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I have made a major purchase in my watch collecting career today. I obtained one of my grail items today when I purchased a
Ball Fireman Night Train.
First, I would like to thank ericf4 (Eric) for notifying me this morning that it was available and helping me through the process with valuable information and contacts so I could verify the seller. Without him this would/could not have happened.
Thank you Eric!
Now, about the watch. Many of you know that I have had a Ball on my Grail list and that I have been looking at H3 tube watches for some time. I got an PM from Eric this morning that one was up for sale on another forum. It was a BALL Fireman Night Train Generation 1. It is my understanding that only 400 of these were made and only 140 were shipped to the US for distribution. It has a modified ETA 2824-2 movement. It has blue tubes and that is the only difference between it and the Generation II (again as far as I know). I contacted the seller via e-mail and he responded quickly. We went back and forth into this afternoon and finally agreed on price and payment method. The hunt was over and the deal was done.
Specifications:
Model: NM1092C-L1B-BK
[align=left]Functions: Hour, Minute, Sweep Second, Date, 24 Hour UTC Indicator, Quick-set, Date Warning System[/align]Case: Stainless Steel with DLC Coating
Diameter: 43mm Height: 11.1 mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Crown: Screwed-In
Lume: 63 Tritium Tubes
Movement: Automatic BALL Caliber 124 w/UTC (ETA 2824 based)
Water Resistant: 100m
Shock Resistant: 5000Gs
Strap: Black Calf Leather w/Orange Contrast Stitching
A little about this watch:
The Fireman Night Train is a truly exceptional night watch, with 63 micro gas tubes lighting up the dial. A true explorer does not let nightfall stop his endeavors, and we believe that a watch should be able to keep up. For the first time, BALL micro gas tubes illuminate every second marker, making for an impressive night display.
The 43mm black case is constructed of stainless steel coated with Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) for superior scratch resistance and longevity. DLC is harder than a natural diamond and slicker than Teflon. Metals coated with DLC exhibit impressive hardness, low friction, high resistance to wear, and even electrical insulation. Research shows that DLC coating dramatically improves the performance and life of any material.
The Fireman design is based on a vintage BALL military watch, refined by our designers with a case profile fitted to the wearer’s wrist for greater comfort. Like the men and women of the military today, railroad workers considered themselves part of a brotherhood, and like the infantry, the Fireman wasn’t the highest person on the totem pole, but he was the person who kept the whole machine moving.
The style of the Fireman is intrinsic to its function, not an artificial add-on. The rest of the design falls in line, representing a modern military timepiece at its best. It is conceived entirely for reliability and legibility, with no concessions made for the sake of style. The matt black dial reveals a white UTC (Zulu Time) window with date warning from 9pm to 3am below, and a date window, while the white-tipped sword hands clearly mark the time.
The Fireman Night Train is a truly tough timepiece with 5,000Gs shock resistance and it is nicely rounded out with 100m water resistance. It is a one-of-a-kind military timepiece for the modern era.
Now a picture:
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I hope to receive this incredible timepiece in about 10 days and I will post more pictures as soon as I get it.
Again, thank you Eric for your help and support.
I have made a major purchase in my watch collecting career today. I obtained one of my grail items today when I purchased a
Ball Fireman Night Train.
First, I would like to thank ericf4 (Eric) for notifying me this morning that it was available and helping me through the process with valuable information and contacts so I could verify the seller. Without him this would/could not have happened.
Thank you Eric!
Now, about the watch. Many of you know that I have had a Ball on my Grail list and that I have been looking at H3 tube watches for some time. I got an PM from Eric this morning that one was up for sale on another forum. It was a BALL Fireman Night Train Generation 1. It is my understanding that only 400 of these were made and only 140 were shipped to the US for distribution. It has a modified ETA 2824-2 movement. It has blue tubes and that is the only difference between it and the Generation II (again as far as I know). I contacted the seller via e-mail and he responded quickly. We went back and forth into this afternoon and finally agreed on price and payment method. The hunt was over and the deal was done.
Specifications:
Model: NM1092C-L1B-BK
[align=left]Functions: Hour, Minute, Sweep Second, Date, 24 Hour UTC Indicator, Quick-set, Date Warning System[/align]Case: Stainless Steel with DLC Coating
Diameter: 43mm Height: 11.1 mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Crown: Screwed-In
Lume: 63 Tritium Tubes
Movement: Automatic BALL Caliber 124 w/UTC (ETA 2824 based)
Water Resistant: 100m
Shock Resistant: 5000Gs
Strap: Black Calf Leather w/Orange Contrast Stitching
A little about this watch:
The Fireman Night Train is a truly exceptional night watch, with 63 micro gas tubes lighting up the dial. A true explorer does not let nightfall stop his endeavors, and we believe that a watch should be able to keep up. For the first time, BALL micro gas tubes illuminate every second marker, making for an impressive night display.
The 43mm black case is constructed of stainless steel coated with Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) for superior scratch resistance and longevity. DLC is harder than a natural diamond and slicker than Teflon. Metals coated with DLC exhibit impressive hardness, low friction, high resistance to wear, and even electrical insulation. Research shows that DLC coating dramatically improves the performance and life of any material.
The Fireman design is based on a vintage BALL military watch, refined by our designers with a case profile fitted to the wearer’s wrist for greater comfort. Like the men and women of the military today, railroad workers considered themselves part of a brotherhood, and like the infantry, the Fireman wasn’t the highest person on the totem pole, but he was the person who kept the whole machine moving.
The style of the Fireman is intrinsic to its function, not an artificial add-on. The rest of the design falls in line, representing a modern military timepiece at its best. It is conceived entirely for reliability and legibility, with no concessions made for the sake of style. The matt black dial reveals a white UTC (Zulu Time) window with date warning from 9pm to 3am below, and a date window, while the white-tipped sword hands clearly mark the time.
The Fireman Night Train is a truly tough timepiece with 5,000Gs shock resistance and it is nicely rounded out with 100m water resistance. It is a one-of-a-kind military timepiece for the modern era.
Now a picture:
I hope to receive this incredible timepiece in about 10 days and I will post more pictures as soon as I get it.
Again, thank you Eric for your help and support.
Congrats buddy!! wear it proudly!
