BALL’s Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST timepiece was designed to be an essential tool watch for the deep-sea diver. Released back in 2011, this watch was designed to be taken to deep ocean depths with providing the diver easy readability, comfort, and reliability. This year, Ball has unveiled a new dive watch with the release of the Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST Ceramic.
The world of diving is not the most pleasant environment to be in. To be accurate, consistent, and deliver trustworthy functions to underwater explorers, a watch that reaches such depths must show additional skill.
The Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST Ceramic has improved on the original model’s incredible toughness and diving features to incorporate new modern standards. This timepiece now features BALL’s patented automatic helium release valve, which is directly integrated into the crown.
This latest timepiece is offered in two variants, a black or green dial. All features remain the same between the two models with only the dial colour being the difference.
Design:
The Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest Ceramic has retained the ultra-tough monobloc titanium case from the original timepiece that made it so untouched and unrivaled. The 42mm case is made from a single block of titanium, which is rather impactful for a dive watch as potential interfaces are reduced, while the effects of deep sea water pressure are also minimized.
Titanium as a material is able to withstand and absorb intense impact, and also offers extreme corrosion resistance in water. All in all, with the single milled titanium case, the water-resistance of the Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest Ceramic is rated to a depth of 1000m/3300ft.
BALL has also strengthened the crown seals, which is usually considered a weak point in watches when it comes to water resistance. To further enhance reliability and alleviate the water pressure on the watch when the diver is coming back to the surface, BALL has implemented a patented automatic helium release valve, which is directly constructed onto the crown, leaving the titanium case untouched.
The design of this timepiece is to ensure that the diver has clear readability at all times. For example, the markings on the ceramic bezel have been done to allow the diver to accurately monitor the immersion time as well as decompression stops.
The bezel has been designed so that it can be rotated even with gloves on, and when rotated can be done uni-directionally to stop accidental movement in the water. In an everyday scenario, both colour variants provide excellent contrast and easy readability.
The hour markers as well as the hands feature 15 H₃ gas tubes in green and yellow colours, which are some of the brightest colours that glow in the dark. These gas tubes are signature to BALL timepieces and are quite impressive in that it requires no external source of light while also being 100 times more efficient when compared to standard luminous strips.
Movement:
The movement used inside the Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest Ceramic is the automatic caliber BALL RR1101-C. This COSC chronometer-certified movement is based on the ETA 2892-A2 movement and produces a frequency of 4hz (28, 800 VpH). The movement also produces a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.
The latest DeepQUEST has unparalleled sturdiness, high water-resistance can handle extreme shocks and resist magnetic fields while ensuring comfortable wear. The Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST Ceramic is definitely a dive watch that ticks all the right boxes.
Australian Pricing:
BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest Ceramic on Strap $5,650
BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQuest Ceramic on Bracelet $5,800
