2022 Tornek-Rayville Dive Watch 'Re-Issue' (Ref. TR660) "The Alchemist Relumer Mod" W/ Full Set

Blancpain SA, founded in 1735, holds the title of the oldest watch brand and has a rich legacy of horological innovation. One of its most significant achievements is the creation of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the world’s first modern dive watch.

In 1952, French Navy officers Captain Robert Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud sought a waterproof, highly legible watch for their elite “Frogmen” divers. Unable to find a suitable model, Maloubier drafted designs and approached several watchmakers, most of whom declined, due to their focus on aviation timepieces.

Jean-Jacques Fiechter, Blancpain’s CEO and an avid diver, embraced the challenge. He not only met the Navy’s requirements but also enhanced the design, pioneering the modern dive watch. The Fifty Fathoms was soon adopted by global military forces and prominent explorers, including Jacques Cousteau.

Fast forward to the 1960s, the Vietnam War is ongoing, and the US military needed a reliable dive watch for the Underwater Demolition Team divers– later known as the US Navy SEALs. The "Buy American Act" prevented them from purchasing directly from Swiss manufacturers, and the US Military was already working on something with Bulova, but they decided to test other options until that watch was ready. They tested the Rolex Submariner, Enicar Seapearl 600, and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, of which, the Blancpain was the only watch to pass all of their rigorous tests. However, due to the Swiss Origin of the watch and the Buy American Act, its use in the US Military was impossible– technically. 

Allen Tornek, a US importer, saw this restriction as an opportunity. He partnered with Blancpain to import their watches through his US-based company, but changed the branding of the dial to "Tornek-Rayville", with "Rayville" being an anagram of Villeret, where Blancpain was based. The US Military ordered an estimated 1,100 TR-900s and the first team of the Navy SEALs were issued Tornek-Rayvilles. However, most were later destroyed due to the use of radioactive lume. In fact, the back of the original TR-900s issued a danger warning and instructions to "If Found Return To The Nearest Military Facility". 

Today, the Tornek-Rayville TR-900 is celebrated for not only being a rarity, but a fascinating piece of horological and US military history, with the few remaining examples surfacing through top vintage dealers and premier auction houses.

The Tornek-Rayville name and design have been revived by Bill Yao, who created the MK II watch company. MK II has released new homages of the TR-900, renamed the TR-660, which builds on the history of the original. This specific example has been sent to James Hyman in the UK (@thealchemistrelumer on Instagram) and underwent an incredible modification to bring the already close homage as close to the original design as possible. This modification includes changing the color of the lume throughout the bezel, dial, and hands to a golden yellow color, giving the timepieces a more vintage aesthetic and warmth, as well as, modifying the moisture indicator to more closely resemble the original TR-900.