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New to Ball

2K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Beinwatched 
#1 ·
New to the forum. I went this past weekend to my local jewelry shop looking for watches. I had a TAG link auto for several years, it got stolen a year or so ago. Looking to replace it. Rolex, out of my price range. I like TAG, looked at some there. I asked the salesman, what other brands they had. He brought out a Ball watch. I had never heard of the brand, the salesman explained the history of the brand, showed me the difference between the TAG line and the Ball line. I loved the Ball watch he showed me, magnate chrono. I have narrowed my list down to three watches. Wanted to see what you guys think would be the best watch for a daily watch. All are very close in price. I like the black face in all watches listed below

Magnate GMT
Magnate Chrono
Ceramic XV
 
#2 ·
Hi and welcome to the forum! It's always fun to learn of someone discovering Ball for the first time. :thumbup1:

All of the models that you mentioned are good and would make good daily watches. Of the three, however, my personal choice would be the Ceramic XV. I'm a sucker for black bezeled dive watches. They work just as well with suit-and-tie as they do with t-shirt and jeans. The Magnate line-up seems a bit "dressier" to me. I also prefer the larger size of the Ceramic over the Magnate.

Anyway, that's my subjective opinion.

Please let us know what you ultimate buy . . . and post up some pictures!

Rob
 
#4 ·
I never liked Tag and always put them in the same class as Movado. IMHO an overglorified battery or rotor watch with a resale value worse than a used car. (note: never buy a watch for resale value.) With that said, there are some who are fans of Tags or Movados and speak very highly of them, so to each his own. I was never a fan of Ball UNTIL they began making their own movements. I was critical of Ball as they used cheap (and IMHO) inferior ETA movements. My opinion began to shift when the began using in house movements. Now I have heard (someone who is a Ball expert can correct me if I am wrong and encourage them to do so for accuracy) that Ball uses modified ETA movements with their Ball name on them, while others state that is completely in house. Nonetheless, some things to consider......

- Tags and Movados are seen in just about every mall store there is. Call me crazy, but, I just can not seem to buy a watch that is on sale next to a pretzel stand, candle store, some fragrence shop, or whatever the store of the month is.

- Looking online, I hear nothing but positive comments about Ball's customer service. Anyone can sell a watch. Standing behind the product after the sale is key. Ball is on the ball so to speak in this regard.

- The Lumination is best. Bar none. I own a few Rolex, Ebel (gifts), IWC (gifts), and other lesser known foreign or domestic brands; but, Ball's lumination is second to none.

- Tags and Movados are a dime a dozen; yet, Ball seem to be rare visibly speaking.

Ultimately, the decision is yours. My opinion, and others means a hill of beans, as it is your money that will be used to purchase the watch, and your wrist it will be going on. Do your research, visit MULTIPLE vendors, get the best price, and enjoy whichever you choose.
 
#5 ·
I just re-read your post and saw your Tag was stolen. that just plain sucks. Sorry about the vernacular; but, that is just plain wrong. Whatever new watch you decide, you may want to consider getting a rider for it. If you have renter's insurance or homeowner's insurance, most will put the watch on as a rider with documentation from the AD or jeweler. This should protect you in the future against loss, theft, fire, natural disaster, etc. Check the policy, as they do vary to see what is covered and what is not. Also, ask about REPLACEMENT INSURANCE. What this means......most insurance companies pay wholesale and not retail. If you purchase a $2000 watch, and the watch's wholesale price is $1000, they may try to buy the watch for you, and if they can not, you only get a $1000 check and have to come up with the rest on your own. Also, if the price of the watch rise to $2200, your are out $1200 to boot. Replacement value typically covers against this.

And on a side note about Rolex's price increase. They are insane. I do own a few Rolexes; however, their prices have started to climb in the stratosphere, and for what they are asking, I feel more will shift to the secondary market or other brands. Just MHO of course. But raising prices in a recession would seem to deter buyers, not encourage them. Of course, this could be what they are trying to accomplish to try and keep the brand at its current level.
 
#7 ·
I FULLY AGREE with getting insurance! You may also want to look into Jewelers Mutual, it is not attached to your homeowners/renters policy but still gives you full coverage.
I like this company for many reasons, mostly because they insure 80-90% of all jewelers out there, so they can't have a preferred jeweler. Also, since it is not attached to your homeowners, no rate hikes or cancellations if you have a claim.
Mike
 
#6 ·
Depends on the model, but all Ball movements start as ETA. Modules for the date change warning, etc are added by model.

Rumors abound concerning a true Ball in-house movement, but as of now, it doesn't exist in a production model. Depending on how the Swiss government relaxing their supply requirements, Ball may have to speed that up.

Personally, I dont see any reason to disregard a model over in-house or mass-produced movement. In most every way, the ETA makes more sense - cheaper to buy, service, much more incentive for them to reduce manufacturing variability, etc.
 
#8 ·
Sorry for not seeing this thread until now...

...but I have had personal experience with Ball's Customer Service Department. I am favorably impressed with it.
My Fireman II needed crown repairs. While on the phone with them, they made sure no concerns were left remaining, and no questions left un-answered.
Knowing it's hard to get a solid estimate on a repair turnaround time, I resigned myself to the fact I wouldn't see my watch again for a month or two. Imagine my surprise when, checking up on the tracking info, BallUSA had my watch for only 3 days and was already being shipped it back to me...fully repaired! They even buffed out a couple nasty case scratches.

So those online comments about BAll customer care were spot on. Ball does care about its customers.
 
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