Today, Jeff asked for a watch that has the following criteria:

Which one do you wear around the house, to work on the car, or to work in the yard?
Which one would you wear, when it might get a knock or a brush against the (metal) door post?
Which one goes on your wrist in the morning, when you're in a rush and don't even want to think about it?
Which do you think of as you "go to" watch, when you just want a good, reliable, no-nonsense watch?

That's a no-brainer for me. I work with heavy trucks/equipment and on any given day I can bang my wrist on something that weighs 20 tons+ and is made of very solid stuff. Consequently, I don't have the ideal work environment for a vintage/rare/valuable watch.

So, here's my daily beater. It's a Ball Fireman Ionosphere. Most people are not familiar with Ball Watch Co. and the original company has a fairly rich history, including the mandate to develop a reliable and accurate timing system for the entire North American railroad system. Contrary to what Ball fans will tell you, the "new" Ball Watch Co really has nothing to do with the old company, but they make a decent watch regardless.

This particular model is in a chunky 43mm x 15 mm stainless case. It is a day/date chronograph with a Valjoux 7750 thumping/banging/humming away inside. The dial is matte black and the needles are polished stainless. The watch has a very nice stepped/shouldered bezel; the inside of which is almost 4mm thick and provides a great reflective surface for the tritium gas tubes. The gas tubes are actually the reason I bought the watch. They glow for 20-25 years and don't require charging like an applied luminous paint. In a pitch black room, the dial appears to be floating and it's really spectacular to watch the needles if you have the chrono running. But I digress...

It's big, solid Swiss watch. It's accurate and readable in any lighting condition. There is very decent fit/finish and attention to detail. It comes with a bracelet that is waayyy nicer than the price of the watch would indicate and I currently have it a black Di-Modell strap. It's sporty, water resistant and I don't care if I get it dirty or wet, scratched or dented.