Long Term With The Ball Fireman

I’ve had the pleasure of spending about 2 ½ years with my Ball Fireman 43mm and thought I’d pass on some of my long term impressions of the watch. The fireman is one of the mainstays of my collection and really falls somewhere between a dress and sport watch. I purchased mine on the leather strap and wish I had gotten it on a bracelet, but at the time I made my purchase I wasn’t able to get the blue numerals with a bracelet. I’ve since put the watch on a color keyed silicon strap after trying some other rubber combinations and find this to be a great match.

Let’s get the specifications out of the way: (shamelessly cribbed from Ball Watch USA)

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Sweep Seconds, DateCase: Stainless Steel, Diameter: 43mm, Height: 11.1mm Bezel: PlainGlass: Anti-Reflection Convex Sapphire CrystalCrown: Screwed Type3H Gas Light: 16 Micro Gas Tubes on Hour, Minute, Second Hands and Dial for Night Reading Capability. Movement: Automatic Calibre ETA 2824-2Band: Stainless Steel Bracelet or Calf LeatherWater Resistant: 100m / 330 ft.Shock Resistant: Withstand 5,000Gs Shock Test Dial: Black with Orange, Yellow or Blue Accent

I suppose we need to talk about the tubes to begin. What can be said about the micro gas tubes? They glow strong and long and allow maximum legibility under zero light conditions. Part of my attraction to this particular model was the fact it only had 16 tubes and didn’t include tubes in the numerals. This gives the watch a very conventional and classy look. In my opinion some of the Ball models just look too overtly tube based, especially when the tubes are incorporated into the numeral on the dial, giving them a rather blocky appearance. Suffice it to say the 16 tubes provide plenty of light for reading. In fact, this is one of the few watches my wife has ever acknowledged as being cool. I distinctly remember her commenting n it as we tucked my young daughter into bed one night some time back. She actually said, “Cool watch” and believe me while she is understanding about this hobby, she is mostly ambivalent about my timepieces. Some might argue the tubes on a Luminox or Traser might glow brighter and I don’t think I would argue that point as my Traser Unterwasser has tubes that just beam, but the Fireman provides more than enough light for reading the time in zero light.

Many might classify the Fireman’s dial as military style, but it’s never given me that vibe. The dial itself, while matte still has a touch of luster giving it depth and character. The dial has tubes at five minute increments with 12:00 being occupied by two tubes. In addition each tube/indice is marked by a blue accent with the 12 and 6 Arabic’s also being the same hue. I believe Ball offered the accents in both orange and yellow along with the blue. The date at 3:00 might look tougher with a black date wheel. The hands are thick sword style with tubes. They are painted black at the axis and then abruptly become white for maximum contrast which again equate to high legibility. The seconds hand features a tube and at its tail the Ball RR logo adds a touch of historic class. This neat arrangement resides under a flat “convex” sapphire which has AR on the inside. The crystal practically disappears making one want to dive right in the inky dial. This dial is handsome, simple, and elegant with a touch of utility. At 43mm with very little bezel, the dial is large without being monstrous, allowing the wearer plenty of presence without being too in your face.

The case and crown on the watch are nothing short of amazing at the asking price. The case is brushed in finish and has held up amazingly well showing little to no wear. The lugs are generous and curve gently downward making the fireman extremely comfortable to those with even the daintiest of wrists. The case sides are stepped from the lugs which make it subtly refined and rich. The case steps up to the bezel adding another layer of dimension to the case. I often find myself caressing the case side and lugs as I find the gentle curve of the case and lugs mildly intoxicating. All this finished with and intriguing caseback design which speaks to the railroad heritage of the Ball brand.

The ETA 2824 is set by the use of a generous crown. The crown build and operation are the equivalent of watches costing double the asking price of this Ball. The crown is finished nicely with ridges for easy grasping and the Ball RR logo. The crown screws in and all functions operate smoothly as surely with no slop whatsoever.
The 2824 has proven to be a stalwart and though I haven’t ever opened the case, my assumption is this is a high grade movement as it has broken in nicely and run darn near within COSC spec. I really couldn’t ask for more in this regard.

The supplied strap perfectly fit the 21mm lugs and came equipped with a beefy tang clasp. As I am a bit of a sweater and was wearing the strap roughly I’ve long since swapped it out for aftermarket numbers in 22mm. I favor rubber and silicon on the Fireman which may detract from the somewhat dressy side of the watch, but I find this allows me to give the watch much more use. With its screwdown crown and overall quality build, I find the Fireman a perfect companion that I can wear with little regard to preserving it.

I’ve described the watch in detail but let me tell you what I really think. Simply put, the Ball Fireman was well wroth what I paid for it, and I bought it well. The fit and finish and quality of the build of the watch and components are easily on a par with watches which might be defined a luxury watches. This is a finely made Swiss timepiece and should be cherished as such. I also find the 43mm size to be ideal for my 7.25 wrist. This is a large watch which really never appears so. Its size is subtle and the case remains thin at about 11mm so the fireman never overpowers the wearer. This is a watch which would be right at home on the large or small wrested among us. Performance and durability have been outstanding again rivaling the best Swiss timepieces. I’ve still got about three months left on the warranty (Ball offered and additional year upon registering your watch) and can’t imagine I’ll need to test Ball’s warranty service.

I find myself wanting another Ball (always best to have a pair of Balls), but often I’m thrown by the other designs Ball has come out with. Some are too “Ballish” for me while others puzzle me like the models featuring 2836 movements with split day/date. I like the Aviator and Aviator GMT but most often I simply find myself quite contented by the Fireman.

Tim P. Is A Douchebag

Most of you know me to be a fairly reasonable WIS. However when provoked I can turn downright ugly. Well let me share a little story which has pissed me off to no end.

Sunday afternoon and I am at my cousin and best bud’s house enjoying the Packers/Vikings game. I step into his office and do a quick check of the watch sales forums. Lo and behold, I see a watch I want on WUS. It’s a Hamilton Aviation QNE. I log into WUS and send the seller a message stating I’ll take the watch. I then log out as this isn’t my computer. I return to the real world and think nothing of it.

Later I go home, have dinner with the family and then log into check my messages. Goes like this:

My message is sent to seller at 1614

He responds with his PayPal info at 1627

He sends another message at 1745 asking if I want the watch.

He sends another message at 1851 stating he has sold the watch to another party.

Unfortunately, I did not check my messages until after 1851. The seller was then unwilling to reverse his deal and hung me out to dry. I didn’t realize it was a race.

So, am I just a slacker or is this guy a douchebag? In my eyes he is clearly a 100% douchebag. I’ve been around the watch forums for years, and when I say I’ll take it you can count on being paid. This shithead should know better!

Am I pissed?? Just a touch. As a public service to prevent this dick from acting like a child with anyone else and to extract a small measure of revenge I am making this post. For your information the seller is Tim P., a serial flipper who lists on most of the major sales sites. He had best stay far away from 3T or he’ll feel the wrath. So be advised: TIM P. IS A DOUCHEBAG.

And if anyone has this watch and wants to flip it please give me a holler.

Volmax Aviator Sub Seconds

A growing penchant for mechanical hand wound movements and a lack of Russian watches in my collection made this Volmax Aviator Sub-seconds watch seem a great deal when our friends at russia2all.com sent me a newsletter with a sweet price. Without a doubt this watch has far exceeded my expectation for a Russian at this price point.

This is clearly a pilot’s watch with a Russian flavor. The simply scrumtrilescent (no, it’s not a real word) blue dial really appealed heavily to me. The deep blue of the dial is set off by delicious sky blue highlights in the sub-seconds hand and markers, as well as the minute track circling the dial. Such a sublime combination which really brings a smile to my face.

Besides being pretty, the dial is as a pilot’s watch’s dial should be; legible in extreme. A 42mm case with little to no bezel makes for a large dial area which is well utilized in this Aviator. The markers are large a luminescent and work wonderfully in concert with the large sword hands. In addition to the aforementioned minute track, a flange on the outer dial gives us the hour designations. Unfortunately the luminescence is reserved only for the makers and hands. Although the watch is equipped with only a mineral crystal, the crystal is fantastic and literally just disappears.

The much maligned “Russian Quick Set” date is front and center at 12:00 as the sub-seconds dial occupies the 6:00 position. This arrangement is easy to read at a glance. Once you get beyond the lack of a true quickset date you realize it’s nice to have a handcranker with a date.

Fit and finish on this model far exceeded my expectations. The satin finished case is smooth and flawless with no rough edges. The crown engages and winds effortlessly. This is the Plojot 2614 movement. Specs:


Poljot 2614 / 2614.02(RU)
Mechanical lever movement

Manual winding

Diameter: 26 mm

Movement height: 4.3 mm

17 jewels

Functions: hours, minutes, seconds:

2416 - central second hand; 2416.02 - sub second hand

Shock protection

Frequency: 21600 vph.

Daily rate from -20 to +40 s/day

Power reserve minimum: 42 h

The movement is efficient and a fairly accurate time keeper though I have yet to time the watch for accuracy. Initially I thought my seconds hand was jerking a bit but closer inspection under a loupe proved this a bit of an optical illusion from the sub dial’s patterned finis which catches and throws light with abandon. Power reserve on a full wind is generous making this watch easy to keep wound.

The Aviator came mounted on an interesting leather strap. The strap almost seems silicone as its backing is some sort of soft suede-ish rubbery stuff. A little weird at first but ultra comfortable. Strangely enough the backside of the strap has blue accent thread while the front side of the strap shows grey. No matter; the strap is comfy and stands up well to a sweaty guy like me.

Overall this watch has been a real pleasure to wear. The blue dial is quite striking and made even more so by the sub-seconds dial. I highly recommend this Russian to anyone who enjoys handcrankers and/or pilot’s watches.

**SOLD**Somebody Buy This Watch... PLEASE! **SOLD**

Time to part with another watch which isn’t getting the wrist time it rightfully deserves. Offered for sale is my Gevril AO111R, more commonly referred to as a Gevril 1st generation.

This is a very well put together watch, true Swiss elegance in all respects. The watch is outfitted on a Hadley Roma Teju Lizard and includes the original Croco-leather strap with signed Gevril tang buckle. These were put together using both ETA 2824 and 2836 movements. This piece has the 2824. I have worn the watch no more than ½ dozen times and it is easily 95% (Near Mint) per TZ grading scale. Really a beautiful and elegant watch which I just don’t wear enough to justify hanging on to. The watch comes with the remarkable Gevril packaging and includes the open warranty card and manual. Please note the wooden box is not perfect and shows some blemishes. It was this way when I purchased the watch. Everything about the watch is high quality from the beautiful stepped case to the amazing dial work, flawless screwdown crown and impeccably luxurious pedigree. Enough selling!! Here’s the watch.

316L Stainless Steel Case at 39mm
ETA 2824 Automatic Movement
Sapphire Crystal
Screwdown Crown
100m Water Resistant









I am looking for $SOLD (REDUCED) shipped within CONUS. International deals at actual carriage. PayPal please with no fees. Please leave a message here or email with questions. Thanks for having a look.

As a note I am accepting PayPal only as I have had two buyers commit to sending Money Orders and then disappear. If you want the watch use PayPal... I eat the fees.

More Vixa Sea Power Love

Sometimes it’s just great to reconnect with a watch after its, well, you know, sort of fallen out of the rotation. I did just that today with my Vixa Nettuno Sea Power today during a family day trip to Neshota Beach in lovely Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

No doubt the Sea Power is a might fine watch and one which deserves to be used, but truth be told, I haven’t been getting it on the wrist all that often. May be it’s the fault of the distinct change of season here in Wisconsin. It seems almost absurd to wear this gigantic sherbet orange piece in the midst of a long drawn out winter. I guess that’s why it ended up relegated to “safe” duty and on a leather strap. Although I enjoy a sweet leather strap, I can appreciate the fact that it’s a little bit of a nod to style and away from function when you strap your tool diver to a premium leather strap. Last winter the Vixa was mounted on a sweet color keyed JRT exotics strap and didn’t see anything close to “service”.

Today was little different and we found ourselves frolicking in the cool waters of Lake Michigan at Neshota. What a fantastic spot Neshota is as Wisconsin/Lake Michigan beaches go. Obviously, there aren’t true waves or exotic fish darting through crystalline blue waters on Lake Michigan. What you get is some deep-water cool lake with the odd sandbar thrown in for good measure. Cool and refreshing on a hot afternoon in the Wisconsin sun. We had a great time though I wouldn’t recommend it to the faint of heart with a water temp of no more then the mid 60’s.

Why the sudden reminder of the Vixa’s capability? Well when you’re swimming in dark water both the size and color of the Vixa stand out extremely well in the murky waters of Lake Michigan. The black bezel contrasts sharply with the creamsicle dial and has large bold white markings, which are highly legible even in the worst of conditions. The Sea Power is most at home on a rubber diver’s strap and was easily rinsed after I was up to my elbows in sand while burying my four-year-old daughter in the cool sand.

Even as we lost the sun and a summer storm moved in the creamsicle colored Vixa proved its mettle as an outstanding and impressive tool. I plan on getting this baby wet again darn soon. The leather strap is now on another watch less suited rough use…

This is my third entry about this watch. See the slideshow and early impressions review in the archive if you have a moment. You think it’s a keeper?

Orsa Sea Angler Lithium

Anyone who has been into dive watches over the last few years had heard the name Orsa. Orsa watches are the creation of Martin Berg. The most legendary of his creations has been without a doubt the Sea Angler.

The Sea Angler started life in two runs of 50 watches in each run. You had a basic black and orange model. These watches raised eyebrows and sold out in short order. I am happy to say I am the owner of an Orange Sea Angler Automatic which is one of my most prized watches. Berg followed these up with two Swiss made series in silver and luminous dials. Then there is the ultra-rare 3T Limited Edition Sea Angler which I was too dumb to buy though being a moderator at 3T. DOH!! Berg has since released a Miyota powered behemoth known as the Monstrum and continues to produce nice inexpensive military style quartz watches he sells via the Bay. You’ll also find a line known as the Pro Divers which come in a number of configurations and colors. I am also the proud owner of a rare Pro Diver Automatic.

Berg has recently released the Sea Angler Lithium though his affiliation with 3T. The watch is being offered in either a black or stainless steel bezel and brings the great Sea Angler look and feel to a whole new realm. The watch is currently available exclusively though Berg’s brand forum at 3T and if any are left they may eventually be sold on the Bay.

Let’s just dispose with the technical specifications per Berg:

Ronda 715 lithium, Swiss made, 5 jewels.
316l Stainless steel case
unidirectional rotating bezel with 120 clicks
Domed hardlex mineral crystal
300m/1000ft Water resistant
8mm Screw down crown
Date at 4hrs
Super luminova coated hands and dial.
Bezel/case back polished.
22mm lugs with connecting rods
Weight: 126g
Dimensions: 45mm wide x 54mm length
Thickness 16mm
only 50 pcs available for each models


This is truly a Sea Angler for everyman; not just the WIS of the world. I opted to get one with the stainless steel bezel as I thought the look was a little flashy and very cool. The stainless bezel adds a little pop to the watch in my opinion while relegating it useless for true diving. No worries as this is a recreational sport watch in my world.

Where to start? There is the instantly recognizable Sea Angler case which is thick and chunky. This is a purpose built tool and the case leaves little doubt to the rough and ready nature of the watch. The screwdown crown is at 4:00 aligned with the date window. The crown is buffeted by beefy crown guards adding another element of utility to the watch. The lugs are 22mm and quite pronounced with a downward curve which allows the large case to wrap the wearer’s wrist. There is some dissention over the combination of the finishes on the case and bezel. Some do not like the polished bezel edge in combination with the bead blasted finish on the case. In my opinion this adds depth to the case and bezel, creating an imposing 3-D superstructure. The caseback is a true classic highlighted by the well known Sea Angler motif.



The dial is really a love/hate affair for many. Obviously I am in the love camp. The Lithium Sea Angler comes with an orange dial with a flat black/charcoal minute track. The minute track features luminous markers in five minute increment. The five minute increments are marked with the distinctive script which makes a Sea Angler a Sea Angler. Lume is persistent if not blazing and is good for many hours after charging though it will never blow you socks off. It is just utilitarian. You go for the time in zero light and there it is. Wonderful. This all resides under a domed hardlex crystal. While I would prefer sapphire, the hardlex is a viable option and should prove tough. Hands are the familiar Sea Angler paddle hands and glow a tad brighter than the indices. The stainless bezel is beautiful to my eye with a blasted face featuring polished numerals every ten minutes. A little blingy and a sure attention grabber.

The watch comes outfitted with a durable and comfortable rubber strap with signed Orsa tang buckle. The strap is nothing fancy but it quite comfortable and tough. The 22mm lug size and easy screw pins allow for a variety of strap options. Many have put their Sea Anglers on exotic straps though my thought is this is a tool watch and should be strapped up as such. Nothing fancy for me.

Although I am predominantly a collector of mechanical time pieces, the simplicity and dependability of the Rhonda movement is really a big plus. It is kind of nice not to worry about having the watch wound up or sitting on a winder. It’s a true grab and go and since its arrival it’s been a favorite for a day in the pool with the kids.

Berg has hit upon another winner in my opinion and sales support this stance. I have been told all the black bezel models have been sold and that Berg in fact produced 60 in the black bezel and 40 in the stainless bezel. If so this makes mine a touch more rare though this is not a watch I’ll part with any time soon. The watch is too much fun and too easy to love for it to go anywhere but on my wrist.

Thanks for having a look.

Flieger

I’ve always loved a classic pilot’s watch or flieger. For me the flieger is one of the archetypical watches which any WIS worth their salt needs to have in their collection. I’ve gone through a few fliegers myself and will wager I’ll go through a number more before its all said and done.

I started off simple with an Aeromatic 1912 flieger I grabbed off eBay back in 2004. This watch was bought during the nascent days of my WIS-dom. If ignorance is bliss then I made a wise choice when purchasing this watch. If you anything about the Aeromatic brand you know these are Chinese watches, which imply German origins. That’s all well and good because I certainly knew I wasn’t getting a German built timepiece. It didn’t matter to me. I wanted an automatic flieger than was inexpensive and that’s exactly what I got fresh from The Bay. The watch arrived in a neat tin and I though it looked pretty darn good. I was drawn to the observation dial, which features an outer track with the time marked off in five-minute increments and an inner track with the standard 12-hour markings. This and the arrow at 12:00 sang to me. The watch was outfitted on a reasonable leather strap and featured a Chinese clone of the eta 2824 I honestly don’t recall the number of jewels used but the movement wound, hacked and kept pretty good time. I got some good use out of the watch and threw it back to The Bay not all that long ago. I’ll tell you I didn’t lose a cent on it, and I sincerely hope it is still enjoying life on another’s wrist.

My next flieger was a classy little number I grabbed from one of the watch sale’s forums from a fairly well known WIS. This was an IWI Pilot with eta 2824. This was a “Swiss Movement” watch and pretty darn nice. It had all the right bits (sapphire, screwdown crown, eta 2824) and was quite a looker in my opinion. The seller informed me this was indeed a rare flieger as it featured a red second hand, which was not standard issue for the watch. The fit and finish were very good and the watch was one ace of a timekeeper. I wore the watch on a sharkskin and poliot’s strap and had a great time with my IWI Pilot but as my WIS-dom increased, I found myself drawn to a whole new concept for the hoary flieger.

One of the members on my home watch forum had obtained and N.B. Yaeger Delta Sector and I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. I still think Martin Braun (the brain behind N.B. Yaeger) came up with a fresh take on the flieger, which is innovative while remaining classic. At any rate, said forum member was (and still is) a serial flipper. When complimenting his new timepiece I immediately called dibs quite publicly. It was only a short time until he offered the watch to me for an attractive price. What a fantastic watch. It came on a beautiful bracelet with a rubber strap should I desire any change of pace. I wore this watch often while neglecting my IWI Pilot. At some point, my funny little WIS brain told me I was done with the traditional flieger and I would “fly” forward on the cutting edge with only my N.B. Yaeger. I decided the IWI Pilot had to go find a new home.

And off it went to a new home where it thrives to this day. The new owner reports it is one of his most accurate watches. Well as WIS-dumb will have it, it wasn’t long at all before I found myself pining for a more traditional flieger. I added a true pilot’s strap to my NBY but it didn’t satiate my desire for a traditional flieger. Combine this with a penchant for hand wound watches and it’s easy to see I was in a bit of a spot and needed to get myself right. I began scouring the sales forums for fliegers, particularly hand crankers and hit upon a sweet Lacher, which I narrowly missed. I kept looking and considered one of the DeBaufre Nav-B watches but found myself wanting an observation dial, which was not offered on the offering from DeBaufre. Besides that, I still don’t care much for the new name for Steinhart!

I put it on the back burner deciding I would bide my time and hope for something to come up on a sale’s forum… well lo and behold, something did pop up. Would this get your attention?
“SOLD is a self built Unitas 6497 Flieger. I purchased the bits seperatly and assembled it myself. To make it look authentic I applied vintage noctiluminova to the dial and hands to make it look like aged tritium.Swiss Unitas, soigne grade with blued screws, Saphire crystal front, K1 back, 42mm case bead blasted, fantastic vintage leather strap.”
Well it sure got mine. May be I am a little askew.

In no time, the watch was in my possession form over the pond in a super smooth deal between WIS. Now if you look at the watch it looks a little beat… and that’s a lot of its charm in my mind. This is a Flieger plain and simple. So I’ve added this flieger to my collection and couldn’t be happier with the watch. It most definitely has the look of a classic flieger. In fact the WIS I bought it from pit it together to have a vintage look and feel. In this, he excelled. The fuzzy, aged markers and classic observation dial give the watch a vintage appearance in combine with the no nonsense bead blasted 42mm case. No frills here; just timekeeping plain and simple. The dial is the essence of legibility, and the generously applied vintage noctiluminova assure visibility in zero light conditions. The soigné grade Unitas 6497 is a fantastic movement. Winding is a pleasure and time keeping is precise. The nine-eater sub seconds sing to me! The beautiful movement is visible through an exhibition pane and is the ultimate in simplistic beauty.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the seller outfitted the 22mm lugs with a sweet 24mm Ted Su vintage ammo strap. I am certain I will try other straps on this flieger and will put the ammo on another watch at some point, but for the time being the two a one as it were; the strap adding to the character and charm of a very vintage looking flieger. I think you’ll agree this is a sweet flieger. It has a homespun rustic feel which allows me fantasize it’s an ancient treasure.

I really should ask the seller for some more details on the watch as I get many questions. People’s eyes are drawn to the big bold dial and upon handling the watch, they are always full of questions. Not only should I get some more information; I think I owe that man another round of thanks.

For the time being I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with my two fliegers. That is unless I hit the lotto!!

Thanks for having a look.