Last fall, as the watch world was steadily preparing for the holidays and we at WatchTime were holding our WatchTime Live event, Swiss-headquartered Ball Watch Co. unveiled the latest addition to its tool-watch-focused lineup, the Engineer Hydrocarbon DeepQUEST II. Launched on the heels of several other notable 2020 releases, like the Engineer Hydrocarbon Original and Engineer Master II Diver Worldtime, the model display’s the brand?s ongoing dedication to making uncommonly robust, professional-grade dive watches.

Not only is the timepiece quite robust-looking overall; it’s also got lots of highly legible and tactile features throughout. Its case is constructed from a solid titanium monobloc, measures 42 mm in diameter and stands relatively tall on the wrist at 15.5 mm thick. In line with the tool watch positioning of the model, it opts for brushed finishing throughout, with only slight hints of polishing ? in parts of the bracelet, a few faceted accents on the case, and the crown. The sharp angled lugs connect the sturdy case to the wrist via either a three-link titanium-and-steel bracelet or a textured rubber strap. On the right side are a pair of angled crown guards partially protecting the aforementioned screw-down crown, which has an “onion” design and is deeply grooved on the sides for a powerful presence. The crown also includes a helium-release valve integrated directly into it, which is one of Ball Watch?s signature features for its d...