An Open Letter to Panerai, From Watches of Espionage In 2022, Panerai released the limited-edition “Navy SEALs collection” available intended for purchase by the public, and not exclusively Navy SEALs.  The watches are operator-chic , complete with a Navy SEAL Trident on the dial or caseback and a “Time to Target countdown” feature. The prices range from $10,000 - $60,000, the high-end models including an invitation to a multi-day Special Operations experience (Xperience) which, according to one journalist, means the “buyer of the watch joins retired Navy SEALs on an immersive adventure that will include a rigorous training and rescue mission.” (Photo Credit: Panerai) The releases continued through 2023 and into 2024, with the latest Xperience occurring last week in Florida.  As an influential voice in the NatSec watch community, we feel compelled to comment on the matter.  To be clear, our intentions are pure. We’re apolitical and see watches as a vessel to look at the larger world of NatSec, Military, and Intelligence. We want Panerai and all watch brands to succeed and provide a service to our community and the broader public.  But we think Panerai needs a course correction when it pertains to this watch and this “Xperience.”  -- Dear Panerai, I first learned of Officine Panerai in the 2010s, sitting in a third world capital having drinks with a SEAL colleague.  My friend explained that Panerai had a strong following in Naval Special Warfare (NSW) due to the brand's lineage that can be traced to the Italian Frogmen of WWII.  Like many others, he bought his first Panerai to commemorate a deployment and the Luminor Marina was a nod to those who came before him.  In our community, history is everything. Tradition matters.  I was immediately intrigued.  The signature case shape appealed to my alpha-driven tastes and the history of the brand appealed to me.  Over the next year, I visited boutiques in London, Istanbul, and Johannesburg to try on some Panerais before ultimately making a purchase: a tobacco dial titanium Luminor Marina 8 Days PAM 00564.  I wore it throughout the next overseas tour as a CIA case officer, including during the chaotic events of a coup d'etat. While my taste in watches has shifted over time, I will never sell that watch and it’s not an understatement to say your brand has had a strong influence on my passion for timepieces. U.S. Navy SEAL on training exercise (U.S. Army  by Staff Sgt. Jacob Dunlap) Heritage Matters Several watch blogs have called into question Panerai’s claimed lineage and marketing narrative and even resorted to personal attacks on your leadership, but this discourse does not specifically interest us.  The fact is, Panerai of today does have a strong customer base in Naval Special Warfare (NSW) regardless of exactly how it was formed.  I have personally seen your timepieces on the wrists of operators overseas, at Chick’s Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach, and in SCIFs in Northern Virginia.  No matter exactly how it happened, the connection between Panerai and the SpecOps community is real.  That said, we think that your latest iteration of the “Navy SEAL” watches, and specifically the use of the SEAL Trident - an eagle clutching a U.S. Navy anchor, trident, and flintlock-style pistol - for the commercial market is a little too much- likely a well-intentioned marketing scheme gone awry. (Photo Credit: Jake Witkin, aBlogtoWatch) To be clear, I do not speak for the NSW community.  I haven’t earned the Trident myself, which is why I would never wear it on a watch or t-shirt.  I have spoken with over a dozen active and former “Team Guys” and opinions vary from disgust to admiration- the majority rolling their eyes, having bigger things to worry about.  We can assume that you have support from some in the NSW leadership and have gone through the legal requirements to license the Trident.  Further, we understand that a (unspecified) portion of the proceeds benefit the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, which is fantastic.  But just because you can put the Trident on a commercially available watch, doesn’t mean you should. A Panerai purchased by SEAL Team 3 member and sold on the secondary market. (Photo Credit: Lunaroyster) The Best Things (Watches) are Earned Not Bought: The Navy SEAL Trident is earned by those who qualify for the Navy Special Warfare Operator (SO) rating after completing the arduous selection process: the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT).  The “Budweiser” is a strong source of pride and reminder of service, sacrifice, and far too many lost brothers.  Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) (Official Navy/DOD Photo)   We understand that a limited number of the watches are reserved for active and retired Navy SEALS at a steeply discounted price (~60% off retail) and an (unspecified) portion of the proceeds are donated to the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum and at least one watch was auctioned for charity.  Well done.  BUD/S Phase 2 training (Official Navy/DOD Photo) Discretion is the Way There is nothing wrong with SEALs wearing a Trident on their watch and we are aware of several unit-specific watches (by Tudor and others) that incorporate the Trident into the design.  I know several SEALs purchased your Panerai and treasure the watch.  It’s the civilian versions that give me pause.  A simple solution is to reserve the Trident-laden watches for the SEALs and sell a separate “military-inspired” version without the Trident or “Navy SEALs'' on the dial.  Special Operations Experience (Xperience) (Photo Credit: Panerai Central) It’s tempting to criticize the “Navy SEAL Xperience” that comes with the $60,000+ PAM01402, and yes, it's borderline corny.  That said, anything that pushes people to better understand the commitment and sacrifice our SEALs make on our behalf is a good thing.  We understand you employ former SEALs to guide participants through this crucible and we are confident that they provide an experience that exceeds expectations.   (Photo Credit: Jake Witkin, aBlogtoWatch) Assume Noble Intent - never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by naivety. To be clear, I actually don’t think this is a cash grab and I believe the “SEAL Watch” concept is likely a well-intended but naively-crafted strategy.  When it comes to the military and the broader NatSec community, watch brands are naive. They simply do not know the complexities of the community.   SpecOps personnel generally don’t seek out jobs in the marketing departments of luxury watch companies.  That said, many other watch brands get it right and there is a template for success.  Look at the special projects programs of Tudor, Omega, Bremont and your sister company IWC (also owned by Richemont) and you will find successful strategies that respectfully honor our community.   HAWKEYE Tudor Pelagos “Unit Watch” - available only to member of the Secret Service Counter Assault Team  Solution  You don’t highlight a problem without presenting a solution. The key to any successful marketing initiative is authenticity.  -Focus on Unit Watches - A unit watch is a timepiece that is customized by the manufacturer for members of a specific unit or organization and can only be purchased by current or former members.  Most brands offer these at a discount.  While initially secret, inevitably pictures leak out, which is fantastic publicity that drives sales and promotes brand loyalty on the civilian side, while still remaining exclusive to the military side.  As a recent example, Omega quietly released a special Seamaster Diver 300M (with the Trident discreetly engraved on the caseback) that is available to current and former Team Guys.  There was no press release; however, they ultimately found their way onto social media, creating a positive return for marketing for the brand.  It’s a sound business decision and a win-win for everyone. Most importantly, it’s authentic. -Be transparent about donations:  Last year our small company, Watches of Espionage, donated $24,800 to Third Option Foundation.  How much did Panerai donate to NSW museums and charities as a result of sales? According to bar napkin math, if Panerai sold all of the watches in 2023, you would have generated over $30 million in revenue. How much was given to the museum or NSF?  -Be transparent about US Navy lineage:  According to a September 2022 Forbes article, “Panerai’s historic team verified the legitimacy of an order and approval dating back to 1953 for Panerai watches and diving instruments for the US Navy.”  This is a fascinating development that seems to be glossed over.  What are the details of this order and for “watches and instruments”?  Is there official documentation available? Many from the watch and NatSec community would find this fascinating. (Photo Credit: Navy SEAL Museum) -Listen to the SEALs:  Again, you have a real customer base in the NSW community.  Reach out to them, ask for their input and feedback and incorporate this into the design.  Anecdotally, I know several SEALs expressed concern about the Trident on the dial and the overall design of the watch.  Listening to the intended end user is crucial for product development. -Lastly, keep the Trident and “Navy SEALs” off commercially available watches.  It’s really that simple. (Photo Credit: Jake Witkin, aBlogtoWatch) Again, this is not meant to be a rabble rousing post–it’s quite the contrary; we want to see Panerai flourish and sell watches to the Intelligence and SpecOps community for generations to come.  With a slight azimuth adjustment we think you can get back on course.  If someone from the NSW community would like to respond to this we would be more than happy to run that article.   We all know SEALs love to write. Sincerely, -W.O.E. -- If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our free weekly newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Forget Bond, A Real CIA Spy Seiko Watch

Round Two of honoring the age-old tradition of matching watches up with heavy-hitting machinery. We’ve done it once before–paired watches with military aircraft–and now we’re doing it again. Except this time, we’re trading wings and rotors for wheels and tracks. These watch pairings explore the world of military vehicles.  There’s no hard and fast rule that we use to come up with the pairings–the goal is to explore the world of watches–and military vehicles–in a way that’s engaging and offers some insight into both worlds. Part of this exercise is to isolate characteristics of a watch or vehicle that make it unique. It forces us to look at a watch and contextualize it using its physical character and attributes, and beyond that, the reputation of the watch that the community has created for it, or sometimes the brand themselves. Many of you will have experience with some of these vehicles–and watches– and you might even have a specific pairing you’ve found works. We’d love to hear about them.  To preempt any comments, yes, the Casio G-Shock could be paired with any and all of these vehicles, but that would be a pretty boring article. Let’s shift into low gear and roll right into it.  The Vehicle: The 464 G-Class Utility Truck Credit: Mercedes-Benz  The G-Wagon from Mercedes-Benz has been hijacked by the likes of the Kardashians and finance bros, but the roots of the truck couldn’t be further away from that specific culture. Contrary to the current reputation of the truck, it started off as an idea put forth by the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi for the Iranian military. The brief was to create a reliable and capable 4WD platform that could stand up to the austere terrain the Iranian forces operated in. The Shah was an important stakeholder of Mercedes at the time, so the brief was realized in the form of the 1979 debut of the “Geländewagen,” or “G-wagon”.  Of course the modern civilian version is far from its roots, but for decades, forces around the world have used the G-Wagon to get it done. Mercedes still produces a special variant of the G-Wagon for defense and security forces. It’s called the 464 G-Class Utility Truck, and unlike the civilian version that needs 93 Octane, this version can run on poor quality diesel anywhere in the world, and sports a ladder frame, three locking differentials, and rigid axles up front and in the rear. And of course, a desert khaki paint scheme with black plastic instead of chrome.  The Watch:  IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Edition "Mojave Desert" Photo Credit: IWC This desert khaki ceramic perpetual calendar will set you back a cool 40 large. It’s the kind of watch with a case as big as its price tag at 46.5mm. But the aesthetic of the watch is its strength. It looks cool, even if you’re paying dearly for that look. IWC is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in the German-speaking region near the German border. Underneath it all, there’s an in-house caliber that’s well engineered.  The Link: Expensive but capable is the theme here, and both of these things have a degree of unnecessary tacticool flashiness that’s earned them a legion of loyal followers, even if they’re designed with stealthiness in mind.  The Vehicle: Toyota Hi-Lux This is regarded as the most indestructible truck on the planet by most automotive enthusiasts. For better or worse, bad actors agree. That’s why you’ll often see a squad of masked goons perched in the bed alongside a shoddily mounted SALW set up ripping through the desert. We don’t get the Hi-Lux in the US, instead we get the Tacoma, which is a great truck in its own right–but not quite as tough as the Hi-Lux. It comes in a range of diesel and petrol options, 4x4 drivetrains, and the most basic features possible. Trucks modified as an “improvised fighting vehicle” are referred to as technicals. While yes, terrorists are known to employ technicals, our own Special Operations Forces have used them as well. The Toyota Hi-Lux is an absolute legend.  The Watch: Casio F-91W Speaking of legendary, Kikuo Ibe’s G-Shock is unequivocally the watch of choice for terrorists. It’s no secret that Usama bin Laden wore the F-91W. This isn’t to be taken as a knock against the watch, however. Terrorists deserve absolutely zero praise, a lot of us have dedicated our careers to mitigating their efforts.  But the truth is, the equipment that terrorists typically use has to be cheap and reliable. That’s exactly what the F-91W is.  (Read More: Casio F-91W, the Preferred Watch of Terrorists) The Link: I’ve met a few terrorists in my life, and they come in all shapes and sizes.  The one thing they all have in common, whether in Colombia, Somalia or Afghanistan, is a love for Hi-Lux and Casio.  Indestructible, simple, easy to use, and both favorites of bad actors around the globe–and good ones, too.  The Vehicle:  Land Rover Wolf You probably know the Land Rover Defender–the boxy, no-frills 4x4 that’s earned a massive fan base around the globe for its collection of 90-degree angles, not to mention its reputation as the physical incarnation of the English can-do attitude. It’s long out of production now, but the Wolf is the Defender, mostly in OD Green, with a roll bar and soft top, and a number of fortifications that made it fit for military duty. It also used the 300Tdi engine instead of the Td5 as it was considered easier to work on in the field because of its analog properties. It was widely used by UK forces during GWOT. There were nearly 100 versions of the Wolf performing specific roles like serving as an ambulance or modified for winter-specific operations.  The Watch: Bremont Broadsword Bremont Broadsword (Photo Credit Bremont) The Broadsword is Bremont’s interpretation of a Dirty Dozen watch, and it’s settled into the line-up as a GADA model that’s closely associated with Bremont’s military program. It’s simple, it’s tough, and has a touch of elegance. Just like its country of origin. It’s got small seconds at 6 just like the original Dirty Dozen watches, but now it’s joined by a date window. The font is modern, and it’s been endorsed by the MoD. That means Bremont has the rights to revive the Broad Arrow markings and put it on this very model. (See our profile: Aviation “Unit Watches”: Bremont Military and Special Projects Division) The Link: Strong ties to heritage and made in England with English pride is the theme here.  The Vehicle: MRZR 4x4 You’ve either driven a Polaris RZR or know someone who has one. They’re everywhere outside major cities in the US. The MRZR isn’t all that different, but it runs on diesel and includes strategic protection for use in conflict zones. The strength of the vehicle remains the same between the civilian and military variant: being able to rip through rough terrain quickly and reliably. The MRZR is designed to be transported in the V-22, H-53, and H-47.  The Watch: Pelagos 39 Photo Credit: James Rupley Rendered in titanium with the same legible dial layout as the apex predator dive watch, the Tudor Pelagos, the Pelagos 39 is slightly downsized for a perfect fit. Some folks don’t like the brushing on the dial or bezel, but it’s hard to deny how well this watch wears and how legible it is. (Read More: Tudors of Espionage (T.O.E.s) The Link: Light and nimble. Pared down. Easy to use. Their perfect size is their strength.  The Vehicle: High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; Humvee) SOCOM Modified HUMVEE as a part of the Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) program. (Photo Credit: DOD) The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, otherwise known as the Humvee, entered service in the late ‘80s, just as tensions were heating up around the globe. Developed for large scale Cold War-level conflicts, it quickly became a central figure in TV reportage of the Persian Gulf War. Meanwhile it served in Just Cause, Somalia, and the conflicts of the time in Bosnia and Kosovo. Its early success cemented its reputation as reliable and effective, and it went on to become known as the most successful light military truck in modern history. Where the Willys Jeep is a symbol of American mid-century might, the Humvee stands in for the military role the US has played in modern times. In fact, the vehicle was so beloved by the Americans that AM General produced a civilian version of it, the Hummer.  The Watch: Panerai Submersible PAM02973 (Photo Credit: Panerai) Panerai (in some fashion) was one of the original suppliers to Italian Frogmen. The brand’s signature svelte Italian curvy case and sandwich dial might have been relegated to the more style-oriented subset of watches today, but there’s certainly bonafide military history in Panerai’s past. The watches are chunky and oversized. The Submersible adds the functionality of a rotating bezel and is engineered for diving. What many people forget is just how desirable Panerais were in the ‘90s and early 2000s. There were waiting lists and you had to “be someone” to get an allocation long before the modern hype watch phenomena. While many watch blogs continue to debate (hate on) Panerai’s marketing, the fact is it does have a strong following in the NatSec space, particularly with the Naval Special Warfare community.  The Link: Both the Humvee and the Submersible are built like tanks and were true kings of the ‘90s and 2000s. Back then, many people were probably into both. The brawny draw of both captured the same sort of enthusiast, though it may not remain so today.  The Vehicle: Soviet/Russian MAZ-7917 With a 14x12 drivetrain and the ability to obliterate nations with ICBM launching capabilities, the MAZ-7917 is a force to be reckoned with. If you see MAZ-7917 movements on intelligence reports it gets attention. It transports, erects, and launches the Topol-M missile. The 54th Guards Order of Kutuzov Rocket Division is reported to oversee the Topol-M program. MAZ (Minsk Automobile Plant) manufactures the MAZ-7917 in Belarus, and is state-run. In addition to military vehicles, they produce vehicles like city buses for Eastern European nations.  The Watch: Seiko Astron The 1969 Quartz Astron 50th Anniversary Limited Edition (Photo Credit: Seiko) In 1969, Seiko unveiled the first quartz watch, and set off what would come to be dubbed the “quartz crisis” by the watch industry. The Astron relied on electronics to tell the time rather than traditional watchmaking know-how that Switzerland specialized in. Quartz watches were cheaper and more accurate, and Japan’s trio of Citizen, Seiko, and Casio owned the market. The Astron was the watch that started this trend. We all know how the story went–Quartz had a moment but certainly did not completely stamp out the Swiss mechanical watch industry. But it was the Astron that sounded the alarms.  The Link: Both the MAZ-7917 and the Seiko Astron have the potential to set off catastrophic chain reactions. And one–the Astron–did in 1969.  The Vehicle: Bradley Fighting Vehicle The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is named for General Omar Bradley, made by British BAE Systems, and operated by Croatia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and of course, the US. It’s one of the most widely used tracked armored vehicles by the US and has been in service since 1981. As a tank, it’s a popular fixture in Hollywood military movies, and that’s for good reason: there are around 4,500 being actively used by the US military, and roughly 2,000 in storage. There are two versions, the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. It’s still being delivered to this day, at roughly 160 units per year.  The Watch: Omega PloProf Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M (Photo Credit: Omega) This is the ultimate dive watch from Omega. It’s waterproof to a staggering 1200 meters and originally used a monobloc case design which means the movement is loaded through the front and then a crystal is pressed into the case. In short, again, it’s built like a tank. There isn't an obvious curve on the case, either. The crown guard and bezel lock mechanism are actually part of the case, lending to a very functional design.   The Link: Both of these things are built in the same way–like tanks. One is actually a tank (well, a tracked armored fighting vehicle), and the other is as close as a watch can get to a tank.  The Vehicle: Type-10 Snow Vehicle Photo Credit: Military Today This vehicle is relatively obscure for a reason. Japan has a self-defense force (as opposed to an expeditionary force) and only recently has it moved towards exporting any sort of defense machinery. This means that most Japanese-developed military vehicles have stayed inside Japan, like the Type-10. It’s made by the company Ohara, which specializes in supporting civilian operations with vehicles in snowy environments, like Antarctica, where Japan maintains Syowa Research Station. The Type 10 is designed to carry 8 soldiers with gear and runs with a crew of 2.  The Watch: Seiko SPB297 Photo Credit: Seiko In 1965, Seiko came out with the 62MAS, their very first dive watch. It was well-received for the time, and Seiko took testing and quality control very seriously. The watch was issued to the 8th Antarctic Research Expedition team that stayed on the ice from 66-69. This visual language and case shape laid the foundation for plenty of Seiko’s dive watches since, and in the last five years Seiko has released a bevy of watches directly paying homage to this model. The SPB297 is one of them, and it features an icy dial to establish the link.  Showa Station, home of Seiko 62MAS testing. Credit: Antarctic Journal of the United States, 1967-68 The Link: We’ve said before that Seiko is the Toyota of Watches, but in this case it is the Ohara of watches.  Seiko might still issue watches to Japanese Antarctic teams (it’s known that Seiko made watches for JARE47 and JARE49), and if they do, it should be the SPB297. And you might find a Type-10 at Japan’s Antarctic station Showa as well.  The Vehicle:  BTR-80 - Soviet Union The Soviet-Afghan War is often overlooked, but some of the equipment that took part in the conflict certainly isn’t. The BTR-80 is one of the most striking symbols of the Soviet Union’s military might. It’s often depicted rolling through the Red Square with its crew popping out the hatches in the front of the vehicle during military parades. Most recently, the BTR-80 played an important role in the War in Ukraine. Both sides operate the BTR-80, and both sides have lost a number of them in the conflict. They’re still being produced to this day. The Watch: Vostok Amphibia Steve Zissou wore this watch in the movie The Life Aquatic, but that’s not why we think it’s interesting. The Amphibia is probably the most recognized example of a “Russian” watch. Although it should really be known as a Soviet watch, since it’s been around since ‘67 and Vostok as a company has been around since ‘42. Some collectors have a fascination with Russian/Soviet watches because of their prevalence in the current conflict in Ukraine. The Link: Both are instantly recognizable Soviet designs.  The Vehicle:  Jeep Willys MB Part of Roosevelt’s plan to emerge victorious during WWII included “out-producing the enemy” and this meant that the military industrial complex was spun up to full force. It resulted in an economic miracle, and one singular byproduct of that is the Willys Jeep. Roughly 600,000 of these light and capable 4x4 vehicles were produced, and they were shipped to every theater that the US was operating in. The vehicle went on to play a role in just about every conflict immediately following for a few decades; it was prominently featured in the show M*A*S*H, a comedic illustration of life soldiers’ lives during the Korean War. Of course, the platform evolved into an automotive smash hit in the civilian world with the Jeep Wrangler, but it started off as a humble git ‘er done piece of machinery serving on the battlefield.  The Watch: Hamilton Khaki Field Photo Credit: Hamilton We’re talking about an entire family of watches here, but if we want to get down to a specific reference, it would be the GG-W-113.  This watch was produced by many manufacturers, including Hamilton, to a US Gov spec (and that spec is GG-W-113, hence the name of the watches it spawned). That spec came out in 1967, and has since been replaced. But the modern, non-gov spec Hamilton Khaki field is the spiritual reincarnation of those Vietnam-era watches. The Link: Hamilton is now owned by the Swatch group, but it was once a truly American company that gave the US a lot of pride. The Jeep is another American icon. Both the Khaki Field and the Jeep spin off very successful civilian products that have become icons in their own right from a military specification.  -- If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE.     Read Next: SEAL Team Six and a U.S. Navy-Issued Seiko Turtle

by Benjamin Lowry On a moonless night, gently rolling waves reflect only the faintest shimmer of starlight. Fully submerged well up the beach by way of a spring tide, a team of commandos peer down at their synchronized mechanical dive watches, counting down the seconds before their waterside assault will begin in earnest. Eight pairs of eyes, hidden behind rubber diving masks, are just able to discern the time thanks to luminescent material applied to the dial and hands of their watches. Rotating bezels manage the elapsed time from when the combat swimmers emerged unseen from the torpedo tubes of a specially outfitted submarine further offshore. Mission time is elapsing, and the action is just about to start. Each operator’s head, mask, muzzle, and watch slowly break the surface on a pitch-black beach in a faraway land. It’s zero hour; time to put in the work.  W.O.E. Personal US Navy Issued Tudor 7928 (Photo Credit: James Rupley) While we’re all familiar with the imagery so often celebrated in watch campaigns and marketing materials, few understand the extent to which the dive watch owes its very existence to amphibious military organizations. Despite the lack of popularity of scuba diving and the pervasive use of diving computers that has rendered the traditional mechanical watch all but unnecessary, the dive watch remains the most popular watch today. In other words, many SCUBA divers wear a wristwatch, but very few people who wear a dive watch actually SCUBA dive. As a category, the dive watch boasts an impressive array of executions and designs that rose in status to become culturally relevant, including the Rolex Submariner, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and OMEGA Seamaster, to name a few. But how can this be the case? If no one cares about diving in 2023 and no one really wears a dive watch for diving, why are watches like the Submariner and Seamaster some of the most iconic luxury watches on the market?  Tudor's recent Pelagos FXD was one of the more recent collaborations between a military organization and a major watchmaker, but far from the first. (Photo Credit: Tudor Marketing) The truth is that these legendary names could never have ascended to their premium luxury positions without first descending on the wrists of a select few military divers and elite special operations units. Units like the US Navy SEALs and French Commandos Marine are as relevant to the dive watch as we understand it today as any Swiss executive chain smoking cigarettes in a leather-bound boardroom. To understand how yesterday’s diving tool, intended for wear alongside a mask, fins, and oversized dive knife, transformed into today’s luxury jewel, often sported by hypebeasts with Gucci slides and a Supreme hoodie, we’ll shine an underwater flashlight on the military’s role in shaping what has become history’s most impactful sports watch. Like pasta and fashion, the history of the dive watch starts with Italy.  An Entirely New Form Of Warfare & The Need For Water-Resistant Timekeeping  Early operators from the Decima Flottiglia MAS utilized the Siluro a Lenta Corsa or "slow-running torpedo" along with Panerai dive watches. Starting in 1935, the Royal Italian Navy or Reggia Marina established one of the first dedicated undersea warfare units. Known as the Decima Flottiglia MAS, the unit was tasked with infiltrating Allied harbors and sinking ships by attaching explosive charges to their hulls. Given the complexity of these burgeoning maritime missions and the importance of careful coordination in any situation where things blow up, the need for a capable water-resistant watch emerged. Already a respected supplier of instruments to the Italian military, G. Panerai & Figlio of Florence stepped up, developing the reference 2533 around 1936 and later the reference 3646 with no small amount of help from Rolex SA across the border in neutral Switzerland.  Panerai's pioneering Radiomir reference 2533 from 1936. With a massive 47mm case, multi-layered “sandwich” dial construction, and hand-winding pocket watch calibers, the “Radiomir”, as it came to be known for its radium-based luminescent material, finds its place in history as the first watch developed specifically for underwater use by divers.  The earliest watches intended for underwater use by divers were from Panerai, with the tender in this legendary image wearing one of the earliest Radiomir references. Equipped with water-resistant luminescent watches and rudimentary pure oxygen rebreathers, as well as submersible “human torpedoes” to cover greater distances, the Royal Italian Navy’s novel diving commando unit was incredibly successful for its size and age, sinking or disabling some 200,000 tons of Allied war and merchant ships while establishing new modalities in naval warfare that would influence virtually all maritime special operations units to follow. And so their success would influence the use and design of watches as well. Seen as more of an outsider with their simple, rotating bezel-free format, Panerai’s WWII-Era creations are perhaps less impactful for the dive watch genre compared to some of the icons we’ll cover but do garner a place in history both for demonstrating the value of luminescence for underwater legibility as well as the need for direct feedback from military operators in influencing the development of diving-specific watches.  (Photo Credit: Navy SEAL Museum) Across the pond, the United States Military was developing its own amphibious warfighters, initially known as the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU) and later the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT). These early United States maritime units gained notoriety for successful beach reconnaissance and explosive clearance operations in both the European and Pacific theaters of World War II. One of the earliest watches created for these maritime units was the Hamilton “Buships”, short for Bureau of Ships. Nicknamed the “Canteen”, Hamilton’s Buships secured its water resistance by way of a cap that was attached to the watch by a short chain and screwed over an inner push-pull crown for a watertight seal. Looking more like a field watch adapted to the sea than a true diver’s watch, the Hamilton is also a bit of an outlier but did help to bolster the case for submersible timers for amphibious military units.   Hamilton's earliest military dive watches were designed for Underwater Demolition Teams and utilized a screw-down cap to create a watertight seal over the top of the standard crown. underneath. (Watch Image Source: Craft & Tailored) The Mid-Century - The Dive Watch Comes Into Its Own  Without the advent of scuba diving and especially Jacques Cousteau's influence in popularizing recreational diving, the dive watch could never have become what it is today. However impactful, Panerai and Hamilton’s World War II and early post-war efforts in watch design didn’t make their way into watches designed for public consumption, and recreational scuba diving didn’t really take off until Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan’s Aqualung became more widely available starting around 1950. As scuba diving as a recreational pursuit grew, so too did the military’s adoption of scuba as opposed to the much older “deep sea” mode of diving undertaken by way of a brass helmet, rubberized canvas drysuit, and virtually unlimited breathing gas supplied through an umbilical. Given the limited gas supply inherent in diving with a tank on your back, as well as the life-and-death gravity of managing decompression-related issues, simply knowing the time of day underwater was no longer as important as tracking elapsed time. Starting in 1953, the dive watch as we know it today was born.  Omega Seamaster- The transition from primarily hard hat diving to scuba required a closer watch on elapsed time in order for a diver to track their breathing and avoid decompression-related issues.  The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms - Created For Combat Divers   Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms was designed in direct response to a request from the French Navy's nascent combat diving corps, changing the history of dive watches forever. (Source: French Government Archives) The conversation about which dive watches were developed and actually released to the public first is nuanced, spicy, and not really why we’re here. That said, two important names officially hit the market in 1953, the Zodiac Sea Wolf and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, with the latter having been developed in direct response to a request from the French Military. Of course there’s also the Rolex Submariner, first released in ‘54. There’s even an ongoing discussion around when the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms hit the scene–whether it was ‘53 or ‘54. The truth is, it doesn’t really matter who was first; it matters more how they all came to be. Modern tribalism is far less interesting than the genesis story of these legendary watches.  The story of the Fifty Fathoms goes that Captain Robert ‘Bob’ Maloubier, a wartime espionage legend, and Lieutenant Claude Riff were charged with creating a French Navy commando diving unit modeled after Britain’s Special Operations Executive which was itself in part inspired by the aforementioned Italian frogmen of World War II. Disappointed by then-commercially available water-resistant watches, none of which were actually designed for underwater operations, Maloubier and Riff set out to find a manufacturer willing to create a watch to their own unique specifications. Turned down by Lip, a business decision the brand likely later regretted, it was Jean-Jacques Fiechter, longtime CEO of Blancpain and a passionate scuba diver, who took up the challenge, changing the future of dive watches forever.  1953 saw the arrival of Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms, a watch often credited as the first modern diving watch. Source: Blancpain Unveiled to the public at Basel Fair in 1953 after extensive testing with the French Navy’s combat divers, the new watch was dubbed the “Fifty Fathoms” in a nod to its water resistance as well as a line from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Galvanizing the basic silhouette that now embodies the dive watch, the Fifty Fathoms was housed within a then-gigantic 42mm case and offered a suite of newly-patented features including a rotating push-to-turn bezel for tracking elapsed time, a dual-gasket crown system, and a novel screw-down case back system in addition to a soft iron inner cage safeguarding the caliber from magnetic fields.  The TR 900 from Tornek Rayville was a subtly modified Fifty Fathoms intended to subvert the Buy American Act and make the watch available to US Military divers. Source: Revolution Watch Immediately catching on with military divers around the world, a subtly modified version of the Fifty Fathoms known as the Tornek-Rayville TR-900 was later conceived by US Blancpain distributor Allen Tornek in an effort to subvert the Buy American Act of 1933. Now one of the rarest –and most expensive– military dive watches, the TR-900 was issued to US Military divers, Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians, and other maritime special operators starting in 1963. Despite a cooler reception from the mass market upon release, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms leaped into the mainstream with both fins thanks to its inclusion in 1956’s The Silent World, Jacques Cousteau’s epic diving documentary. Now rightly considered among the heights of luxury watchmaking with starting prices around $15,000, it’s important to remember the Fifty Fathoms would never have existed at all without its basic design parameters coming from a detailed request from an elite military diving unit.  French combat divers pictured in 1956. A big shoutout to the French military for helping to create the dive watch as we know it today. The Curious Case Of The Zodiac Sea Wolf  Offering a smaller 35mm case and more colorful options compared to the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms or Rolex Submariner, the Zodiac Sea Wolf also deserves its place in dive watch history. Source: Benjamin Lowry While Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms receives the majority of the kudos for its 1953 release date, the humble Zodiac Sea Wolf was also right there and is deserving of its place in both military and recreational dive watch history. Where the Blancpain eschewed trends, instead leaning into pure utility with its oversized 42mm case diameter, Zodiac’s Sea Wolf stayed closer to the sizing norms of the day with a 35mm diameter and abbreviated 43mm lug-to-lug measurement. Looking beyond its smaller stature, which no doubt aided in the Sea Wolf’s Mid-Century market appeal, Zodiac’s purpose-built diver was no less an aquatic tool, offering a rotating elapsed time bezel, luminescent indices, and optional expanding bracelets intended to work with a variety of diving suits. Though the Sea Wolf wasn’t necessarily ideated with the military in mind, instead capitalizing on the rapid growth of hobby scuba diving, the watch became a regular choice for US Military divers and special operations forces, commonly spotted on the wrists of US Navy SEALs during the Vietnam Era.  Favored by early UDTs and the SEAL Teams to follow, the Zodiac Sea Wolf is commonly associated with service members from the Vietnam War Era. Source: Navy Helicopter Association Historical Society In comparison to the Blancpain and Rolex’s Submariner which we will of course address in detail shortly, the Sea Wolf was smaller and offered a more comprehensive array of more colorful dial and bezel options, traits that likely limited its appeal to military divers in particular, especially as preferred sports watch sizes gradually began to increase. In the ensuing decades, brands like Blancpain and Rolex effectively scaled the luxury ladder. In contrast, Zodiac, which was imperiled along with much of the Swiss watchmaking industry during the Quartz Crisis, changed hands several times, losing elements of its core design ethos in the process. With that being said, modern Zodiac, today a part of the Fossil Group, offers a much more attainable pathway to heritage diving legitimacy with its current collection as well as relatively reasonable prices for vintage Sea Wolf references, both attributes that cannot be claimed by the final missing piece of the OG dive watch trio, Rolex’s world-beating Submariner.  A Zodiac Sea Wolf on the wrist of a US Special Forces solider. Source: The Dive Watch Connection In part two of this article, we’ll take a closer look at more of the most significant instances of military organizations influencing the history and design of diving watches including the Rolex Military Submariner, Tudors of Espionage (T.O.E) both old and new, the OMEGA Seamaster, and a whole lot more.  As a note before the keyboard commandos attack, this piece is intended as only the most abbreviated overview of some of the most prominent and impactful instances of the military’s role in shaping the dive watch as we know it today. There are numerous other important military dive watches we simply couldn’t cover in this piece including brands like IWC and Benrus that you will hopefully be inspired to discover. If you’re interested in additional coverage of other important military diving watches and their unique histories, you know where to find us.  READ PART II HERE Read Next: Read Next: Demystifying A North Korean State-Sponsored Luxury Wristwatch Awarded To High-Ranking Officials 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 as well as the life aquatic.

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

A CIA Case Officer’s job is to steal secrets by recruiting and running assets - penetrations of a foreign government or hostile non-state actor. At the core of this trade is manipulating an individual to report on his or her organization and spy on behalf of the US Government.  A significant step in the “development” of a clandestine relationship is the acceptance of an expensive gift, something that will make that individual feel indebted to his “friend,” the Case Officer. As the Watches of Espionage platform has grown, we have been offered significant “gifts” and “favors” from brands and accessory companies in the form of “lending” a watch for a review, invitations to lavish parties in Geneva and even cash payments in return for coverage.  From the brand’s perspective, the goal is simple; to exploit the relationship we have developed with our community (you) to sell more products.   Like a clandestine developmental, the offers are flattering and appeal to my ego, but having spent my professional career manipulating others, I understand this is a dangerous path. How can we objectively cover the watch industry if we feel indebted to a brand?  How can we maintain our authenticity if we mislead our community in return for financial remuneration?  From experience I know a small favor can quickly develop into a dependent relationship. Nothing in life is free, and upon reflection, the marketing of watches and influence of public opinion on timepieces has more in common with the clandestine world than initially apparent. Covert Influence Covert Influence (COVIN) is the act of influencing a population’s political sentiment or public discourse, all while concealing the hand of the actor, a foreign government.  In short, it is a government’s messaging disguised as organic content intended to influence a segment to take a certain action.  All major intelligence services engage in COVIN to further their country’s political and military objectives. Photo Credit: IWC Information, Misinformation, Disinformation While there is and always will be tension between journalists and intelligence officers, the reality is the two trades have much in common. At the core of both disciplines is the process of collecting information, analyzing it, and then reporting it for the sake of decision-making. On the journalism side, the general public is the decision-maker and the decision is often simply public opinion. On the intelligence side, Intelligence Officers collect and analyze information to inform policy makers to (hopefully) make sound decisions.   According to now declassified documents, during the Cold War, some prominent journalists and media outfits were aligned with the CIA and helped carry out Agency goals in both reporting from foreign nations as well as influencing the populace through placed stories.  US Embassy, Moscow, USSR Today, claims of the CIA’s mass media control and “spooking the news” in the US have very little factual basis.  Contrary to Hollywood, CIA’s current use of the media and COVIN is heavily regulated by US law under Title 50 authorities and only occurs under significant congressional oversight, most notably that it cannot be used to influence the US public opinion. Watch Journalism: To inform or influence?   While W.O.E. is still new to the watch media landscape, it is easy to identify the same tradecraft used by intelligence services to influence you as the consumer.  There are very few impartial actors in this space and traditional marketing is supported with a sophisticated COVIN-like campaign to manipulate the consumer (you) to take a certain action (buy a certain watch).   Understanding how niche media–particularly in the watch community– works, and recognizing influence, can help identify partial and impartial actors. This isn't entirely different from what happens in the intelligence world. Intelligence agencies constantly seek to identify, analyze, and counter hostile foreign intelligence services COVIN campaigns targeting the US and our allies. sexy (Photo Credit: Tudor) Brand Capture of Enthusiast Platforms What separates “Enthusiast Media” from the typical “Fourth Estate” (media meant to hold people in power accountable, i.e., big media) is that enthusiast platforms are driven by access. And access is typically granted at the will of the subjects being covered (in the watch world, that’s the big watch companies). This Enthusiast model creates a symbiotic relationship between journalists/watch personalities and the subjects they cover, which inherently results in a bias when reporting. Like a Case Officer providing a gift to a developmental, brands provide watch influencers “gifts”, most notably in the form of access. To gain and maintain access, the published narrative must be consistent with the established communication direction of the powerful players in the watch world. This is at the core of understanding watch media: As the digital age caught up with the traditional world of watch enthusiasm and platforms started cropping up, there was a very sharp shift from scholarship and reporting to advocacy. We’ve seen this happen in mainstream media as well–and as a result, there is a growing distrust of the major news media conglomerates. Part of this change in watch media was intentional, but most of it was a byproduct of how the shifting model allowed for more participation, and in turn, more engagement of enthusiasts by brands. All the sudden there was a comment section, and consumers could openly voice their dissent or admiration directly to the brands. Tribalism–which as anyone in the IC can relate to–exists on every level. There are fewer “watch guys” and more and more “Rolex guys” or “Omega guys”, or whatever brand one developed an allegiance to. The “flame wars” erupted on comment sections and forum threads as collectors engaged in heated debates about certain elements of watch enthusiasm.  (Photo Credit: Panerai) Swiss Brands - The Puppet Masters  Watch brands, long masters at marketing, quickly figured out how to manipulate organic advocacy and create communication strategies that brought the leaders of those advocacy movements front and center. Prominent collectors and “tastemakers” were compensated to influence taste, or rather influence “mass opinion” of the watch community at large.  This led to the modern watch “influencer” model, but something even more impactful happened. The emergence of blogs that cashed in on their influence. Banner ads in the early days were commonplace, and that was the most obvious form of advertising. But the game has evolved. This is where it takes a discerning eye to distinguish what’s meant to influence–and what has roots in scholarship and enthusiasm.  Watches and Wonders (Photo Credit: Unknown) Scholarship vs Advocacy Big watch brands spend large budgets on “native content” packages that wrap up banner ads, sponsored content, and sometimes events all into one package. Absent is one line item: coverage, as in stories, on the brand’s new releases. It’s implied that the digital platform will cover the release favorably when the brand signs a six-figure ad deal. That’s how big watch platforms can technically remain “independent” while still being influenced by watch brands. It’s the same sort of “soft power” one might see in the intelligence world. There’s always a part of the deal that’s bound by an implied handshake rather than a written contract.  Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. To make things even more complicated, most large watch platforms now sell the very watches they cover so there’s even more opportunity for the platform to be influenced by brands (as a channel to push their watches) and to influence consumers (to sell more watches).  As a platform starts to carry more brands, there are fewer brands that would be subject to criticism–and if the platform aspired to carry a brand, of course it wouldn't be subject to criticism either. The pattern that occurs is that every article is positive and very few publications offer any earnest scholarship when it comes to a watch or watch manufacturer. (Photo Credit: Tag) If one were to look for an objective watch review–it would be notably absent from any of the big watch publications. This isn't by accident. At W.O.E., we celebrate the stories of the community–and we suggest ways to get further into watches, but we generally leave the “reviews” for the blogs. They always seem to be positive, because there is general commercial interest involved, whether overt or clandestine. We’ve looked at how the conflict in Ukraine is an information war. This ties into how we can think about media–whoever controls the narrative controls public opinion. In enthusiast media, whoever sways opinion controls the consumer purchases.  The World As it Is To be clear, we are not criticizing any major watch platform or brand for that matter.  We believe in a free market and actors should make decisions on what is best for their shareholder’s interests.  In a perfect world, all major news outlets and watch platforms would cover events in an objective manner.  That said, we observe the world as it is, not how it should be. At W.O.E., we’ve long ago established that we will not follow the model of traditional watch media in the sense that we will not take money in exchange for allowing our platform to be used as a tool to influence our community. (Photo Credit: Breitling) W.O.E. is brand agnostic.  To date, we have profiled several brands including Tudor, Casio G-Shock, Marathon and Bremont and covered examples of many more (Breitling, Seiko, Omega, Panerai etc). While these are not necessarily endorsements, each brand maintains a connection with our community and our goal is to document that history.  We plan to cover many more and we will continue to do it on our terms without a hidden hand on the libra scale. We’re not closing the door of collaborating with a major watch brand one day–but it would be for the sole purpose of designing with the scope of our very specific community in mind, and again, on our terms. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. READ NEXT: Criminal Rolex Gangs And Traveling With Watches, Part I This article has been reviewed by the CIA's Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

A Former CIA Case Officer Reveals The Surprising Connection Between Watches and Espionage Luxury timepieces play a significant role in the murky world of spycraft – just not the way they're portrayed in Hollywood. (Originally featured in Hodinkee.)