Tornek-Rayville Welcomes The Paradive Class B Diver

The return of Tornek-Rayville brought us a modern TR-660 last year, a watch that hit the sweet spot for fans of MKII, military watch affianados, and dive watch enthusiasts alike. Judging by its perpetual ‘sold out’ status, at least. We found a lot to love in the TR-660 in our review of it right here, and it certainly had many of us keen on what a sophomore release might look like. Today, Tornek-Rayville welcomes the Paradive to its ranks, representing their take on the military watch specification MIL-W-50717. That name, and indeed the watch itself, may look a little familiar if you’ve followed MKII for any length of time, as their homage to the Benrus Type 1. The Paradive is migrating to the Tornek-Rayville arm of MKII as the Paradive Class B. Oh, and in case you missed it, Tornek-Rayville is now a subdivision of MKII. 

The Paradive Class B will look familiar, as it’s based on the well recognized framework introduced with the Type 1. The Class B gets a curved three piece case, including a press fit crystal made of synthetic sapphire to prevent crazing, a screw in caseback with single piece stem, and beefier spring bars (both 2.5mm and 1.8mm options are included). A proprietary non-radioactive (phew) lume is used on the dial, and appears in crisp white against a matte black base. The 120-click bezel is now unidirectional, and is offered with your choice of either aluminum or acrylic insert.

The Paradive Class B is about as straightforward as a dive watch can get. There’s no branding in sight, no superfluous details, and certainly no flair. And that’s the whole point of the watch, developed specifically for military watch specification MIL-W-50717. It’s all function, and that leaves little room for compromise when it comes to the details. That happens to be a MKII strong suit, so we expect the fit and finish of the Paradive Class B to be exceptional. And with only 75 examples available (for the time being), they had better be. 

The steel case measures 41.25mm at the bezel and 49.5mm from end to end, while thickness stands at 15.54mm. This is a robust watch, no doubt, however the design of the case should make for a rather ergonomic experience on wrist. That said, it won’t be for everyone. As for strap options, TR is offered with a trio of strap options for buyers to choose from: a Nytex Type I-M2 general purpose strap; a rubber strap; and a MODSpec black nylon strap – all in 20mm. Inside you’ll find a Japanese made SII NE15 automatic movement.

The Paradive Class B is a suitable evolution of the watch first put forth by MKII years ago, and in Tornek-Rayville guise, offers a bounty of choice, from the strap, to the bezel to the date. The details elevate this particular take to another level, highlighted by the small Tornek-Rayville logo snuck onto the dial underneath the 6 o’clock hour marker. 

The price of the Paradive Class B is set at $949, with a 50% deposit required upon order. 75 examples will be available as of today directly from Tornek-Rayville, with another batch expected by September of this year. Tornek-Rayville.