BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST DM3000A-SCJ-BK - Highly Capable Swiss Extreme Diver Watch, A Review (plus Video)

This is my second BALL watch for the collection. The first was the BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT Reference DG2016A-SC-BK. A real hunk of a watch, well protected like a tank and a bright spark in the dark. This second piece is even hunkier with a body designed to be 10 times stronger than the AeroGMT. The BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST with reference DM3000A-SCJ-BK is currently the brand's ultimate dive watch with a rated diving limit of 3,000 meters or 9,850 feet!

The technology that goes into the design and manufacturing of extreme dive watches have fascinated me ever since I started this hobby. Although I doubt that I will ever be in a position to use the capabilities of such dive watches, the desire to wear such watch is strong. To make something small immensely strong against external pressures is remarkable and this factor is what appeals to me.

The BALL Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST is a simple 3-hand watch with a date function. However, its design and manufacturing incorporates a number of cutting-edge technology developed by the BALL Watch company. BALL states quite a number of their own in-house technologies but for the DeepQUEST, the following are the notable ones used.


The first is the self-powered micro tritium (H₃) gas tubes made by innovative Swiss laser technology. This lighting source provide a long-life brightness that is at least 100 times brighter than markings using standard luminous paints. All this without the need for it to be 're-charge' by any light source beforehand. Power comes from the inherent radiation of the tritium gas (H₃) sealed in the mineral glass tube. The interior walls are coated with luminescent material that gives off cold light when activated by the electrons emitted by the tritium. Nevertheless, the brightness of H₃ micro gas lights will deteriorate over the years. In this case, with the half life of 12.3 years for tritium, by the 25th year, the brightness is expected to dim by 75%. Even at that level, it will be as bright or even slightly brighter than traditional paint based illumination.

The second is water proofing. At BALL, the water resistance is tested by immersing the watch completely in distilled water under the prescribed atmospheric pressure for at least five minutes. To be qualified, the watch must not show any evidence of water leakage. This means that the DeepQUEST's casing can withstand 4,388 pounds per square inch of pressure or approximately 2 tonnes per square inch. Ouch!

The third is the SpringSEAL patented Regulator Anti-Shock System. This system protects a redesigned regulator assembly, ensuring it does not change its position upon impact. Now, the timepiece will not require additional adjustment after a hard impact.

Finally, the fourth is the shock resistance capability of the design. Following the International Standard ISO1413 shock resistance requirements, BALL subjects the Engineer Hydrocarbon collection to go well beyond the standard testing with a tougher 1.5 meter hammer strike, raising the resistance to 7,500 Gs. A shock test against the crown was also conducted.

Most people are awestruck by the technologies incorporated into some of the dive models of premium brands such as Rolex (Sea-Dweller Deepsea) or Omega (Seamaster Ploprof). Nevertheless, it is also good to know that not all innovations come out of premier brands. There are a lot of brilliant innovations from other brands and the art of compiling them into a capable timepiece at a fraction of a price of a Rolex and Omega is something worth noting. BALL's DeepQUEST is one such gem.


The Watch Casing

The material of choice for the DeepQUEST is titanium. Made from Grade 5 Titanium, this material commonly known as G5 Ti is the most commonly used of all titanium alloys. It is widely used in both aerospace and medical industries. There are a number of advantages using titanium. First is the lighter weight compared to stainless steel. Second is its hypoallergenic properties due to the lack of nickel present in the alloy unlike stainless steel. Third is its natural oxidisation process which actually improves its surface wear properties.



The watch casing for the DeepQUEST started out from a solid block of the titanium alloy. Using CNC machines to carve out the single piece monobloc case; there are only three openings. The front and the two slots for the crown and the HEV valve. The design of such a casing is to reduce any potential weakness that could be when put under extreme water pressure. Unlike most wristwatches, the case-back is not separate but integral to the case. All access to the movement must be made via the dial opening.

Due to the level of water pressure the DeepQUEST is expected to endure, the strength is reflected in the size of the casing. Nevertheless, with a width of 43 mm (excluding the crown; with crown: 52 mm) and height of 16 mm, the dimensions are not that excessive. Do note that these measurements were reported by the manufacturer. Using my own Sliding Millimeter Gauge Measuring Ruler, the actual dimensions as measured are as follows: width of 46 mm (excluding the crown) and height of 19 mm. It would seem that BALL measures the width excluding the crown and the height excluding the domed crystal. As a comparison, below are the equivalent dimensions of the Rolex DSSD and Omega Ploprof for reference.

Model	BALL DeepQUEST	Rolex DSSD	Omega Ploprof
Width	43 mm (act: 46 mm)	44 mm	48 mm
Height	16 mm (act: 19 mm)	18 mm	17.5 mm

The dial on the DeepQUEST is matte black. It has a two-step dial design with an elevated outer ring comprising the primary and secondary markers. The hour markers are applied metal and polished while the minute markers are in white. Each of the hour markers is fitted with a tritium tube. Of the 12 tritium tubes, all glow blue except for the 12 o'clock tritium tube which glows orange.

As the dial is set deep inside the watch casing, the tall chapter ring wall is painted black with Arabic numerals for every 5 minute intervals in white. This help create the illusion that the dial is floating much closer to the crystal.

On the lowest level of the dial one would find a few rows of texts as well as the date aperture located at the 3 o'clock position.



There are 7 lines of texts; three in the middle of the upper half, three in the middle of the bottom half and one around the outer ring near the bottom of the dial. Despite all these lines of texts, the dial remains clean. Out of all the texts, the "3000 METERS" is the most significant and defining statement about the watch.

I was pleased that BALL did not placed the date aperture where the 3 o'clock marker is. Instead, the designers placed it just left of the marker. At least this would not disturb the symmetry of the markers as well the symmetry of the night illumination. The date wheel has a white background. Because of this, from afar, the 3 o'clock marker appears longer. Perhaps having a date wheel with white numbering and black background could reduce the visual distortions somewhat.

In keeping with the simple dial setup, a simple yet elegant polished sword handset with a second hand with rectangular pointer and BALL monogram at its base is used. Each hand is fitted with a rectangular tritium gas tube. The tritium gas tubes for the hands glow yellow in the dark.



Protecting the simple yet elegant dial is a 5.3 mm thick domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective (AR) coating on its inside. The crystal covers a circular area approximately 33 mm wide. The AR coating has a blue tint that can be seen when it catches the light at certain angles. It cannot be helped that a certain amount of distortion is expected when viewed from extreme angles. Nevertheless, the distortions in itself creates a unique character for the watch which I can appreciate. Due to the shape of the crystal, it is not flushed with the edge of the bezel. Impact damage is therefore slightly higher.

The 46 mm bezel on the DeepQUEST is a marvel. Screwed directly to the watch casing, the 120 click unidirectional bezel has titanium bead blasted inserts which contrasts the brush finish on the titanium case. The bezel features two styles of counter scale that are placed on opposite sides. From the luminous polished framed raised pip there are Arabic numerals for each five minute segment with two minute line markers in between each. On the opposite side there are just minute line markers up to 15 minutes with a longer and ticker marker at the start and every 5 minute interval. On the remaining sections, only the 5 minute intervals line markers were added. For illumination purposes, SuperLuminova paint was used at the triangular pip at 12 o'clock as well as all the other Arabic and line markers. The SuperLuminova paint glows aquamarine in the dark.

The bezel is well proportioned for users with gloves with the combination of large gear as well as rectangular teeth around the edges to facilitate grip. The eight rectangular teeth are also the fixing points for the screws (see the photo above). The movement of the bezel is smooth and drops into each position with a ratcheting precision accompanied with a confident clicking sound. Some may find too distracting but I find it reassuring.

BALL has a patent on its bezel system called SafetyDIVE®. What BALL have been able to engineer and patent is a precise arrangement allowing each click to fall just in front of a minute or half-minute index. Some of you may not find this innovative but this is akin to the problem of realigning a chronograph hand at every restart perfectly at "0". It is all about precision engineering and this is what BALL is famous for.

At the side of the watch casing at the 3 o'clock position is the long protruding crown guard that is integral to the case. The shoulders of the crown protectors were part of the original milling process for the casing. BALL was not stingy with the dimensions which again exudes and further reaffirms the 'bruiser' persona of DeepQUEST. The oversized crown is 8.5 mm and has a ship's wheel logo on it with Poseidon's trident in the center. It has been designed to allow for the best possible grip by using a similar design to that of the bezel teeth. It has good stability and easy to operate thanks to a wide stem and overall circumference. It has a nice tight fit that really adds to the precision look. The unscrewing and screwing process is smooth. The crown is polished stainless steel and contrasts against the greying hue of the titanium casing.

At the opposite end of the watch casing (the 9 o'clock position) is the integrated helium release valve. BALL incorporated an automatic HEV system for the DeepQuest. Instead of having it fit flush with the casing, BALL have designed it such that it protrude out a little. 



The DeepQUEST has no screw-off case-back. The back-wall has been tastefully decorated featuring a world map engraving as well as the BALL's company name, its origin as well as the watch's anti-magnetic capability. Honestly, I half expected BALL to dream of a more elaborate engraving for the back-wall. When I saw the ship's wheel logo with Poseidon's trident on the oversized crown, I imagine that BALL will enthralled us with something artistic with the elements of ships, sea and Poseidon all mixed together. With this in mind, the world map seems rather simplistic. Nevertheless, the world map is a strong message in its own right; my interpretation is that the DeepQUEST is at ease anywhere on the globe! Meanwhile, the serial number of the watch is etched on one of the lugs (in my case it is 7312789).



The DeepQUEST features a 21 mm double-drilled lugs that are connected to solid end-links via two Torx T-4 sized screws on each lug. Again, using dual screwed lug pins instead of just one lug pin (screwed or spring-loaded) like the vast majority of dive watches sells the strength of the watch to be heads and shoulders above the rest.

The recipe behind the DeepQUEST wearability stems from the design of the lugs. In the photo below, you can see the lugs are angled downwards. This creates a natural curvature that sits snugly on any regular sized wrist. Although the angular length of the lugs looks standard, the horizontal length is much reduced.



The bracelet is a mix of "H" shaped titanium outer links and stainless steel square center links. Both are brush finished with the titanium "H" link edges tapered and polished. Since there are no micro-adjustment links provided on the clasp, BALL has added two sub-links on either side of the bracelet to allow for better resizing. The bracelet tapers from 21 mm at the lugs down to the 18 mm at the clasp.



First engineered by BALL in 2009 for the HC Spacemaster 333m, the bracelet features BALL's patented triple deployant buckle and extension systems, which allows it to transform from a wrist-wearing to a diving suit-wearing capable bracelet by simple means of unfolding a bracelet extension on both sides of the clasp without using any tool. When it was first developed, the clasp has a mechanical lock could resist up to 1,400 Newtons of force. By just depressing buttons on both sides of the clasp at the center, the bracelet unlocks effortlessly.

The inter sections of the clasp are made out of titanium while the rectangular cover with the BALL logo is stainless steel and brushed. There is heft and not flimsy at all. I believe it one of the most solidly build bracelets and clasp systems I have ever come across.

The call to fame for most BALL watches is their luminous display in the dark. The DeepQuest is no exception. The myriad of colours generated from the SuperLuminova as well as the tritium tubes is beautiful.

In the dark, the lightfrom the tritum tubes was obvious as it cast an afterglow around the nightstand I left the watch on for the night.


The Movement

The movement used in the DeepQUEST is the BALL RR1101-C. This is an automatic mechanical movement based on the ETA 2892-A2. Complications are hours, minutes, sweep second and date. It has a power reserve of 42 hours. Operating at 28,800 BPH or 4 Hertz, the 21 jewel movement is also COSC certified. With some clever design and use of more exotic materials, the movement also has anti-magnetic shield up to 4,800 A/m.



In the photo above, BALL has added a few decorative touches to the rotor as well as some of the surfaces. Since there is no display case-back for the DeepQUEST, I guess this is how the movement looks like under all that titanium.

To have a watch pass the COSC certification, the movement must be sent to one of the COSC labs where it goes through the following:

Testing criteria are based on ISO 3159 which defines a wrist chronometer with spring-balance oscillator. Only movements which meet the precision criteria established under ISO 3159 are granted an official chronometer certificate. The uncased movement is individually tested for fifteen days, in five positions, at three different temperatures. The movements are fitted with a seconds hand and the automatic winding mechanisms are disengaged for the tests. Measurements are made daily with the aid of cameras (with an accuracy of seconds per day). Based on these measurements, seven criteria are calculated, each of which must be met.

If the movement passes these guidelines, it is officially awarded the certification. Each officially certified COSC chronometer is identified by a serial number engraved on its movement and a certification number given by COSC.


The Wearing Experience

Despite the size, the use of titanium as the core material for the watch helps keep the weigh at a more manageable level. Weighing in at 212 gm, it is not heavy for a very capable watch. If sized properly, it is easy to wear for long periods of time.

For the DeepQUEST, sizing the bracelet is very important for a couple of reasons. The first potential problem is the beak-like crown guard; it will pinch your skin if the watch is too loosely set on the wrist. The second issue is the high center of gravity of the watch casing; tendency to easily flop around if not set comfortably on the wrist. Anyway, it is not at all comfortable to have some big and hard loose on the wrist.

The DeepQUEST hides it's height well due to the curved lugs that fits well with those having wrist sizes 6.5 inches and up. The 46 mm bezel gives it presence while not being too big. The crown guard adds to the distinct and refined shape. BALL hit it on the nail when they chose titanium as the base material and the downward curving lugs as a design criteria for the watch. These two are the contributing factors why the DeepQUEST is the one of the best value-for-money extreme dive watches around. Below are a couple of photos of the watch on my wrist.



Below is a video of the watch on my wrist.



It is very hard to find an extreme tool watch from Switzerland at this price point. In Europe, the DeepQUEST has an MSRP of just EUR3,300. When compared to other 3,000 meters and beyond Swiss watches, the Rolex DSSD is at EUR11,350 while the Omega Ploprof is at EUR7,200. Excluding brand premium, the DeepQUEST is a better buy.


The Unboxing

I have to be thankful to my friends at Hang Thai Watch, Bangsar Village, Kuala Lumpur for getting me a sweet deal on this DeepQuest. The MSRP was RM16,000 but I got it for a half song. They gave me a couple of gifts with the purchase. A cloth shopping bag as well as a towel; both in green and branded with the BALL brand.

The complete package for the DeepQUEST is rather unique. There are three layers to the packaging. The first is a rather common and rough brown cardboard box which acts to protect the rest when in transit. Then comes a white cardboard box without any prints which I suppose is the packaging for the main watch box. Finally, the main watch box which is a waterproof Pelican case. This case is extremely durable and it protects the contents from shocks, dust and moisture.



The heavy-duty watch box has a metal plate with the brand set in the center at the top of the box. BALL's choice for using the Pelican case is a form of subliminal programming. It subconsciously reinforces the extreme capabilities of the DeepQUEST even before one gets to see the watch for the first time. I can appreciate the thought behind the presentation but I wonder if it is necessary. Being an established brand, such gimmick seem cheesy.




Once you flip open the case, you can see the overwhelming space allocated to the watch. The bulk of the space is given to place a few items of interest.

Kept under the flip cover on the right of the box are the credit card-type warranty card and its CD instruction manual. BALL provide a five (5) year warranty on the DeepQUEST.

The main item kept here is a professional inflatable ‘diver-down’ buoy. This item takes up half of the total weight and volume of the box’s contents.

Personally, I would have preferred a spare silicon strap plus a strap replacement tool instead. If not perhaps a nice diver's knife. A good diving depth gauge is also preferable.

When will the vast majority of DeepQUEST owners ever have the need to use the inflatable ‘diver-down’ buoy? I suspect someone from BALL must have gotten the idea to put this into the offering since this item have never been offered as part of a set by any watch brands before. Granted, this item is relatable to the watch but it is too specialized to be of any use elsewhere. I supposed it was too naive to assume people would appreciate something so unique. A classic case of 'over-thinking'. What people would appreciate more would be things that are useful or classy. Even a nice cast medallion can be used as a nice desk display even if it is not useful for anything else.

As proof of the COSC certification for the movement, one will also get a credit card size certificate as well as a COSC hologram tag.




The History of the DeepQUEST Series

Established in Cleveland, Ohio in 1891 by Webb C. Ball, a man whose timepieces set the standard for railroads in those days. The brand has re-rooted to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland where they continue to make precision timepieces. In 2006, when champion free diver Guillaume Néry joined the BALL Explorers Club, the company began to focus on diving instruments that has lead them to the production of the DeepQUEST series.

BALL launched the Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST series back in 2011. When launched, everyone could not believe the specifications since it was set at a price point that is way below other Swiss brands with similar designs. The series consist of two different dials on either bracelet of rubber straps. This makes a possible combination of four timepieces in the series.

<DM3000A-SCJ-BK>

<DM3000A-PCJ-BK>

<DM3000A-SCJ-SL>

<DM3000A-PCJ-SL>

I personally feel the silver dial model does not reflect the diver genre. It is more suited for a fashion or dress watch. As for the strap options, instead of showing four in the series, it be better if focus was put on the dial options only. The standard package should include the rubber strap as an extra or replacement strap for the standard bracelet. 


Specifications

Movement: Automatic caliber BALL RR1101-C; Chronometer certified COSC
Illumination: 3 micro Tritium gas tubes on the hands & 12 on the dial
Dive Function: Automatic helium release valve
Watch Function: Hours, minutes, sweep seconds and date
Shock resistance: 7,500 Gs
Water resistance: 3,000 m / 9850 ft
Antimagnetic: 4,800 A/m
Material: Titanium single block case
Case Dimensions (BALL): Width 43 mm (minus crown), height 16 mm, lug-to-lug 53 mm
Case Dimensions (Measured): Width 46 mm (minus crown: with crown: 52 mm), height 19 mm
Lugs: 21 mm
Bezel: Unidirectional bezel with patented setting system; incorporated with LumiNova
Glass: 5.3 mm anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Crown System: Screwed-in crown, 8.5 mm wide, stainless steel
Bracelet: Tapered titanium & stainless steel with patented folding buckle/extension system
Bracelet Measurement: 21 mm at the lugs tapering to 18 mm at the clasp
Dial Colour: Black
Weight: 212 gm
MSRP: RM16,000; EUR3,716; GBP3,300

Ball Watch Catalogue on Scribd

Photo Gallery