Pressure Testing An Affordable Watch & Understanding Deepsea Espionage By Benjamin Lowry While the stories we tell typically explore the world of intelligence in the terrestrial sense, espionage and the deep sea have been closely linked for decades. Starting during the Cold War, a shadowy conflict has been waged on the ocean floor. From submarines and divers tapping (or cutting) cables to deepsea acoustic listening stations and the clandestine recovery of sensitive materials, controlling and monitoring the deep ocean is an unfamiliar yet critical component of intelligence and modern warfare. Brands like Rolex and Omega will often tout their deepsea capabilities with the Rolex Deepsea Challenge rated to 11,000 meters (36,090 feet) and the Omega Ultra Deep coming in at a lesser but still ridiculous 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) of theoretical water resistance. But what about a cheap Casio often associated with terrorists and hipsters? With around $15 and some engineering know-how, can an affordable watch also venture into the deep ocean? Setting the stage for undersea espionage to follow, the CIA’s Glomar Explorer was a ship designed to secretly raise a sunken Soviet submarine to recover its nuclear warheads. (Photo Credit: CIA) At W.O.E., watches are the lens through which we view history and current events. In this Dispatch, we’ll take a Casio F91W—a cheap digital tool watch—almost 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) under the sea, setting the stage for a broader discussion on the deep ocean’s role in the wilderness of mirrors. As a Coast Guard veteran and former commercial diver, I’m no expert on the intersection of engineering and espionage at depth. Luckily, I know people. Pressure Testing A Casio F91W Our friend Josh’s Omega Planet Ocean on the manipulator arm of an ROV. (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens) A couple of years ago, a fellow watch enthusiast named Josh Konicki reached out saying he worked in the unique world of deep ocean salvage, often contracting for the US Government to recover downed fighter jets, lost ordnance, and other sensitive items the military doesn’t want lying around the ocean floor. In 2022, Josh and his team helped the Navy recover an F35 that crashed into the South China Sea from the deck of an aircraft carrier. It’s scary to imagine the repercussions if our adversaries were to recover and reverse engineer one of the world’s most advanced fighter jet platforms—not good. Photo Credit: US Navy Like many whose lives revolve around the sea, Josh is a watch guy, and when he asked if I would be interested in seeing a Casio F91W dive deep on the manipulator arm of an ROV or remotely operated vehicle, I answered with an enthusiastic “hell yeah”. Available on Amazon for precisely $13.16, the F91W is among the most common watches on the planet, with some three million units produced on average per year since the watch’s inception in 1989. This implies there are well over 100 million F91Ws out there in the world, a crazy statistic. Utilized as a tool by everyone from Usama Bin Laden to US SpecOps and art school grads at your local farmers market, the F91W is a straightforward digital watch equipped with a resin case, strap, and crystal and paired with simple digital timekeeping functions and one of the worst backlights in watch history. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.) Many have argued the F91W is the least expensive watch that is actually worth buying, and I tend to agree. For its price, it’s one of the most capable watches you can get. However, while the F91W is many things to many people, most would fall well short of calling it a dive watch, at least unless you’re willing to get a little bit handy, risk your $15 investment, and have some mineral oil lying around. Filling A Watch With Oil & Going Deep For Josh, whose job is to build and maintain equipment for deepsea salvage and recovery, filling a digital watch with oil is no big deal. Incredibly, after this relatively simple and cheap modification, a watch—even one as attainable as the F91W—becomes all but pressure-proof thanks to the almost incompressible nature of oil. The actual how-to for this “hydro-mod” is all over the internet, but suffice it to say oil-filling your Casio is relatively easy, cheap, fun, and helps if you’re planning to take your F91W five kilometers or so underwater, which is exactly the kind of thing Josh does for fun. For the deep ocean test, Josh strapped the F91W onto the manipulator arm of CURV 21, a 6,400-pound ROV belonging to the US Navy and capable of diving to around 20,000 feet. The live video feed from the ROV, which is hard-wired to the surface, means the operator can observe the watch throughout the dive. As the numbers on the depth gauge begin to rise, there’s an element of suspense as the ROV descends through the water column. The bright ambient light of the shallows gives way to the inky darkness of the depths, with nothing but small particles passing by the ROV’s lights to indicate the descent to the bottom. As the digital depth indication passes 1000 meters, 2000 meters, 3000 meters, and finally 4000 meters, the watch nerds in the room are glued to the screen waiting for the $15 watch to implode… or not. Incredibly, the F91W survives its journey to an official 4,950 meters—an astonishing 16,240 feet—and back. 4,950 meters under the surface, the pressure is approximately 7,227 pounds per square inch, which is well over three tons pressing on the watch. For context, that’s a Dodge Ram 1500 or a young adult hippopotamus parked on every inch of your F91W. As Americans, we’ll do anything to avoid the metric system, but using scientific terminology, we’re talking about a shitload of pressure. Josh with his fleet of deep-diving F91W watches and the ROV. However impressive, this example of oil-filled horological pressure resistance is not unique. There are other oil-filled watches from brands like Sinn capable of similar diving exploits, and many other watches both digital and analog quartz (mechanical watches can’t be oil-filled) that could theoretically be filled with oil and go deep. But the feat is all the more impressive when considering the F91W costs about as much as a Chipotle burrito (with guac). But wait, what is the US Government doing 5000 meters down anyway? A Brief History Of Deepsea Espionage Artist’s rendering of SEALAB III, the Navy’s final experiment to prove men could live and work on the sea floor. (Photo Credit: US Navy) When the US Navy’s SEALAB trials kicked off in 1964, the reason behind the costly and dangerous experiment was billed as an attempt to prove man’s ability to live and work in the sea. The part the Navy left out was why the US Government might require such a mode of diving in the first place, and the principal reason was intelligence collection. Even after the cancellation of SEALAB III in the wake of aquanaut Berry Cannon’s death in 1969, the Navy didn’t stop its deep-diving research, it simply stopped talking about it. Artist’s rendering of the USS Parche, one of the modified submarines used in Operation Ivy Bells. (Photo Credit: Naval Order) Before SEALAB, the Navy was already using the Sound Surveillance System, a network of underwater listening stations designed to detect and monitor submarine movements, especially the kind with nuclear capabilities. By the 1970s, American submarine espionage was in full swing, with the specially modified USS Halibut using diver lockout chambers and saturation diving methodology developed during SEALAB to attach listening equipment to Soviet communication cables in the Sea of Okhotsk as part of Operation Ivy Bells. If you haven’t read up on this insane operation, there’s a great book called Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story Of American Submarine Espionage, that is more than worth your time. US Navy SEAL Rick Hetzell wearing a Rolex Submariner on an Olongapo bracelet while working with his US Navy-trained sea lion. By 1974, the CIA and Howard Hughes built the Glomar Explorer, a 618-foot supposed deep-sea mining ship designed to secretly raise a sunken Soviet submarine, the K-129, from a depth of 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). The plan was for the ship to use a massive specially engineered undersea claw, which was completely hidden from the outside of the ship, to lift the sub and recover its nuclear warheads and cryptological documents. To date, it remains one of the most complex, expensive, and secretive intelligence operations of the Cold War. It gets weirder. Starting in 1960, the US Navy also maintained a fleet of trained marine mammals including dolphins and sea lions capable of locating undersea mines and even identifying and subduing adversarial combat swimmers, especially those with Russian accents. During the Cold War, espionage in the deep sea was alive and well, but what about now? A Sea Of Surveillance & Sabotage The true extent of the modern US Navy Marine Mammal Program is unknown to the public. (Photo Credit: US Navy) Today, as technology takes an increasingly prominent role in armed conflict, the deep ocean continues to serve as a little-understood domain of war. In addition to its nuclear submarines and a much improved undersea listening system that detected the implosion of the Titan submersible in 2023, the US Navy quietly maintains its Marine Mammal Program, (allegedly) primarily for Mine Countermeasures (MCM), but other recent clandestine acts on the sea floor have—once discovered—burst into the headlines. The exploded Nordsteam pipelines were determined acts of sabotage. Twenty-three natural gas pipelines connect Europe to Russia. On 26 September 2022, two of them exploded without warning 70 to 80 meters (230 to 260 feet) under the surface of the Baltic Sea. Built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, the explosion of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines was captured by undersea seismic listening stations, with explosive materials later being recovered on the surface. With much of Europe facing an energy crisis, the saboteur was careful, exploiting the inherent difficulty of investigating the aftermath on the ocean floor, making attribution difficult. A Baltic Sea communications was severed by a vessel dragging its anchor across the cable numerous times. In 2024, also in the Baltic Sea, there were several more highly publicized incidents where deepsea cables carrying internet and electricity were cut by unknown agents. Cables providing internet service between Lithuania and Sweden and Finland and Germany were cut in November. Depending on the depth, operations of this type would likely require advanced marine technology involving divers, ROVs, and submersibles, well beyond the scope of any entity smaller than a major nation-state. Coincidentally, on Christmas Day, a Russian tanker allegedly packed with “spy equipment” was detained by the Finnish Border Guard after intentionally dragging its anchor across cables providing critical infrastructure. Russia, one of the possible culprits for at least some of the recent undersea acts of espionage, is known to operate a “shadow fleet” of civilian-registered vessels outfitted to conduct intelligence and sabotage operations. Eagle S, an alleged Russian “spy tanker” was seized by the Finnish Border Guard on Christmas Day, 2024. Whether these covert operators wear Vostok Amphibias or F91Ws or something else is anyone’s guess. They don’t appear to have a fleet Instagram page. Home to numerous utility and communications cables, not to mention submarines armed with nuclear weapons, and at least one Casio F91W, the sea floor is a key player in global espionage operations both then and now. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Casio F-91W, the Preferred Watch of Terrorists *As a disclaimer, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. When you click on the link to a book in this article and make a purchase, this can result in Watches of Espionage earning a commission. If you’re interested in these books and want to make a purchase using these links, we appreciate your support.

Whether watch nerds like it or not, the smartwatch is here to stay. Apple sells more Apple Watches in a quarter than the entire Swiss watch industry does in a year. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch and many Garmin models offer significant lifestyle benefits including fitness tracking, communication, navigation, and sleep monitoring. To the average person, being connected and having all of this data at all times is convenient. However, for CIA Officers and special operators who rely on anonymity to securely conduct clandestine operations, these networked devices are a counterintelligence vulnerability and a potential opportunity for exploitation by bad actors. In our new video on the W.O.E. YouTube Channel, we share the counterintelligence risks of wearing Apple Watches and other smartwatches, using real-world examples to show how these connected devices can have deadly consequences. Enjoy episode eight of W.O.E. TV. Happy Hunting, -W.O.E.

And Why You Probably Shouldn’t Look at photos from any conflict over the past 50 years and you are bound to see uniformed US military personnel wearing a wristwatch on the inside of their wrist. While it’s difficult to pinpoint when exactly this tradition began, Vietnam-era Green Beret and MACV-SOG operator John Stryker Meyer AKA “Tilt” told us it was a habit he picked up in Special Forces training in the 1960s.  The practice of wearing a watch on the inside of the wrist has several functional benefits in a tactical environment, including protecting the glass/crystal from damage, preventing glare or reflections, and ensuring the watch is legible while operating a weapons system or lying prone. That said, I would argue today “inside-wristing” is just as much about culture as anything else. A watch is one of the few items customizable by uniformed personnel and for some it is a sign that you are a “gunfighter”, “operator” or play Call of Duty on the weekends.  NSW operators train Hellenic special operations forces in 2024. First, let's explore some of the legitimate reasons why military personnel wear watches on the inside of the wrist. To Negate Reflection: Managing one's profile—how easily you are seen or discovered—is a key part of any military operation. Camouflage is the most obvious example, but something as small as a glare or reflection of a wristwatch in a sniper hide or while moving to target could compromise an operation. There are few reflective things in nature and a trained observer is always looking for something abnormal. Wearing the watch on the inside of the wrist reduces this risk. Delta Force member with Suunto compass/watch combo, the watch on the inside of the wrist. Light Signature Management: In a tactical environment, a watch's nighttime legibility is essential. Most analog military watches incorporate luminous phosphorescent “lume” on the dial and hands and Digital Tool Watches (D.T.W.s) have a push button illumination function. “Light discipline” is a part of signature management in low light/no light scenarios, and the lume can pose a potential vulnerability, especially with dive watches that are designed for underwater legibility. Tritium, a radioactive isotope commonly used in military watches, is particularly visible through Night Vision Goggles and scopes. Again, wearing the watch on the inside of the wrist diverts the light towards the individual vs towards the enemy, potentially reducing your signature. Modern dive watches like the Tudor FXD offer significant illumination, which is ideal for diving but not for combat. (Photo Credit: W.O.E./James Rupley) Of note, over time military members have used several other methods to mitigate the reflection and light emissions, including a simple watch cover, with Vietnam Era Navy SEALs fashioning snap-in rivets to attach a thin leather watch cover. In the African bush wars, this was also common and served the additional purpose of protecting the watch against harsh environments and thorns. Legendary SEAL Barry Enoch wears a Tudor Submariner with a custom leather cover intended to limit reflections. Running The Gun: One of the most common reasons people point to for wearing the watch inside the wrist is that it is easier to check the time when weapons handling during combat and/or Close Quarters Battle (CQB). The idea is that with the watch on your support hand extended on the rifle, the time is visible without canting or adjusting your wrist. While I wonder how often someone really checks the time during a gunfight, this theory likely has validity for those with extended periods lying prone and/or in a sniper hide where movement could give up your position. 10th Special Forces Group conducting CQB training. Additionally, some former SOF members I spoke with explained that wearing the watch inside the wrist makes it easier to check the time with bulky gloves and prevents grinding the watch into the wrist during push-ups and obstacle course runs. Cool Guy Fashion: Despite the many legitimate reasons for practitioners to wear watches on the inside of the wrist, I would argue that for many it boils down to culture and personal expression. “Tacticool” fashion, whether Merrell shoes, 5.11 pants, Oakleys or beards, and American Flag baseball hats, generally starts with SOF units, born out of utility. It is then picked up by the “regular” military and ultimately filters down to pop culture, civilians, and weekend warriors. SEAL Team TV Show. Why You Shouldn't “Inside Wrist” As a former CIA Case Officer, I generally avoid anything that is tacticool. While it may be a practical application for law enforcement, SpecOps, and uniformed military personnel, a black Digital Tool Watch on the inside of your wrist is a clear “tell,” a signal to others that one is a “quiet professional-gray man.” For Case Officers, who mostly operate in capital cities while undercover (i.e. posing as something they aren’t) this watch can make one stick out as much as a gold Rolex Daytona. That said, at the end of the day you should enjoy this hobby in any way you see fit. If you want to LARP as a Navy SEAL, LARP on. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: DARPA’s Take on the Next Generation of Military Watches *This Dispatch has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

When retired US Navy SEAL and friend of W.O.E. Dave Hall reached out saying he would be attending SOF Dive, an invite-only event for special operations divers, we told him to keep an eye out for cool watches. If you don’t know Dave, on top of being an old-school frogman, he’s the subject of one of our first and favorite profiles (read HERE). Dave is a dedicated watch enthusiast, and the owner of an incredible SEAL Team-issued Tudor “Snowflake” Submariner backed by a story you’ll have to read to believe. During his career, Dave also conducted a clandestine beach reconnaissance in Haiti in 1994 and deployed numerous times during the Global War On Terror (GWOT), earning a Purple Heart during a firefight on an Iraqi rooftop in 2004 before making an unlikely comeback to full duty. As you may have surmised from this introduction, Dave is the kind of guy who takes his work seriously, and the photos he sent and stories he relayed from SOF Dive were so intriguing we knew we had to share. As we often discuss, many at the tip of the undersea spear rely on Digital Tool Watches (D.T.W.) for timing, but Dave’s reporting proves once again there is a thriving community of analog tool watch users ascribing to the “Use Your Tools” ethos in the world of SpecOps, and especially diving. The Real Watches Worn By SOF Divers Dave locking out of a German submarine torpedo tube in 1991 while training with the German Kampfschwimmers. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) By Dave Hall Pre-Dive: As a retired career SEAL and an avid watch aficionado, I keep my eyes peeled for interesting watches on the wrists of interesting people I meet. I recently attended the SOF Dive 2024 event as a strategic advisor for Blueye Robotics, a Norwegian manufacturer of remotely operated vehicles or ROVs. This was the 3rd annual SOF Dive organized by Patriot3 and the second year it was held at the Fantasy Lake Adventure Park in Wake Forest, NC. The venue was perfect for combat swimmers from around the world to handle and dive new gear as well as to interface with the manufacturers of such specialized military diving equipment over the course of three days. SOF Dive presents a rare opportunity for combat divers from around the world to meet in person, test equipment, and talk shop. (Photo Credit: Patriot3, Inc.) Besides the diving, there was ample time to socialize after hours both onsite and at Compass Rose Brewery in nearby Raleigh. As a retired frogman, watch spotter, and Blueye Robotics rep, I was perfectly positioned to observe the various watches used by U.S. and allied special ops frogmen. Let’s dive into the watches of SOF Dive 2024. Leaving Surface: The event was a great opportunity for me to reconnect with some units I had worked with in the past and to discuss current trends in each unit’s equipment selection, mission needs, and watches. In addition to G-Shock and other affordable digital watches, there were more Garmins than I expected and a smattering of interesting analog tool watches, always great to see.  German Kampfschwimmer - The Sinn UX S One of my first stops was paying a visit to the Kommando Spezialkräfte Marine (KSM), a unit comprised of individual operators known as Kampfschwimmer or Combat Swimmers, Germany’s equivalent to our SEALs. I was fortunate to work with the Kampfschwimmers during my time in the Teams and learned a tremendous amount from them in Germany at the end of the Cold War in 1991. I saw a few guys jocking up in German Flecktarn camo wetsuits and went over to introduce myself. Asking if they were from Eckernförde and seeing smiles and affirmative nods, I closed in to finalize my bonafides. The author testing the extremely rare HK P11 in Germany in 1991. The rare HK was designed to fire tungsten darts in combat diving scenarios. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) I produced some pics on my phone of my time working with their unit in Germany in the early 90s and before you knew it, we were old friends talking shop. Apparently, the pictures I showed them are still on the walls of their headquarters back home in Germany and they recognized them instantly. With the visual creds established and after dropping some familiar names back and forth, we chatted about old unit members, new gear, and watches. One of the Kampfschwimmer’s Sinn UX S models alongside Dave’s well-worn U2. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) The group that attended SOF Dive was happy to show me their issued Sinn UX S watches, a special unit version of the brand’s oil-filled quartz diver with the crown at ten o’clock as opposed to the traditional four. The UX S issued to Kampfschwimmers is the most recent installment in the unit’s impressive horological history that also includes a special IWC Porsche Design titanium diver known as the Ocean “Bund”, which dates back to my time working with the Germans. The Kampfschwimmer UX S is virtually the same watch issued to GSG 9, Germany’s elite federal police tactical unit, but without a unit logo on the dial. “It’s a little stealthier that way”, the combat divers said with a wink. The KSM’s watch history also includes the titanium IWC Porsche Design Ocean Bund. (Watch Photo Credit: Hairspring) US Army Special Forces Demonstrated by this Special Forces operator wearing a Seamaster Diver 300 in 2023, there are watch nerds throughout the world of Special Operations (Photo Credit: 20th Special Forces Group) More commonly associated with terrestrial operations, US Army Special Forces maintains a comprehensive combat diving capability. Combat Diver qualified Green Berets from the 3rd, 7th, and 10th Special Forces Groups attended SOF Dive 2024. Interestingly, their watches varied from Group to Group. Let’s take a closer look. 10th Special Forces Group - Marathon TSAR Marathon is one of the only brands directly supplying the US Military with analog watches in 2024 (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) Hailing from their Headquarters in Fort Carson, Colorado, combat divers from the 10th Special Forces Group recently won the 2024 USASOC Best Combat Diver Competition held in Key West, Florida. All three members of the 10th SFG(A) attending SOF Dive 2024 displayed their unit-issued Marathon TSARs, each worn on aftermarket nylon straps. Combat divers from 10th Group recently won the 2024 USASOC Best Combat Diver Competition. (Photo Credit: US Army) Analog watches are generally preferred for oxygen rebreather operations by the most accomplished combat divers, so maybe the uniformly-issued TSAR is a small peek at the differentiator that makes 10th SFG (A) excel at the Combat Diver Competition. I’ve crossed paths with 10th Group guys many times in Europe over the years. They’ve always been top-notch, highly professional, and well-led soldiers. Marathon, a popular watch in our community, is well-known for supplying its SAR collection to US and Canadian military forces. 3rd Special Forces Group - A Casio & Garmins Garmin and Casio will always be popular among special operators. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) Two out of three of the operators from 3rd Group went for Garmin with one guy sporting a more rugged Casio, though it wasn’t technically a G-Shock. The Casio was a W736H-1AV and the Garmins appeared to be from the Tactix and Fenix families. The Casio with its easy-to-touch backlight button is great for checking those leg times on combat swimmer dives. According to the guys, Garmin smartwatches are catching on with 3rd Group divers, although I personally would relegate that watch mainly for compressed air dives rather than oxygen rebreather dives. As discussed in a recent Dispatch covering the assassination of former Russian submariner commander Stanislav Rzhitsky (read HERE), connected watches including Garmin and the Apple Watch also pose significant risks. I operated with 3rd SFG (A) in Afghanistan in 2005 and have nothing but admiration for the Army Special Forces men I have worked with from that Group. 7th Special Forces Group - The Timex Ironman Classic 30 A Timex Ironman on the wrist of a 7th Group operator. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) This watch surprised me but makes a certain amount of sense upon further examination. An affordable digital Timex is optimized for an owner who takes fitness seriously while still wanting to blend seamlessly into urban environments. The sole 7th Group guy I met was proud to display his Timex Ironman while his fellow SFers attempted to tease him. All in all, the Ironman isn’t a horrible watch for diving and there are other examples of Timex being used by SEALs and other special operators. Combat swimmer dives are typically rather shallow so the watch is more than adequate as far as watertight integrity. Former US Navy SEALs Jocko Willink (right) wearing a Timex Ironman in the 1990s while re-enlisting legendary SEAL and good friend Thomas “Drago” Dzieran (left). The Indiglo watch light feature attracted a lot of SEAL attention in the late 1980s. I purchased my own Timex before the G-Shocks were issued which were a little more rugged. I didn’t get to the bottom of whether this one was issued or personally purchased. I suppose it could go either way. US Marine Corps 2nd Force Reconnaissance - TAG Heuer, Sangin, & More Garmin A Garmin and a Sangin make a lot of sense, but the TAG Heuer was out of left field. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) With an operational emphasis on amphibious capabilities, it was no surprise to see the men of US Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance in attendance. Their watches were particularly interesting and once again demonstrated that watch enthusiasts are everywhere and by no means uncommon in special operations. Unsurprisingly, one Marine wore a Garmin Fenix Pro, but both of the others served up more obscure choices, with one opting for a GMT version of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer and the other Devil Dog choosing a Kinetic GMT from Sangin, a Marine SOF veteran-owned brand that has been profiled on W.O.E. in the past (read HERE). A couple of deep cuts from the men of USMC Force Recon. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) The use of GMT watches makes a lot of sense given the use of Zulu Time in military and intelligence operations. A Sangin on the wrist of a Marine special operator is also no big shocker given the founder of the company comes from that community, but a seldom-seen GMT version of the modern TAG Heuer Aquaracer is something I never would have expected. I can’t help but wonder what the story is there, and I didn’t get a chance to ask. I was fortunate to work closely with Marine Special Operations Forces during my SEAL career. My SEAL platoon trained with and deployed alongside a 2nd Force Recon Company from 1989 to 1990 and we often interacted with Recon Marines during exercises and deployments in the years following, including Marine Corps SOCOM Det ONE in 2004 while in Iraq. It’s always good to see these guys getting after it outside their quonset huts on Onslow Beach. Oorah, to them. French Commando Hubert - The Garmin Descent Mk2 A Garmin Descent Mk2 was worn by a frogman from the Commando Hubert. Better known for its connection to the Tudor Pelagos FXD, France’s Commando Hubert also utilizes more tech-forward digital smartwatches from Garmin for certain training and operational scenarios. However, when diving with a rebreather, members of the unit indicated they only use analog watches. Still, at least at SOF Dive, the French frogmen we met wore the Garmin Descent Mk2, essentially a hybrid between the Fenix fitness smartwatch and a full-service diving computer. We asked the Commando Hubert divers to wear their FXD watches to next year’s SOF Dive. (Photo Credit: Commando Hubert) Given W.O.E.’s recent release of the Commando Strap, which was designed for the Commando Hubert to use with its Tudor FXD unit watches, we might have preferred to see another two-line FXD in the wild, but it’s possible the operators making the trip to the United States preferred to keep their more expensive Tudor watches at home in Toulon. Of note is the custom camouflage wetsuit worn by Commando Hubert, which is produced by Beuchat, a French diving company associated with the Marine Nationale for decades. My SEAL platoon worked closely with Commando Hubert at the end of the Cold War while deployed in 1991 to Europe before and during a large NATO exercise. The post-exercise drinking in Scotland put my high school French teacher’s laborious instruction to good use. I stuck to English this time around and thankfully their English was much better than my French ever was.  Romanian 164th Naval Special Operations - Garmin A Romanian special operator—like many others at SOF Dive—utilized a Garmin for his diving needs. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) The Romanian divers were some of my favorites to speak with on this trip. They, like many of the other divers, utilized a Garmin for their diving needs. However, unlike the other divers at SOF Dive 2024, their country was not on the “good guy” list when I began my career in Naval Special Warfare in the late 1980s. Times change, and in Romania’s case, for the better, thankfully. I thoroughly enjoyed discussing their country with them and just generally affirming that frogmen the world over share a commonality through our experiences on and under the sea in very trying conditions that only those who have “been there and done that” truly understand. I was very honored to receive a challenge coin from the Romanians and wish them the very best. Pararescueman From The 24th Special Tactics Squadron (STS) - Even More Garmin The men of US Air Force Pararescue, commonly known as PJs, are the military’s elite rescue specialists, trained in emergency medicine as well as small unit tactics, diving, parachuting, and mountaineering. To maintain their qualifications, PJs have an intense training schedule, and the PJ I ran into had a picture of his young son displayed as a screensaver on his Garmin. PJs have one of the broadest mission sets in the US Military. (Photo Credit: US Air Force) I’ve worked with PJs in training and abroad. These guys are top-notch medical professionals. One of my SEAL sniper students later crossed decks and became a PJ and another crossed over and became a CCT. It didn’t surprise me in the least to see a JSOC PJ with a technical digital dive watch on his wrist. Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Group 8 Somewhat surprisingly, the SEAL Teams aren’t currently sending frogmen to SOF Dive, but there was a representative from Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Group 8, the parent command for SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 and 2 as well as other specialized reconnaissance units. Members of SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 float in a circle formation after surfacing from an emergency bail-out drill from a dry deck shelter during an exercise in the southern Pacific Ocean in 2012. (Photo Credit: US Navy) The support Navy First Class Diver from NSWG-8 wore his G-Shock to SOF Dive 2024. He explained that his issue watch is a Garmin but it’s a hassle removing the smartwatch when entering the classified workspaces at Group 8, so he generally prefers to wear his G-Shock. His Casio DW6900-1V served him adequately during SOF Dive 2024. As previously discussed in the W.O.E. Dispatch and our new video, G-Shock occupies a prominent position on the wrist of modern special operators, with four Casio G-Shock references earning an NSN or NATO Stock Number meaning the watches can be easily issued to US Military forces. Leaving Bottom, Surfacing, & Post Dive: Watch spotting is always fun. It’s especially fun at events like this. Garmin watches were pretty prevalent on the wrists of many of our allied SOF divers and were worn by numerous units beyond what we have listed here, including the Danish Frogman Corps or Frømandskorpset. That said, analog watches from various manufacturers are still very much out there on the wrists of serious SOF divers. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: The Pragmatic Journey of a SEAL Through Watch Collecting *Featured image credit: Patriot3, Inc.

Affordable Yet Capable Digital Watches Favored By SEALs, Special Forces, & Intelligence Officers It’s hard to believe we’re already on our third video on the W.O.E. YouTube Channel. There’s been a steep learning curve in adapting to the new platform, but the response has been surprising and humbling. THANK YOU for your support and stay tuned. We have a lot of great stuff in the pipeline. While W.O.E. often focuses on analog mechanical tool watches, the reality today is that the majority of special operators utilize affordable digital watches including the G-Shock, which has also been widely issued across the US Military in particular. Our third video provides an in-depth look at G-Shock, affordable digital watches from Japan that have earned a place on the wrists of elite military operators and intelligence officers since the 1980s. Whether you’re a seasoned luxury watch snob or a G-Shock fanboy, you can’t argue with the utility and unmatched durability offered by even the most inexpensive G-Shock models. -W.O.E.

Ukrainian Intelligence Services used smartwatch data to assassinate a Russian naval commander during his morning jog. The US Army released a Counterintelligence warning to the US Military. Last week, the US Army issued a warning to Department of Defense (DOD) personnel on the counterintelligence (CI) risks of smartwatches with a social media campaign entitled, “What’s wrong with this picture?” with a photo of a soldier typing on a computer wearing an Apple Watch. It reads: “Smartwatches can transmit sensitive information. Don’t be an insider threat - Think before you use a smartwatch in the field or on deployment.” If you are a regular reader of W.O.E., this should come as no surprise. We have written about “CIA Officers and Apple Watches” (Read HERE) including the 2017 Strava fitness app heatmaps and threats from “Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance” or UTS—the collection and long-term storage of data to analyze and connect individuals with other people, activities, and organizations. The campaign appears to highlight hostile services leveraging smartwatches to access computer networks as well as the sensitivities of wearing them “in the field.” A former Russian submariner commander, Stanislav Rzhitsky was killed after assailants learned his movements from the Strava fitness app. Smartwatch Assassination As a real-world example of a hostile service leveraging smartwatch data to enable a kinetic operation, in June 2023, Russian submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky was shot to death while on an early morning jog in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar.  According to Russian state-owned media, the assailant reportedly used Strava fitness tracker data to carry out the attack. Surprisingly, Rzhitsky maintained a public profile with the fitness tracker Strava tied to his real name, using data from his GPS-enabled Garmin Fenix 6X smartwatch to catalog running and cycling routes which regularly passed through a park where an unknown assailant ultimately shot him. The profile even contained publicly accessible pictures of Rzhitsky before and after workouts and even his shoe type, providing a valuable resource to the assassin for positive identification. While Ukrainian services denied involvement in the hit, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence did make a suspiciously detailed statement over Telegram shortly after the assassination: “The submariner was jogging in the ’30th Anniversary of Victory’ park in Krasnodar. Around 6 a.m., he was shot seven times with a Makarov pistol. As a result of the gunshot wounds, Rzhitsky died on the spot, Due to heavy rain, the park was deserted, so there were no witnesses who could provide details or identify the attacker.” According to press reporting, Rzhitsky was followed on his morning run by an individual on a bike into the 30th Anniversary of Victory Park. He was killed in a secluded area of the park in the early morning hours. Rzhitsky’s Garmin Fenix smartwatch was recovered at the scene. The submarine Krasnodar—commanded by Rzhitsky—was allegedly responsible for a 2022 missile strike killing Ukrainian civilians. (Photo Credit: USNI) If the attack was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence, the motive likely stems from a missile attack on the city of Vinnytsia in July 2022, which killed 28 people, including three children. Ukrainian media indicated the missiles were fired by a submarine called the Krasnodar which Rzhitsky commanded at the time. Of course, we have to be skeptical of all narratives from the Russian and Ukrainian press given the covert influence in this conflict. (Photo Credit: Strava) US Military & Smartwatches In recent years, there has been an explosion of US uniformed personnel wearing Apple Watches and other “wearables,” with many servicemen purchasing them on the open market and wearing them while in uniform. The health and physical fitness benefits are legitimate and can result in a more effective warfighter. The DOD has even gone as far as to issue Garmin Fenix 6S and other smartwatches in an “effort to help future leaders be better, faster.” (Ironically, this is the same watch worn by the Russian commander.) But the risks are real and according to an Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) bulletin from June 2023, service members across the military received unsolicited smartwatches in the mail, devices that auto-connected to wifi and other nearby devices. According to the report, the devices included malware that “accesses both voice and cameras, enabling actors to access conversations and accounts tied to smartwatches.” A report from Kaspersky, a cybersecurity company, suggests that the accelerometer data that tracks the movement of your wrist can be analyzed to determine passwords and credit card numbers. June 2023 Army CID Bulletin New Apple Watch Series 10 The timing of the more recent statement is fortuitous. Apple just unveiled the Apple Watch Series 10 the same week, on the 10th anniversary of the original Apple Watch. While we won't rehash the updates, suffice it to say the device still has a microphone, cellular and Bluetooth capabilities, and updated software to collect biometrics and track your every move.  Intelligence services around the globe were likely analyzing this release closely, in an effort to identify vulnerabilities for exploitation. According to publicly available data, an estimated 1.3 million Americans maintain a Top Secret security clearance and a total of 4.2 million people have access to classified information. Industry estimates suggest 10 to 20% of all Americans use a smartwatch or fitness tracker, which—if this percentage holds for members of the intelligence community and military—creates significant attack vectors to be exploited for pattern-of-life tracking and to attempt to access classified and Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) networks. A Delta Force operator wearing an Apple Watch in Afghanistan in 2019. But I Am Not A Spy, Why Should I Care? Of course, most people will say, “I am not a super spy, why do I care if someone tracks me?” The 2023 Army CID report indicated the malware could access credit card information and potentially report that back to a home base to be exploited. Further, it doesn't matter if you are a Russian submarine commander or just a regular person. In 2022, Moriah Wilson, a 25-year-old elite cyclist, was tracked using Strava data and murdered in Texas by another woman who was involved with the same man as Wilson. After Wilson’s death, Strava reportedly added functionality obscuring start and end locations for fitness activities and further privacy-enhancing features, but the app still risks sharing significant information about a person’s location and routes that could be exploited by bad actors. What Can I Do About It? The simplest solution is to go analog. Don’t be a fool, use a real tool. Even the best state hackers (APTs) can’t hack a Seiko. Save the smartwatches for fitness-only activity and ensure your settings on the data are as restricted and “private” as possible. That said, we understand some W.O.E. professions require a GPS-enabled timepiece to effectively carry out specific tasks. In this case, we encourage you to explore some of the privacy-conscious models like Garmin that contain a “Stealth Mode” that (supposedly) disables tracking technology and a “kill switch” to delete all of your data. However, these functions are only as good as the provider, and Garmin has been the subject of several targeted attacks, including a 2020 ransomware hack where the company reportedly paid Russian cyber criminals $10 million to regain access to systems. If you work for an elite unit, make sure you pass this watch to your tech specialists to see if it really does what it claims to do. Given my background, I am always skeptical of technical solutions for technical problems… sometimes it's best to do things the old-fashioned way. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: CIA Officers and Apple Watches

From G-Shock To Garmin, Digital Watches Have Served At The Forefront Of Modern Warfare Whether watch nerds like it or not, digital tool watches (D.T.W.) have usurped their analog and mechanical siblings in the vast majority of military, law enforcement, and intelligence scenarios. Looking beyond the prominent subset of watch enthusiasts in our community who embody the “Use Your Tools” ethos by way of any number of “luxury” timepieces, most regular humans in need of a capable watch look to attainable digital watches from a few prominent brands including G-Shock, Garmin, Suunto, and others For watches associated with the military, no crucible provides better proof of utility than sustained service in combat, with some of history’s most legendary designs influenced by their use in global conflicts. Where the Vietnam War served as a proving ground for legends including the Rolex and Tudor Submariner, certain Seiko models, and the Tornek-Rayville TR-660, modern digital watches in many ways came into their own during the Global War On Terror (GWOT), a period spanning two decades after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. A US Army Special Forces operator wearing a Suunto Vector in Afghanistan during the GWOT. During combat and intelligence operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous other theaters, digital tool watches evolved from the basic G-Shock models that were in many respects unchanged from the original 1983 DW-5000C to the full suite of modern tactical and outdoor-oriented smartwatches from brands like Garmin and Suunto. In this Dispatch, we’ll discuss some of the most impactful digital watches utilized by SpecOps, military, and intelligence professionals during the Global War On Terror, leaning into photographic evidence, anecdotal examples from members of the community, and records detailing military and government purchase orders. If you’re into LARPing—you know who you are—or just solid digital watches, most of these models are still readily available and impressively inexpensive. Casio F91W - $23 A model we once called “The Preferred Watch Of Terrorists”, the legendary Casio F91W is among the most successful watches of all time, having sold over 120 million units since its debut in 1993, typically for well under $20 a pop. In contrast to many of the watches to follow, the F91W is known for its use on both sides of the GWOT including not only US and coalition forces but also insurgents and terrorists including none other than Usama bin Laden right up until his brief meeting with SEAL Team Six in 2011. A female TEO operator of Germany’s Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) wearing a Casio F91W in 2021. In addition to its use on the wrist, the F91W also served as what is known in national security circles as “dual-use technology,” something that at an initial glance has a legitimate civilian utility but can also be used for military or paramilitary applications, i.e. as a timer for an IED, pipe bomb, or shaped charge. Perhaps held back by its smaller 35.2mm wide by 38.2mm long case, poor backlight, and limited water resistance, the F91W never became a popular option for official military procurement but has still served as the cheapest thing that works, easily purchased at the PX or on the economy by countless service members—and terrorists—over the years. Casio Pro-Trek - $280-500 A USAF Pararescueman of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron wears a Casio Pro-Trek while conducting in-water training in 2012. Technically unrelated to the G-Shock beyond having the same parent organization in Casio, Pro-Trek also has one of the most impressive service records of any digital watch during the Global War On Terror. Having been selected by countless special operators and conventional troops, the Pro-Trek takes a small step from being just a basic timepiece to something more with integrated “ABC” or altimeter, barometer, and compass functions that—at least in a pinch—assist with way-finding in austere combat situations without requiring Bluetooth or other network connectivity that could compromise the wearer. Retired US Navy SEAL Dave Hall wearing a Casio Pro-Trek in Afghanistan. (Photo Credit: Dave Hall) Despite only being rated to 100 meters of water resistance in most instances, the Pro-Trek was still often the watch of choice for amphibious military members including retired US Navy SEAL Dave Hall who often wore a Pro-Trek on his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Digging into government records, Pro-Trek references PAW 1500-1V, PAG240-1, PRW2500-1A, and 130-1T were all purchased through government channels during the GWOT, mostly by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is a major testing and supply hub for the broader US Air Force. G-Shock From left to right, the DW5600-1V, DW6600-1V, and DE6900-1V are some of the most commonly purchased G-Shock models by military organizations. There was, as you’d expect, no shortage of G-Shocks used by service members during the GWOT. Dating back to 1983, the G-Shock revolutionized the watch industry by presenting a level of durability that was previously unthinkable for watches. With a basic case concept conceived by iconic Casio designer Kikuo Ibe after seeing a child bouncing a rubber ball, the original parameters for the G-Shock called for “Triple 10” resistance, meaning the watch needed to be able to survive a fall from 10 meters, resist water pressure to 10 atmospheres (100 meters), and provide 10 years of battery life. SOCCOM purchased 1000 units of G-Shock model G9000-1V in 2014 despite the reference’s lack of an NSN. (Photo Credit: US Navy) Catching on with military, law enforcement, and emergency professionals, the G-Shock has evolved over the years to include a wide variety of smartwatch-style functions. Still, while other more complicated G-Shock models have been purchased on a unit basis, only four basic references have been awarded an NSN or NATO Stock Number, making them readily available for military procurement and issue. All four also saw active service during the GWOT, as did non-NSN models including the Mudman (G9000-1V), which was ordered by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in 2014 in separate orders of 400 and 600 units. DW5600-1V - $75 A USAF Combat Controller wearing a DW5600-1V in Afghanistan. A direct descendant of the original G-Shock, the DW5000C, the DW5600-1V was introduced in 1996. Often the least expensive G-Shock on the market at around $40, the 5600 provides one of the smallest and least obtrusive wearing experiences of any Shock, coming in at 48.9 by 42.8mm wide by 48.9mm long by 13.4mm thick. Given its entry-level price point, the suite of functions is simple by modern digital standards but does provide just about everything the basic military member could ever need while also offering G-Shock’s legendary durability. In the GWOT’s early years, this was the most commonly spotted watch on members of the military and intelligence services, even playing a role in CIA’s early anti-terror efforts in Afghanistan. DW6600-1V - Discontinued A young Chris Kyle on deployment wearing the Casio G-Shock DW6600-1V. Commonly associated with Chris Kyle, the US Navy SEAL who inspired 2014’s American Sniper, the DW6600-1V will always be considered the GWOT Navy SEAL watch. Beyond the utility, the DW6600 also became part of Team Guy culture. According to former SEAL Rob Huberty, “One of my proudest days at BUDS was when I went from a naked wrist to an issued G-Shock. In SEAL training, you aren’t allowed to wear a watch until you earn it. We weren’t allowed to wear our uniforms in town, but when I saw Team Guys in Coronado, their sleeve tattoos and G-Shocks were a dead giveaway.” Former US Navy SEAL, Harvard-educated medical doctor, and current astronaut Jonny Kim wearing a DW6600-1V on deployment in Iraq. From a use-case perspective, the DW6600-1V was a near-perfect choice for the SEALs, with the watch’s stopwatch feature working as a dive timer, a powerful backlight with a large button, and more durability than most could ever need. Some even say the little fin-shaped indices on the display could be used to time fin kicks during underwater navigational scenarios. Surprisingly, the classic version of the DW6600-1V has been discontinued since 2010, with Naval Special Warfare Command placing what was likely its final order for this specific reference in 2009 referencing a SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) supply list. The similarly styled DW6900-1V has largely taken its place, but we would argue a reissue is in order. DW6900-1V - $85 A DW6900-1V in its military-specific packaging shows the NSN for “Watch, Wrist” at the top. (Photo Credit: Reddit) The successor to the DW6600, the 6900-series swapped the fin-shaped elements on its display for a trio of tiny circles visually indicating the passing seconds while maintaining the proven case and strap format. Another commonly purchased item across the US Military, the basic DW6900 now seems to be one of the defacto purchase orders for any unit or organization looking for a solid digital watch including members of the SpecOps community. A USAF Pararescuemen wears a DW6900-1V in 2015. (Photo Credit: US Air Force) DW9052-1V - $75 A Force Recon Marine wearing a DW9052-1V in 2013. (Photo Credit: US Marine Corps) A G-Shock more commonly spotted during the second half of the GWOT is the DW9052-1V, which provides several key differences compared to the aforementioned models. For one, the 9052 utilizes larger square plastic buttons that are significantly easier to operate with gloves while also having hinged lugs more like a traditional watch, meaning the interface between the case and strap isn’t as stiff as other G-Shocks. Like the 6600 and 6900, the 9052 provides an easily accessed front light button. Despite being initially launched in 1995 and relaunched in 2011, the 9052 series does not appear to have found widespread military use until the tail end of the GWOT on terror, now being commonly spotted on the wrist of select military divers in particular, which stands to reason as the 9052 was a standard issue gear item for students attending a variety of diving courses at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) for years. For a complete look at the US Military’s history with G-Shock, click HERE. Other Brands: Beneath the long shadow cast by Casio and the G-Shock collection in particular, several other brands made inroads into the digital tool watch space during the GWOT, first with brands like Timex and Suunto and later with Garmin as smartwatches entered the tactical fold. Timex Ironman Classic - $63 The humble Timex Ironman was issued by CIA to partner forces during the GWOT. Often playing second fiddle to celebrated G-Shock models, the Timex Ironman deserves its place in any discussion of digital timing during the GWOT, having been used not only by conventional military forces but also by US intelligence agencies, including CIA, which issued the Ironman to Afghan partner forces. Dating back to 1984 and the Timex Triathlon, the Ironman name was officially introduced in 1986 after Timex obtained the rights to the growing Ironman franchise. Designed to be rugged enough for swimming, biking, and running in the ridiculous sport of Ironman-distance triathlons, the Timex Ironman found its place among military and NatSec circles by virtue of its attainable price point, legible display, useful timing functions, and stout build. Former US Navy SEAL Jocko Willink is known for wearing Timex Ironman watches before, during, and after the GWOT. We have spotted Ironman watches on the wrists of US Navy SEALs and other members of the SpecOps community including former SEAL Jocko Willink who wore a Timex Ironman before and during the GWOT and continues to wear the humble digital watch despite his success as an author, podcaster, and leadership guru. We assume Jocko thinks the watch is “GOOD”. Suunto Vector - Discontinued A US Army soldier calls in an airstrike while wearing a Suunto Vector in Afghanistan in 2009. (Photo Credit: US Army) Another outdoors-oriented watch with ABC functionality that saw no shortage of action in Iraq and Afghanistan was the Suunto Vector, which was produced between 1998 and 2015 almost without change, a testament to the original design. With an Achilles heel of only 30 meters of water resistance, the Vector was still a great choice for urban and desert warfare, with its integrated altimeter being especially useful for mountain operations. Recognizing the trend, Suunto, a Finland-based brand, leaned into the watch’s popularity among US military members, creating an olive green variant that nails the early 2000s “tacticool” look on the head. Multiple orders for the Vector were placed by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 2014 and 2015, with another interesting order coming from the FBI in 2021 (Presumably for SWAT Teams). Suunto Core Classic - $219 A US Navy SEAL wearing a Suunto Core on deployment. Where the Suunto Vector was in all ways intended as a mountaineering watch for REI nerds that grew to become a military favorite, it felt like Suunto knew what they were doing when they introduced the Core in 2007. While the new watch still technically only provided 30 meters of water resistance, Suunto obviously felt strongly enough about the watch’s amphibious ability to engineer a depth gauge function in addition to the standard ABC capabilities the brand is known for. Intriguingly, the depth gauge was only rated to 33 feet (10 meters), which happens to be the maximum operating depth of a pure oxygen rebreather such as the LAR V used by US Navy SEALs. A coincidence? Perhaps, but conspiracy theories are a lot more fun. What is for sure is the Core’s appeal among SpecOps units, with multiple orders placed for the model by Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and USSOCOM starting in 2010. 5.11 H.R.T. Titanium - Discontinued A young Chris Craighead wearing the seldom-seen 5.11 H.R.T. Titanium watch. (Photo Credit: Chris Craighead) Despite making a bunch of quality tactical gear, 5.11 is not known for its watches. That said, the analog-digital HRT model did have its day during the Global War On Terror, even issued to and worn by “Obi-Wan Nairobi” AKA Chris Craighead who wore the watch on deployment in his SAS days (but not his famed single-handed efforts in Kenya). That said, from what we can tell, 5.11’s watches were not formally purchased by the US Government and they aren’t commonly spotted in our research, which also indicates the watches did not obtain the reputation for durability possessed by G-Shock and other names on this list. Garmin A US Navy SEAL conducts training with a Garmin Fenix on the wrist. (Photo Credit: US Navy) When it comes to modern military watches, the new elephant in the room is Garmin, though the brand is not without its complications when it comes to modern warfare. Garmin also has a long-standing history with the US Military, having provided a wide variety of GPS-related equipment throughout the GWOT and today. An evolution of the “smartwatch” genre kicked off by Apple’s Apple Watch in 2015, Garmin’s outdoors and tactical-oriented collection of watches provides more functionality than a Timex or G-Shock could ever dream of, including active heart rate monitoring, GPS, an incredible array of sport and fitness specific functions, and in some cases, even parachuting and ballistics-specific capabilities. The suite of tech is no doubt compelling, but also Bluetooth or otherwise “connected” watches run the risk of being utilized to track or monitor troops in a theater of war or intelligence officers. Still, Garmin’s fitness and tactical smartwatches have been widely ordered through government channels over the last 10 years or so including much of the end of the GWOT. Garmin Instinct - $300-500 Pictured on an Indian Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) operator during training with an East Coast-based SEAL Team, the Garmin Instinct has become popular with military members around the world since its inception in the closing years of the GWOT. (Photo Credit: US Navy) Now in its second iteration, the Instinct, originally released in 2018, is where Garmin’s GPS-enabled smartwatch collection kicks off. The case, strap, user interface, and display are simpler compared to more premium models, but you still get GPS capabilities that sync with multiple satellite systems, all of the ABC functions you could ever want, solar charging on some models, and apps for sports, with the watch also conforming to the 810 Military Standard for shock and water resistance. While it was only around at the tail end of the GWOT and does not appear to have been purchased en masse through official channels, the Instinct often appears on the wrist of military members during the final years of the conflict. Garmin Fenix - $640-1,000 A Garmin Fenix on the wrist of a US Air Force Pararescueman in 2019. (Photo Credit: US Air Force) The most widely purchased wrist-worn Garmin during the GWOT and now in its seventh iteration, the Fenix was launched in 2012 as an outdoors smartwatch with an impressive array of fitness functions in addition to GPS capabilities. A search of government records reveals dozens of orders for Garmin Fenix models starting with an AFSOC order in 2015 with continuous follow-up orders from the Air Force’s SpecOps community ever since. Further orders for Fenix models have come from the US Army’s Air Combat Command, 855th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Beyond these official orders, many other small-scale orders were likely placed through civilian channels with government funds. Garmin Tactix - $1,000-1,600 A US Navy SEAL wears a Garmin Fenix or Tactix during training operations. (Photo Credit: US Navy) Essentially a special version of the Fenix, the Garmin Tactix takes the GPS and fitness functions and adds features specific to use in tactical or military environments including a display mode intended for use with night vision, ballistics calculators, and a jumpmaster mode for parachuting. As you’d expect, the Tactix is popular among military organizations, having been ordered by AFSOC as early as 2015, certain US Marine Corps units including Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) over the years. Whether Digital Or Analog, Use Your Tools Whether we like it or not, most modern operators trust digital tool watches—even Apple Watches—over Swiss luxury brands. While we often profile Intelligence Officers and Special Operators wearing Seikos and fine Swiss timepieces, the fact is that the majority of practitioners leverage DTWs to complete their tasks. From G-Shock to Suunto to Timex to Garmin or even the Apple Watch, digital watches served as tools on every front of the Global War On Terror, the most impactful global conflict in modern times, evolving along the way to include smartwatch-style capabilities that, while challenging in some respects, provide a modern soldier or intelligence asset with an unprecedented level of technical capability. As watch enthusiasts, we would perhaps like to see more analog mechanical watches on the wrists of modern military members. Still, in many cases, digital watches are simply a better tool for the job. Whether you’re wearing an Omega Seamaster or a Casio F91W, as long as you live the “Use Your Tools” ethos, we’re here for you. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: DARPA’s Take on the Next Generation of Military Watches

Is an Obscure Islamic Digital Watch The New Choice Of Terrorists & Non-State Actors? We once called the Casio F91W the “Preferred Watch Of Terrorists” based largely on its associations with Usama bin Laden who was often photographed wearing the attainable Japanese digital watch before his impromptu meeting with SEAL Team Six in 2011. However, recent photographs of leaders of prominent terrorist organizations may indicate a changing tide in the arena of tool watches of terror. The watches are produced by a brand called Al-Fajr, which is based in Saudi Arabia and known for its collection of what it calls “Islamic” watches and clocks that have functions specific to Islam including prayer time alarms and the ability to determine Qibla direction. We have written extensively about politicians and world leaders using timepieces as subtle communicative objects, and terrorist leaders are no different. The price is modest, ranging from sub-$100 to $300, marking an affordable option for the supposed pious individuals, many of which have access to extensive sums of money. Siraj Haqqani, seen here wearing an Al-Fajr watch, is the Taliban’s Interior Minister in Afghanistan’s post-2021 government. While the associations are likely unintended, the brand’s roots and Islamic functions have made the brand the new watch of choice for several leaders of prominent terror organizations including but not limited to Hamas, the Islamic State, and the Taliban. *To be very clear, this article is not a condemnation of Al-Fajr or Islam, just an observation of the tools worn by those at the tip of the (terrorism) spear.  Also, coverage does not equal endorsement, each of these groups is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the US Department of State. Hamas Assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh wearing an intriguing digital Al-Fajr Islamic watch. The impetus for this article stems from the events of July 31st, 2024, when the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in the Iranian capital of Tehran. In recent photographs preceding his assassination, which was reportedly carried out by Israeli assets who placed an explosive device in a guesthouse in which he was supposed to stay, Haniyeh wore an Al-Fajr Islamic watch, marking one of our first interactions with the brand. As with all politicians or world leaders, it is safe to assume this Islam-specific watch was also worn to convey a message, one that is not exclusive to the departed Hamas leader. Read about watches worn in the Israel-Palestine conflict HERE. ISIS ISIS Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi wearing an Al-Fajr watch in 2014. Former Islamic State Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made one of his few public appearances in 2014 when he delivered a sermon at the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, Iraq. Press reporting was quick to note the steel watch on his right hand, speculating that it was potentially an expensive Rolex or Omega “Seafarer.” (Of note, there is no Omega “Seafarer”.) This would have been notable in itself; however, it appears the watch is another example of an Al-Fajr Islamic watch being worn by a prominent terrorist. Further, he was also wearing the watch on his right hand, which some believe is in line with Islamic tradition. ISIS maintained a sophisticated PR and media wing that could rival any nation-state, so it stands to reason that significant thought was put into al-Baghdadi’s watch before this recording of one of his few public appearances, but of course, this is simply speculation. Taliban Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban’s Defense Minster, photographed in 2024 wearing a general’s military uniform and a gold-tone Al-Fajr Islamic watch. Anointed the Taliban’s Defense Minister in the wake of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Mullah Yaqoob was recently photographed wearing a military uniform complete with the rank of general and another, slightly different watch from Al-Fajr with a gold-tone case. As was the case for Ismail Haniyeh, choosing a watch produced by a brand based in the Middle East with Islam-centric functionality serves two-fold, first acting as a legitimate tool for a practitioner of Islam and second as an element of propaganda intended to showcase the ingenuity and technical manufacturing capabilities of the broader Islamic world. When A Watch Is More Than Just A Watch As we’ve often discussed with political leaders and other globally impactful individuals, a watch often serves as far more than its core timekeeping functionality may suggest, instead acting as a symbol of power, ingenuity, and/or unity within certain communities. For leaders of terrorist organizations to wear watches designed with Islam in mind especially when in the public eye demonstrates an awareness of the importance of media, propaganda, and influence, once again demonstrating that it’s never just a watch. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: CIA Analysis of Foreign Leaders’ Timepieces *Featured Image Credit: Claire Harbage/NPR

How Has DARPA Imagined the Future of Wristwatches? The unquantifiable nature of watches is that these little mechanical objects can be imbued with stories of service, sacrifice, and relationships. When W.O.E. covers watches, we often shy away from product reviews and instead look at the human element that makes watches meaningful. But to DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a watch certainly isn’t a vessel for men and women who have served the nation to mark their achievements or service. It isn’t actually about the stories. A watch can only play one role: to provide the United States with a technological advantage against adversaries. DARPA’s mission is simple: To make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security. When it comes to modifying and creating watches for the purpose of gathering intelligence and performing counterintelligence operations, the Agency’s in-house Directorate of Science & Technology (DS&T) is responsible. More on that HERE. (The name of the Center/Directorate has changed over the years, but the mission remains the same). DARPA’s scope is much different. It spans the entire Department of Defense, meaning the projects they lead have a much broader national security application beyond intelligence collection. As an Agency solely dedicated to Defense, the mission of the organization is not linked to a single operational capability, instead it serves as a “technological engine” that supplies the entire DoD with advanced solutions to maintain US technological superiority. The lead picture of this article is RoboSimian during a DARPA robotics challenge, designed to advance the use of robots in disaster situations. In Hollywood, DARPA is often depicted as the secret underground laboratory that’s reverse engineering alien spacecraft or working on time travel machines. This isn’t an accurate portrayal, instead DARPA is headquartered in the DC burbs and works on sometimes-mundane projects that serve the entire DoD, not just the stuff having to do with propulsion systems borrowed from little green men and global weather modification platforms.  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Headquarters  Arlington, Virginia, United States DARPA is credited with playing a pivotal role in creating the internet, providing the world with GPS technology, and even HAARP, a research station in Alaska that gathers data about the ionosphere. It’s also a popular subject of conspiracy theories, even more so today in the age of podcasts and social media. If there’s a piece of equipment the military uses, DARPA looks to optimize it and provide the United States with a competitive advantage when it comes to national security and defense, and that even means the humble wristwatch has been scrutinized by DARPA to maximize its role on the battlefield. The Atomic Clock–From Laboratory to Soldiers’ Wrists Patek Philippe & Hewlett Packard Atomic Clock (circa 1960s) (Image Credit: M.S. Rau Antiques  / @DrGarcia) Neophytes in the watch world often use accuracy and precision interchangeably. Accuracy in timekeeping is how close a clock or watch can come to a constant true and accepted value. Precision, on the other hand, is how much variance there is in measuring said time. Here’s where it gets interesting–both the most accurate and most precise clock is the atomic clock. An atomic clock works by taking cooling down cesium-133 atoms and then measuring the oscillations at the atomic level with specialized lasers. Cesium-133 “vibrates” at 9,192,631,770 times a second, providing a standardized unit to measure time. This produces the most accurate–and most precise clock in the world. A number of universities and research labs maintain atomic clocks around the world, like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Colorado and Maryland; and the National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom. Of course, Switzerland is home to one as well, at The Time and Frequency Laboratory at the University of Neuchâtel. NIST physicist Judah Levine with the NIST time scale that maintains official U.S. civilian time. NIST atomic clocks are used to calibrate the time scale. (Photo Credit: NIST) These laboratories occupy entire wings of campus buildings and research centers, but DARPA has the vision of using Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to shrink down the system and install it on a single chip. A chip-scale atomic clock would benefit DoD by not only creating a near-perfect time reference across all military forces, but greatly reducing the footprint increases the mobility of military communication systems. Additionally, it’s impervious to jamming. The first time this technology was mentioned was in a 2004 fiscal report prepared for the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, House Armed Services Committee, U.S. House of Representatives.  DARPA’s Projected Future Wristwatch Applications This chip-scale atomic clock technology most recently became part of a larger DARPA initiative called Robust Optical Clock Network (ROCkN) in 2022. But instead of a theoretical study, the objectives are clearly defined: The clock was to be used aboard fighter jets, Navy ships, satellites, and eventually a wristwatch.  Modern GPS systems, communication systems, and even the internet, operate down to nanoseconds, and this is exactly why synchronization is still important. Timing matters here because packets of data need to be exactly where they need to be, when they need to be there. If it’s even slightly off the packets get scrambled or lost. Add in the threat of cyberwarfare and timing becomes even more important. Most atomic clocks have a +1/-1 variance over a time span of 31.71 million years. The idea with ROCkN is to get them down to an accuracy of a trillionth of a second. And every single device would be on one network, running at this level of accuracy. This is exactly the kind of moonshot idea the DARPA specializes in. As with most of their projects, this technology exists in the future.  After all, we’ve come a long way in 2023 from DARPA’s initial early-’90s vision for the wristwatch. Before the miniaturized atomic clock, DARPA conceptualized what would eventually become something functionally similar to the smart watch of today.  Patent document for wearable computer packaging device Celebration and Skepticism Around Wrist-Computing In 1998, Military+Aerospace Electronics magazine ran a piece titled DARPA Describes Vision of Wearable Computing. In it, author Chris Chinnock describes a DARPA-led program about a decade earlier, that allowed soldiers of the future to utilize “wearables”, like a wristwatch, to plug into a MIL-STD 1553 bus interface and run tests to determine feasibility of repair and maintenance in the field. The idea was that “Interactive electronic technical manuals would be on the wearable computer, and wireless communications would enable the operator to order replacement parts via the World Wide Web.” Wearables are still being researched and developed, during the Covid-19 pandemic, DARPA has invested in an early-detection projection leveraging the Oura Ring.  Air Force 18th Component Maintenance Squadron wearing a Garmin watch and an Oura ring as part of a 2021 study(Photo Credit:/ U.S. Air Force) Beyond interacting with machinery on the battlefield, DARPA’s vision carried over to large-scale communication, much like the 1940s Dick Tracey model of using your wristwatch like a two-way radio and tracking device. DARPA-backed ViA Inc. of Northfield, Minnesota came close to developing a wristwatch that doubles as a folding computer, much like a laptop. The user would raise their wrist, flip open the screen, and type messages and commands with the other hand in addition to using voice commands. But the idea wasn’t widely adopted. Wearing technology on your body–or wrist–took some getting used to, the story states: People felt uncomfortable talking to the computer," says Dick Urban, deputy director of the electronic technology office at DARPA…There was a cultural barrier that was inhibiting the use of such a novel computing platform. Those early users were certainly on to something. Not only is interacting with an inanimate object inherently difficult, it also introduces a security threat. In 2017, More than 3 trillion data points were compromised and used to reveal the location of sensitive military locations in Syria, Niger, and Afghanistan. Open-source data from Strava, an app designed for the Apple Watch, was used to pinpoint these locations. Now it’s second nature to interact casually with a so-called smart watch, and one day DARPA’s atomic wristwatch will adorn the wrist of service members. But for now, the military will have to make do with G-shocks, Tudors, and Marathons. And that’s just fine with us here at W.O.E.    READ NEXT: Trading a Rolex to Get out of a Sticky Situation - Myth or Reality?  

The watches of the most powerful men in the world, the Commander in Chief

Travel Pouch And Challenge Coin - Third Option Foundation Fundraise Modern Navy SEAL Watch Culture - GBRS Group and Watches of Espionage Collaboration  We have written extensively about the history of Navy SEALs and watches.  From Tudor Submariner 7928’s issued in Vietnam and Seiko 6309-7049’s during the Cold War days to the modern day Digital Tool Watches of the legendary G-Shock.  In present day Naval Special Warfare, watch culture is strong and many “Team Guys” have high end tool watches, including Rolex, Breitling, Panerai, Tudor, Omega, Bremont and various other timepieces. The reason is simple.  Many of the modern day “tool watches” were originally designed for maritime use, and specifically as military dive watches.  The predecessors of the modern Frogmen were the intended end user for the tool watches of the mid-20th century. Wearing these pieces in the present day is a nod to those who came before, the forefathers who developed the fieldcraft and tactics employed today. In the culture of Intelligence and Special Operations heritage and history is important.  We honor those who paved the way for our trade. Original UDT/SEAL issued Tudor Submariner ref. 7928 (James Rupley) To the outsider, modern day SEAL watch culture can be difficult to comprehend.  Why would a SEAL with a limited government salary spend that much money on a watch?  The idea seems to contradict the practical nature of SOF, which favors function over everything else.  In preparation for the GBRS-W.O.E. fundraiser for Third Option Foundation, we asked former Navy SEALs Cole Fackler and DJ Shipley to give a Rundown of their personal experience with watches and watch culture in the SEAL Teams. As stated by former Navy SEAL and co-founder of GBRS Group:  “It’s a part of the culture and tells a lot about the wearer of that particular piece.  The cost isn’t as important as the backstory or the sentimental value of a piece and the story you both share together.In the military you are issued particular watches, most get a standard watch like a G-Shock, easy to operate and can withstand almost anything that the user can.  As we got older it became custom to upgrade your issued watch for a more luxury watch as a statement piece.As you hit certain goals and milestones in life, you would add a timepiece to remember the occasion or that period in your life.  It was customary in the SEAL Teams to wear a Rolex at a certain stage in your career, you treated that watch just like it was a hundred dollar G-Shock, you did everything in it.It was always a funny sight in a chow hall overseas, all the guys have long hair and beards, covered in dust from the helicopters, absolutely filthy and still have on a Rolex. There is a cult following around watches that plagues a lot of us.” W.O.E.-GBRS Group Collaboration - Third Option Foundation Fundraise Earlier this year we approached GBRS Group about a possible collaboration for charity.  Cole and DJ agreed without hesitation and were eager to support Third Option Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting the CIA’s paramilitary officers of the Special Activities Center (SAC).  The relationship between Naval Special Warfare and the CIA is close, particularly for the paramilitary officers who recruit heavily from the SEAL Teams. “TOF provides funding to the Agencies Paramilitary officers, a lot are former colleagues, and suffer severe injuries while working with that organization.  The Third Option Foundation bridges the gap and supports those still in the shadows that never receive recognition for their sacrifices.  As a small way to say thank you, we donated the last of our AOR1 uniforms to be used in making these travel cases.  The funds raised support a fantastic group of people who truly deserve it. If you’re a watch enthusiast, you’re gonna want this for your collection.” Thank you to everyone who made this possible.  Please consider a donation to Third Option Foundation to support the men and women at the tip of the spear. For additional information on Navy SEAL Watches: A Navy SEAL’s Rolex Submariner On The Osama Bin Laden Raid SEAL Team Six And A U.S. Navy-Issued Seiko Turtle The History Of Casio G-Shocks And The US Military The Pragmatic Journey Of A SEAL Through Watch Collecting

Special Agent Mel Harrison served in the US State Department for twenty-eight years, mostly as a Regional Security Officer in the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The role of a DSS Agent overseas is to advise the U.S. Ambassador on all security matters and to protect U.S. personnel, facilities, and information.  One common theme throughout Mel’s career was the presence of a situationally correct timepiece on his wrist. The relationship between Diplomatic Security's Regional Security Officer (RSO) and the CIA Station is vital to keeping Americans safe abroad. The RSO has the benefit of the US Marines and contract guard force under his command, but with vital intelligence assessments from the CIA Chief of Station, the RSO is able to assess the severity of the threat and can credibly request specific host government assets to protect the Embassy and its personnel congruent to the threat level.  Mel at Handy Side Gate, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan wearing Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 1500, circa 1988 Watches of Diplomatic Security When I joined the old Office of Security in 1971, watches held no fascination for me. Serving in Saigon and Quito from 1973-76, I owned an ordinary and inexpensive Seiko, and later added my first automatic Seiko Diver’s watch with both day and date. My watch addiction began to grow when I returned for a DC assignment and purchased a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date 1500 and a Hamilton manual-wind military-style watch. The Rolex served me well in the office, and the Seiko and Hamilton were perfect while assigned to VIP protective details where punctuality was vital, and events might get rough and tumble. I was satisfied with this trio until assigned to the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy in 1982. I noticed a Canadian Air Force pilot and fellow student who wore a wristwatch with luminescent hands and indices, but there was no brand name on the dial. The watch was issued to him by the Canadian government and it was the first time I became aware of military issued watches. My onward assignment was to London, where I discovered a large number of books on historical military watches, and antique markets filled with actual service watches. In my view, above all else, watches are tools. Whether one values accuracy, toughness, functionality, dependability, or just plain looks, the choices should match the needs of the job, the work environment, and do so without breaking the bank. Before arriving for a three year assignment in Islamabad, Pakistan in 1987, I added an Omega Speedmaster to my small collection. It was amazingly accurate and legible. But without a date function, I wore it somewhat less than I would have liked. I eventually sold it in London. Mel in Darra Adam Khel weapons bazar, Pakistan circa 1988. My Seiko divers watch on a rubber strap became my favorite in Pakistan. I was wearing it in February 1989 when a mob of 8,000 rioters attacked the American Center in Islamabad, where I was leading a small staff in its defense. The police tried their best to keep the rioters out of the Cultural Center, but they were overwhelmed and we were forced to do some hand-to-hand fighting to keep the mob from coming through the broken windows. US Embassy attack Islamabad, 1979 The toughness and dependability of a watch are important for me, whether protecting visiting congressional VIPs in the Northwest Frontier province in Pakistan, or running twice weekly drills with the Embassy Marines, which can get physical, depending on the type of drill. The job of a Regional Security Officer is to prepare the embassy to handle mob violence, terrorist attacks and bombings, among other duties. It’s fair to say these are “come as you are parties.” No RSO can call a timeout while they change their dress watch to a more rugged model. You go with what you are wearing. Years later from 1996-99, I was assigned for the second time to London, this time as the senior Regional Security Officer. From the US Navy PX in London, I bought a rugged and gorgeous Rolex Submariner, which I wore on and off for the next twenty years. However, during that time I took several vacation trips to India, Kenya, and other third world places. There was no way I would wear my valuable Submariner and risk being robbed. Because I had sold my original Seiko diver’s watch a few years before, I bought a new one (model SKX031K2) with the day and date, and wore it when I traveled. I still have it today.  I liked to explore the London antique markets looking at classic old watches. One day, with the dollar to British pound exchange rate reasonably strong in my favor, I purchased a handsome mid-1960s Omega Seamaster with date from the Grays Antique market. Because of the era in which it was manufactured, it was more a dress watch than the modern rugged model. I’ve had it serviced once and still frequently wear it. I mentioned earlier that watches should blend in with the needs of the job and the environment. During my London tour, I noticed that my contacts in Scotland Yard, whether they were senior officers or patrolmen, usually wore “non-macho man” watches. The same applied to officials in the Foreign Office and Home Office. Their culture meant most wore plain no-fuss watches on leather straps, and definitely avoided large, bulky watches. After-all, who needs a dive watch in central London? So, despite owning several military related watches, I adapted by often wearing either my original Rolex 1500 on a black leather strap or the old Omega Seamaster, also on a black leather strap. I felt it more important for my contacts to focus on what I was saying than to stare at my watch. With my watch addiction still not satiated, I obtained two British military watches. The first was the CWC diver’s watch used by the Royal Marines and the second was the CWC model G-10, used throughout the British military. Unfortunately, they were both battery powered, and while the original batteries lasted many years, that wasn’t good enough. As I said earlier, dependability is a vital quality for a tool watch. So, I eventually parted ways with those two models. U.S. Embassy London Retirement beckoned. I eagerly embraced the private sector. At the same time Casio was making solar-powered watches. I had avoided battery powered watches for decades (other than the CWC) because I didn’t want to be in a remote part of the world when my battery died. Now I could buy a Casio that never died. It had alarms, a back light, separate time zones, stopwatch and countdown functions, and oh, yes, it told the time. I bought the Casio G-Shock model 5600 and wore it in Sanaa, Yemen for four months when I was working as a contractor, and wore it again in Karachi, Pakistan, and Jidda, Saudi Arabia while serving on the State Department Accountability Review Boards. I also used it on business trips in the South American countries of Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. Having multiple alarms on the watch was invaluable for meetings and getting out of bed on time. Having world time zones is helpful, but most people can calculate the difference between home time and where they are located abroad. I now carry this watch on vacation trips abroad. (Read: The History Of Casio G-Shocks And The US Military) Casio G-Shock 5600 A few years ago I sold my Rolex Submariner because after twenty years the luminosity on the hands and indices was fading. Although perhaps, it was my eyes that were getting old. I traded it in for a new Rolex Explorer II. It is a great looking watch with excellent legibility. But, the Explorer II was slightly bigger and heavier than the Submariner. Several years before, I had hurt my wrist and I found out that if I wore the Explorer full-time for a week or two my wrist got sore. Rather than leaving it in the drawer, I sold it for what I paid. Mel with his wife, Irene in Yemen wearing a Casio G-Shock, 2001. For those interested in reading Mel Harrison's five thrillers with RSO Alex Boyd as his protagonist, I suggest beginning with Mel's last book, Spies Among Us. It is set in London and shows the close relationship of the RSO to the CIA station. In Mel's books, Alex Boyd is wearing either a Seiko Diver day/date model or a Casio G-Shock. Read Next: Forget Bond, A Real CIA Spy Watch The author of this article, Mel Harrison, served in the US State Department for twenty-eight years, mostly as a Special Agent/Regional Security Officer in the Diplomatic Security Service (originally called the Office of Security). His overseas assignments were Saigon, Quito, Rome, London (twice), Islamabad, and Seoul. Temporary postings included Beirut, Caracas, Lima, and Bogota. Washington tours of duty included Regional Director for the Middle East and South Asia, and the Director of the Anti-terrorism Assistance Program. In retirement, he traveled on business to Sanaa, Baghdad, Cairo, and elsewhere. During his assignment to Islamabad, Pakistan, he received the State Department’s Award for Valor and the worldwide Security Officer of the Year award. For the last few years, Mel has written and published five fictional thrillers set in embassies around the world.

If you haven’t had a chance to read Part I of this Dispatch, please check it out here. If you don’t, you’ll be confused.  by Benjamin Lowry After the initial combat jump and assault into Tocumen Military Airfield and two weeks of searching and numerous assaults, raids, and skirmishes, Jose’s team ultimately just missed capturing infamous dictator Manuel Noriega, unknowingly coming within a few hundred yards of his position before being called off by the powers that be. Despite the disappointment, Jose confirmed his appreciation for a life lived at the pointy end of the spear.  A 1989 ad for a Timex Ironman similar to Jose's. An impressively capable digital family of watches, the Ironman is often overshadowed by the legendary G-Shock.  Decompressing from the disheartening near miss with Noriega, Gordon returned to the United States, eventually purchasing a Timex Ironman with an Indiglo backlight that offered better nighttime legibility than the fading luminescent material on his trusty old Seiko. After a relatively quiet Gulf War deployment in 1991, Jose continued to climb the enlisted leadership ladder of the developing Ranger Regiment. Through numerous near-involvements in global conflicts in Liberia, Somalia, Peru, and other hotspots around the globe, Gordon honed his craft in crisis action and mission planning, helping to create an incredibly complex but ultimately unutilized assault plan for Haiti involving no less than 48 aircraft and the 82nd Airborne.  A young Jose (right) operating in South America with an issued field watch on the wrist. Source: Jose Gordon While he remembers his Timex serving him well, Gordon missed his old 6309 and was quick to pick up a Seiko SKX007 when they were released in 1996. As we know, for a real watch nerd, the pull of analog mechanical timekeeping can be too much to resist. By the late 90s, Gordon earned his promotion to First Sergeant, the Army’s second-highest enlisted pay grade, while serving at the Ranger Regimental Training Detachment. Hand-selected to serve at West Point as the Senior Enlisted Advisor in 2001, Gordon neared the natural end of his 20-year career, spending his days sharing his decades of combat experience and lessons learned with cadets who would become the future of the Army Officer Corps. As the United States cracked open the 21st Century, Gordon and the rest of the world were unaware of the meteoric events awaiting New York City and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001. Hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 preparing to collide with the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. Source: Associated Press On the morning of the 11th, Jose finished his PT and was getting dressed for work when his wife Patty called from the barn at West Point where she had her horses to tell him to turn on his TV because “. . . something big was happening.” Like so many Americans and particularly those within his profession, Jose remembers feeling two things most of all, an otherworldly anger that seemed to ache from deep within his bones paired with the intangible drive to help in whatever capacity he might offer. Around 1030 that morning, with smoke still billowing from the fallen Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, a general from the Pentagon called West Point asking after Gordon. A member of “The Unit” had referred the general to Gordon as someone relatively near Ground Zero geographically speaking who had an impressive reputation in the breaching community. “Breaching” is military parlance for forced entry in tactical scenarios, meaning Gordon was familiar with exothermic cutting and controlled explosive demolitions, skills that were to prove useful in ways the military had never imagined.  Jose in modern times instructs students in exothermic cutting, a key component of any breacher's arsenal, with a Sinn U1 on the wrist. Specializing in breaching throughout his career, Jose never imagined how his skills would be utilized at Ground Zero. Source: Jose Gordon A New York State Trooper was assigned to meet Gordon at West Point’s Thayer Gate and personally deliver him to Ground Zero. For whatever reason, Gordon reached for his newly acquired Suunto Vector, an early digital watch with altimeter, barometer, and compass functionality, that morning for PT as opposed to his beloved SKX. With Americans advised to shelter in place, the State Trooper raced along empty highways to New York at well over 100 miles per hour. Tracking the minutes on his Suunto’s digital display, time once again seemed to slow as Gordon anxiously awaited his turn to help his fellow Americans in the chaos of Lower Manhattan. While he’d seen the devastation on TV and heard more detailed reports through military channels, nothing could have prepared Jose for the magnitude of destruction he would face at Ground Zero. With 19 years in the Army, almost all of which with the Ranger Regiment, Gordon had seen his share of death and destruction at the frayed edges of modern civilization, but this was something else altogether. This was the United States.  Gordon worked at Ground Zero from September 11th to the 11th of October, serving as one of very few active duty military members involved in the early recovery efforts, alongside virtually every imaginable federal and local government agency. While Jose was clear when we spoke that he doesn’t wake up at night remembering the countless faces of the dead he’s seen in combat, he admitted he vividly remembers the faces of the dead unearthed at Ground Zero, ranging in expression from placid to horror-stricken. He also recalls the immense efforts taken to recover and identify the fallen and missing, with FBI Crime Scene Technicians occasionally stopping Gordon to point out the odd pink stain on a concrete slab, the product of human beings crushed between floors under the immense pressure of a falling skyscraper. A sour construction site smell permeated the area alongside an eerie silence so pervasive it could almost be heard above the din of dozens of generators. Amid the smoke, rubble, sweat, blood, and innumerable tears of the somber, post-apocalyptic scene, anger welled in Jose’s heart. Jose's Suunto Vector and hardhat, both of which were worn continuously while working at Ground Zero. Source: Jose Gordon. Returning from Ground Zero, Gordon was desperate to find a way into the developing conflict in the Middle East. Unfortunately for him, the Army had other ideas, insisting he serve his swansong tour in South Korea in an advisory leadership role. With firsthand experience at Ground Zero scraping the remains of fallen Americans from the rubble, there was no way Gordon was going to miss his chance to bring the fight to the enemy. After twenty-one years, Gordon chose to retire from the Army, the galvanizing force of his adult life, to look for another way. A few months working with legendary firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch was a good start, with Gordon helping to develop both the HK416 and XM8, but he still yearned for his place in combat.  During his stint with Heckler & Koch, Jose helped to develop the HK416 and the polarizing XM8, seen here being tested by the US Army in the early 2000s. Source: US Army Eager to find the rare few with combat experience from before the brand new Global War On Terror, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) recruited Gordon to work as a contractor. For two years, he worked with an Army research lab developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures while also actively deploying with an unnamed special mission unit conducting surveillance and intelligence gathering missions. Unsurprisingly, Jose is careful with what he shares when it comes to describing this part of his life. Eventually, Gordon was recruited to help form the Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG), a blend of active duty military and civilians charged with embedding among both conventional and special operations units to identify gaps and develop solutions to increase combat effectiveness and what the Army calls “Soldier Survivability”. Like many watch nerds, Gordon was also a gear nerd, and the new role seemed tailor-made for Jose’s strengths.   Jose in his AWG days with a Suunto Observer on the wrist. Source: Jose Gordon Far from sitting on the sidelines taking notes, advisors like Gordon deployed and fought alongside military units at the darkest corners of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous other locations Gordon opts not to name. The core of Jose’s job was figuring out what these units needed firsthand, a job that meant accompanying the warfighters no matter the mission or how deep in the shit they managed to get. With most of their operations taking place at night, Jose picked up a Luminox Navy SEAL with tritium tubes for illumination shortly after leaving the Army. When the tritium began to fade, an AWG teammate directed him to Traser, another popular maker of military watches that leaned into tritium. Of all of the watches he wore in combat, Gordon counts his two Traser watches, a P6600 and a Commander as among the best, being incredibly durable and perfectly legible in the darker conditions where people like him thrive.  Jose training his nephew, currently serving in the US Army, in the ways of subterranean warfare with his trusty Sinn U1 on the wrist. By 2007, Gordon met Dave Hall, a retired US Navy SEAL who also happens to be a passionate watch enthusiast. If you haven’t read our Dispatch article about Dave’s life in the SEAL Teams. Dave turned Jose onto Sinn, a German brand known for utilitarian tool watches. Gordon purchased a U1 that same year and has worn it almost daily ever since. At this point, it’s important to note that Gordon was in his fifties and still found himself in combat situations while serving AWG on a consistent basis, ultimately seeing even more combat as a civilian contractor than he did on active duty until the AWG was disbanded in 2020.  Jose's Sinn U1 has seen some shit. Source: Jose Gordon Over the course of 40 years on the front lines, Gordon served with distinction both within the US Military as well as in civilian government contractor roles, amassing an impressive reputation within the special operations community. Despite his incredible background and experiences, Jose is humble almost to a fault, coming off ego-free and quicker to talk about how much he likes his Sinn U1 than he is to brag about his special operations combat experience. Jose’s unique experiences working with military gear and the government procurement process have led him to have an intimate understanding for sorting the necessary elements of a tool watch from the marketing fluff, and it’s no surprise to see his career influenced by brands like Seiko, Timex, Luminox, Traser, and Sinn. Like a number of individuals featured on the W.O.E. Dispatch, Jose is further evidence that a surprising number of the military elite continue to favor mechanical analog watches even in demanding combat scenarios, which should mean they’re solid enough for the rest of us not to worry.  These days, Jose stays busy sharing his lessons learned with the next generation of warfighters. Source: Jose Gordon Today, Gordon works part-time with the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate as a Subject Matter Expert on subterranean warfare. He also shares his vast experience in weapons and tactics training working with Green Ops, a firearm and security training company, while also owning his own consultancy providing operational and tactical advice to the government. If you’d like to talk watches, guns, or gear with Jose, which I highly recommend, he can now be found on Instagram @rgrguns. He’s new to Instagram, and I’m counting on you guys to show him a warm welcome.  Read Next: Blackwater Breitling - The Story About The Author: Benjamin Lowry is a US Coast Guard veteran and commercial diver turned watch writer. These days, Ben splits his time between writing and video production in the watch industry and managing @SubmersibleWrist, a watch spotting account dedicated to military and commercial divers.

Counterintelligence Risks of Smart Watches “Apple watches are for nerds.”   Though we don’t actually think this, it’s easy to understand how one could come to that conclusion. The Apple Watch of today could be seen as the “calculator watch” of the ‘90s–in other words, a product with a nerdy association. One thing we can say is that smart watches are NOT/NOT for intelligence officers.  Smart watches, like the Apple Watch, offer significant lifestyle benefits: fitness tracking, optimizing communication, and sleep monitoring.  However, for CIA Human Intelligence (HUMINT) collectors who rely on anonymity to securely conduct clandestine operations, the networked device is a counterintelligence (CI) vulnerability and potential opportunity for exploitation. For every benefit the Apple Watch provides, it also comes with a threat.  In general, we are not against smart watches at W.O.E. In my post-CIA life I have worked in emerging technology and the benefits of “wearables”, including smart watches, are limitless.  Even though their high-tech functionality runs counter to much of the analog-inspired stories that we put out at W.O.E., smart watches are great tools. They provide immediate and actionable data to increase one’s health, productivity, and situational awareness.  To effectively provide this resource, the watch constantly collects data on one’s location, surroundings, vitals, and movement.  That data is held on the device or sent to a cloud for storage and analysis.  Depending on the applications on the device, much of this data is packaged and sold to third parties for targeted advertisement. Strava Fitness App: In late 2017, open-source fitness tracker data from Strava, an application that allows users to track their fitness activity, was used to reveal the location of sensitive military locations in countries including Syria, Niger, and Afghanistan.  More than 3 trillion data points were available for analysis, posing a potential vulnerability for operational security (OPSEC), revealing sensitive government locations of importance to the US Government’s operations in the area. It’s important to note that this data was relatively rudimentary, simple GPS data points with map overlay– a fraction of the data collected by smart watches today. Even so, researchers from Bellingcat were able to manipulate and combine the information with other datasets to reportedly reveal the identities of British Special Air Service (SAS) personnel, proving that “anonymized” data often isn't. Strava heat map showing sensitive government location. (Strava Data) Clandestine Operations: A CIA Case Officer’s core competency is to recruit and securely handle “agents” for strategic intelligence collection.  This activity ideally occurs in face-to-face clandestine meetings with the foreign government penetration or non-state actors in back alleys, parks, seedy hotel rooms and safe houses.  To securely collect human intelligence, the Case Officer must be “black” –free from hostile surveillance–to protect the identity of the asset.  Traditionally, this requires a multi-hour Surveillance Detection Route (SDR) to determine one’s status.  The rise of networked devices and “smart cities” with facial recognition and ubiquitous surveillance make the Case Officer's job more difficult than ever before. In these so-called “smart cities” movements are easier to track.  Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance (UTS): The Internet of Things has permeated our everyday lives.  Everything from your car to your toaster and baby monitor constantly collect data in order to provide a better user experience through the “smart” network.   Graphic Credit: Ridgeline International A smart watch is just one vector in what has become known as “Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance (UTS).”  According to defense contractor Ridgeline International:  UTS refers to the collection and long-term storage of data in order to analyze and connect individuals with other people, activities, and organizations. Because our data is stored indefinitely, these records are always accessible. In the case of Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance, this data can be used to forensically reconstruct events, no matter how long ago they occurred. Most of this data is collected for commercial purposes, either to make the product more effective for the customer or to be packaged and sold for advertising.  “Data is the new oil”. Collecting, storing, and processing data has never been easier or cheaper, and this ubiquitous network of technical surveillance can be exploited and analyzed in real time or after the fact, potentially revealing the time, location, and identities of those involved in a clandestine act.   CI Risk: Counterintelligence, or “CI”, is any potential risk to an intelligence officer, asset or operational activity.  For Case Officers, this boils down to revealing the identity, location or tradecraft of an officer, Agent or clandestine act.  The rise of technology has increased the potential points of collection (threat vectors) and exploitation, making secure agent handling more difficult.  Not long ago, a hostile intelligence service would have to surreptitiously implant a listening device in an office or a beacon on a vehicle.  Today, vehicles are integrated into a smart network with constant telemetric collection and everything from TVs to toasters and your watch now has a microphone that can be remotely activated known as “hot mic.” When Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed by the Saudi government in a Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, initial reporting suggested his murder was recorded by his Apple Watch, something technically possible given the microphone and record feature.  While it turned out this was disinformation (REDACTED), this is something that is technically possible and may potentially become more common in the future. Jamal Khashoggi entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul 2 October 2018 The Future is Now: Not long ago, an intelligence officer could simply leave his or her phone (or smart watch) at home while operational; however, today even this lack of activity is an indicator.  How often is your phone or smart watch sitting idle while you are at home for hours at a time? The lack of movement is just as telling as movement itself.  When it comes to wearables, if an intelligence officer wore a smart watch 24-7, but removed it when operational, this could clearly be analyzed as an anomaly to identify suspected periods of operational activity.  Should a pattern emerge, a hostile intelligence service may allocate physical (or technical) resources to further monitor that individual during a given time, hoping to exploit a vulnerability. Pattern of Life Analysis: Understanding a target’s “Pattern of Life” (POL) is crucial for intelligence collection and a smart watch is the ideal tool to collect POL data.  A Russian intelligence officer’s regular visits to a casino, brothel or liquor store may indicate vulnerabilities for exploitation.  Knowledge of regular visits to a gym or park for exercise presents an opportunity for a Case Officer to facilitate a seemingly innocuous encounter.  For non-state actors and terrorists, patterns provide an opportunity for a capture-or-kill operation. Smart watches and other wearables present an opportunity for unprecedented “Pattern of Life” collection in real time but at an even deeper level of analysis including heart rate, sleep patterns and other physiological responses.  Further, if the device is compromised, the microphone and camera can be activated, providing insight into that individual's home life, relationships and mental state. Traditionally, this type of compromised technical system was limited to capabilities by advanced state actors, specifically hackers known as “APTs” (Advanced Persistent Threats).  However, with the growing private sector intelligence industry, these capabilities are now available to companies, governments and non-state actors.  Notably, Israeli firms including NSO Group have developed and commercialized these capabilities.  NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware can be covertly installed on an individual’s Apple IOS software, exploiting previously unknown “zero-day” vulnerabilities in the software. The US government openly acknowledges the risk of smart watches and prohibits the wearing of any Bluetooth, wireless or WIFI-enabled device in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), a secure government facility where classified government information can be discussed and transmitted.  For intelligence officers who spend much of their time working in a SCIF, they are not permitted to bring their cellphones or any device that receives or transmits a signal, including smart watches. Counterintelligence Risk = Collection Opportunity: While smart watches present a vulnerability for CIA Case Officers, they present an equally interesting opportunity for the US Intelligence Community’s computer exploitation “hackers” to target foreign entities for intelligence collection.  Exploiting a foreign intelligence officer’s smart watch could facilitate his or her pattern of life, allowing a CIA Case Officer to “bump” the foreign official to strike up a conversation in hopes of recruiting that individual as a penetration.  Remotely activating the camera and microphone on a foreign President’s staffer could result in collection of Foreign Intelligence (FI) or valuable assessment data on that individual. Despite the CI risks, foreign politicians including Former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev have been photographed wearing Apple and other smart watches.  U.S. elected officials are not immune from this type of analysis by foreign intelligence organizations.  Interestingly, current President Joe Biden was the first U.S. President to wear an Apple Watch in the Oval Office while President Obama reportedly chose the Fitbit for security reasons–it was a less “smart”, smart watch.  For Biden, a certified watch nerd with a collection of Seiko, Rolex and Omega, this was no accident.  It is possible that this was a signal from Biden that he is “hip” and focused on modernity.  For a President criticized for his age, it would be a logical message to send.  US Senators and Congressmen have been observed wearing smart watches in sensitive meetings where cell phones were prohibited.  We can assume this is something that foreign intelligence services are watching closely. President Joe Biden wearing Apple Watch in Oval Office (White House) The Future: In 2022, Apple sold approximately 50 million smart watches, and we can expect this number to increase as the adoption of the Apple Watch becomes more widespread.  That said, Case Officers will likely continue to rely on simple quartz and automatic timepieces to conduct an operational act (agent meeting) at the exact time and place without leaving behind a digital footprint that can be pieced together by a competent hostile intelligence service. Sometimes it’s best to do things the old-fashioned way. This newsletter has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information. READ NEXT: Casio F-91W, The Preferred Watch Of Terrorists   Submissions from the W.O.E. community:  Jason Heaton testing the limits of the Apple Watch Ultra @chando_bear

We asked former senior Case Officer, J.R. Seeger to write a piece on advice for a young Case Officer/Intelligence Officer for shopping for a watch.  Spoiler alert: it is not a Rolex. CIA Case Officer: The Ideal Timepiece by J.R. Seeger When I joined the CIA in the 1980s, my supervisors all served in Southeast Asia during the ‘60s and ’70s. Almost all men and they wore what might have been considered a “headquarters uniform:” short sleeved white or blue oxford shirts, ties always loose at the throat, and khaki pants.  On one wrist was a gold chain known as a baht chain because each link was of a certain value in the Thai currency.  On the other wrist was a Rolex watch.  Usually, the watches were Rolex GMT Masters or Rolex Datejust watches. No Rolex or other Mil-Spec watches for them. They did not need to pretend to be commandos. They were commandos.  Vintage Rolex sign, Tawila District in Aden, Yemen (Photo Credit: Unknown) I had just left the Army and had a Bulova watch given to me by my mother when I graduated from high school over a dozen years earlier.  By the early 1980s, a Rolex – any Rolex – was more than a two month’s salary and I wasn’t about to spend that sort of money on a tool when my Bulova still worked well and my backup watch, a Casio digital watch, was under $50. The Swiss tool watch train had left the station and I was still on the platform. I have previously written about my experience with watches as tools in the Afghan war-zone. Black acrylic watches, accurate quartz watches, were my choice. Twenty years later, when we talk about watches for the field, we are looking at a world where Case Officers (C/Os) are less likely to be in forward operating bases in warzones. They are more likely to work in traditional postings in major cities around the world. It is a different environment and it calls for a different sort of kit. When we are talking about “watches for the field,” we are not using the term in the same way that most watch companies might. After all, the CIA Case Officer in the field is going to face challenges that are not consistent with a mountain climber, a yacht racer, a member of the armed forces, or a first responder (i.e. police officer, fire fighter, or EMT). That doesn’t mean that a “field watch” used by one of these avocations and professions won’t work with Case Officer tradecraft.  It just means that there are other, different requirements.   Seeger and General Dostum on the night of insertion in Afghanistan, 16 October 2001, Casio F-91W on Seeger’s wrist. (Photo Credit: Seeger) So, what are the basic requirements for a CIA field watch?   The watch must be reliable.  That means it must work all the time, every time; The watch must be easy to read at a glance; The watch must be readable in the dark either through luminous hands or a LED backlight; The watch must be rugged enough to withstand dust, water, and shock. Arabic Seiko (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Here is where the requirements shift when shopping for a C/O: The watch must be low profile. A C/O walking on the streets with an expensive Swiss or Japanese watch is a target for criminals and, just as important, easy to spot by surveillance. Expensive and/or out of place items – sports cars, watches, shoes, clothes, a bag – make it easy for surveillance to spot their target and keep on their target.  On the street, a C/O must disappear into the crowd.  Just as a fine European sports car is not appropriate for a C/O in the field, a large, polished dive watch on a steel bracelet stands out and gives surveillance another point of reference when they are tracking a C/O; As a corollary to the above point, the watch must be consistent with the C/O’s cover. A C/O must be able to transition quickly from cover duty to clandestine work. While there may be time to go home and change, it isn’t as if the C/O on the street can assume an entirely different persona (an outfit more suited to a Special Operations night raid for example). Therefore, a large PVD or black acrylic watch that can withstand over 20 ATMs underwater and has tritium luminous markers is unlikely to be a good choice unless the C/O’s cover supports that sort of watch; The watch must not be a “connected” watch. If your watch helps you connect to the outside world through Bluetooth or directly through a wireless signal of any sort, it also means your watch can be used by an adversary to track you.  A few years ago, US military force protection studies demonstrated that fitness tracker smart watches could be used by an adversary to determine precisely where an individual serviceman was and, then by extension, where his unit was in the field. Smart watches are off limits to case officers because case officers never want to help adversaries track them. A map of activity in Djibouti.  “A map of fitness-tracker data may have compromised top-secret US military bases around the world” (Source: Business Insider) What are the options for a C/O who doesn’t have a large, personal budget but needs a watch that fits in all the parts of his/her life? Among my colleagues, I am a notorious cheapskate, so I’m offering the following choices for under $1000.  Please note:  We have experience with most if not all of these watches, but none of the companies involved have any commercial links to W.O.E.  At the lowest end of the spectrum are Casio, Timex and Seiko watches. These companies all make inexpensive, rugged watches. Some of the higher end Casio G-shocks and Timex Ironman watches are monsters on the wrist and probably not ideal for a C/O.  That said, a 5610 Solar G-shock, a Timex Expedition or even the smaller Ironman watches, or any selection from the Seiko 5 collection are all good choices for well under $200.  There may have been a time when a black acrylic watch was not acceptable for daily business wear.  That time is long passed; (Photo Credit: James Rupley) At the mid-range ($200-600), the choices expand exponentially. There are American Assembled watches, European and Japanese models that all work in this category.  Most are “dress tool” watches that have over 10ATM or more of water resistance, sapphire crystals and reliable movements.  At this price point, it is possible to find US firms such as Vaer, Shinola, Sangin or Cincinnati Watch company, Japanese firms Seiko, Orient, Citizen or Bulova, and Swiss firms like Davosa and Tissot.  Other European watch companies including the French firm Wolbrook and the German firm LACO also make watches that fit the requirements. All pass the C/O test of looking like a watch a “normal” person might wear but still provide reliability, ruggedness and good visibility during night work; Sangin Overlord and W.O.E. numbered coin (J.R. Seeger) When you approach $1000, the c/o crosses the threshold from tool to luxury tool watch. Formerly a US company and now part of the Swatch Group, Hamilton Khaki line– especially when paired with a leather strap or steel bracelet are hard to beat for the blend of day work wear and night street operations.  Seiko has their own options with the Seiko Alpinist and other sport watches in the Prospex line.  And, once again Tissot watches at this price range answer all of the requirements. Seiko Alpinist (Seiko) Conclusion:  There are dozens of other watches out there that a C/O can use in the field. Most Case Officers answer direct questions with two words: It depends. That is because every human is different and what is ideal for one person is useless for another. Some will want quartz watches for the “set it and forget it” nature of the watch.  Others will want a mechanical watch that requires slightly more care in setting the time but does not rely on a battery. C/O work is not about gunfights, explosions, or car chases (leave that image for our favorite thrillers), but that doesn’t mean a case officer’s watch isn’t an essential piece of kit. Time is everything for a Case Officer and a watch is what keeps a C/O on time. Read Next: Ask Watches Of Espionage Anything  J.R. Seeger's personal watch collection and memorabilia. J.R. Seeger served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne and as a CIA officer for a total of 27 years of federal service. He served 17 years in multiple field assignments focused on counterterrorism, counterintelligence and irregular warfare.  During his final, 3-year assignment in CIA Headquarters, he first served as a chief of operations for a geographic division in the Directorate of Operations and then served as a deputy director and deputy chief of the CIA Counterterrorism Center.  Seeger led multiple, small unit teams during his service, including leading one of the CIA teams that infiltrated into Afghanistan after 9/11. Since his retirement, J.R. has written articles and book reviews in the CIA professional journal “Studies in Intelligence” and the T.E. Lawrence Society newsletter. His seven-part MIKE4 series is about a family who have served in the special operations and intelligence community from World War II to the present. This newsletter has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

Forty years have passed since the introduction of the Casio G-Shock in 1983. And while the basic formula behind the world’s most durable watch has remained largely unchanged since the legendary DW-5000C first hit store shelves, the world of warfare and the United States Military in particular have made significant strides in both equipment and tactical doctrine. Conflicts in Panama, the Persian Gulf, and Bosnia/Herzegovina were waged in a bygone analog era, influenced by lessons learned in the Vietnam War. But the terrorist attacks of September 11th changed all of that, embroiling the United States in a new type of war based on counter-insurgency in the digitally-augmented age. 

by J.R. Seeger For this week’s Dispatch, former senior CIA Case Officer J.R. Seeger writes about the role his watches played in the early days of the conflict in Afghanistan. As Seeger outlines, watches are tools, and one should choose the best tool for the job. In the world of espionage, the tool is not always a Rolex. We often worry that W.O.E. gives the perception that every Case Officer, Navy SEAL or Special Forces operator is running around the world with a luxury timepiece on their wrist.  While that is largely the focus of this platform, the truth is many of the best practitioners rely on digital tools to accomplish their task. Sometimes cheap, reliable digital watches are the best tools for espionage. Digital Watches of Espionage - The Role Watches Played in the Early Days of the CIA’s War in Afghanistan October 2001: I was the team leader on one of the first CIA teams into Afghanistan. Other, more articulate writers have related the story of our team and work with US Special Forces. 12 Strong by Doug Stanton and First Casualty by Toby Harnden are detailed accounts of the Fall of 2001. Instead, this is a short essay about the watches I wore during that deployment behind the Taliban lines in the Fall of 2001. For most of my deployments in the 1990s, I wore either a Timex Ironman or a Casio G-shock. My watch choice was based on two requirements: accurate timekeeping and low cost.  During travels in the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia, the idea of wearing something other than an expendable watch was out of the question.  Plus, my only “good” watch, a 1971 Bulova Deep Sea Chronograph, was engraved with my initials, not always something you want on your wrist when you might be someone else. CIA’s Team Alpha Prior to Insertion into Afghanistan. Seeger Back Row, Third From Left As the team headed to our intermediate stop in Uzbekistan, our level of kit was minimal. I often say our team picture (above) looks like eight bikers with Kalashnikovs. Jeans, work shirts, boots and fleece jackets, weapons, radios and money. Everything you would need for a successful trip into a war-zone. During my pack-out, I didn’t pay any attention to the watch on my wrist. Of course, I should have realized that I was probably pushing the envelope on the battery in my Timex, but I had a couple of other things to worry about as we designed a campaign plan for five provinces in Afghanistan. As we completed our final briefings in isolation at Karshi Khanabad Airbase (aka KKUZ), I realized my watch had quit. No warning. Just a blank screen. Less than ideal when precision is required. Casio F-91W, w/ AKS-74U (Photo Credit James Rupley) One of my teammates laughed and said, “Boss, you forgot that two is one and one is none.” He reached into his ruck and pulled out a Casio F-91W.  Probably the least expensive piece of kit in all our inventory. He tossed it to me, and it went on my wrist.  A cheap watch is better than no watch at all! We loaded into MH-60 helicopters in the early morning of 16 October for our insertion.  That’s a story that has nothing to do with watches. Lessons: - two is one and one is none- you may never know when a piece of kit is going to be essential Tool Watches as Operational Gifts to Afghan Warlords In November 2001, we were in a consolidation phase of the effort to defeat the Taliban. By this time, we had consolidated the two teams, Alpha and Bravo and had a full complement of eleven to handle the region. We often split into buddy teams to travel with our Afghan and Army Special Forces colleagues, hunting Taliban and building tribal alliances.  Early in November, in one of our parachute resupplies, I received a Suunto watch - an early version of the Suunto tool watch series.  Someone on the team decided I needed a better watch and put in the request. The early Suunto watches were large plastic timepieces that served as a compass, thermometer, and barometer as well as the standard multiple time zones display, timers and alarms.  It was a bit more of a commando watch than I thought I needed, but I was certainly ready to use it.  It was big and regularly got caught on rucksack straps as we loaded on horseback and/or trucks.  Still, it was light and had a large display.  At 47 with already aging eyesight, I was ready to enjoy a larger screen. “Suunto on my wrist in the Darya Suf Valley”, J.R. Seeger pictured left, (Photo Credit: Toby Harnden/Unknown) In mid-November, two of us went with Afghan warlord and then CIA partner - Abdul Rashid Dostum on a tour of the Uzbek region of Northwestern Afghanistan.  More than anything else, it was a “victory lap” for our Uzbek ally and that meant traveling miles on dirt roads between Sheberghan and cities and towns in northwest Afghanistan. A Toyota Land Cruiser for us, two Toyota Hi-Lux pickups for the security detachment.  Washboard roads punctuated by public events made for a very long ride. At the end of the day, Dostam decided to take a shortcut by traveling on what he said was an old smugglers’ trail running through the desert and ending back in Sheberghan.  We were all tired and dozed off as the headlights of the Toyotas cut through the dust raised by our vehicles. I don’t know exactly what woke me from my dozing, but when I finally cleared my head, it seemed like I recognized the terrain.  Of course, desert terrain is not all that distinctive, so I would have been willing to accept the fact that it was a trick of memory and fatigue. Still, I used the Suunto compass feature to check our heading. After twenty minutes, I realized we were slowly circling a prominent hill.  The drivers were following a track that circled the hill.  The compass showed our heading.  Sheberghan was east.  We were going north, then west then south…. Well, that was enough to convince me we were lost. Seeger Center, Dostum looking at him, Casio F-91W (Photo Credit Unknown / Toby Harnden) I woke up Dostum.  He was incredulous.  There was no way we could be lost on his turf.  I took off the watch, showed him the compass readings.  He was furious.  This was smugglers’ country.  Wandering about might not get us in a battle with remnants of the Taliban, but it certainly could get us in a firefight with smugglers.  Dostum put the watch on his wrist, dope slapped his driver, and took charge of the navigation. Dostum wore the Suunto for the rest of our time in Afghanistan. I wore the F-91W for another two years and then switched to a G-shock.  At the end of the day, a good tool watch is important.  What you need depends on where you are.  Today, I have far more watches than I need.    Most of which are inexpensive mechanical tool watches and I enjoy wearing them. I recently had the 1971 Bulova serviced, and it will remain a cherished possession. But, I still have an F-91W in the inventory – just in case. Seeger and Dostum on the night of insertion, 16 October 2001, Casio F-91W on J.R. Seeger’s wrist. (Photo Credit: Unknown Toby Harnden) J.R. Seeger served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne and as a CIA officer for a total of 27 years of federal service. He served 17 years in multiple field assignments focused on counterterrorism, counterintelligence and irregular warfare.  During his final, 3-year assignment in CIA Headquarters, he first served as a chief of operations for a geographic division in the Directorate of Operations and then served as a deputy director and deputy chief of the CIA Counterterrorism Center.  Seeger led multiple, small unit teams during his service, including leading one of the CIA teams that infiltrated into Afghanistan after 9/11. Since his retirement, J.R. has written articles and book reviews in the CIA professional journal “Studies in Intelligence” and the T.E. Lawrence Society newsletter. His seven-part MIKE4 series is about a family who have served in the special operations and intelligence community from World War II to the present. This newsletter has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information. Further Reading:CIA’s JAWBREAKER Team And A Rolex Submariner