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REVIEW: The Ball Lady Engineer Ohio>>>>>>>>>
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Published on 11-04-2009 10:55 AM
Number of Views: 4219
Review of the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio
By: John B. Holbrook, II
11/4/09
I have to admit to being fairly impressed by the new offerings I've seen come out of Ball the past couple of months. Everyone has their personal preferences of course, but I haven't seen anything they've sent me for review that I wouldn't own. Moreover, I've been impressed with the special attention they spend on the "little details" which watch enthusiasts crave.
Now, Ball certainly isn't the only company out there producing a high quality men's watch. But can Ball produce a nice women's watch? Honestly, this is an area where I think a lot of watch companies miss the boat on. I think the assumption is that A)women don't care about the same details which men care about in a watch, and B)to the extent that they do care enough to spend more than Wal-Mart prices on a nice watch, they only want something that's "pretty and sparkly." To the degree this describes any customers of women's watches, I think this attitude misses out on both female watch enthusiasts (they do in fact exist), as well as men looking to share their passion and hobby with the most important person in their life. For this segment, Ball has created the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio:
![Watch Analog watch Silver Rectangle Clock]()
At first glance, the Lady Engineer Ohio would appear to be a bit of an "homage" to the ladies Rolex Datejust. But there really are more differences than similarities. Firstly, the Lady Engineer Ohio is larger, at 31mm in diameter (and a height 10.7mm) vs. 26mm for the average ladies DJ. The stainless steel case of the Lady Engineer Ohio has a blend of both polished and brushed finishes applied, and is water resistant to 100m, and shock resistant to 5,000 G's...just like the men's counterpart to the Lady Engineer Ohio. The silver "sunburst" pattern dial on the Lady Engineer Ohio is also somewhat similar to a classic Datejust look, and the dial also features applied triangular hour markers combined with Arabic numeral markers. The sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating applied to the underside, and features a magnification bubble over the date window. It's a very clean, attractive looking dial which is as easy to read as it is to look at.
![Watch Analog watch Silver Clock Rectangle]()
Many watch companies wouldn't bother with making sure a lady's watch was easy to read in low light, but Ball made sure their signature tritium gas tube technology was well used in the Lady Engineer Ohio. The dial contains 15 micro gas tubes which provides more than ample low-light visibility for the Lady Engineer Ohio - they even provided a different colored marker at 12 o'clock which is a smart idea and adds to the visual uniqueness of the piece:
![Font Science Circle Space Electric blue]()
Ball fans have come to expect great things from Ball bracelets in the men's models, and thankfully Ball didn't cut corners on the bracelet for this lady's model either. It's essentially the same exact bracelet that can be found on several of the men's Ball watch models with all the same great quality features, just scaled down to proportions appropriate for a lady's watch. The adjustable links use high quality screws (not friction pins) and all links are of solid construction (no hollow end or center links). Both my wife and I did have a bit of trouble using the clasp - there's no push button release - you just tug on one end of the clasp to make it pop open. But it's not readily apparent which end to tug on, which can be a bit confusing. But the clasp seemed quite secure, and opened to a lovely, and solid bi-fold deployant.
![Watch Analog watch White Light Product]()
![Watch Analog watch Silver Font Watch accessory]()
Male Ball customers who purchase Ball watches tend to really appreciate the elaborate case back engravings on the watches which often celebrate the brand's heritage in trains. It would have been easy for Ball to assume such details wouldn't be of importance or value to a female buyer, and skip out on doing a case back engraving on the Lady Engineer Ohio - thankfully they didn't go that route. Here's a photo of the lovely case back engraving on the Lady Engineer Ohio:
![Watch Analog watch Silver Watch accessory Rectangle]()
Inside the case of the Lady Engineer Ohio is the self-winding, mechanical ETA 2671, which has specifications very similar to the larger ETA 2824 . The ETA 2671 has 25 jewels, and a balance wheel that oscillates at 28,800 BPH, and a quickset date feature - just like the ETA 2824. The ETA 2671 has been around since about 1971, and is pretty much the defacto movement for any high quality, self-winding Swiss made watch. Again, Ball isn't the kind of company that would assume a woman isn't interested in a watch movement - so many watch manufacturers have very few mechanical options for female buyers, instead opting for quartz movements. The ETA 2671 for the Lady Engineer Ohio is a great choice which further separates Ball from the rest of the pack.
In summary, I think the best thing you can say about the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio is that it isn't compromised in any way shape or form - the same passion for mechanical watchmaking and commitment to quality Ball has shown in their men's watches which is most refreshing. The Ball Lady Engineer Ohio has a retail price of $999.00. It's certainly robust enough to be a "daily driver" for even the most active lifestyle, and can very easily dress up or down. For the female watch enthusiast, or the male looking to share his passion and hobby with a significant other, it's a great choice in a rather shallow pool of options.
Support WATCH TALK FORUMS by purchasing the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio from one of the authorized dealers who advertise in the Ball Forum of WATCH TALK FORUMS!
![Yellow Font Circle Smile Emoticon]()
**Photos & Text Copyright 2009 WATCH TALK FORUMS. No part of this report can be reproduced outside of WATCH TALK FORUMS without the expressed permission of John B. Holbrook, II.
This article was originally published in forum thread:
REVIEW: The Ball Lady Engineer Ohio>>>>>>>>>
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JBHII
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Published on 11-04-2009 10:55 AM
Number of Views: 4219
Review of the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio
By: John B. Holbrook, II
11/4/09
I have to admit to being fairly impressed by the new offerings I've seen come out of Ball the past couple of months. Everyone has their personal preferences of course, but I haven't seen anything they've sent me for review that I wouldn't own. Moreover, I've been impressed with the special attention they spend on the "little details" which watch enthusiasts crave.
Now, Ball certainly isn't the only company out there producing a high quality men's watch. But can Ball produce a nice women's watch? Honestly, this is an area where I think a lot of watch companies miss the boat on. I think the assumption is that A)women don't care about the same details which men care about in a watch, and B)to the extent that they do care enough to spend more than Wal-Mart prices on a nice watch, they only want something that's "pretty and sparkly." To the degree this describes any customers of women's watches, I think this attitude misses out on both female watch enthusiasts (they do in fact exist), as well as men looking to share their passion and hobby with the most important person in their life. For this segment, Ball has created the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio:
At first glance, the Lady Engineer Ohio would appear to be a bit of an "homage" to the ladies Rolex Datejust. But there really are more differences than similarities. Firstly, the Lady Engineer Ohio is larger, at 31mm in diameter (and a height 10.7mm) vs. 26mm for the average ladies DJ. The stainless steel case of the Lady Engineer Ohio has a blend of both polished and brushed finishes applied, and is water resistant to 100m, and shock resistant to 5,000 G's...just like the men's counterpart to the Lady Engineer Ohio. The silver "sunburst" pattern dial on the Lady Engineer Ohio is also somewhat similar to a classic Datejust look, and the dial also features applied triangular hour markers combined with Arabic numeral markers. The sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating applied to the underside, and features a magnification bubble over the date window. It's a very clean, attractive looking dial which is as easy to read as it is to look at.
Many watch companies wouldn't bother with making sure a lady's watch was easy to read in low light, but Ball made sure their signature tritium gas tube technology was well used in the Lady Engineer Ohio. The dial contains 15 micro gas tubes which provides more than ample low-light visibility for the Lady Engineer Ohio - they even provided a different colored marker at 12 o'clock which is a smart idea and adds to the visual uniqueness of the piece:
Ball fans have come to expect great things from Ball bracelets in the men's models, and thankfully Ball didn't cut corners on the bracelet for this lady's model either. It's essentially the same exact bracelet that can be found on several of the men's Ball watch models with all the same great quality features, just scaled down to proportions appropriate for a lady's watch. The adjustable links use high quality screws (not friction pins) and all links are of solid construction (no hollow end or center links). Both my wife and I did have a bit of trouble using the clasp - there's no push button release - you just tug on one end of the clasp to make it pop open. But it's not readily apparent which end to tug on, which can be a bit confusing. But the clasp seemed quite secure, and opened to a lovely, and solid bi-fold deployant.
Male Ball customers who purchase Ball watches tend to really appreciate the elaborate case back engravings on the watches which often celebrate the brand's heritage in trains. It would have been easy for Ball to assume such details wouldn't be of importance or value to a female buyer, and skip out on doing a case back engraving on the Lady Engineer Ohio - thankfully they didn't go that route. Here's a photo of the lovely case back engraving on the Lady Engineer Ohio:
Inside the case of the Lady Engineer Ohio is the self-winding, mechanical ETA 2671, which has specifications very similar to the larger ETA 2824 . The ETA 2671 has 25 jewels, and a balance wheel that oscillates at 28,800 BPH, and a quickset date feature - just like the ETA 2824. The ETA 2671 has been around since about 1971, and is pretty much the defacto movement for any high quality, self-winding Swiss made watch. Again, Ball isn't the kind of company that would assume a woman isn't interested in a watch movement - so many watch manufacturers have very few mechanical options for female buyers, instead opting for quartz movements. The ETA 2671 for the Lady Engineer Ohio is a great choice which further separates Ball from the rest of the pack.
In summary, I think the best thing you can say about the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio is that it isn't compromised in any way shape or form - the same passion for mechanical watchmaking and commitment to quality Ball has shown in their men's watches which is most refreshing. The Ball Lady Engineer Ohio has a retail price of $999.00. It's certainly robust enough to be a "daily driver" for even the most active lifestyle, and can very easily dress up or down. For the female watch enthusiast, or the male looking to share his passion and hobby with a significant other, it's a great choice in a rather shallow pool of options.
Support WATCH TALK FORUMS by purchasing the Ball Lady Engineer Ohio from one of the authorized dealers who advertise in the Ball Forum of WATCH TALK FORUMS!
**Photos & Text Copyright 2009 WATCH TALK FORUMS. No part of this report can be reproduced outside of WATCH TALK FORUMS without the expressed permission of John B. Holbrook, II.
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This article was originally published in forum thread:
REVIEW: The Ball Lady Engineer Ohio>>>>>>>>>
started by
JBHII
View original post
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