The Blackbird SR-71 is one of the huge leaps in engineering that blows your mind. In the early part of the jet age, it was impressive that an English Electric Lightning could hit Mach 2 in the mid-50s. But just a decade later the Americans were building a project that could crack 2000mph – basically outrun, or catch up to, an intercontinental missile.

To celebrate that engineering and the bravery of the test pilots Ball Watch is putting a new Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT on pre-order at £2770. It has the multi-lume dial that you expect from Ball, plus GMT hand, 100m water resistance and a very cool SR-71 logo at the 6pm position.

Inside there is a Ball in-house, COSC level movement, so you are buying a quality Swiss product.

I’m going out on a limb with a controversial take on this one; the Ball watches in general are better value watches than most of the Bremont Pilo/Chronometer range, as they do the same job – with more lume – for about 2 grand less. The only thing I don’t like about Ball watches is the name, as Ball is just too basic somehow – illogical I know, but there you go.

More her at Ball’s website.