March 21, 2016
By Evan Brune
Bravo Company Manufacturing made its first entry into the watch market with its Mk15.
Bravo Company Manufacturing, known for its line of AR rifles and 1911 handguns, has a number of premium offerings. In addition to AR accessories, edged weapons and other signature tactical gear, the company has ventured into a new product realm: watches.
The Watch
The BCM Mk15 Tritium Watch is a limited edition offering from Bravo Company Manufacturing. Only 2,500 watches will be made, and each watch comes with a unique serial number and custom carrying case.
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The watch's many functions are controlled by the red screw-in crown and the two push buttons on either side of the crown.
The BCM Mk15 is made from 316L stainless steel and comes in a brushed black finish. The carbon-fiber dial is protected by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with two layers of anti-reflective coating. The dial itself is tritium-illuminated on the hour, minute and second hands, while each hour marker is illuminated with T25 tritium.
The BCM Mk15 features a 13-jewel gold-plated Swiss-made chronograph movement. There is also a ratcheted unidirectional bezel that frames the watch, and the brushed black finish is offset by an anodized red screw-in crown.
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Functions of the watch include a chronograph, a 30-minute counter, a 10-hour counter, add and split, center stop second, 1/10 seconds up to 30 minutes, small second and date.
Each hour mark is illuminated with a green tritium tube, except for the 12 o'clock mark, which is illuminated with an orange tube.
The tritium illumination is green with the exception of the No. 12 tube, which is orange. The watch is also water resistant to a depth of 656 feet (200 meters) and has a battery life of four years with a single 395 battery. A one-year warranty is included with the watch that starts from the purchase date.
The Case
The BCM Mk15 arrives in an injection-molded glass fiber reinforced case that resembles the construction of a Pelican pistol case. On the outside, a label with "BCM: Professional Grade Weaponry" is emblazoned on the case lid, while the reverse of the case is marked with the number out of 2,500 (My review sample is No. 57).
The BCM Mk15 comes packaged in a hard-sided, lockable, waterproof case that seems sturdy enough to handle any kind of punishment.
The case is opened by two tabs on either side of the carrying handle, and the lid lifts to reveal a custom die-cut foam insert with the watch, extra band, red anodized multi-tool for the removal of the band and links and a clear glass bottle with extra watch band pins.
The case itself appears waterproof. There is an air pressure release valve underneath the carrying handle, just next to another label that reads "BCM Gunfighter." A rubber lip on the inside edge of the case seals shut when the latches are closed.
In addition, an included placard on the inside of the case lid shows the Mk15 watch next to one of BCM's 1911s in a tactical scene.
The Review
A review sample of the new BCM Mk15 watch arrived at our office, along with some BCM hats, posters and stickers. I resolved to wear it for a month to see how it felt and how I enjoyed incorporating it into my daily EDC, which includes a cell phone, multitool, wallet, Glock 19 in an Alien Gear holster and a spare magazine.
Inside the case, you'll find the watch, a rubber diver's band, disassembly tool, a vial with spare band attachment pins and an instruction manual.
The first thing I noticed about the Mk15 is, obviously, the case. It's an imposing, robust shell that features locking holes and waterproofing. If ever there were worries about a watch surviving a natural disaster while in storage, this case puts those fears to rest.
Opening the case, I found the watch wrapped around a custom foam insert with its metal band, a rubber diver's band next to it, and some tools and extra parts in a glass vial.
Pulling the watch out of its display, I noticed the second biggest thing about this watch. It's big, and it's heavy. Very heavy. With the included metal band on it, the Mk15 weighs in at more than half a pound.
Fortunately, the seemingly bulletproof metal band is a large chunk of that weight. After feeling the difference between the metal band and the rubber diver's band, I decided to go with the diver's band. It was a simple switch. Using the included red anodized tool, I depressed the spring-loaded pins found underneath each end of the metal band and removed it.
BCM will only be making 2,500 of these watches. The example sent to me for review was No. 57.
The weight difference between the two bands was very noticeable. With the rubber diver's band, the BCM Mk15 weighs in at just over a quarter of a pound. However, should wearers decide to keep the metal band, they'll find it difficult to remove any links to adjust its size. BCM included thread locker on each screw, and the company recommends that Mk15 owners take the watch to a jeweler to resize the band.
Wearing the rubber band, the watch is still noticeable on the wrist, but it's much more manageable. Setting the time and date was easy with the screw-in crown. One thing I will note, though, is that the crown takes quite a few turns (Six, by my count) to screw out. Once it's loose, though, it pops into position.
The Mk15 definitely lives up to the BCM name in daily use. This watch is made for guys who need equipment that can take a beating and keep running. Nothing about this watch even slightly suggests weakness. It's a big, bold watch for burly men.
The bands are easily switched back and forth, so the wearer can decide which one works best.
The BCM Mk15 is available from Bravo Company for $595, which is more than reasonable in the world of high-end watches. It's even more reasonable when you realize that this watch represents BCM's first foray into the world of watchmaking, and they've managed to offer a quality, bombproof timepiece with all of the features and fine construction expected of watchmakers who've been in the industry for decades.
In addition, the BCM Mk15 also makes a certain kind of statement. Those who wear it know exactly what they want and need from their equipment. There can be no compromise in quality or construction, because the kind of men who wear the BCM Mk15 live in a world where failure is not an option.
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