Engineer III Marvelight Black Ref. NM9026C-S23J-BK - 904L Steel

Ball Watch Company is one of the most respected and established watch brands in the United States with their watches Made in Switzerland. They have been updating their product range in the 21st century, enabling them to keep pace with shifting consumer patterns. Not leaving their roots, Ball continues to upheld original details, such as the watch dial that faithfully follows the design guidelines for the standard railway watch. Till this day, Ball makes superior watches that endure all adverse conditions, even more so could be seen in their all new upgraded Engineer III Marvelight Black Ref. NM9026C-S23J-BK - 904L Steel.

Engineer III Marvelight Black Ref. NM9026C-S23J-BK - 904L Steel

Unveiling the newest Engineer III Marvelight, Ball has introduced their new fully in-house movement in one of their most popular Engineer III models; the Marvelight, more on that later on the new movement. The Engineer III Marvelight measures in at 40mm in diameter with a height of 13.5mm. The dimension allows the wearer to have sportier wearability as compared to the earlier Marvelight which is only at 40mm. Further, it features a screwed-in crown, commonly found on most Ball’s watches, allowing it to have a 100m water resistant. Once the time and date adjustments are done, screwing back the crown will enable one to bring it out for some splash around water.

Use of 904L Stainless Steel Means Exceptional Shine

What makes the Engineer III Marvelight really unique is the use of 904L stainless steel through and through. This steel has been used primarily by the big “R” company for decades now. 904L grade stainless steel is unlike any other steel. Due to its extra amounts of chromium, molybdenum, nickel and copper, 904L steel features superior resistance to corrosion, rust and acids. While its unique hardness allows it to withstand extreme conditions, it also requires special machinery and production processes in order to be shaped. Visually, 904L grade steel has an exceptional high polish compared to 316L steel and ages exquisitely well.

Moving on to the dial, the new Engineer III Marvelight takes stick to its DNA tweaks from the earlier version, the 11 largely “micro” gas tubes on the dial are thick, filling up the dial nicely, while helping legibility when reading the time. 10 of them glows in bright green while the big one at 12 glows in deep green like on its sword hands, to assist in dial orientation in the dark.

Elegant case and bracelet finishing

The Black variation bears a gloss-dial effect, a sober hue that excel in legibility, which we feel is a nice touch. Couple this with their signature seconds hand with Ball’s “RR” symbol as counterweight on the other end. Topping things off for the dial, the Engineer III Marvelight has a cyclop flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating underneath.

The Engineer III Marvelight Black Ref. NM9026C-S23J-BK-904L Steel is powered by the manufacture Ball RR1103. It is a 25 jewels automatic movement based on the ubiguitous ETA2824-2 that boasts a 40-hour power reserve even though it beats at 28,800bph(4 Hertzs). The movement is hooded by a screw-in caseback that displayed  Ball’s very own iconic emblems with essential information engraved at the periphery.

14 micro gas tubes on hour, minute, second hands

The new Marvelight’s bracelet runs alongside with the star of the show, paired with their elegant solid links bracelet made out of 904L steel, done with a nice mixture of polished and satin finished throughout. The bracelet, for the first time, gets a nice tapering from 20mm to 18mm at the clasp area, making it more wearable. Further features a double-sided locking clasp system which makes the bracelet more streamlined when being worn.

Summing things up, the  Engineer III Marvelight Black Ref. N9026C-S23J-BK-904L Steel is certainly for someone who appreciates fine watchmaking that packs reliability and value from a respected watch company. The use of 904L stainless steel gives the watch an exceptional glow while making it tougher and more corrosion resistant at the same time. The watch exhibits exceptional value given that it has a 28,800bph modified ETA movement. The beautiful unique sunburst blue dial with self-illuminating tritium tubes and exceptional case makes this watch high up in the value-for-money chart. We cannot find a reason not to like this watch if you are in the market for an everyday smart casual watch.

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