At the end of last month, historical watchmaker Ball Watch ? best known for purpose-built tool watches over its 129 -year history, most famously the groundbreaking railroad watches that made its reputation  ? unveiled the latest update to its distinguished diving collection, the Engineer Hydrocarbon Original. The new model commemorates 15 years of the series, revitalizing the original design with several professional-grade technological advancements, both uncommon in the market and especially rare at this watch?s price point.

The Engineer Hydrocarbon Original’s compact 40 x 14.55-mm brushed and polished steel case is easily identifiable by its unique crown protection system. The classical-looking dial of the watch is surrounded by a curved sapphire unidirectional diving bezel insert, which is not only incredibly durable but also features a new micro-gas-tube technology for its markers, in place of traditional lume, which is reportedly able to glow one hundred times brighter in dark conditions such as those encountered during deep dives.
Underneath the protective sapphire crystal, we find a slightly curved, sunray black dial stylized with an outer white minute ring; circular, rectangular, and triangular hour markers; and day and date indicators at the 3 o?clock position. Passing over the dial are two extended sword-style hands for the hour and minute indication, while a rectangular-tipped hand counts the seconds and features a Ball Watch logo as its counterweight. B...