Design Concept
In 1944, the Hellion was the name of one of many experimental weapons systems designed to clear beaches at arm's length ahead of the amphibious landings. In the end, the weapons systems proved ineffective, but the name Hellion came to describe the spirit of the pilots who flew missions over the Pacific and the people that built the foundation of the UDT/SEALs. Pilots such as John Glenn of the VMF-218 “Hellions”. The kind of people who threw themselves at a heavily defended beach dressed as if on a snorkeling holiday with the subtle addition of towing 40 lbs of explosives. The kind of person that hands a hotel manager today’s equivalent of $50,000 in back pay towards a V-J Day party for his teammates and asks only to be notified once the tab ran out; ending the party...12 days later it turns out. It’s from this tradition we drew the name for the second variant of the Mk II Cruxible, the Cruxible-Hellion. Starting with the specifications laid out by the US Navy air arm and combat swimmers, the Mk II Cruxible-Hellion would have exceeded either set of requirements. Based on the legendary canteen crown watches developed for the UDT during the war the Mk II Cruxible-Hellion is 10x more water resistant (100 meters) and features SuperLumiNova BGW9 on the hands and dial, screw down crown, and solid stainless steel (316L) 39 mm case. The Mk II Cruxible-Hellion is available in date and non-date configurations.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit.
Case Construction
Cruxible-Hellion’s construction principle is guided by the WW2 USN issued watches but completely reconsidered for performance and serviceability. The mid-case has been strengthened and redesigned to accommodate a screw down crown providing 100 meters water resistance and a modern take on the scroll lug inspired by mid-century dress watches. The oversized crown references the aesthetic of the canteen crown used on the UDT watches for its singular ability to evoke the design’s origins, history and purpose while improving it’s reliability with a simpler modern construction.
Dial & Hands
The core elements of the iconic dial have been carefully reworked to deliver a more nuanced interpretation of the war time specification and improved readability. In allusion to period USN watches the Mk II logo and depth rating are printed in gloss black on the dial to provide this information for reference only as needed. The “syringe” hands have been painstakingly restyled to make them more elegant while preserving their functional American aesthetic.
Case back
The case back is styled after the decagonal case backs indicative of the “waterproof” versions of the A-11 specification and “canteen crown” UDT watch. In a departure from the vintage design Cruxible-Hellion’s case back features a high-dome that is designed to allow the watch to sit more comfortably on the wrist.
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Luminous
The U.S. Navy specification required luminous dials and hands on their issued watches. The most iconic configuration featured the stop-light 12 o’clock luminous marker. The Hellion dial is a hybrid of several war time dial designs, optimized for simplicity to improve legibility in daylight and at night.
Press Review
"...Mk II Hellion was a bit like taking a look back in time. While it’s clear that the Hellion is a modern watch utilizing modern manufacturing, it really does look and wear like something straight out of military history."
- by Worn & Wound
