Ball Watch Fireman Glory Automatic Date Black Dial Red Second Hand NM2188C-S3-BK

This watch is for the discerning watch lover. So much excellent work in one product!My husband is over the moon with joy. It was a gift of love for him.

That's right, as the official timekeepers of the US railroads, the phrase was born when a train arrived at its destination on time....or "on the BALL"First off, I did not purchase this watch thru Amazon, but another online retailer. I'm also not reviewing this watch as compared to a watch that is 10 or 20x the price either, so please no comments about how your $25k Patek is better.As a railroading fan, I've always known the name "Ball" from their rich history in the industry and subsequently always wanted one of their time pieces for myself. The brand is an excellent choice as an entry point into the luxury watch market.This particular watch is my first purchase of this brand and it comes in at one of the lower priced pieces of the BALL lineup. Its solidly built with one of their most reliable, minimally complicated movements powering the timepiece. Its a mechanical automatic watch which basically means it winds itself when you're wearing it. The material construction for the housing and bracelet, while containing no precious or exotic metals, is top notch stainless steel and is surprisingly heavier than it looks. The sapphire crystal covering the black unassuming face, is smooth, flawless and has a beautiful blue hue when viewed at the right angle.Some find the date location a bit weird as its not in the usual position at the 3 o'clock marker but falls between the four and five markers. I'm not one of them, in fact the blatantly different location is one of the visual features I like best about this watch. With the date at the three position it either shares the space with the hour marker or the date window IS the hour marker. That throws off they symmetry of the watch faces hour markers for me.All the hour markers are tritium gas tubes which constantly emit light (although its not noticeable in daylight) and with the date in its unusual location, keep all the hour markers the same size. In low light, the hour markers and the three hands glow with the twelve o'clock marker being green vs the other eleven markers being red. This is a nice feature for a reference point at night. The handset tubes glow with a yellowish color.Another one of my favorite features of this watch is actually a part of it you can't see while wearing it....its the back plate where the movement is accessed. On the back is a cover that is not engraved in the traditional sense, but is burned with an image of a streamliner locomotive under steam with the company's founders name across the front of the engine. While there are the usual particulars...model, serial number etc, the center image is what sets this area apart from other makes.The Fireman Glory is actually a style that can be worn anywhere at anytime. With the included bracelet, it works for every day casual, and dress down days at work. If you need to go formal, simply swap out the bracelet for a black (or color that matches your shoes and belt) leather/alligator band and you have the near perfect dress watch...plane face, simple hour markers, smooth bezel, minimal complications and at under 40mm in actual diameter , its right in the sweet spot for a dress watch with a profile that slips easily under your shirt cuff. But the housing/band pairing that gets the most comments is a band that has stitching which matches the second hand. This watch model comes with numerous color options for the second hand, I got the red hand so a black band with red stitching is a real eye catcher, almost like pinstriping on a hot rod...not to overwhelming, but noticeable.If you're not a watch fanatic but always wanted a mechanical time piece, can appreciate quality while marveling at the intricacies of a mechanical watch while not breaking the bank, then the Fireman Glory should suit you perfectly.