Ball have sent us info on a speciall 330-piece production run of the Pathbreaker, Rene Dreyfus edition.

Produced to salute a racing driver from the early days of road racing, the Dreyfus has the Ball foldover springlock on the winding crown, luminous tubes on the dial markers and hands, plus a steel tachymetre bezel, which we reckon gives this watch a real industrial, tool watch feel. Two dial colour choices, blue or black, with white sub-second dials, 42mm case size, but don’t forget that beefy screwdown crown cover on top.

Priced at just over £1500, with a July discount code, the Ball features an adapted – OK tuned up – ETA 2836 movement that is COSC standard as regards timekeeping. Heavy duty buckle and steel bracelet is also part of the package.

The lume is provided by tritium tubes, with the 12 o’clock number getting special treatment so it really stands out in the dark. There are 15 tiny gas tubes on the dial, plus two extra yellow gas tubes for the 12 numeral. If this super bright luminous vibe is your thing then the Ball Pathbreaker, Rene Dreyfus edition offers proven Swiss reliability, with super tough build quality and well finished components too – the buckle clasp on the bracelet is like a Bailey Bridge section!

Verdict; you have to really want the tritium tube lume to pay the price premium for the Ball Pathbreaker. There are other ETA powered watches out there with COSC certification, for about £500 less, plus a swathe of chunky cased dive watches from Indie brands that compete well on rugged looks and decent depth rating, again for under £1000.

More info here.