

◆ 44 micro gas tubes on hour, minute, second time zone hands, dial and bezel for night reading capability
◆ Luminous three time zone indication
◆ Hours, minutes, sweep seconds and date

Shock resistance

◆ 7,500Gs

Water resistance

◆ 100m / 330ft

Antimagnetic

◆ 4,800A/m

Case

◆ Stainless steel
◆ Ø 40mm, height 14.5mm
◆ Bidirectional rotating curved sapphire bezel with micro gas tubes for night reading capability
◆ Dome-shaped anti-reflective sapphire crystal
◆ Patented crown protection system

Band

◆ Tapered stainless steel bracelet with patented folding buckle

Dial

◆ Black or blue

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Conclusion

The Ball AeroGMT II is a quirky watch. It mixes modern and vintage looks and features, but does so in a way that ends up working together well. Nut looks aside, everything about the AeroGMT II is solid, whether it be the stainless steel case, crown protection system, or highly-adjustable clasp on the bracelet. At $3,499, the AeroGMT II isn’t an impulse purchase for most of us, and it sits in a highly competitive price range. But if you’re looking for something that stands out from the pack, then this Ball might be the right watch for you.

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