A short while back on my online Omega replica watches magazine Escapement, I reviewed the Ball Watch Fireman Storm Chaser Pro. Released in 2014, this chronograph, with its highly legible display, is attractively priced and exhibits a robust demeanor which makes it an ideal watch for daily wear.

I recall attending a careers lesson at school and being asked about my chosen profession. Aged 15, I proffered several suggestions, including accountant, army officer, policeman and dentist. My fellow students also mentioned similar professions as well as notions of becoming teachers, nurses and doctors.

Ironically, my career path never followed the path discussed in that cold uninspiring classroom. Indeed, I wonder how many stated ambitions were ever realized. Often individuals remark that my occupation is unusual and seem to struggle with the concept of writing about wristwatches for a living. However, if my job appears unusual to some, then I don’t know what they would think of Dr. Joshua Wurman’s “typical day’s work.”

Dr. Wurman is a meteorologist and has been a brand ambassador for Ball Watch Company since 2008. Dr. Wurman’s specialty is the study of extreme weather. Moreover, he is president of the “Center of Severe Weather Research (CSWR)” and his professional role has seen him develop innovative methods for locating and analyzing tornadoes and hurricanes.

He has been responsible for creating many inventions in the field of meteorology including the “Doppler on Wheels.” The CSWR’s Doppler on Wheels (DOW) network of three equipment-laden trucks are dispatched and positioned near extreme weather. They capture useful data that can be used to warn of similar impending events in the future. Dr. Wurman’s work is said to have contributed to saving many lives.

Dr. Wurman and BALL Watch Company seek to mitigate the impact of extreme conditions. Indeed, the watch company has gained a reputation for its robust watches and its association with Dr. Wurman seems logical.

On hearing the name of this latest watch from Ball, the Fireman Storm Chaser Pro, recently launched at Baselworld 2014, I was expecting to see an armor-plated ensemble that exhibited a tough exterior but lacked any aesthetic beauty. Indeed, my pre-conceived idea was that the best Rolex replica watches would be grotesquely styled in the pursuit of exceptional resilience to impacts and shocks.

I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised when I was subsequently presented with this tasteful, classically styled bi-compax chronograph. This is a handsome timepiece and, despite its sturdy construction, would prove the ideal complement to both formal and casual attire.

The dial:

Three dial variants are available, in black, gray and white. While all three colors offer excellent readability, my preferred option is the white-dial version, with its unparalleled cleanliness, and this one is the focus of my review.

The hour and minutes are indicated by silver-colored hands. They are partially openworked near their fulcrums and each features one of the company’s legendary micro gas tubes, which exhibit a green emission in restricted light.

The black central chronograph seconds hand is very slender and features an orange tip, which incorporates another micro gas tube. This emits a green hue in the dark. At the opposite end to the tip, a counterbalance resides near the fulcrum of the hand, adorned with the brand’s logo.

Applied hour markers confer a tidy, uncluttered appearance to the dial. Each features a micro-gas tube. The hour markers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock emit a vivid yellow hue in darkness while the hour marker at noon exhibits a vivid shade of orange at night. The remaining hours appear green when deprived of natural light.

The day and date are displayed at 3 o’clock and are presented side by side on two separate disks. The black characters used are free of serifs, timeless in design, and simple to read.

A small seconds display resides at 9 o’clock. To the casual observer, it may resemble a power-reserve indicator; however, this is not the case. The scale depicted is only partial, effectively interfacing with the seconds hand only 25% of the time. Once the wearer is familiar with this aspect, it does not detract or mar owner enjoyment.

The two chronograph counters sit in series, aligned on a north-south axis. The lower subdial incorporates a 12-hour chronograph counter, whereas the upper subdial, located below noon, is a 30-minute chronograph counter. The color scheme and dial layout exhibit a “Yin and Yang” equilibrium which seems to represent the very antithesis of the stormy domain of Dr. Wurman’s world. Each chronograph hand emits a blue emission in the dark.

Adjacent each hour marker, Arabic numerals aid interpretation and, adorning the inner flange, a chapter ring helps interpret split second measurement.

The black bezel is marked with a telemeter scale.

The case:

A quality I have talked about before with Ball Watch Company products is the excellent finish of its stainless steel cases. The company delivers exceptional quality at this price position and shames some costlier offerings from rival brands.

The case diameter of 42 mm is very wearable and should prove suitable for the vast majority of potential customers. The height of 15.65 mm, while not ultra-thin, is certainly not unduly cumbersome.

The chronograph pusher at 2 o’clock starts and stops the stopwatch function. It has a smattering of orange detail, judiciously applied to its form. The chronograph pusher at 4 o’clock resets the chronograph and incorporates black detail.

A further area worthy of note is the anti-reflective treatment on the convex sapphire crystal. It is of good quality and grants enhanced legibility. Indeed, “legibility” and “readability” are words I often find myself repeating, but these are certainly virtues this high quality Rolex replica watches possesses.

The exhibition caseback accords a view of the self-winding movement.

Prospective buyers have a choice of stainless steel bracelet with folding buckle or a calf leather strap presented with a steel pin buckle. The bracelet has a quality feel to its construction, capable of shrugging off minor impacts with little fuss. However, the strap is warmer in appearance and would be my choice. In particular, I appreciate the combination of black calf leather detailed with playful orange stitching. Indeed, the stitching adds interest to the strap and coalesces with the color of the push-piece at 2 o’clock as well as other dial details.

The movement:

The automatic Caliber BALL RR1402 features a simple oscillating mass with minimal adornment.

Examining the architecture of the movement reveals that  Caliber BALL RR1402 is based on the legendary ETA Valjoux 7750. The reputation of this movement is well known. It is ultra-reliable and has won favor with many watch companies and watch collectors alike. While some purists will argue in favor of fully-integrated chronographs, myself included, there is no escaping its ease of assembly and reliability. Moreover, the simple construction allows the watch to be easily serviced and repaired.

The Ball Watch Fireman Storm Chaser Pro is shock resistant to 5000G and water-resistant to 100 meters.

Closing remarks:

Even though I am highly unlikely to drive towards a storm in my daily working life, I do appreciate a watch that has been made to tolerate extreme conditions. Ball Watch Company has repeatedly shown a talent for innovation with several patents to its name. Many of its inventions confer robustness and function, enhancing wearability. The Ball Watch Fireman Storm Chaser Pro proves to be no exception.

The highly readable display, with its sublime nocturnal legibility, is magnificent. Moreover, the case diameter of 42 mm should have widespread appeal. Indeed, I found this timepiece accorded a very comfortable fit.

This Rolex fake watches sale has an appealing mix of qualities which differentiate it from many of its competitors. It blends handsome good looks with superb shock resistance and is presented in a high-quality case, delivered at a very accessible price.

 Technical Specifications:

• Model: Ball Watch Fireman Storm Chaser Pro 
• Reference: CM3090C-L1J-WH
• Case: Stainless steel; diameter 42 mm; height 15.65 mm; water resistant to 100 meters; sapphire crystal front and caseback
• Functions: Hours; minutes; small seconds; day; date; chronograph
• Movement: RR1402 (based on ETA Valjoux 7750), self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz); 25 jewels; power reserve of 48 hours
• Strap: Black calf leather strap with steel pin buckle
• Price: £2,170 (as of 5-17-2014)

Winter is finally fading, but the chilly temperatures have put me — and, I’d guess, many of you — in mind of a desert island. Let’s say one were to be stranded on such an island and only Rolex replica watches sale could come along. Which one to take? I know — not an easy decision for a watch lover. But how about if I narrow it down?

In this article from my blog, Watch-Insider.com, I offer the five luxury #watches, in alphabetical order, that you would have to choose from as your “desert island” watch. I’m curious to find out what everyone would choose, and why. Let me know in the comments section below.

#blancpain Fifty Fathoms: The “Fifty” is the archetype of what we today would call a “real” divers’ Rolex replica watches online. This iconic Blancpain is powered by an in-house movement and the design is a beauty.

#cartier Calibre de Cartier Diver: A 100% masculine sports watch from Cartier. This ISO 6425-certified divers’ watch is perfect to accompany you through thick and thin. It’s also very good-looking and powered by an in-house caliber.

#omega Seamaster 300: This recent re-edition of a legendary cheap Omega replica watches reflects the brand’s modern know-how, with superb in-house technology and bordering on what I’d call perfect design. This Omega Seamaster is essentially ageless.

#panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 2500m 3 Days Automatic Titanio: This titanium-cased Panerai Luminor is powered by an in-house caliber and built to survive rough conditions both underwater and on land. And it is simply a cool watch.

#rolex Sea-Dweller 4000: The recently released “version 3.0″ of the dive high quality Rolex replica watches legend is fully packed with all the most mature Rolex technology. The Sea-Dweller would make a perfect companion under the waves and also look really good on your wrist.

For the first time, IWC Schaffhausen assumed its role as Timing Partner for the renowned Goodwood Members’ Meeting, held this year for the 73rd time. Against the exclusive backdrop of motor racing’s unique weekend, the luxury Rolex replica watches manufacturer unveiled its new Ingenieur Automatic Edition “AMG GT”. Made of solid boron carbide and limited to just 25 pieces, the watch also commemorated IWC’s ten-year partnership with Mercedes-AMG. As a further highlight, IWC and Mercedes-AMG organized a race between the legendary first AMG racing car – affectionately known as the “Legend of Spa” –, the new sports car Mer cedes-AMG GT and a Mercedes F1 W04.

While the super-tuned engines were revving up a storm, somewhere just off the 3.8-kilometre track in West Sussex, England, was the barely perceptible ticking of a trailblazing new product. Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen was presenting its Ingenieur Automatic Edition “AMG GT” (Ref. IW324602), the first watch worldwide to feature a case made of boron carbide, currently the hardest ceramic of them all. “As a successful amalgam of outstanding technical achievement, a quest for perfection and purist design, this exclusive timepiece has clear parallels with motor racing,” explains IWC CEO Georges Kern. “The Ingenieur Automatic Edition “AMG GT” will be available in a tiny edition of just 25 watches and is an unequivocal declaration of the significance of our ten-year partnership with Mercedes-AMG.” The name chosen for the new Omega replica watches is a tribute to the new Mercedes-AMG sports car, the second vehicle built entirely in-house by the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz. The two companies cultivate a historical heritage in two very different fields, encouraging innovative engineering and a high proportion of skilled manual labour. With their commitment to quality and simple,clear-cut design, both brands are bound by a clear affinity for performance and efficiency as well as a passion for technical progress and precision. Since January 2013, IWC has built on its involvement in motor racing as Official Engineering Partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team and has two fine brand ambassadors in Lewis Hamiltonand Nico Rosberg.

THE “LEGEND OF SPA” ON THE CIRCUIT

The Goodwood Members’ Meeting is the first in a series of historic races that can count on IWC Schaffhausen’s supportin the years ahead. In 2014, the Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC) re-established its club racing tradition with the Members’ Meeting. These races, held at the circuit that opened in 1948, are open exclusively to members and were a resounding success between 1949 and 1966. The hallmark of the Goodwood Members’ Meeting has always been a world-class field of historic racing cars and well-known drivers. In its role as Timing Partner for the GoodwoodMembers’ Meeting and as a reference to Mercedes-AMG and its ten-year partnership, together with Mercedes-AMG, IWC Schaffhausen brought three spectacular AMG vehicles to Goodwood: the latest Mercedes-AMG GT, one Mercedes F1 W04, and the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG – AMG’s first vehicle, which created a sensation in 1971 when it clinched second place in the 24-hour touring car race at Spa. In an unconventional “race against time” at Goodwood, German ex-racing driver Jochen Mass took the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG through its paces on the circuit while his Austrian colleague Karl Wendlinger got behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT and set out in pursuit. Anthony Davidson, winner of last year’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and former FORMULA ONE driver, was in no hurry with his FORMULA ONE racing car at the start, but soon moved into top gear and put in a fantastic performance to cross the finishing line at the same time as the other two vehicles. Apart from this spectacle, visitors to the Goodwood Members’ Meeting witnessed a series of keenly contested races and high-speed demonstrations featuring cars from the pre-war era to 1990s Group C prototypes. Among others, FORMULA ONE cars from the 1970s and a group of wild 250 mph Group C Le Mans cars demonstrated their prowess. At the end of the race weekend, IWC Schaffhausen honoured the driver who had recorded the fastest lap time with a special timepiece from the Ingenieur line: the Ingenieur Chronograph Silberpfeil (Ref. IW378505) is a tribute to the historic Mercedes-Benz racing cars, which won countless Grand Prix races and championships between 1934 and 1939, and were successful once again in 1954/55.

WATCH WORLD PREMIERE IN BORON CARBIDE

With the launch of the Ingenieur Automatic Edition “AMG GT” in solid boron carbide, IWC Schaffhausen sets another milestone in watchmaking history: almost as hard as a diamond and as light as aluminium, boron carbide is an innovative material that unites incredible, contrasting qualities to deliver unique performance. It alludes to the partnership with Mercedes-AMG, with a case made of several parts in pure boron carbide: the first time this material has been used in the watch industry. This high-performance ceramic is one of the hardest and most scratch-resistant materials available, and it is produced in five timeconsuming stages. IWC’s traditional prowess in precision technology is embodied by the Ingenieur Automatic Edition “AMG GT”’s in-house 80110-calibre, which has an integrated shock-absorption system and is one of the most robust movements made in Schaffhausen. As a tribute to its namesake, the designers of the Ingenieur Automatic Edition “AMG GT” have elegantly combined the colour black with stylish yellow elements that reference AMG’s exclusive colour, “solarbeam”. The eye-catching screws in the bezel and crown are made of black zirconium oxide. A glance through the see-through sapphire-glass back  revealsa high-precision mechanical movement with a blackened rotor. The new watch is secured to the wrist with a rugged, skin-friendly rubber strap. With the black Dinamica® inlay, which is set off with yellow quilted stitching, the Rolex fake watches features the same innovative microfibre used by Mercedes-AMG to pad the steering wheel, seat upholstery and headliner in the new Mercedes-AMG GT. The Ingenieur Automatic Edition “AMG GT” is limited to 25 pieces and available from selected IWC retailers.

Girard-Perregaux renews and transcends the tradition of the famous Cabinets of Curiosities, the forerunners to museums which emerged in Renaissance Europe in the Chamber of Wonders collection. Through the honorary name, Chamber of Wonders, the Brand opens a doorway into a place brimming over with amazing treasures: discoveries, secrets, fabulous stories, natural assortments and curiosities of all forms…

Thanks to the talents of artisans of miniatures, who craft fine detail over a background of extraordinary materials, this Chambers of Wonders collection offers three meticulously immortalized cartographic parentheses of time in the limited space of a Rolex fake watches dial.

Visions of the world through the ages

As brief illustrations of the history of geographical knowledge, maps of the past are, for the civilizations that produced them, both imaginative references and incomplete scientific conceptions. In their way of approaching spaces and borders, they are a testament to their authors’ certainties of their position at the center of the world.

In a quest for knowledge that inspired poets, writers, scientists and explorers, the designers of these maps often relegated their territorial neighbors to peripheries populated by mythical creatures. Frontiers, rivers and geographic dimensions were the result of a multidisciplinary science where everything still remained to be discovered. It was an era where scientific observations were strongly influenced by the collective unconscious. They are all the more endearing and surprising that the maps created still conveyed the dimension of a spatial relativity to the time factor.

Time, the inevitable friend to knowledge, transformed boundaries as new information appeared.

The Master of Maps Collection

Three cheap Rolex replica watches, three eras, three worlds interpreted with exceptional expertise; The Pearl of Wonders, the Terrestrial Map, and The New World. Renaissance images are immortalized by Girard-Perregaux on three dials, in numbered pieces within a trio of pink gold Girard-Perregaux 1966 watches fitted with an automatic manufacture caliber, all delivering different perspectives and emotions. Born in the workshops of the Manufacture, the GP03300 caliber highlights Girard-Perregaux’ tradition of watchmaking and guarantees reliability and precision. Its mainplate and its bridges are carefully drawn, chamfered, and circular-grained and decorated with Côtes de Genève. Composed of 205 parts, it offers a 46-hour power reserve at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. Its 25.60 mm diameter (11 ½ lines) for a thickness of 4.20 mm is perfectly suited to the refined lines of an elegant pink gold case, developed and made in the workshops of the Manufacture. A model of harmony sporting the remarkable detail of a gently sloping and polished bezel to highlight its thinness.

The Pearl of Wonders

Circular like the circumference of a classic watch, the map drawn during the first half of the fifteenth century by historian Ibn al-Wardi is, in itself, a concentrated moment of history. Firstly it is inspired by the theories of Ptolemy, the Greco-Egyptian astronomer and astrologist who lived in Alexandria at the beginning of the 2nd century AD and who is considered to be the father of geography. This atlas of the world demonstrates, at the turning point between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the influence of Arab culture on other civilizations. Arab astronomy was very advanced in the Middle Ages, as they described the constellations, created maps of the sky and perfected instruments such as the astrolabe.

Centered on the Arabian peninsula, the hub of the sacred pilgrimages, the unlikely lines of this mythical map allow us to recognize Africa hosting the mountains where the Nile takes its source. The river, represented by a wide blue line, suddenly flows into the Mediterranean at an abrupt right angle. In the center, surrounded by the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf surmounted by the Indian ocean, the Arabian Peninsula occupies a semicircle. Other noticeable elements are the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and, in the distance, India, Sindh and China.

Materials and techniques

To render such a monument of ancient history, what could be more appropriate than the sodalite stone with its isometric structure, composed of silica-poor minerals? Its characteristic blue color and its open crystalline structure are incentives to plumb the depths of knowledge further.

This sodalite stone, known for its hardness, comes from a block from which a disk 0.70 mm high is cut and polished manually. It is meticulously carved and engraved by hand. It takes almost 4 hours of scalpel work for it to house the fragmented mosaic of a papyrus, 0.25 mm thick. Once locked between two steel plates, to ensure that its surface is perfectly flat, the parchment, like an unexpected territory of expression, can accommodate the talent of a miniature painter who, for 28 hours, reproduced the Omega replica watches sale contours of the ancient map. Then a coat of lacquer covers the work of art with a thin protective and stabilizing veil. Approximately 50 hours of patience are needed before it is possible to admire The Pearls of Wonders.

The Terrestrial Map

Constrained within a circle, the old Chinese map selected by Girard-Perregaux is inspired by the work of Italian Jesuit, Matteo Ricci. A theologian, philosopher, mathematician, cosmologist and astronomer, this priest took part in his congregation’s missions in Asia. Landing in Macao in 1582, he spent the rest of his life in China, sharing his knowledge with scholars and officials at the point of becoming one of the first Westerners allowed within the walls of the Forbidden City. Under the Ming dynasty, he translated the state of global geographical knowledge for his hosts by repositioning China as the starting point.

A true ode to the conquest of new territories, this globe already mapped out the five continents. Admittedly, Libya summed up Africa and the Austral Earth assumed the presence of Australia. Nevertheless, the four oceans were featured. Other sophisticated indications, cleverly written in Chinese, show incredible geographical and astronomical precision: the Nile River is the largest river in the world, the Earth is round, variations in length of day and night are listed and explained, the distances between the Earth and some planets are also listed there in chart form.

Natural material and India ink

For this rare piece, Girard-Perregaux has opted for the consistent purity of a white jade stone, with translucent veins giving the perception of depth. For each dial, from a block of this material a replica Rolex watches store thin sculpted disk needs to be extracted which, after careful manual polishing, reaches its ideal thickness of 0.70 mm and has a perfectly flat surface. This is followed by 17 hours of meticulous craftsmanship of an experienced miniature painter, using natural India ink mixed with a special binder. There is no room for hesitation since the ink dries very fast. The visible side of the material receives confident and talented strokes, contrasting light and dark shades, religiously applied to remain faithful to the original. Little by little, right down to the accuracy of the gray shades and to the tiny coastal and territorial curves, the famous globe and its historical reliefs emerge.

The New World “Novus Orbis”

From the beginnings of modern cartography, 142 drawings of maps are attributed to Sebastian Münster (1488-1552), a German scholar who moved to Basel following his conversion to Protestantism. His work, Novus Orbis, resembled an encouragement to exploratory voyages, was included in his major work, Cosmographia Universalis, a richly illustrated and detailed cartographic collection. A versatile scholar, this teacher was also a Latin translator, historian, astronomer, and mathematician.

Girard-Perregaux has chosen to honor the memory of this man, considered to be one of the major references of modern cartography.

He was supported by over 120 employees to create his masterpiece as he relied on this the contribution of state-of-the-art artisan processes, similar to fine watchmaking today. Like wood engravings of artists of the time: Hans Holbein the younger, Urs Graf, Hans Rudolph Manuel Deutsch, and David Kandel. His style is full of para-geographic information useful to the understanding of the lifestyles of the day. It also offers a serious basis on which to compare the urban evolution of certain large cities. This content is dear to the Brand of La Chaux-de-Fonds, a best Rolex replica watchmaking metropolis on the Unesco world heritage list.

Fine marquetry of semi-precious stones

The most colorful of the maps contained in La Chambre des Merveilles, it displays creative fields populated with fragments organized into a mosaic. It is made with genuine stone marquetry, blending the tones of blue and pink aventurine, calcite and Canadian nephrite. It takes about 95 hours to make a single dial. The finely selected stones are carved into mini-disks which, at the end of a manual polishing operation, reach 0.50 mm. The cutting and assembly of these micro-stones require extraordinary meticulousness, patience and artistry. The technique gives the impression that the land on the map floats, reinforced by the artist’s micro-painting in six different tones.