# What's wrong with the MKII Paradive?



## Leekster

This watch is my current obsession. I have noticed a lot of turnover in resales. 

Those that have or do own or have owned one:

What are your thoughts on:
Weight? Is it too heavy or does it feel balanced?

What about the thickness? It's thinker than almost any watch I own. Is that annoying?

How bout the ergonomics? Does the crown stick out too far? I wonder if it might be more comfortable for those who like to wear a watch on the right wrist.

Aluminum vs acrylic bezel? Seems all the resales are acrylic...

Is this a daily wear casual watch or too big and heavy?

The reviews always seem to suck up to these micros and I want some honest feedback.

Thanks


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## the.hatter

I'm a new owner of a gen 3 for less than a full day, so value my opinion appropriately lol.

This is my first MKII watch experience. The Paradive is a watch I've sort of flirted with before when it was the Blackwater, but the timing wasn't right.

I'm okay with the Paradive as an homage model. I find most Submariner homages too on the nose and recognizable as a popular watch that is still widely available.

Things I don't love about the watch:
- The bezel action isn't great. It has almost half a minute of play in it, and I know there are better feeling ones in this price point. I think it would actually be better if it were just 60 clicks. I'm half tempted to pop mine off and see if there is a click ring I can play with to adjust this, but will probably leave well enough alone. Some of this is subjective. 
- I don't think the value is that great. I have a Hamilton Khaki Mechanical that has an ETA 2804, sapphire glass, bead blasted case, and Swiss made that was less than $300 new. Another example is my Stowa Airman flieger, with top grade ETA 2824 with decorated rotor and blue screws, sapphire glass and display back, German made for $900'ish. I am okay with the price I paid for my Paradive (full new retail price), but would probably feel differently if this was one of my most expensive watch purchases. If it were a couple hundred cheaper then I could better appreciate the value. 
- I went with the no date version. There is still a date setting position on the crown, and you can hear the date click over at around 2 am. Would have been awesome if a no date movement could have been used.

Overall, and bear in mind that this is early impressions, I am still happy about this watch. It slots nicely into a daily wearer/do anything watch role for me. This spot was previously held by my Hamilton, which the MKII will split time with.

And the bezel is aligned nicely. This is worth more than the action to me. If every time I look at a watch I am reminded that the bezel is misaligned, it can really ruin the watch experience for me.

I look forward to reading responses from more seasoned owners!

As for some of your questions:
- I find the size and weight comfortable. I have a 7.25" wrist. My ideal watch sizes are 38-42mm. 
- I'm left handed, so I do wear it on my right wrist. 
- Feels balanced not top heavy. 
- I chose aluminum bezel, since I think it bests fits the spirit of what this watch would have if it were released today as a "mark II". 
- Some may find the sterile dial off putting. I don't mind and like this, and am accustomed to this look from my Stowa (no logo, no date).

Here's mine for fun. The strap is an Erika Original MN that I picked up a couple years ago, and haven't been using much.


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## Leekster

Perfect!!

Thanks for the honest observations. Completely agree about bezel alignment. Drives me nuts if it's not perfect. 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## Paul Ramon

I too was infatuated with the Paradive before pulling the trigger since I've always been an admirer of the iconic Benrus Type I. I purchased my Gen 3 fat bar nearly 2 months ago from a forum member. I wear it most days and it has made it easy for me to reduce my "collection" and sell some watches I just didn't wear much. I'll answer your questions in order

The weight/balance/thickness is fine, I really don't notice it on wrist which is a good thing. I've worn it on an Erikas MN, a NATO, a Haveston, Kizzi NASA and the MKII rubber strap with no instability issues. For comparison, my other watches include a Seiko 6105 and 6306, a Doxa M31 (titanium), and a Marathon SAR. The Paradive wears just as well for me as they do.

The crown definitely does not stick out too far. I even think it could be a bit larger without presenting a problem.

I have the acrylic insert. I have a thread here in the MKII forum asking Paradive owners if they are happy with their insert choice. I worried acrylic might be scratch prone but I've found mine to be just fine and I don't baby it. If you're a fan of lumed inserts the acrylic would be your choice. The Benrus also had an acrylic insert and even considering the age and wear & tear on those remaining pieces I think most I've seen have held up fairly well.

Definitely a daily wearer for me but I pretty much knew that before buying. The fat bar feature is important for me with its additional security. The Paradive is just a bit larger than the Blackwater, Benrus and the Issued Adanac Navigator which I owned and sold upon my Paradive purchase. My wrist is roughly 8 in. so ymmv but I think most folks with an average size wrist won't have any problem at all with it.

One thing I've found is the Paradive with its black,white and gray theme is a definite strap monster. Here's some pics


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## the.hatter

My biggest “what if” is the acrylic bezel. It looks great and I’m sure it would have been durable enough. 

Years ago I had a dive watch with an acrylic, lumed bezel which I enjoyed, so I’m confident I would have also liked it on the Paradive.


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## drunken-gmt-master

Leekster said:


> This watch is my current obsession. I have noticed a lot of turnover in resales.
> 
> Those that have or do own or have owned one:
> 
> What are your thoughts on:
> Weight? Is it too heavy or does it feel balanced?
> 
> What about the thickness? It's thinker than almost any watch I own. Is that annoying?
> 
> How bout the ergonomics? Does the crown stick out too far? I wonder if it might be more comfortable for those who like to wear a watch on the right wrist.
> 
> Aluminum vs acrylic bezel? Seems all the resales are acrylic...
> 
> Is this a daily wear casual watch or too big and heavy?
> 
> The reviews always seem to suck up to these micros and I want some honest feedback.
> 
> Thanks


I'm a fan of the original Benrus form factor & have a '73 Type II & got the Paradive (12-hour bezel, non-date) as an affordable alternative to a vintage Type I, so my perspective is that of someone who is already familiar with the original Benrus.

I don't find the weight & thickness of the Paradive to be a problem on my 6.5" wrist as they're comparable to similar dive & tool watches. Also, part of the Paradive/Benrus's thickness is due to the domed crystal, so might be more of a potential problem w/banging it against something rather than how it fits on the wrist.

That said, I don't like the fact that MkII upsized an already large (for me) watch, & wished they had been able to retain the original dimensions (like Dagaz did w/their CAV-1) but it wasn't a dealbreaker & I haven't noticed a significant difference in ergonomics on the wrist. Like the Benrus, the crown doesn't stick out very much because of the asymmetric shape of the case.

I went w/the acrylic bezel because of that's 1 of the aesthetic attractions of the original Benrus (& similar non-metallic bezels on other vintage watches). I haven't had any problems with alignment or rotation (though, like the.hatter, I would prefer tighter action), but do wish that MkII had made it bidirectional (at least for the 12-hour bezel) to be true to the Benrus, which was a combination navigation/dive watch, not a purist diver, hence the 12-hour bezel.


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## Emceemon

Hi there,

Proportions are amazing.

Fit and finish too.

This watch is so clean looking, if you are looking for CLEAN, this is it. 

Doesn’t feel thick on the wrist. The domed caseback and saphire is why it seems thick on paper. Fits very flat on the wrist and doesn’t move.

Crown fits very tightly in the case. I wish there would have more threads on the tube, but I guess it would have made it impossible to have that nice, flush and integrate crown into the case.

I am sad to say that bezel action on mine is poor too. Wasn’t aligned properly, lots of play and feels notchy sometimes. Very strange, because everything else is so tight. 

I chosed the acrylic bezel and I don’t look back. Definetly différent and adds some pop.

I say go for it lol.


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## eldasher

My experience so far with the Paradive has been positive. Not sure how long ago I got it, probably 8-9 months ago, and I find it very comfortable. I bought it on eBay from the first owner.

I am a leftie too so it's probably even more comfortable because I wear it on my right. So I can't comment on the crown.










Looks good to me on this Zulu Diver Marine Nationale gray nato strap with blue line. I'll try it on Erika's Original Black Ops soon I think.

I opted for the acrylic bezel primarily because I think it makes it look a bit more finished, slightly dressier with a suit for work. I haven't had any issues with the acrylic getting scratched or such, but then again I've never had any protective case on any of my iPhones and never broke a single screen yet since the iPhone 1 until now. Perhaps I'm careful by default and don't think about it.










I do wish MKII had a touch of blue on the dial or the seconds arm.

Anyway, I think they need to offer the diving bezel in acrylic too, makes more sense to me to have the diving bezel with lume so you can actually see it at depth.

Cheers

W.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## the.hatter

Approaching a week of ownership, and my positive feelings for the watch have grown, specifically:

- Accuracy (+3 seconds a day) is fantastic, and I haven’t even been intentional in leaving it in different positions and the corresponding accuracy effect. 

- It is a strap monster since it has such a clean dial and neutral colors (black, white, gray). The only negative is if you are OCD about matching hardware to the bead blasted case. I find brushed strap hardware is close enough. 

- The bezel bothers me less. I don’t tend to use the bezel that frequently anyways, so the feel isn’t top of mind. 

One new minor critique - occasionally the dial looks a bit small. This might be an optical illusion because of the case shape or bezel design, or possibly it is an accurate feature of the original design. But when I measured the Paradive against other similarly case sized watches in my collection, the dial was comparatively a little small.


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## reeder1

Paul Ramon-

Hey, man- those are absolutely beautiful photos of the Paradive1 Great job.


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## Paul Ramon

reeder1 said:


> Paul Ramon-
> 
> Hey, man- those are absolutely beautiful photos of the Paradive1 Great job.


Thanks! |> All credit to the Paradive and camera-phone


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## Omegatron24

I'll way in with my 2 cents, and preface it with the fact that I'm a big MKii fan. 

I've not owned the Paradive, but I got to see one at a watch meet-up, and I thought there were a lot of positives. I certainly think its a nice looking watch, and wears comfortably. The proportions seemed good when I tried it on...not too thick/wide/etc... Also I did briefly own a Hawkinge that kept VERY accurate time - I suspect Bill did just as well adjusting the Paradives.

There were two negatives that I immediately noticed: the bezel action, which has already been mentioned to death, and I also thought it was annoyingly difficult to unscrew the crown. Maybe no one else has experienced that though.

As far as why all the second-hand ones are acrylic, I suspect its just because everyone is ordering with acrylic in the first place, so when someone decides to sell, odds are it has an acrylic bezel. I doubt the percentage of acrylic owners vs aluminum who decide to sell are noticeably different. 

Regarding value (re the.hatter's comment), I'm always reminded of something I read when I got into watches (sorry I have no recollection of where I read it): Paraphrasing, but they said that most watches between, I forget... say $300 and $1500 are about the same in quality, and what you are really paying for is a design that you like. Now, you could nit-pick those numbers to death and come up with counter examples, but I kind of get what they were saying. You might find slightly better finishing on one case vs another, or better bezel action on one vs. the other, sure. But ultimately, in that price range, what you are getting is a relatively robust, water-proof watch with a respectable automatic movement and standard bells/whistles. That price range gets you well beyond what most people on the street are bothering to wear, but at the same time, likely nothing horologically special. In this case, certainly a Hamilton field watch is undoubtedly better value on paper. But if you're in love with the look and idea of the Benrus Type 1, you probably aren't going to find better value.


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## TwentiethCenturyFox

Ok I am a Bill Yao fan boy. So up front I am stating that. I have owned 7 MKII's. Current line up; Seafighter, Stingray, Paradive gen 3.I love the paradive. Exceptionally well executed. I did not at all like the Hawkinge and sent it back. So I am honest if I happen to personally not like a particular model. The paradive is on the heavier side, but is a fantastically made watch at the price point.


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## clouser

The bezel action on mine was horrible. The bezel would move if I bumped it against something, and I could move it just by pushing it with one finger. According to MKII, this bezel action was still within spec.

I almost sold it, but I liked the watch too much to do that, so I decided to reach out to the MKII service center to see if something could be done. I sent it in, paid $25+ shipping, and got my watch back with a perfectly functioning bezel that only moves when I want it to move. The bezel action is 100% improved.


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## clouser

Double post


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## ca_ng

I'm a fan of MKII, and the Hawkinge is my most accurate watch and beater. The Paradive acrylic is really fun - I also own an original Benrus Type II - but the one thing that stands out the me is the thick lume especially on the hands. I don't own many modern watches to compare it's typical application, but though the update is much more practical, I really like the paper thin hands on the Benrus. That being said, the design fits together really nicely as a well thought out modernization.


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## JFingers

Leekster said:


> This watch is my current obsession. I have noticed a lot of turnover in resales.
> 
> Those that have or do own or have owned one:
> 
> What are your thoughts on:
> Weight? Is it too heavy or does it feel balanced?
> 
> What about the thickness? It's thinker than almost any watch I own. Is that annoying?
> 
> How bout the ergonomics? Does the crown stick out too far? I wonder if it might be more comfortable for those who like to wear a watch on the right wrist.
> 
> Aluminum vs acrylic bezel? Seems all the resales are acrylic...
> 
> Is this a daily wear casual watch or too big and heavy?
> 
> The reviews always seem to suck up to these micros and I want some honest feedback.
> 
> Thanks


Leekster,

I like mine, I probably wear it 3rd most right now out of my collection, behind my Bremont U-2 and my A13-A.

It's not too heavy, but it's no lightweight, either. I don't notice it being too heavy.

Thickness isn't an issue, either, but I wear shortsleeves at work (no one to impress).

Crown doesn't bother me a bit, I wear it on my left wrist.

The acrylic bezel is pretty sweet. The lumed bezel is very well done, IMO.

I wear it for a week or 10 days at a time, working and off duty. I don't run with it (Garmin D2C for that), but I do hike with it.

Accuracy has been pretty good, too. I just reset mine and will report back after a couple of days (if I remember).

Holler if you want more feedback!
Blue skies!
-only Jake


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## Leekster

JFingers said:


> Leekster,
> 
> I like mine, I probably wear it 3rd most right now out of my collection, behind my Bremont U-2 and my A13-A.
> 
> It's not too heavy, but it's no lightweight, either. I don't notice it being too heavy.
> 
> Thickness isn't an issue, either, but I wear shortsleeves at work (no one to impress).
> 
> Crown doesn't bother me a bit, I wear it on my left wrist.
> 
> The acrylic bezel is pretty sweet. The lumed bezel is very well done, IMO.
> 
> I wear it for a week or 10 days at a time, working and off duty. I don't run with it (Garmin D2C for that), but I do hike with it.
> 
> Accuracy has been pretty good, too. I just reset mine and will report back after a couple of days (if I remember).
> 
> Holler if you want more feedback!
> Blue skies!
> -only Jake


Thanks Brother!
Nice pics!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## cmschlatt

was looking at bill yaos paradive again, love the watch but was disappointed they removed the helium escape valve and mass produced the watch, really appreciated the hand built status and regulation previously provided


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## Chromejob

cmschlatt said:


> was looking at bill yaos paradive again, love the watch but was disappointed they removed the helium escape valve and mass produced the watch, really appreciated the hand built status and regulation previously provided


Well that's the difference between the the benchcrafted and ready to wear (RTW) production streams. Right now the benchcrafted production is occupied with forum project fulfillment, which we all hope will continue at a steady pace.


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## Darwin

Chromejob said:


> Well that's the difference between the the benchcrafted and ready to wear (RTW) production streams. Right now the benchcrafted production is occupied with forum project fulfillment, which we all hope will continue at a steady pace.


And to add, my RTW Paradive came regulated from MKII to under a second a day of gain. Better than any of my other MKIIs (with ETA movements) and comparable to my Seiko SBDX001... Also, the HRV is kind of a useless feature unless you're actually going to do some specialized diving with the watch, non?


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## JFingers

Darwin said:


> And to add, my RTW Paradive came regulated from MKII to under a second a day of gain. Better than any of my other MKIIs (with ETA movements) and comparable to my Seiko SBDX001... Also, the HRV is kind of a useless feature unless you're actually going to do some specialized diving with the watch, non?


I started wearing mine again 3 days ago and I'm +4 seconds total, so I'd say that's pretty well regulated...


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## alangloi

The generic NE15B movement is said to be in spec if it falls within -15 to +25 seconds per day. My timegrapher, set at a 53 degree lift angle for the NE15B, shows mine at about +10 seconds a day. The on-the-wrist accuracy is about +8 seconds per day. They do time these somewhat as shown by the paperwork that comes with the watch. Don't know how much time, if any, is spent on regulation if the movement is within spec. 

Would love to know the accuracy rate others are seeing. Sometime you get lucky with the movement lottery. 

(fyi: my bezel movement is decent. Watch is now 7 months old. A comfortable (to you) watch strap makes a difference.)


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## OmegaCosmicMan

Darwin said:


> And to add, my RTW Paradive came regulated from MKII to under a second a day of gain. Better than any of my other MKIIs (with ETA movements) and comparable to my Seiko SBDX001... Also, *the HRV is kind of a useless feature unless you're actually going to do some specialized diving with the watch*, non?


:think: Agreed - I am always wondering if it goes defective, that it just opens up another opportunity for water to get in.... I wonder how they are tested or checked (at overhaul) to see if they are functioning correctly?


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## drunken-gmt-master

alangloi said:


> The generic NE15B movement is said to be in spec if it falls within -15 to +25 seconds per day. My timegrapher, set at a 53 degree lift angle for the NE15B, shows mine at about +10 seconds a day. The on-the-wrist accuracy is about +8 seconds per day. They do time these somewhat as shown by the paperwork that comes with the watch. Don't know how much time, if any, is spent on regulation if the movement is within spec.
> 
> Would love to know the accuracy rate others are seeing. Sometime you get lucky with the movement lottery.
> 
> (fyi: my bezel movement is decent. Watch is now 7 months old. A comfortable (to you) watch strap makes a difference.)


Mine started out at +1 or 2 seconds/day on the wrist, & has been -2 or 3 seconds/day for the last couple months. It's only about 8 months old, though, so the variation could be related to changing weather, usage patterns, etc.


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## robmellor

I think it’s a really nice watch really like the tool like qualities, however I agree with other dose not represent brilliant value.


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## BuyIndioOates

Paul Ramon said:


> I too was infatuated with the Paradive before pulling the trigger since I've always been an admirer of the iconic Benrus Type I. I purchased my Gen 3 fat bar nearly 2 months ago from a forum member. I wear it most days and it has made it easy for me to reduce my "collection" and sell some watches I just didn't wear much. I'll answer your questions in order
> 
> The weight/balance/thickness is fine, I really don't notice it on wrist which is a good thing. I've worn it on an Erikas MN, a NATO, a Haveston, Kizzi NASA and the MKII rubber strap with no instability issues. For comparison, my other watches include a Seiko 6105 and 6306, a Doxa M31 (titanium), and a Marathon SAR. The Paradive wears just as well for me as they do.
> 
> The crown definitely does not stick out too far. I even think it could be a bit larger without presenting a problem.
> 
> I have the acrylic insert. I have a thread here in the MKII forum asking Paradive owners if they are happy with their insert choice. I worried acrylic might be scratch prone but I've found mine to be just fine and I don't baby it. If you're a fan of lumed inserts the acrylic would be your choice. The Benrus also had an acrylic insert and even considering the age and wear & tear on those remaining pieces I think most I've seen have held up fairly well.
> 
> Definitely a daily wearer for me but I pretty much knew that before buying. The fat bar feature is important for me with its additional security. The Paradive is just a bit larger than the Blackwater, Benrus and the Issued Adanac Navigator which I owned and sold upon my Paradive purchase. My wrist is roughly 8 in. so ymmv but I think most folks with an average size wrist won't have any problem at all with it.
> 
> One thing I've found is the Paradive with its black,white and gray theme is a definite strap monster. Here's some pics
> 
> View attachment 13834203
> 
> 
> View attachment 13834211
> 
> 
> View attachment 13834213
> 
> 
> View attachment 13834215
> 
> 
> View attachment 13834227
> 
> 
> View attachment 13834583


Paul 
Slightly off question. What are your thoughts on the Kizzy NASA?

James

We are all God's children (even the ass*#@!*.)


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## Paul Ramon

BuyIndioOates said:


> Paul
> Slightly off question. What are your thoughts on the Kizzy NASA?
> 
> James
> 
> We are all God's children (even the ass*#@!*.)


Hi James
I have both the Kizzi Vintage Apollo and the Mil-Spec and they're great. I've tried other brands but found them stiff and not well thought out, never worn a second time. The Kizzi feels perfect brand new, very comfortable and well made with quality materials and hardware. They are pricey and frequently out of stock but I'm still a big fan.


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## BuyIndioOates

Paul Ramon said:


> Hi James
> I have both the Kizzi Vintage Apollo and the Mil-Spec and they're great. I've tried other brands but found them stiff and not well thought out, never worn a second time. The Kizzi feels perfect brand new, very comfortable and well made with quality materials and hardware. They are pricey and frequently out of stock but I'm still a big fan.


Yeah I've looked once or twice and stock is definitely an issue. Looks like the have the vintage in stock now. All I need is some more 20mm watches to justify the purchase. Although my DOXA Poseidon might be up to the task. Thanks for the heads up

James

We are all God's children (even the ass*#@!*.)


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## Paul Ramon

BuyIndioOates said:


> Yeah I've looked once or twice and stock is definitely an issue. Looks like the have the vintage in stock now. All I need is some more 20mm watches to justify the purchase. Although my DOXA Poseidon might be up to the task. Thanks for the heads up
> 
> James
> 
> We are all God's children (even the ass*#@!*.)


I've been on a back order email list and just received notification that all straps will be back in stock sometime next week.


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## BuyIndioOates

Paul Ramon said:


> I've been on a back order email list and just received notification that all straps will be back in stock sometime next week.


Sweet. Thanks for the heads up.

James

We are all God's children (even the ass*#@!*.)


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## Leekster

cmschlatt said:


> was looking at bill yaos paradive again, love the watch but was disappointed they removed the helium escape valve and mass produced the watch, really appreciated the hand built status and regulation previously provided


Is a helium escape valve really needed for a watch like this? Seems like overkill.

Most of us(me) just want a tough automatic field watch you can get dirty and wet that looks classic and will last years.

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## OneWayInstall

I recently pulled the trigger on a Paradive and yes I did ask myself about the Absence of the HEV which I have no need for. I'm excited to receive my new watch.

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## heb

Of the 4 or 5 people in the world who actually need an HEV equipped watch, I wonder what brand of watch, if any, they use? I doubt if an MKII, Helson, Helos, etc. etc. is their choice.


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## Leekster

Agreed 

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## Leekster

Anybody have one with the acrylic bezel?

Any wear marks or is it tough?

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## Paul Ramon

Leekster said:


> Anybody have one with the acrylic bezel?
> 
> Any wear marks or is it tough?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


 I did get one decent sized scuff and a dot of polywatch totally erased it.


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## eldasher

Paul Ramon said:


> I did get one decent sized scuff and a dot of polywatch totally erased it.


Where do you get the poly watch from?

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## Paul Ramon

eldasher said:


> Where do you get the poly watch from?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


POLYWATCH Scratch Remover Polish Watch Plastic / Acrylic Crystal Glasses - 5g 4028778000103 | eBay


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## eldasher

Paul Ramon said:


> POLYWATCH Scratch Remover Polish Watch Plastic / Acrylic Crystal Glasses - 5g 4028778000103 | eBay


Thanks Paul

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