Hands-On With The Surprising Ball Roadmaster M Model A
You will remember a Ball watch once you encounter one. The brand’s distinct style immediately stands out from the large crowd of watches available these days. Several of Ball’s watches have tritium micro-gas tubes that light up in the dark. This unique form of lume has led to an instantly recognizable numeral style that defines the design of the models that use it. It had been a few years since I last reviewed a Ball watch, but I thoroughly enjoyed the last one, so I was happy to learn more about the brand’s Roadmaster M Model A. This limited-edition release combines a GMT function with a mechanical alarm. We don’t see this combination often, so I was eager to check it out.
I had to look up how long it had been since I reviewed the Ball Roadmaster Marine GMT and Roadmaster Pilot GMT. It turns out that it was a little over three years ago, but it didn’t feel like it had been that long. It probably says something about the watches’ lasting impact. This new Roadmaster M Model A belongs to the same collection as those two models. It is the bigger, bolder, and more functional brother of those two watches, making for an impressive timepiece in more ways than one.
The Ball Roadmaster M Model A
Let’s first go over the details of this 333-piece limited edition. The watch has a 41mm 904L stainless steel case with a 15.2mm thickness and a 48.5mm lug-to-lug. The fully brushed case is substantial, making it less suited for smaller wrist sizes. But since this is a tool watch, it is built to withstand shocks of up to 5,000 g. Additionally, it can resist magnetic fields of up to 4,800 A/m and offers water resistance to 100 meters.
I must say that the curved lugs and overall ergonomics make the watch easier to wear than you might initially think. You will find two crowns signed “RR” on the right side of the case. Those crowns bring some visual brilliance due to their polished sides, but overall, the external finishing fits the tool-watch nature of the Roadmaster M Model A. The case is paired with a bidirectional bezel and a black and red ceramic insert with a 24-hour scale and Super-LumiNova-filled markings.
The dial of the Ball Roadmaster M Model A
Inside the case, we find a matte black dial containing quite a bit of information. First, the inner part that seemingly holds the brand’s logo and text on the lower half rotates. That’s because it is for setting the alarm. As you might have noticed, the printed text is not on this central part of the dial. Rather, it’s on the underside of the sapphire crystal. This prevents the logo from turning when the user sets the alarm function. As you can see, the central portion contains a luminous triangle that will point to the alarm time.
Located outside the central portion is a sector that holds the oversized hour markers, which encircle the minute track. The brand’s characteristic blocky Arabic numerals sit at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, with elongated baton indexes making up the rest. As you can see, Ball eschewed the hour marker at 3 o’clock in favor of a date window combined with a date magnifier as part of the crystal.
All the hour numerals and markers are luminous tubes filled with tritium gas, which has become a Ball hallmark. Unlike luminous tritium paint, these tubes glow steadily, so they do not need to be charged. They are a defining factor in how the brand’s dials look, and this distinct style will always spark nice discussions about style and functionality.
The last part of the dial is the outer ring, which sits slightly above the dial and holds a 24-hour scale that indicates the time in a second time zone with the help of the red skeletonized GMT hand. Because of this second 24-hour scale, you can use the 24-hour GMT bezel to indicate the time in three time zones simultaneously. Thankfully, despite the abundance of information, the dial is easy to read.
An extensive handset for the different functions
Hovering over the dial are three centrally mounted hands. Additionally, we find the red GMT hand mounted on a rotating flange, and the aforementioned pointer on the center part of the dial is shaped like a fifth hand. It all starts with the central hour and minute hands that feature flattened tips and luminous tritium tubes. The seconds hand features a red-striped tip and the characteristic “RR” logo as the counterweight. Next, the red skeletonized GMT hand also features a tritium tube so you can keep track of the time in the second time zone. Lastly, the central marker also lights up in the dark thanks to an underlying micro-gas tube.
The watch we received for review was the so-called Classic lume version. This means the micro-gas tubes light up green and yellow in the dark. In addition to those two colors, the lume on the bezel and the 24-hour scale on the dial glow light blue, making it a colorful spectacle in the dark. But if you think that is colorful, think again. Ball also offers the Rainbow version of the same watch. That version uses various colors for the micro-gas tubes, making it a proper visual spectacle.
The Ball manufacture caliber RRM7379
If you turn the watch around, you get a good view of the caliber RRM7379 that powers the watch. The movement is modeled after the classic A. Schild 5008 caliber but adds the manufacture alarm and GMT functions. This automatic caliber features two mainsprings. The first drives the regular timekeeping functions, while the second mainspring powers the patented mechanical AlarmMATIC 12-hour alarm system that Ball developed specifically for this watch.
The AlarmMATIC system features a ring-shaped metal gong with an inner metal layer and an outer polymer layer. The latter filters out unwanted noises and vibrations while also protecting against shocks. It’s a simple solution that practically solves two issues at once. On top of that, the construction delivers a beautiful, crisp, and loud chime. The sound reminded us of an old school bell and lasts up to 18 seconds. It’s a practical function that comes with its nostalgic references, and I quite liked that. The automatic caliber is regulated to run between -4 and +6 seconds per day, which is up to chronometer specs.
Wearing the Ball Roadmaster M Model A
So, how does all that translate to the wrist? Thanks to the comfortable 904L stainless steel H-link bracelet with its butterfly clasp, the watch is a joy to wear. Despite the substantial dimensions, the bracelet balances the watch nicely on the wrist. Once on it, the Roadmaster M Model A proves itself a sturdy timepiece that doesn’t hide its tool-watch nature. But that is a big part of its charm. The functional dial is easy to read, ensuring you can find the info you want in no time.
Speaking of functionality, I haven’t mentioned how the watch is operated. The upper crown is a screw-down one that lets you set and adjust the main time, second time zone, and date. Thanks to the quick-set GMT hand, this function is easy to operate. It does make the watch a caller-style GMT rather than a much-desired flyer-style GMT. Having said that, if you do not travel much through different time zones, that should not spoil the fun of this watch.
Operating the alarm of the Roadmaster M Model A
The lower crown controls the alarm. It allows you to wind the dedicated mainspring, set the alarm in five-minute intervals, and engage or silence it. Once the alarm starts ringing, it has a nice, crisp sound. That is partly thanks to the 12 openings under the middle layer of the dial, which allow the gong to resonate.
This made the Ball Roadmaster M Model A one of those special timepieces I constantly interacted with. As some of you know, I have a thing for GMT watches, but the additional mechanical alarm brought so many smiles to my face. During my time with the watch, I constantly played with the alarm to hear that sound again and again. In all honesty, I don’t know whether you will use it as intensely in the long run as I did in the few days I spent with it. Then again, any interaction with it was fun, so that counts for something.
Final thoughts on the Ball Roadmaster M Model A
Overall, I had a blast wearing the Ball Roadmaster M Model A, which is not always the first thing that comes to mind with a new watch. But the brand has created a well-made, super robust limited edition with an impressive caliber that combines my favorite complication with one of the most fun complications out there. All in all, that makes this an interesting offering from Ball.
The 333 pieces of this limited edition are exclusively for sale through Ball’s online shop for €6,545. That is a substantial amount of money, but after wearing the watch and understanding the technical development and clever engineering that went into its creation, the price tag is much easier to understand. This is a special offering from a characterful brand, and it will undoubtedly find its way to enthusiasts. I will miss playing around with the mechanical alarm because it makes this watch technically impressive and, most of all, incredibly fun.
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