Mk II Watches is an American microbrand founded by Bill Yao, dedicated to creating meticulously crafted vintage-inspired tool watches. The brand is known for producing high-quality homage pieces that pay respectful tribute to iconic military and dive watch designs while establishing their own identity through careful modern interpretation.
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.
PRICE SEGMENT
Mid RangeMOVEMENT TYPES
MANUFACTURING
AssemblerHEADQUARTERS
United States