The updated Trainmaster model is a new chronometer certified edition featuring an improved design and a more advanced world time module.

Railroads and timekeeping have an intimate history. Before time was standardized and the planet was divided into the 24 time zones we’re familiar with today, each city kept its own time. That meant people usually had to adjust their timepieces – if they had personal ones to begin with – when entering a new town.

The Ball Watch Company’s history is also connected with this narrative, and that’s why some of its most successful collections have been been inspired by the railroad theme.

The Trainmaster collection is one of those, and here we have an updated version in the form of the Trainmaster Worldtime. This version is actually the descendant of a model that came out in 2010, which was the first by the brand to integrate a day/date and world time complication in one movement.

This latest edition of the Trainmaster Worldtime features enhanced technology and a slightly redesigned look, all done in-house.

The well-sized 41mm stainless steel case is powered by the Swiss-made automatic Ball RR1501-C movement, that drives the hours, minutes, sweep seconds, day and date indications, as well as the world time functions. The movement is also chronometer certified - meaning it’s more accurate than previous models - and it can also be appreciated through a sapphire crystal case back.

Thanks to the impressive movement, a 24-hour disk rotates automatically in the opposite direction as the hands to indicate the time in 24 different geographic zones all around the world, simultaneously. The disk appears white for the daytime hours and blue or black for the nighttime hours, depending on the dial choice.

Speaking of the dial, the watch comes in two very clean options, one in black and one in silver. Both look great, especially when paired with either the stainless steel bracelet or the crocodile leather strap. The dials provide a great background to contrast the superposition of the disks that indicate the world time.

You might also be familiar with Ball watches because of their night time performance. The brand has made extensive use of special gas tubes for illumination, making their watches highly readable even in the darkest conditions.

The new Worldmaster is no different, which reliez on H₃ micro gas tubes. The resulting illumination can last up to 25 years without requiring a recharge from any external light or energy source. More importantly, the luminosity is apparently 100 times brighter than other luminescence techniques commonly used in watchmaking.

Day or night, the new Ball Trainmaster Worldtime is a solid choice in either black or silver. The watch offers excellent readability for a world time model, and the fact that it’s chronometer certified speaks for itself. It can be had in the $3,000 range, which is even more appealing.