In the shadowy depths of World War II's Pacific battles, a group of brave men plunged into enemy waters without the fancy gear we take for granted today. These early combat divers, the forerunners of today's elite Navy SEALs, relied on simple, rugged watches to time their risky missions. Fast-forward to now, and a small American watchmaker is bringing that gritty history back to life with a new timepiece that honors those heroes while helping find the ones still missing.
Mk II, a brand started by watch expert Bill Yao back in 2002, has built a solid name for itself among guys who appreciate no-nonsense military-style watches. As one of the first microbrands, it focuses on recreating forgotten classics from the 1900s without breaking the bank. Their pieces often sell out quick, thanks to Yao's obsession with getting every detail right. This latest release teams up with Project Recover, a nonprofit group on a mission to track down American service members lost in wars from WWII onward.
Image credit: Mk II
The story that sparked this watch hits hard—it's about three guys from Underwater Demolition Team 10, or UDT-10, who vanished during a secret op in 1944. Robert A. Black, Jr., John MacMahon, and Howard "Red" Roeder hopped off the submarine USS Burrfish near the Yap Islands, part of a covert job to scout enemy shores. They never made it back, and their final resting spots remain a mystery. Project Recover is all in on finding them, aiming to give their families some long-overdue peace. With each sale of this new watch, Mk II kicks in a donation straight to the cause, turning a wristwatch into a tool for closure.
Back in the '40s, these frogmen didn't have the sleek dive watches we see now—those didn't show up until the 1950s with models like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms or Rolex Submariner. Instead, they strapped on basic tool watches that could handle water and rough treatment. Think of the "Canteen Watch" with its big crown lock to keep out the sea, or the A-11 field watch, nicknamed "the watch that won the war" for its reliability in the trenches. Mk II's Cruxible Hellion series draws straight from those designs, but this special Project Recover Baku Edition dials up the combat diver vibe even more.
Image credit: Mk II
The name "Baku" packs a punch on two fronts. It's short for the Japanese term "bakuhatai," which means "demolitionists"—that's what the enemy called the captured UDT-10 team in a radio message that got picked up. But it also nods to a Japanese myth about a creature that devours nightmares and wards off evil, a fitting symbol for the missing men and the work Project Recover does to chase away those lingering shadows.
This watch keeps the Hellion's solid build: a 39mm stainless steel case that's 13.55mm thick and stretches 48.5mm from lug to lug. It's got a beefed-up midcase for extra toughness, drilled scroll lugs for easy strap swaps, and a hefty screw-down crown inspired by that old Canteen Watch cap. Unlike the shiny polished finish on the regular Hellion, this one goes all-brushed for a stealthy look that blends in better—perfect for imagining those nighttime raids.
Flip to the dial, and you'll notice tweaks that make it pop in low light, just like those divers needed back then. The lume plots are bigger, and now the Arabic numerals glow too, all coated in high-grade Arclite SuperLumiNova that shines bright green. It's a step up from the BGW9 stuff on the standard model. Down at 6 o'clock, right above the 100m water resistance mark, they've added "Project Recover" in a style that echoes how brands co-branded watches in the 1940s.
The hands got an upgrade as well—thicker syringe-style ones loaded with lume for quick reads in the dark. They're painted in gray, black, and white to mimic the camouflage schemes on WWII subs like the Burrfish, helping them stay hidden on the surface. Even the seconds hand joins in, with a luminous tip and a counterweight shaped like Project Recover's uneven triangle logo.
Under the hood, it's powered by a Seiko NH38 automatic movement, made in Japan but fine-tuned right here in the U.S. by Mk II. No date window to clutter things up, keeping it clean and focused. The back of the case is sealed tight with a screw-down cover, stamped and etched with nods to the UDT-10 story. That design pulls directly from the casebacks on Canteen Watches given to UDT-5 members during the war—real history etched in metal.
Image credit: Mk II
This isn't some fragile collector's item; Mk II builds these for actual use. Wear it hard, like those UDT guys did in the Pacific—splashing through waves, timing demolitions, whatever the job called for. And the price? Just $649, which feels like a steal for the quality. Out of that, $80 goes right to Project Recover. It comes ready to go on an olive Haveston M-1944C canvas strap with brushed hardware, plus extras like a travel case, a patch from the Baku mission, and a zine that dives deep into the missing men's tale, the roots of combat diving, and how Underwater Demolition Teams paved the way for modern special ops.
Stories like this remind us of the quiet sacrifices that shaped the world we know. These watches aren't just about telling time; they're a link to the past, a way to honor the fallen, and a push to keep searching for answers. For anyone who values that kind of grit and history, the Hellion Project Recover Baku Edition stands out as a practical piece with real heart.
