BALL Watch Company has a new addition to its Explorers Club. The brand has announced elite freediver, scientific diver and explorer Gilles Gambini as its newest ambassador.

And considering what Gambini does for a living, the watch chosen for the partnership makes quite a bit of sense.

Gambini grew up in Nice between the Mediterranean and the Mercantour mountains before moving into marine biology, professional diving, scientific exploration and competitive freediving. His work has taken him from the Mediterranean to Arctic waters, including dives beyond 130 meters. He has also been involved in scientific projects outside the ocean, including the European Space Agency’s VIVALDI III study, which looked at human physiology and performance under simulated microgravity conditions.

On the competitive side, Gambini specializes in constant-weight freediving. He has podium finishes and victories at French and international competitions, while also representing the French Freediving Team at the World Championships. His current personal records stand at 95 meters with fins and 62 meters without fins.

His next challenge is already on the horizon, with the World Apnea Depth Championships taking place in Limassol Bay, Cyprus, from September 27 to October 10, 2026.

The Engineer M Skindiver

For this partnership, he is wearing the BALL Engineer M Skindiver III, and this is definitely not one of those divers that only looks the part.

The 41.5mm stainless steel case is 13.8mm thick and rated to 300 meters. It gets a 5mm domed sapphire crystal, a screwed-in crown and, perhaps most importantly for a watch intended to spend time in very dark places, a sapphire bezel packed with BALL’s H₃ micro gas tubes.

There are 40 self-powered H₃ gas tubes in total, spread across the hands, dial and bezel. They provide constant illumination without needing an external power source. The combination of green and yellow tubes also gives the watch that unmistakable BALL look.

Inside is the BALL RRM7309-C automatic manufacture movement. It is COSC-certified, runs at 28,800 vph and offers an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The Skindiver III is also rated to withstand shocks of up to 5,000Gs and is anti-magnetic to 4,800 A/m.

And then there is the sapphire bezel. I have always thought BALL does something interesting with its use of micro gas tubes, but putting them into the bezel as well makes particular sense here. When you’re several hundred feet underwater, being able to read the bezel in the dark is a little more useful than just looking cool in an Instagram shot.

The partnership isn’t just about Gambini wearing the watch, either. BALL says he will also be involved in the development of future timepieces, bringing his experience from deep diving and extreme underwater environments into the process.

That could be the more interesting part of this collaboration.

So while the Engineer M Skindiver III already has some serious specifications on paper, it will be interesting to see how a watch like this performs when it is actually being put through its paces by someone who spends his time at depths most of us will never see.

Would I rock it?

Definitely. 41.5mm is right in my wheelhouse, and the overall proportions look like they would work really well on my 17cm wrist. The 300m water resistance, sapphire bezel and, of course, all those little glowing H₃ tubes give it plenty of character without going overboard.

I also really like the fact that this is a proper tool watch rather than just a dive watch designed to look the part. There is a lot going on here, but most of it has a purpose. The one thing I’m not completely sold on is the magnified date window. I’ve never been a huge fan of cyclops-style date magnifiers, and I think the dial would look cleaner without it. But that’s also just a personal preference.

Still, that’s a relatively small complaint on a watch that gets a lot right. The Skindiver III has that unmistakable BALL personality, some seriously impressive specifications and a design that should look just as interesting in the dark as it does in daylight. And with Gilles Gambini actually putting it to use in some pretty extreme environments, this is one partnership I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on.

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Specifications:

• Case: 41.5mm stainless steel, 13.8mm thick
• Crystal: 5mm domed anti-reflective sapphire
• Bezel: Unidirectional rotating sapphire bezel with H₃ micro gas tubes
• Movement: BALL RRM7309-C automatic manufacture caliber
• Shock resistance: 5,000Gs
• Anti-magnetic: 4,800 A/m
• Bracelet: Stainless steel with folding buckle
• Price: 3200 CHF

Link to the watch:

https://www.ballwatch.com/en/emskindiveriii