MKII, a fairly young privately owned U.S.-based brand, has recently announced that the popular Paradive diving companion will soon be available with a trendy sapphire bezel with a luminous diving scale that is supposed to greatly enhance the timekeeper’s nighttime legibility. It will complement a slightly less expensive model with an anodized aluminum bezel and will be sold as
As far as I remember, previously the model was available with acrylic inlay, but this one definitely looks sexier thanks to that unmistakably noble gloss that synthetic sapphire crystals are known for. It is also a lot less prone to scratches dealing with the problem that many owners of diving timekeepers know all too well.
However, it also shatters more readily making the wristwatch less of a diving tool and more of just a nice accessory for a person preferring a “rugged casual” kind of watch.
The rest is more or less the same.
The watch still comes in its peculiarly-shaped body, which is CNC-machined from 316L surgical-grade stainless steel. The choice of the alloy may not be particularly impressive if you compare it to the higher-quality steel used by Rolex, but, for the price, it is really good.
Given its impressive water resistance of 300 meters, the body looks compact enough for a daily beater. According to the original specs, the unidirectional 120-click bezel is just 41.25 millimeters in diameter, and the watch is only 45.50 millimeters long (lug to lug.)
Painted with Superluminova GBW9, both the dial and the bezel of the MKII Paradive Type 1B will glow for a minimum of 7 hours if fully charged under a bright source of light.
The American company says nothing about the price, but I am sure that it will be somewhere around $1500-$1700 USD.
According to the company’s website, all watches are equipped with Swiss-made ETA 2836-2 automatic calibers. Bought in bulk in the “Elabore” grade, the movements are not only branded with MKII’s logo but also feature the famous Cotes de Geneve motif on their oscillating weight, as well as nicely decorated bridges.
The only problem here may be only with the availability since the sapphire inlays have (I quote) “a high scrap rate,” which not only makes them more expensive but also slows down the process of churning out new timepieces.
Would be nice to get one of these for a more thorough hands-on review.
See also: Deep Blue CALDIVER 500 Annual Calendar, GMT, and Power Reserve!
Photos: MKII
MKII Paradive Type 1B specification
Price: $1650 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Caliber ETA 2836-2, “Elabore”-grade, adjusted in 6 positions, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 25
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Movement decoration: Oscillating weight branded, decorated with Cotes de Geneve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
Power reserve: 40 hours
Case and Crown: Stainless steel
Bezel: Sapphire inlay with luminous marks
Shape: Round
Dimensions: 41.25 mm x 49.50 mm
Case height: 15.50 mm
Lug width: 20.00
Dial: Black
Numerals: Arabic
Hour markers: Luminous
Hands: Luminous (SuperLumiNova BGW9)
Water resistance: 300 meters
Strap: Black rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet
Crystal: Sapphire, double-domed, anti-reflective coating on the inner side
Back: Solid, engraved