Mk II Watches

Mk II was founded in 2002 by Bill Yao, a Wharton MBA graduate who left a career in investment banking to pursue his passion for watchmaking. Yao began with Seiko watch modifications before transitioning to creating complete custom watches. The brand gained significant recognition with the Kingston, an homage to the Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538 'James Bond' watch. Despite delivery delays caused by the 2008 financial crisis, the Kingston took five years to complete and established Mk II's reputation for uncompromising quality. The watch became so sought-after that it commanded 2-3x its original retail price on the secondary market. Today, Mk II operates two product lines: Benchcrafted special editions personally assembled by Yao, and Ready to Wear watches that are rigorously quality-controlled by him.