The “canteen watch” was one of the most fascinating (and probably, least-known) military watch designs of WWII. Meant specifically for use by naval divers, the timepiece was American-made and featured an oversize crown protection device attached to the watch case via a small chain, meant to protect the watch from water ingress.
Philadelphia-based boutique watch brand Mk II has now breathed new life into the design in the form of the Hellion, an updated, modern take on the original canteen watch, minus the crown protection device. A variant of the Mk II Cruxible, which itself is based on the WWII-era A-11 watch, the Hellion features a mirror-finished 39mm stainless steel case water-resistant to 100m, a double-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and a Seiko NE15 automatic movement, which has been timed in 3 positions.
An oversized crown references that of the original canteen watch (though on the original watch, this was actually the crown protection device, and not the crown itself), while a matte black dial with white Arabic numerals, circular hour indices and syringe hands closely mirrors the first canteen watches. Bright Super-LumiNova BGW9 lights up the dial for easy reading in the dark.
The Hellion is available in both no-date and date versions with a wide choice of straps — a Haveston M-1944C canvas strap, a rubber strap or a Crown & Buckle Premium UK MOD strap (black) — for $649.
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