# The new Engineer III CarboLIGHT Pre-order



## Heljestrand

Ball Watch Co. continues it's prolific pre-order rollout with the new Engineer III CarboLIGHT. https://shop.ballwatch.ch/carbolight

I am not a fan of the hands but otherwise a very cool watch. COSC at a very handsome price point. I'm holding out for snagging a potential buyer's remorse catch and release of a Engineer III Endurance once those are delivered to original owners in early 2018. Those appeal to me a tad more than this offering but seems like this CarboLIGHT /IronLIGHT is a pretty nice watch. Your thoughts?


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## clarken

All these pre order threads has turned this forum into the home shopping network for ball watches. That being said they’re okay.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JoeC

The price is very good for COSC, but the watch itself seems ill-conceived from a design standpoint. I feel as though Ball should focus on far fewer numbers of watches.


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## preciousvapor

The steel version strikes me as a straight forward simple design with a subtle use of the tritium tubes for which Ball is known.


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## MrDagon007

The day date one looks like a fun alternative to say a damasko da34.
Advantage ball: cosc, lume, shock resistance
Advantage damasko: superhard case. Lubricant cell around crown stem
Both have antimagnetic inner case.


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## Heljestrand

MrDagon007 said:


> The day date one looks like a fun alternative to say a damasko da34.
> Advantage ball: cosc, lume, shock resistance
> Advantage damasko: superhard case. Lubricant cell around crown stem
> Both have antimagnetic inner case.


Great comparison and observations.


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## Heljestrand

Had they done a Gray dial with interesting color highlights (maybe the green like on the Endurance) on the seconds hand in the carbon case and I liked the hands a tad better I might be more interested.


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## preciousvapor

The blue dial appears to more of a navy tone in the pictures. If this is the case it will offer a bit of variety compared to other blue dialed watches. It also appears that the steel case is brushed, a feature I prefer for every day wear. I have a gray faced Endurance on order. I'm hoping it will have a brushed case and bracelet. Does anyone know if it does?


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## lvt

MrDagon007 said:


> The day date one looks like a fun alternative to say a damasko da34.
> Advantage ball: cosc, lume, shock resistance
> Advantage damasko: superhard case. Lubricant cell around crown stem
> Both have antimagnetic inner case.


How about the price?

The pre-order price proposed by Ball seems to be very good for a COSC watch with additional features mentioned above.

Sent from my LG-H630 using Tapatalk


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## MrDagon007

lvt said:


> How about the price?
> 
> The pre-order price proposed by Ball seems to be very good for a COSC watch with additional features mentioned above.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H630 using Tapatalk


Prices are same ballpark, both brands have their interesting features. I have a full lume dial damasko myself.


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## surfuz

Will be giving this a miss. Anyway, I bought too much recently. 

Used to be Ball watches.. each models are distinctive. Now the lines are rather blurred. Quite hard to tell which is which. It's really hit and miss. 

But glad there is this overall move to Engineer III. Though the 'roadmap' seems haphazard. Won't be surprised if the next preorder goes back to Engineer II again. 

Agree with Heljestrand's comments on the gray dial and highlights.

I'm wondering.. The focus on sales volume from online, is this Ball's strategy to ensure sure it's in certain top listings to ensure ready supply of ETA movements ? 

Sent from my E6853 using Tapatalk


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## drummer13

Nope. It looks like so many others. Sorry.


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## Heljestrand

surfuz said:


> Will be giving this a miss. Anyway, I bought too much recently.
> 
> Used to be Ball watches.. each models are distinctive. *Now the lines are rather blurred. Quite hard to tell which is which.* It's really hit and miss.
> 
> But glad there is this overall move to Engineer III. Though the 'roadmap' seems haphazard. Won't be surprised if the next preorder goes back to Engineer II again.
> 
> Agree with Heljestrand's comments on the gray dial and highlights.
> 
> I'm wondering.. The focus on sales volume from online, is this Ball's strategy to ensure sure it's in certain top listings to ensure ready supply of ETA movements ?
> 
> Sent from my E6853 using Tapatalk


AGREE! Less blur more innovation and uniqueness from model to model rather than kissin cousins approach. We will see perhaps when the next 6 pre-orders come to market from now to year end.


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## correctomundo

I do not like this piece, nothing innovative from the pictures


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## Voodoo13

A few to models going at once, I think. 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## ChuckMiller

How crafty of them.



clarken said:


> All these pre order threads has turned this forum into the home shopping network for ball watches. That being said they're okay.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ChuckMiller

Heljestrand said:


> ...Your thoughts?


The hour markers are a bit too large and crowd the dial, make it look bulky.


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## Heljestrand

The moderator of this forum suggested perhaps there are so many pre-order models to rid the company of excess parts. Seems a shame if that ends up being true. I am still primarily interested in how the Engineer III Endurance 1917 comes to market in early 2018 and how pre-loved prices on that watch end up settling in. Seems pre-owned Ball watches are languishing away on watchrecon as new people to the brand like me are either invested in pre-order discounts (none yet for me) or satisfying their desire through the "My Offer" site for close out models that appear to be selling for slightly less than 40% of RRP. I am trying to buy the watch and not the "deal" otherwise I would probably own one of those low dollar close out models.


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## Alansmithee

Heljestrand said:


> The moderator of this forum suggested perhaps there are so many pre-order models to rid the company of excess parts. Seems a shame if that ends up being true. I am still primarily interested in how the Engineer III Endurance 1917 comes to market in early 2018 and how pre-loved prices on that watch end up settling in. Seems pre-owned Ball watches are languishing away on watchrecon as new people to the brand like me are either invested in pre-order discounts (none yet for me) or satisfying their desire through the "My Offer" site for close out models that appear to be selling for slightly less than 40% of RRP. I am trying to buy the watch and not the "deal" otherwise I would probably own one of those low dollar close out models.


I suspect it's not excess parts but simply that the model works - if you can get people to buy in decent numbers for pre-ordered that use a lot of similar parts and don't have to split that with a dealer - that's great!


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## King_Neptune

Has anyone received any recent information regarding shipment of these? I recall the advertised shipment time to be February or March 2018, and I'm not familiar with how well Ball actually meets those dates for shipment of pre-orders, this being my first one. I have a black dial 43mm CarboLIGHT on a rubber strap coming, and I'm quite curious to get my hands on it...mostly because there never was a good photo of the strap shown.


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## Karkarov

In my experience they are normally on the money, or at the very least, not delayed too badly. You could always reach out to their customer service if you haven't gotten any emails. That said, they did say "march" which could mean end of march, not the beginning.


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## King_Neptune

Thankfor the input. I realize that as long as the watch ships out by March 31[SUP]st[/SUP],Ball will have met their commitment. I suppose I am hoping to haver it in timefor Basel so I have something new to wear while I'll be experiencing "watch fever" for the newreleases, not being in the market for any additional purchases this spring. Oncethe Ball comes in, I'm going to let go of my LUM-Tec B Carbon that is stillbrand new. It is really nice, but for just $400 more the Ball has the Amortiserchronometer movement. A no-brainer IMO.


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## King_Neptune

Most recent update: I received an email on February 28th that stated "shipments would begin this month" in the order that pre-orders were received, this month being February I think because no matter the relevant time zone, Switzerland or USA, the email was sent on the last day of February. Odd. It is now March 17th, and there has not been any other updates. My watch should be one of the 1st to ship. When I ordered only one other serial number had been previously reserved.


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## surfuz

The shipment date is always optimistic. Did not buy this model. But I have three or four serial #1 from preorders and they are all late. 

So let it be written. So let it be done.


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## King_Neptune

surfuz said:


> The shipment date is always optimistic. Did not buy this model. But I have three or four serial #1 from preorders and they are all late.
> 
> So let it be written. So let it be done.


Thanks for the input. I could have had #1, but I took a day to think about it due to the marble appearance of the case material seen in the pictures so I'll be #2 on this one. I'm not disappointed, just thought having it in time for Basel will keep me from yet another purchase.:-d


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## King_Neptune

Shipping confirmation email just received!  Watch is supposed to be shipping to the US distributor. I suppose that means Tampa, FL., and then it'll be forwarded to me from there as there is no active Ball dealer in my area. I haven't been able to view tracking yet. I'll post pics once I have it in hand.


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## Oarngepeel

Thanks for the update- please post pics and observations when you receive yours please.....


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## King_Neptune

Watch departed Clearwater, FL yesterday March 29th. Shipping is by ground, and due to an uncooperative schedule I may have to wait an extra day or two before I pick it up from the destination depot. Will have it within a week in any event.


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## Stromenko

Hello everybody. I just want to share some pictures of my new Ball Engineer III iron light. Please do not judge so much for quality )
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## Oarngepeel

Congrats on the delivery.
Looks good- How do you like that bracelet?
Looks to be the same as on my Endurance. I really love my Endurance.


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## Stromenko

Thanks.....Bracelet excellent quality.....Only one thing little bit dissapoint me. It is blue color. I wanted more blue color, but really it's very dark blu color. Same blue as on previous models. I hope later Ball will change dark blue to sky blue color .


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## Michael D CFA

Just got it yesterday. Really cool piece! Super lightweight and the carbon finish looks awesome. Definitely a keeper.


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## King_Neptune

(There's still a spec or two of adhesive from the decals stuck to the case:-d) 43mm :


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## Vette45

These look very good! I love the black


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## Oarngepeel

The carbon case is super cool. when this watch came out for pre order I really thought about the carbon case model. Unfortunately I had already ordered my Endurance and two purchases so close together didn't seem wise to me. 

Now I kinda wish I had. Looks like a really great daily driver.


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## paintingtiger

I am really loving the way these Carbolights are looking in real pics! Surprised by how much I like them. Did they only do the carbon case in 43mm? I would love it in 40mm.


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## Michael D CFA

My pics above are the 40mm. Wears a little smallish compared to my 40mm Mark XVIII even with the small bezel. This is my first Ball and the gas tubes are mesmerizing at night!


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## paintingtiger

Michael D CFA said:


> My pics above are the 40mm. Wears a little smallish compared to my 40mm Mark XVIII even with the small bezel. This is my first Ball and the gas tubes are mesmerizing at night!


Thanks, I realized that after I looked again. Looks really sweet, congrats!


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## Motokulompat

No.2 out of 1000. That's cool!


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## Oarngepeel

Michael D CFA said:


> My pics above are the 40mm. Wears a little smallish compared to my 40mm Mark XVIII even with the small bezel. This is my first Ball and the gas tubes are mesmerizing at night!


UU

YUP- until you own one its hard to explain. And for me hard not to wear.


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## Bwinter714

qa_ii said:


> Thanks for the input. I could have had #1, but I took a day to think about it due to the marble appearance of the case material seen in the pictures so I'll be #2 on this one. I'm not disappointed, just thought having it in time for Basel will keep me from yet another purchase.


I actually created an account just to ask this question to you, because I actually have #2 of 1000 which I secured from the preorder and was curious about if it was "really" #2 or not, and if I got a black rubber strap and someone else got the NATO strap if that watch body could also be a #2. Did you end up getting #2? (Keep the poop jokes to a minimum haha, but they're still funny!)

As for my opinion as a newbie, I really like Ball, they're not well known and therefore don't seem to be targets for theft, and I really like the lume and movement. I REALLY like this watch, because in my line of work, cell phones/smart watches are usually not allowed in most areas where I work, and how else do you tell time? Well, you need a utilitarian watch. It's easy to read in any light level, and while the hands may be a bit polarizing for their size, I can look at my watch face for a half a second and know every time what time it is in virtually any circumstance. I can't say the same for my stainless Ball red GMT model. The rubber strap is exponentially more comfortable than the metal strap on the GMT, although I didn't get the NATO strap I'm regretting a bit. The one thing I will say about the rubber strap is that it takes a bit of getting used to. The holes are punched at an angle, so you have to already have the latch pin at an angle when you go to tighten it, it's a bit tough to explain but it's a minor annoyance.

I ordered the blue face, and was a little disappointed as to how "blue" it is. It's almost black. I mean, you CAN tell it's blue under direct, bright lighting, but under normal conditions you think it is black. Pictures attached.

Overall, I really like this watch for a utilitarian watch with good movement and a little flair over an ultra-utilitarian digital watches like the military uses. I would definitely buy it again at the pre-order price, but probably not MSRP. But I wear this every day, and it is about +4 seconds over a 24-hour period, which is well within spec for a COSC watch.


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## Bwinter714

qa_ii said:


> (There's still a spec or two of adhesive from the decals stuck to the case
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ) 43mm :
> 
> View attachment 13031373
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> View attachment 13031381
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> View attachment 13031413
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> View attachment 13031415


Ok, that answers my question, I guess the # isn't unique. But, your "chronometer" identifier is blue cursive like my GMT is (well actually red but same font), while mine is white machine font. What could the difference be? I ordered from the preorder email within a day of receiving it because I was looking for a watch exactly like this for work. Im out of the area at the moment, so I don't have access to the paperwork it came with. This has piqued my curiosity.


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## Bwinter714

Bwinter714 said:


> Ok, that answers my question, I guess the # isn't unique. But, your "chronometer" identifier is blue cursive like my GMT is (well actually red but same font), while mine is white machine font. What could the difference be? I ordered from the preorder email within a day of receiving it because I was looking for a watch exactly like this for work. Im out of the area at the moment, so I don't have access to the paperwork it came with. This has piqued my curiosity.


Sorry, pics were a little tough to see on my phone, just realized the Chronometer marking is in the same typeface between ours, but yours is blue while mine is white, and we both have #2/1000, curious to know what the difference is.


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## Bwinter714

Ok, I think I've figured it out, sorry for being such a newbie. You have the black dial, and that seems to come with a blue "Chronometer" label, while I have the "blue" dial and it comes with the white label. From your pic the black dial color looks very similar to the "blue", which was adding to my confusion. So, it would make sense that different dial colors could have the same # because it was a different production run technically. I wish my dial the same color as your lettering, but oh well. I still love the watch! 

Brian


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## King_Neptune

Sounds like you've figured it out.|> When they don't specify, one never knows exactly what a limited series of 1000 means. Is it 1000 for all, for each color, does the type of strap, leather or rubber, have anything to do with it etc., etc.


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## surfuz

The limited number is not as exclusive as it sound.

The strap and dial color combination is a factor. Geographical market plays a part too. For different markets, the exact same watch with same dial color n strap may also be sold with a slightly different model number, but same set of 'limited edition' numbers.

Which means you may find another legitimate #1 of the watch that looks exactly the same.

I know coz I own the HK version a certain number for the AeroGMT II. And when the US version came out, I managed to get the same number of the same design to the shopping cart. But didn't proceed with the US order. 

So let it be written. So let it be done.


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## letz_go

Did anyone preorder the black case watch and want to sell it? I've been wanting one for a while and they're so hard to come by!


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## timefleas

letz_go said:


> Did anyone preorder the black case watch and want to sell it? I've been wanting one for a while and they're so hard to come by!


Put a note up in the "Want to Buy" section of the Sales Forum, certainly not appropriate here.


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## letz_go

Sorry about that! Noob over here.


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