When the folks at Watches Shop contacted us about reviewing the Ballistic Extreme BWE106, we were pretty pumped—especially after seeing this video:
Oh yeah!
So, I was definitely expecting a rugged watch here. And, from what I could tell after checking out the entire Ballistic lineup, they make an classic, elegant looking watch to boot. After spending some wrist-on time with the Ballistic, I can say that it delivers on both counts.
First off, let’s talk features. The band and casing are both made from stainless steel, the face is under shatterproof polycarbonate crystal, it’s waterproof up to 100m, movement is quartz and it comes with a chronograph and date display.
The first thing you notice is the sturdy, heavy design. Probably not the kind of thing you want to wear holding up signs on a picket line or something, but, despite being so rugged, it has a surprisingly elegant look.
I don’t like a lot of bells and whistles when it comes to watches, and the simple display suits me nicely. The three small dials include a chronograph minute hand, a second hand and a 24-hour hand. Naturally, the quartz movement was extremely accurate. Although, the glowing hands wasn’t of much use in the dark, unless you get up really close.
So the Ballistic Extreme is functional and it looks great, but the real claim to fame is durability. Polycarb crystal is often referred to as “bulletproof” or at least “bullet-resistant” glass, and although I don’t think you will be deflecting bullets with this watch like Wonder Woman with her bracelets, it could probably take a shot from air rifle or something at a distance.
I do know this though, the Ballistic is going to hold up to normal wear and tear like no other. I even went so far as to scratch a knife along the face and bring a hammer down on it like in the video (although I admit that I wussed out on that hammer thing a bit. I mean, it’s a nice watch) with no noticeable damage.
All-in-all, I was impressed with the look, functionality and the durability of the Ballistic. It runs £139 or around $200, which seems like a bargain—especially when compared to the thousands you might pay for a luxury watch with a similar look.
Product Page (£139 or $200)
