Have you ever heard of Ernest Shackleton? He was the man who, in 1914, called a crew of 28 men into his service to tackle an almost impossible expedition, the aim of which was to cross Antarctica from coast to coast via the South Pole. The mission aimed to cross Antarctica by land on foot using dog sleds for 2,900 km. However, once they reached the Weddel Sea, the crew was confronted with impenetrable ice barriers. The crew worked hard to break through the ice around the ship, but the low temperatures did not work in their favour. The Endurance crossed the ice, travelling an average of a thousand miles in a six-week period and only a hundred miles from its destination, on 18 January 1915, it was completely trapped. With a constant temperature of -20°C, it became impossible to free the Endurance and the crewmen were forced to camp on the pack. Knowing that no one would ever come to their rescue on that isolated heath, Shackleton decided to set sail with five men to seek help 800 miles away in South Georgia. The commander then set sail in the James Caird lifeboat with only the help of a sextant and a chronometer of uncertain accuracy, having to cross one of the world's most inhospitable seas and relying on the few appearances of the Sun. On 30 August 1916, almost two years after his departure, Shackleton managed to mount a rescue operation, enabling the rest of the crew to be recovered. Against all odds, the 28-man crew all survived, having spent 137 days on Elephant Island.
Dedicated to this feat is the watch shown here, the Ball Watch Engineer III Endurance TMT, with a 42 mm steel case (also available with black TiC treatment, i.e. a titanium carbide-based coating) water-resistant to 10 atmospheres and resistant to magnetic fields up to 4,800 A/m. The movement used, BALL calibre RR1601-C (automatic mechanical, ETA-based, COSC chronometer) is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, in a range from -40 to + 60° C, thanks to the use of special lubricating oils. Also noteworthy is the presence of the patented Amortiser anti-shock system, which protects the movement from shocks. On the dial, note the presence of the mechanical thermometer at 6 o'clock, as well as the date window in the unusual position at 1 o'clock. The same dial, available in blue, grey and black, is protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The bar indices are made luminescent by the use of self-powered H₃ micro gas tubes, guaranteeing perfect readability in all light conditions. The Engineer III Endurance TMT is offered in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, and is available with a black rubber strap or a steel bracelet.
Price: EUR 3,368.
