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Fireman Nightrain now available in Singapore!

4K views 50 replies 17 participants last post by  icemangrafx 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Fireman Nightrain now available everywhere!

Folks,

The nightrain is now officially available in Singapore in limited quantities ahead of what seems to be the US release. There is a Ball exhibition/promotion at the atrium in VivoCity showcasing and retailing the Nightrain and the new LE Diver!

Had the Nightrain on my wrist on and off many times last evening...finally chose a Fireman Ionosphere instead. Yay! Now I'm officially a part of the Ball club!.

I picked up the Ionosphere on a calfskin strap - just couldn't let it go. Why did I decide on the Ionospehere when I could have been one of the first to show off the Nightrain?

- The Ionospehere Chronograph to me is a lot more watch than the Nightrain for a fraction more money (discounts are not at parity since the Nightrain is new and 'hot')
- Although, the lume on the nightrain is a killer, the DLC didn't go down too well with me. YMMV, based on your skin tone and personal preference :). I guess my next Ball watch will be a Nightrain in SS, when they do launch it.
- The Ionosphere just SPOKE to me...its classy and sporty at the same time...will kinda pass off as a dress watch as well.

That said, am extremely excited about my new toy. Will certainly post pictures over the weekend.

Cheeeeeers!!
 
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#2 ·
It is now out in the States as well, albeit in extremely limited quantities. We expect to meet initial global demand by mid-October.

Congrats on your new Ionosphere!

Regards,
Jeremy Hogan
Ball Watch Company
 
#3 ·
Thanks Jeremy!

And did I forget to mention that the gorgeous Ball swiss knife (Jeremy, is it really Swiss made, or from somewhere closer to where we're at, in Asia?) on offer if you pay with a Citibank CC. I obviously did, and am the proud owner of yet another addition to my already large Swiss knife collection...made in Switzerland, or otherwise :)

Go for it while it lasts folks!
 
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#6 ·
Yeah, couldn't bear the suspense any longer :) Warning signals of this being an serious addiction - this is my 2nd good mechanical watch in 3 months. I'm not even upgrading my Canon 30D DSLR upto the recently launched 40D - and am already planning my next wrist hog! :)
 
#4 ·
The Ionosphere just SPOKE to me.
Hi GhoulOfTheEast,

Congrats on getting your new Ionosphere! :-!

The same thing happened to me when I went to my local Ball AD for the very first time. I went, thinking that, if I was going to end up buying a new Ball watch, it was going to be a Hydrocarbon...probably a Classic II.

The first Ball to catch my eye, when I first scanned the showcase, was the Engineer Master II Classic. I tried it on...loved it...but dismissed it...because it wasn't a Hydrocarbon. I proceeded to try on the various HC models, and they all looked great on...but my eyes kept goin' back to that EMII Classic. I then tried to neutralize that by trying on a Skylab LE, as well as a Conductor Arabic LE...again, both very nice...but that EMII Classic kept staring at me! So I tried it on again...and loved it even more this time...and was hooked.

I honestly believe that the EMII Classic struck a chord in my soul...it spoke to me...just as your Ionosphere spoke to you.... ;-)

I hope that you'll post pics when you have a chance. :-!
 
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#9 ·
Hey GhoulOfTheEast, congrats on your new watch!!! Glad you went with the one that 'spoke' to you, it's a very important thing! :-!

Can't wait to see your pics of your new watch!! Did you manage to take other pictures of the exhibition as well?? :)
 
#16 ·
Hey GhoulOfTheEast, congrats on your new watch!!! Glad you went with the one that 'spoke' to you, it's a very important thing! :-!

Can't wait to see your pics of your new watch!! Did you manage to take other pictures of the exhibition as well?? :)
Will post pictures tomorrow....Unfortunately no pictures of the exhibition - not much of an exhibition really...just a largish promo stall setup in the middle of Singapore's largest and newest mall which is quite away from what I call Singapore's Mall district (Orchard Road has the largest collection of Mall's along one stretch of a road that I have seen - most malls have same/similar stores...at least about 50-60% are standard features of most malls - there are a couple of really uptown ones which are more exclusive).

Nevertheless, will post photo's of the watch and the freebie knife I got along with it, tomorrow. Gotta get that lazy 30D (well, guess its me who's lazy, really) out of the de-hum cabinet, and give it a workout...been a while.

Cheers!
 
#10 ·
Hi G.O.T.E.,

I know hopw you feel. I have the WorldTimer and the Ionosphere. Everytime I wear the WT I miss the Chrono. When I wear the chrono, I don't even think of the WT. There's just something about it. I think it's the perfect proportions... (more on this later)

So, which color combo did you get? Black / white subdials, white / grey subdials or all white?
 
#12 ·
Hi G.O.T.E.,

I know hopw you feel. I have the WorldTimer and the Ionosphere. Everytime I wear the WT I miss the Chrono. When I wear the chrono, I don't even think of the WT. There's just something about it. I think it's the perfect proportions... (more on this later)

So, which color combo did you get? Black / white subdials, white / grey subdials or all white?
I know hopw you feel. I have the WorldTimer and the Ionosphere. Everytime I wear the WT I miss the Chrono. When I wear the chrono, I don't even think of the WT. There's just something about it. I think it's the perfect proportions... (more on this later)

So, which color combo did you get? Black / white subdials, white / grey subdials or all white?[/quote]

Marc (T2W?), that's a nice acronym for my nick...Thank goodness it doesn't spell like GOAT...although it sounds like it...baaaaaahhhhaaahhhh...ooops ;)

I went for the Black dial with silver subdials (not quite white) along with the brown calfskin strap with white stitch. Funny thing is that although this strap is quite plaid, it goes very well with the watch complementing the sophesticated feel, unlike the slightly 'fancier' strap of the NT with its orange/red stitch which doesn't really do much for the NT, in my opinion.

Agree with you on the proportions...it looks and feels great...has a chronograph, day and date...and seems that it has the same movement as that of Tag Carerra's which are about twice the price. I'm not such a fan of Tag's to be honest, but its feels like a good deal!

Great to know you have the Ionosphere - I haven't heard many people talk about it on the forum's. Good to know we share similar taste in our wrist pieces - although I'm sure your collection is more enviable...what does your current stable look like?

Cheerio!
 
#13 ·
I guess I caved-in at the anticipation. I'm not too thrilled about the plain calfskin strap, most likely affected by the choice of stitch colour. (Why not red/orange to match the "60"?)

But I went ahead and deposited on the first arrival with a Rubber strap (hopefully) available on it's own at a later time. Coming in from the past few years of going through dozens of Panerai strap combinations, I think this is what turns most of the Buyers' off?

Knowing that there are now hundreds of material and stitch combos (Kevlar, Carbon fibre, Rubber, and all the animals textures) that could have been chosen specifically for this particular model to "complete" the overall package, imo.

I think today's mission for me, is to head to several watch strap sites and get me something to replace the calf strap until the Rubber one is available through my AD. I really don't intend to wear it with such a plain looking strap.

Others thoughts?

Cheers!
Amigo, the version of the NT I saw actually had a orange/red stitch detail...something that didn't really agree with the watch, in my humble opinion.
 
#17 ·
Actually, you would be surprised. I am more of a watch flipper than collector. I get a watch, enjoy it, then trade it. I only have 2-3 watches in my collection at one time. Right now, my focus is on Ball watches and it is the 1st time I have ever focused on 1 brand... I relly like them that much!

Enjoy the Ionosphere!
 
#19 · (Edited)
Thanks for the update!

It's really going to be interesting when some of us, put in the initial and 3 month review of the Night Train.

Prototype pics are really what sold me - I wonder how disapointed I will be considering I sold my Rolex already.

Anyone in Singapore available to take "production model" pics?

It appears that US isn't going to get them in until next week sometime.

Thanks!
 
#20 ·
the night trains are in. They are in customs at the airport, a mere 15 minute drive. We expect them to be released from customs tomorrow on Monday. We WILL SHIP overnite the day we get them to AD's.

Remember, we only have 100 of them coming in in this initial shipment. not even one per AD. It was first come first served, so some AD's will get three to four each.

Trust me. It is a terrific watch. Especially for the money.

Fear not. We have another 200 coming in mid October which will fulfill all orders.

Good luck!
 
#21 ·
OK.....but when will you have the rubber straps for the ADs to put on my watch? A watch with no strap is not worth picking up if its a 140 mile drive round trip to my nearest AD--guess I'll have to wait until they can give me a complete watch?? I'm confused. :-s
 
#22 ·
a bit surprised at the lukewarm reception to the Night Train by the three who had it on wrist, and I assume all three were gunghoo to buy. It strikes me as a bit of a manic-depressive (bipolar in new parlance). Alive in the dark, stealth or a bit bland by day, although I love the lay-out of the dial, especially the UTC strip beween 10,11. Probably nothing a good strap change won't fix. What a difference the right strap makes! It'll be interesting to hear more lived-in reports on it.

Sean
 
#24 ·
Hey Singaporeans!

How have you liked the exhibition so far? Does anyone have pictures or details to tell?

I'm helping out in Hong Kong for an exhibition next week for China's Golden Week holidays. I'll try to post some photos on here for your enjoyment!

Cheers,
Jeremy Hogan
Ball Watch Company
 
#25 · (Edited)
Hey Singaporeans!

How have you liked the exhibition so far? Does anyone have pictures or details to tell?

I'm helping out in Hong Kong for an exhibition next week for China's Golden Week holidays. I'll try to post some photos on here for your enjoyment!

Cheers,
Jeremy Hogan
Ball Watch Company
Jeremy, I quite enjoyed my shopping experience at the exhibition. I think this is a great start and am looking forward to some more around these parts.

Some comments on how it might work better, from my perspective.

- Like other folks from Singapore who reported on the forum, I resonate the feeling that it was a trifle low key. Not too many people works better for me. By taking it up a notch, I don't mean the typical loud and tasteless promo's that is usually seen in many malls in Singapore (MC's in training yelling on the microphone JUST wouldn't go with the image of Ball Watch, neither would getting a crowd together which doesn't match the profile of target customers). Make it a little more interactive - some closed room / private sessions on the rich history of Ball Watch, for instance, would amplify the feel of the exhibition. The recent Tempus show was fabulous (why didn't I see Ball there?)...although it was at a much larger scale showcasing many high-end brands (and thus had better resources for seminars/talks as well as bigger budgets, etc).

- The display was nice, but I think there could have been some more dark UV displays to highlight the tritium. Or since this was supposed to be an exhibition...maybe a walkthough DARK room that had all models on display...going onto a lit up walkthrough with the watches in the same position as in the dark room so its easy to compare day/night views. At the very least, displays organized by product family (eg. all the Hydrocarbons together, all the Firemen together, and so on). Have plenty more ideas on these lines ;) Hell, I'd be happy to design diplay cases for these exhibitions!

- Better discounts over in-store purchases would help. So would more freebies and goodies! I mean, something to set the purchase experience apart from buying from a store.

- On a lighter note, pit girls / show girls (errrr...railroad shed girls don't quite sound so appealing, do they?) in short skirts always help...haha.

Sorry if I got carried away there...marketing blood can't be curtailed too long ;)
 
#28 ·
Went to Vivo today and saw the nighttrain in action in the UV glass cabinets. Wow, looks great at night!! But still decided not to get it as it dint really catch my attention when the lights are on.

Anyway, just for those that are interested in this watch, apparently we have about 4 pieces left at the exhibition as seems like most bought the Hydrocarbons and not the Fireman series. So if anyone is interested, feel free to get someone to buy and ship them over to u guys :)

cheers!
 
#31 ·
hey guys,

any idea when is the last day of the Ball promo?

might wanna drop by today ;p

thanks
It's on till today (Sunday). I might pop by for another peek at them beauties. So far away in HarborFront though...uhhhh...
 
#41 ·
I'm fairly certain I'm not going to have any regrets :D . Got the strap ordered, that I found above and I kind of like the idea of it being similar to a Q-Ship car. Plain, ordinary, not flashy in daylight, but another story when the light's are off! It will probably be one of those type of pieces where "In-the-know watch people, just know".
 
#45 ·
Don't know about the US...but it's up for grabs a few Singapore AD's. I got a call from another dealer today, who I had enquired from a couple of weeks ago (and left my number for info), saying it's available tomorrow. I saw it in the display window of another while I was downtown last evening.

Look forward to the impressions of you folks in the US who get your hands onto your pre-ordered pieces, and those lucky enough to be able to buy across the counter...as owners.

Any Singapore folks who've taken the plunge?

Cheers!
 
#46 ·
We shipped about half of the small alottment today to a few AD's in the USA. the rest will go out tomorrow.

The Swiss designers once again hit a home run. I am so very proud to be a part of this. The historical aspect is overwhelming enough, but the continuance of WebbC. Balls vision by my Swiss Partners is an honor to be associated with.

This watch will appeal to most. It already is bona fide hit. Some may not like it of course. But for this is about perfect. I normally wear a HUGE LMT Ed. Chrono Conductor or my 18k gold Heritage. But for everyday wear I wear a 43 mm fireman on strap.

My 43 mm fireman will have to take a back seat to my Night Train as my everyday watch.

Never mind that this watch looks like a million dollars during the day. The night time lok is perfect for me. I feared it would be too bright with the T SWISS (over 25 ml and under 100 Millicurie ) rating. But instead it is a VERY easy to read and TOO bright dial with EVERY SINGLE minute having a gas tube. They split the 100 millicuries between 63 gas tubes so there is on for each minute! Perfect.

Of course, I am prejudiced but what the heck.

Good luck and I hope you get one of the first ones.

Jeff
 
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