BALL Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders Limited Edition Watch Review
Monday - 21 February 2022
“The first lesson is that you can't lose a war if you have command of the air, and you can't win a war if you haven't.” —Gen. Jimmy Doolittle
To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, Swiss watch manufacturer BALL launches an entire collection of limited edition watches named the BALL Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders. The three different models, all varying in their case sizes and movement types, feature military-worthy durability and bold-coloured dials detailed with the Raider emblem.
On 18th April 1942, eighty brave pilots risked their lives for our freedom. The one-way mission saw the Doolittle Raiders launch a total of 16 B-25 bombers off the flight deck of the USS Hornet to change the course of World War II. The pursuit followed a surprise attack on Pearl Harbour and was led by the then Lieut. Col. James H. Doolittle. Despite all eighty volunteers successfully launching their 16 B-25 bombers from USS Hornet, the launch came early after they were spotted by the enemy. The crew launched even though they knew they may not have enough fuel to land safely in China. In the end, only 69 raiders escaped capture or death. The raid set the stage for victory in the Battle of Midway and became a catalyst to many future innovations in U.S. air superiority from land or sea.
On the 80th anniversary of this legendary mission, BALL Watch Company proudly presents the new Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders collection, a series of 999-piece limited editions that pay homage to the bravery, selflessness and sacrifices of the Doolittle Raid crew. There are nine references to choose from including three 40mm models, three 45mm and three 46mm models, each size is then available with a green, blue or black dial. As always with BALL, legibility is of the utmost importance with each dial decorated with hour markers and hands equipped with baton-shaped micro gas tubes for unmissable readability in low lighting. You can choose from two choices of micro gas tubes colour including a unique rainbow colour or a classic combination of green, orange and yellow.
The dial layout of each BALL Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders watch differs depending on the case size you opt for. The 40mm opts for sword-shaped hour and minute hands, an enlarged date window at 3 o’clock and the Raiders emblem at 9 o’clock in yellow contrasting to every dial colour. Powering these functions is the automatic BALL RR1103 movement boasting anti-magnetic protection up to 1,000 Gauss (80,000 A/m). For the 45mm Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders watch, the same time and date display is elected but marked by stronger propeller-shaped hands powered by the automatic BALL RR1108 movement with a 54-hour power reserve. Lastly, the 46mm references adds a touch of vintage-flair to its face with a small seconds dial added to the 9 o’clock position powered by the manual-winding BALL RR2102 movement. The two largest cases adopt a sapphire crystal case back to reveal the movement within while the 40mm model comes with a solid case back engraved with the Doolittle raid motif.
The cases of the BALL Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders watches continue to impress with a strong stainless steel architecture comprising of brushed and polished finishing, tapering lugs and a choice of two straps including a dark brown studded leather band or a three-row link steel bracelet. The cases are also water resistant to 100 metres helped by scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass treated with anti-reflective coating and an oversized onion crown at 3 o’clock, a feature which also ensures easy manipulation even when wearing gloves.
The BALL Engineer Master II Doolittle Raiders watches are limited to 999 pieces, and you can request your preferred limited edition number with us before ordering. Your chosen number, if available, will be individually marked on the dial and presented in a special box set with a B-25 Mitchells bomber model in 1: 72 scale. If you’d like to learn more about the collection and order one for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here or get in touch by calling 01335 453453.
