Rolex, Omega, Timex, & Patek Philippe Worn By US Political Leaders  As Donald Trump is once again sworn in as the President of the United States, we offer an unbiased look at the watches worn by not only Trump but also members of his Cabinet and close advisors. The watches worn by US Presidents and political appointees are seldom accidental, and you can learn a lot about a person from their timepiece. Remember, a watch is never just a watch. With that in mind, we apply our Agency background and knowledge of timepieces to see what can be learned from the watches worn by the incoming administration, especially those worn by politicians with roles close to the world of intelligence and the military. A White House Breitling belonging to Cliff Sims, Trump’s pick for Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Strategy and Communications Please keep in mind that this is simply an exercise and all in good fun. Watches of Espionage is an apolitical platform utilizing watches as the lens through which we view history and current events. If the new administration were on the other side of the aisle, we’d write the same article. If seeing a watch worn by a political figure you don’t agree with triggers you, we would recommend taking up a soothing activity like hiking, knitting, yoga, or maybe even an ice bath.  If you have additional vitriol that must be expressed, know that we very much enjoy reading your comments. Until then, let’s get started.  Donald Trump - President  During his first term, President Donald Trump notably wore several luxury timepieces including a Patek Philippe Ellipse, a Vacheron Constantin Historiques 1968, and a Rolex Day-Date Ref 18038. While he elected to not wear a watch for the inauguration yesterday as far as we could tell, we will keep our eyes peeled for which watches Trump favors during his second term. Of course, the elephant in the room is the collection of Trump-branded watches released last year, including a $100,000 tourbillon as well as more pedestrian models coming in around $500.  Despite the release with much fanfare, we have yet to spot President Trump (or anyone else) wearing any of the watches bearing the President’s name including such models as the Trump Crypto President 47, the Trump’s Smoky Blue, or the Trump Shield Warrior, a real shame if you ask us.  JD Vance - Vice President  The Vice President for Donald Trump’s second term in office is none other than JD Vance, a former United States Senator from Ohio and US Marine Corps veteran. While Vance is often photographed without a watch, when he was seen wearing a watch during the campaign, it was typically an Apple Watch. The Apple Watch serves as a sign of youth and tech savviness in keeping with Vance’s background in venture capital, but smartwatches also present serious counterintelligence risks. Will the VP continue to wear an Apple Watch in the White House? Or will the Secret Service and National Security Agency inform him of the CI-risks of smartwatches? Mike Waltz - National Security Advisor  Mike Waltz, Trump’s National Security Advisor, has quite the resume, having served in US Army Special Forces during the Global War On Terror and earning a total of four bronze stars (including two for valor). During his service, Waltz appears to have favored a straightforward Digital Tool Watch (D.T.W.), but more recently, Waltz has been spotted wearing a couple of different Rolex models including a GMT-Master II, likely reference 126710, and an older GMT-Master II with the all-black bezel, likely reference 16710. This embodies the old-school adage that all a Special Forces man needs are a star sapphire ring, a Randall knife, and a Rolex. Waltz in Afghanistan wearing a Digital Tool Watch (D.T.W.)  Kristi Noem - Secretary of Homeland Security Trump’s pick for the Secretary of Homeland Security is Kristi Noem, formerly known as the 33rd Governor of South Dakota. Again demonstrating the popularity of Rolex in US political circles, Noem is often photographed wearing what appears to be a 41mm DateJust. What’s more, like many members of the military and SpecOps, Noem has also been seen “inside-wristing” her Rollie for reasons we can also assume are tactical in nature. Noem inside-wristing her Rolex. Kash Patel - Director of the FBI  It almost shouldn’t have to be said at this point, but Sketchy Dudes Wear Breitling. We don’t make the rules. Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, worked as a prosecutor at DOJ and also served as the Chief of Staff to the Acting Secretary of Defense, Deputy Assistant to the President, Senior Director for CT at the NSC, and Principal Deputy to the Acting Director of DNI. He was also a DOJ liaison officer to Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Patel’s Breitling also appears to have the White House Seal or another insignia at three o’clock.  Patel appears to be a watch nerd with several watches in his collection.  With experience in many three-letter agencies relevant to our community, a Breitling was always going to be the right choice for Patel who has been wearing what looks to be a 46mm titanium Breitling Cockpit B50. We are told that at least one of the Breitlings is a Unit Watch from the previous Trump Administration, with the White House seal at the three o’clock position.  Pete Hegseth - Secretary of Defense  Pete Hegseth, a cohost of Fox and Friends and former Army National Guard officer, is Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense. Intriguingly, other than older images from Hegseth’s military service in which he is seen wearing a Suunto Observer, the modern Hegseth does not appear to wear a watch. Instead, like many GWOT veterans, he appears to virtually always wear a memorial bracelet. Dating back to the Vietnam War when they were typically worn to honor soldiers captured or missing in action, today, these memorial bracelets typically display the name, rank, and date of the death of a fellow service member. Hegseth wearing a Suunto Observer during his National Guard days. Marco Rubio - Secretary of State The two may have gone toe to toe during Trump’s first run at the White House, with Rubio famously saying in 2016, “If he hadn’t inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be right now? Selling watches in Manhattan.” However, the pair appears to have worked it out, with Rubio slated to serve as Trump’s new Secretary of State. In most photographs, Rubio wears a blue Roman Numeral dial Rolex DateJust with a fluted bezel, likely a reference 126334 or something similar.  Christian Craighead - Personal Bodyguard to Donald Trump? Craighead wearing a CWC SBS, a watch designed for the Special Boat Service. According to press reporting, former Special Air Service (SAS) Warrant Officer, Christian Craighead was recently hired by Donald Trump as his personal bodyguard with a special emphasis on traveling ahead of the President’s public speaking engagements to locate potential sniper positions. Craighead burst into the public eye when he responded to a 2019 al-Shabaab attack in Nairobi, single-handedly killing five terrorists. Craig wearing a Seiko SNJ025 “Arnie”, a watch enthusiast favorite. Like many current and former members of UK Special Forces, Craighead is also something of a watch guy, having been seen wearing Rolex, Seiko, and Panerai watches in addition to releasing a collaboration with CWC, a brand that famously supplied the Special Boat Service (SBS). Hired for a role that is typically handled by the US Secret Service, it will be interesting to see how Craighead fits into the POTUS’ protection picture as a civilian. Elon Musk - Czar of the Department of Government Efficiency  While his role is technically non-governmental, it appears Elon Musk will have significant influence on the new White House through his appointment as the Czar of the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. It would seem that Musk’s interest in watches has waned in recent years, but he was once known for wearing a special SpaceX version of a TAG Heuer Carrera Cailbre 1887, an Omega Aqua Terra, and a Rolex DateJust way back in the day. One can only hope that when Trump’s licensed watches hit the wrists of those who have anxiously pre-ordered, there’s at least one extra lying around for the DOGE Czar.  Tulsi Gabbard - Director of National Intelligence (DNI) A former member of the US House of Representatives from Hawaii’s second district, Tulsi Gabbard was recently selected by Trump as the Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard also has a military background including service with the Hawaii National Guard including a deployment to Iraq and today serves in the Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel. Despite her background, most photographs show Gabbard wearing what appears to be a no-name fashion watch.  John Ratcliffe - Director of CIA Trump’s pick to head the Agency as Director of CIA or DCIA is John Ratcliffe, a former Texas representative and the Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021. Despite the link between espionage and watches celebrated on W.O.E., Ratcliffe appears to buck the trend as we cannot find a single photo of him wearing a watch. We believe that this makes Ratcliffe the first Director of CIA to NOT wear a watch, a significant moment in the evolution of Watches of Espionage. If anyone has further details, be sure to let us know. Meanwhile, Ratcliffe’s predecessor, Bill Burns, isn’t a watch nerd, either, he does at least wear a straightforward quartz Timex.  Cliff Sims - Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Strategy and Communications The author of White House tell-all Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House, Cliff Sims has held several positions relating to US Intelligence and served as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Strategy and Communications. With at least some interest in horology, Sims is also one of several owners we have encountered of a “White House Breitling”, a standard Breitling model (it seems like a few are available) customized with the White House Seal and a special engraved caseback. Of note, this Breitling was commissioned for the previous Trump Administration.  In Sims’ case, he hits the sketchy nail on the head with a White House Breitling Aerospace, always great to see.  Matthew Whitaker - US Ambassador to NATO  A former Attorney General, Matthew Whitaker is Trump’s choice for US Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO. In addition to having played college football at the University of Iowa, Whitaker is at least a little bit of a watch guy, having been recently photographed wearing a two-tone Rolex Submariner, quite possibly a reference 126613. This is one of those watches that shows the breadth of the divide between the Submariner’s utilitarian diving roots and its current position on the wrist of a high-powered attorney/politician, but we still love to see it.  Sebastian Gorka - Counterterrorism Chief on the White House National Security Council A television presenter and former Deputy Assistant to the President during Trump’s first term, Sebastian Gorka, who was born in London to Hungarian parents, is the president’s pick for counterterrorism chief. What’s more, Gorka appears to be something of a watch guy. We’ve seen him wearing an Omega Planet Ocean, though it’s hard to discern the exact reference, as well as several more obscure watches on his Instagram. A Sinn 857 showcased in a 2020 post on Gorka’s Instagram. In a post from back in 2020, Gorka showed off his EDC which included a seldom-seen 857 UTC TESTAF. We’ve said this before, but if you’re rocking a Sinn, it isn’t because you picked it up at Macy’s. Watch guys are everywhere.  Final Thoughts One more shot of Cliff Sims’ White House Breitling Aerospace. Politics aside, it’s genuinely nice to see so many “real” watches worn inside the White House. Where digital tool watches (D.T.W.) and smartwatches including the ubiquitous Apple Watch have no doubt taken a sizable chunk of the top of the mechanical watch industry, certain serious individuals continue to value timepieces. Especially in political circles, nothing happens in a vacuum.  At W.O.E., we subscribe to the Use Your Tools ethos, and that includes watches utilized as tools of communication, as is so often the case in politics. In addition, there are a few players in the new White House that are clearly interested in watches, showing once again that watch guys are everywhere.  If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: U.S. Presidents and Timepieces, The Last 40 Years

Global watch crime is an enterprise worth an estimated 1.9 billion dollars in 2024. Almost daily, watches from Rolex, Richard Mille, and Patek Philippe are stolen—sometimes violently—from the wrist of a tourist or businessman. But what can you do about it? In the newest episode of W.O.E. TV, we’ll discuss this alarming trend and provide tips for how to travel with a luxury watch. While criminal watch gangs pose an undeniable risk, with a certain amount of forethought and some common sense, it’s possible to enjoy your watches around the world. Don’t be a soft target and always use your tools. Enjoy episode eleven of W.O.E. TV. Happy Hunting, -W.O.E.

Director William Burns Received An Omega Watch From A Foreign Government, Can He Keep It? Last week the State Department published a list of gifts provided by foreign governments to US government officials, including the Office of the President, the Department of Defense, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The media was quick to jump on (and politicize) gifts to President Joe Biden, including a $20,000 7.5-carat diamond from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to First Lady Jill Biden. But this annual list offers unique and detailed insight into the role of watches in diplomacy and intelligence including documentation of CIA officers receiving Omega Seamasters, Movados, and even a Rolex-Yachtmaster II valued at $18,700, which was later destroyed. We have discussed at length the use of watches as bribes and operational gifts given by CIA officers, but what happens when CIA officers receive gifts from foreign intelligence services, assets, and developmentals? Can they keep them? The short answer is no, but the real answer is “it depends” (yes). Stick with me here. It Is Against US Law To Accept Expensive Gifts Federal law prohibits US Government officials from receiving gifts that exceed $480, anything below this amount can be deemed as a souvenir or as a “mark of courtesy”. But there are exceptions: A CIA officer may accept the gift if “Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government”—a very subjective concept. In the intelligence business, where human relationships are at the core of the trade, accepting a gift can often do a lot to further the relationship between a Foreign Intelligence Service (“Liaison”) or even an agent or prospective agent (“developmental”). I would go as far as to say that in many cases accepting a gift can do more to further a clandestine relationship than giving one. A U-Boat watch gifted to a CIA Paramilitary Officer from a European intelligence service. After receipt of a gift, the item immediately becomes the property of the US Government and must be reported within 30 days to the General Services Administration (GSA). At CIA, operational gifts from clandestine sources or foreign intelligence services are immediately documented in an operational cable and a separate gift report. (If I remember correctly, when I was at CIA the amount that required reporting was anything above $50.) Purchase Pending With GSA By default, the items are sent back to CIA headquarters and ultimately destroyed, but there are exceptions. According to the release, on June 18th, 2023, a CIA officer received a green dial steel Rolex Datejust, ref. 126300 from a (redacted) foreign government. Valued at $8,050, the document states that the item is “Purchase Pending with GSA”—which means the officer who received the gift is paying the retail price to the US Government to retain the gift.   (Watch Photo Credit: Debonair Watches) Another CIA officer received a Tsikolia Brand Georgian Defense Forces Watch in February 2023 and purchased it from the GSA for $543.  Many others agreed to forfeit the timepieces, including an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra, a Ladies Omega Constellation 31mm, a Rolex Air King ref. 116900, a Rolex Lady-Datejust, and a slew of Movados. A Tsikolia Brand Georgian Defense Forces Watch was also given to a CIA Case Officer in 2023. While many of the officers likely would prefer to keep the watches as mementos, the reality is these gifts can be an expensive purchase for a civil servant. Most CIA officers cannot come up with thousands of dollars on short notice to purchase an unexpected Rolex or Omega.   Retained For Operational Purposes A good friend of mine and former senior CIA executive Anthony “Tony” DeMario told me that during his first overseas tour in a Gulf country in the 1990s, he was given a solid gold Rolex Day-Date from an individual he was developing as a social broker. He was able to retain the watch for operational purposes during that tour as it would have been strange for him to not wear the watch when he met with the individual. Tony ultimately had to forfeit the expensive Rolex to the US Government for destruction. He regrets not purchasing the watch, but he knew he would never be able to pay the retail price of a gold Rolex on a GS-12 paycheck. The Panerai he purchased before his first tour was already a stretch. Tony is not alone. According to the State Department report, in 2023, at least one CIA officer was allowed to keep a Rolex Oyster Datejust for “operational purposes.” What the justification was, we can only speculate, but it was likely to wear when he/she met with the contact who gave it to him/her. Intriguingly, it’s likely the same model as the previous example where the officer chose to purchase the watch from GSA, which could indicate the gifting country is the same as the previous example. (Watch Photo Credit: Legend of Time) As previously documented, I received a Breitling Aerospace from the King of Jordan, a watch that I wore regularly during my career and still have to this day. Fortunately, this was prior to joining CIA so I was able to keep it, but if not would I have had the wherewithal to purchase it if I were a junior CIA officer? I don’t know. A Breitling Aerospace given to W.O.E. by the King of Jordan. A Conflict Of Interest? CIA puts a lot of trust in its officers and this trust is at the core of a functional intelligence service. One of the easiest ways to get fired from CIA is intentionally mishandling money or expenses for personal gain.  Neglecting to report a gift is a serious offense at CIA, and could indicate a possible counterintelligence risk or character flaw.   Former CIA Officer Alexander Yuk Ching Ma was indicted in 2024 for accepting gifts and cash payments in exchange for providing classified information to China. While CIA officers are trained to break laws of foreign countries, contrary to Hollywood's depiction the actual business of intelligence collection is heavily regulated by a team of lawyers and must comply with all US laws. Regular security reinvestigations and polygraphs keep most officers honest, but of course, there are always bad apples. Director CIA William “Bill” Burns & The Omega On 2 February 2023, CIA Director Bill Burns received an (unspecified) Omega watch with an estimated value of $11,000. According to the report, he also received a ceremonial sword and a bischt—a traditional men’s cloak worn in the Gulf region. While the country is redacted, the watch was likely a gift from a Gulf nation. According to press reporting, Director Burns traveled to the Middle East during the first week of February 2023 for a meeting on the Israel-Palestine conflict.   Watches play a significant role in Middle Eastern diplomacy and the Arab world and the Omega could have come from a number of countries that traditionally give watches to dignitaries and intelligence officials, often with their royal crest on the dial. On one of my first days at CIA as a junior trainee, I was provided $20,000 in cash and sent to a watch store in McLean, Virginia, to purchase a timepiece for the Director of CIA to give as a gift to the visiting head of a Middle Eastern intelligence service. The gift was used to build rapport and solidify a personal relationship between the CIA Director and the visiting dignitary. There was a rumor that there was a large closet on the “Seventh Floor” that was full of past gifts to DCIA. Despite my best efforts to find it, they never let me in. Meeting with foreign dignitaries is a key aspect of DCIA’s role. In these exchanges, gifts are often given and received. Alas, despite the deep meaning of watches in the intelligence community and the historic moment of a Director of CIA receiving a watch from a foreign government, Burns apparently was not interested in purchasing the watch and the disposition of the watch is listed as “Destroyed.” DCIA Burns wears a straightforward quartz Timex model. Burns, a career diplomat turned influential CIA Director, appears to wear a modest Timex on a leather strap. It’s a boring but fitting watch for a CIA Director who works quietly behind the scenes to further National Security interests. Guns, Hermes Scarfs, & Chocolates Some experiential gifts, including tickets to an F1 Race, are retained for “Official Use” by CIA Officers. While watches feature prominently in gifts to CIA officers in 2023, gifts also include a “Beretta Hand Gun” (destroyed) and luxury items including Montblanc pens and Hermes scarfs. Some more experiential gifts like Formula One Tickets and Tickets to the Meydan World Cup Horse Race were retained for “Official Use.” These likely would have been used as targeting events or to build relationships with the local intelligence service. While this is speculation, I assess many of the gifts to undercover CIA officers are not actually included on this list (click HERE to see the complete list) and remain classified, though still reported to GSA. Watches will continue to play a role in the secretive world of intelligence and diplomacy. Passed between government officials, timepieces are a memento and often a representation of a partnership between governments or intelligence services. In our community, 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: Moscow Rules: Watches of the Widow Spy This article has been reviewed by the CIA's Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

At W.O.E., we’ve commented on the watches worn by some of history’s most infamous individuals including US Presidents, Usama Bin Laden, and Muammar Gaddafi. In recent years, several watches with provenance calling back to these historical figures have been sold at auction where they garner massive results propelled at least in part by their historical significance. The recent sale of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s Rolex for $840,000 is just the latest example. Beyond challenging provenance, the auction world has also seen its share of bad press, with many calling into question the originality of certain high-profile lots including the story of an Omega Speedmaster that was faked with insider help from Omega HQ in Switzerland. Not a good look. We admit we’re no experts in the field of high-profile auctions or vintage watches so we looked to Tony Traina, a talented writer, researcher, and friend of the page to delve deeper into the good, the bad, and the ugly of modern watch auctions. As it turns out, watch auctions are their own wilderness of mirrors. Tony has his own newsletter called Unpolished. If you are interested in learning more, you can subscribe HERE. What The World Of Watch Auctions Reveals About History, Strategy, & Brand Power By Anthony Traina An estimated 5M people attended President Nasser’s funeral in 1970. On October 1, 1970, more than 5 million people attended the funeral of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. One of the most respected leaders in the Arab world, Nasser died suddenly at the age of 52. It’s thought to be one of the most-attended funerals in history. Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918–1970) was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who became the country's second president, serving from 1956 until his death. A central figure in modern Arab history, he championed Arab nationalism, led the nationalization of the Suez Canal, and pursued policies that transformed Egypt but sometimes sparked regional conflicts and polarized opinions. Nasser wore his Rolex Day-Date ref. 1803 “President” throughout his life. On Nasser’s wrist during most of his time as president: A gold Rolex Day-Date ref. 1803 “President.” It can be seen in various photos, from his negotiations with world leaders to playing with his five children. In December 2024, Nasser’s Rolex Day-Date sold at Sotheby’s New York for $840,000. As far as I can tell, it’s the third most expensive Day-Date ever sold. More than a watch, it’s a historical artifact that tells the story of Nasser and the formation of the modern Arab world. Almost as interesting as the watch and the big result is the rumored buyer: Rolex. Hammering for $840k, Nasser’s Day-Date was reportedly purchased by Rolex. (Photo Credit: Sotheby's) It’s just the latest example of a brand purportedly buying one of its own historically important watches at auction. Patek Philippe, Zenith, TAG Heuer, and even Movado are all known to be active in the auction market. The influx of money into watches has turned auctions into big business, with brands' moves—whether covert or public—highlighting both the opportunities and risks. Understanding the players, their motives, and behind-the-scenes dynamics is key to finding extraordinary watches at auctions; without a strategy, you risk costly mistakes. What Is A Watch Auction? (Photo Credit: Christie’s) A few times a year, the major international auction houses—Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s—host watch-themed auctions in the world’s major horological hubs of Geneva, New York, and Hong Kong. It’s where the most historically important, expensive, and rare watches typically come for sale. But they’re not without controversy, the most notable scandal involving a record-breaking Omega Speedmaster in 2021 that turned out to be a put-together “Frankenwatch.” The Omega Speedmaster “Frankenwatch” sold in 2021 for $3.4M. (Photo Credit: Phillips) While auctions are public affairs and record-breaking results garner headlines, the real stories and action happen behind the scenes. Covering the watch industry, I’ve attended several watch auctions. I’ve seen Rolex representatives bidding in the auction room for their historical pieces, methodically building a collection ranging from some of the best-preserved examples in the world (paying millions for top-condition Milgauss and Daytona examples) to the most historically important. But auctions aren’t just for high-end pieces. I’ve bought watches at major and regional auctions – and from familiar toolmakers like Heuer and Enicar, not top luxury brands like Patek Philippe. There’s something for everyone if you know how to navigate it. From Watch To Historical Artifact The caseback on Nasser’s Rolex tells a story. (Photo Credit: Tony Traina) Take Nasser’s Day-Date. Its caseback engraving begins to tell its full story: “Mr. Anwar El Sadat 26-9-1963” Anwar El Sadat, a lifelong friend of Nasser and fellow graduate of the Egyptian Military Academy, became Egypt's vice president in 1969 and succeeded Nasser as president in 1970. Nasser can be seen wearing the Day-Date while he visited soldiers and negotiated with diplomats, reshaping the modern Arab world – a witness to history in a way few objects are. Rolex purchased a GMT-Master formerly belonging to Pan-Am pilot Captain Clarence Warren for CHF 177,800. (Photo Credit: Sotheby’s) It’s far from the first watch Rolex has won. Luckily, these watches haven’t been doomed to some vault deep beneath Rolex HQ in Geneva. At Watches & Wonders last year, Rolex displayed several historically important GMT-Masters to celebrate the launch of a new GMT-Master II. This included Captain Clarence Warren’s GMT-Master ref. 6542 (which sold at auction for CHF 177,800), worn on the first Pan-Am flight from New York to Moscow, when then-Vice President Richard Nixon requested Warren to pilot his visit to the Soviet Union. For his airborne accomplishments, Rolex would later feature Capt. Warren in an advertising campaign. Also on display was Jack Swigert’s Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675, worn while he was the command module pilot of Apollo 13.  As W.O.E. has covered before, modern watch brands are machines dedicated to marketing as much as mechanics. The activity of these brands in the auction market is no different. These big auction results make headlines in mainstream news, helping to reposition luxury watches as heritage objects that can last generations and even witness history. It’s the type of storytelling and brand-building that brands dream of. A LIP belonging to Charles de Gaulle sold for over $500k. (Photo Credit: Artcurial) And these big results aren’t limited to Rolex. Former French President Charles de Gaulle’s electric LIP watch recently sold in an auction of his personal effects for more than $500,000. In an auction of hundreds of his personal items, it’s his watch—a simple electric model from a French maker – that sold for five times more than any of his journals, letters, or medallions. Sure, it’s marketing, but it wouldn’t be so effective if it didn’t hold a grain of truth. Especially through the middle of the 20th century, the men and women making history often had watches on their wrists as they led their governments, piloted command modules, or served their country. These were tools that helped guide those who shaped or reshaped the world. Strategic Operations & Watch Auctions A Tudor Submariner issued to the South African Navy. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.) Somewhere along the way, many of these toolmakers turned into luxury brands. Of course, they still make tools too—for civilians or the military—but auctions are another public stage upon which the secretive drama of the Swiss watch industry now plays out. While the spectacle of auctions and the high prices capture headlines, the real story happens behind the scenes. Auctions are also more accessible than ever. All offer online, phone, and in-person bidding, with the largest auctions often having more than 2,000 registered bidders. Preparation is key: evaluating the watches, understanding the players, acting with discipline and strategy, and avoiding the emotion of the moment. If you’re looking to get involved in auctions, whether you’re spending $100 or $100,000 here are a few tips to get started. Understand The Incentives (Photo Credit: Phillips) Auction Houses & Specialists: Every party comes to an auction with its own incentives and acts accordingly. The most important to know is that auction houses represent the seller, not the buyer. Their goal is to achieve the highest price for the consignor of the watch. Of course, they want both buyer and seller to be happy, and there is the risk of reputational damage if deals go south. But their goal is to achieve the best result for their client, the seller. Auction houses make money by charging a commission on sales (called the “buyer’s premium”), typically somewhere in the range of 25 to 27 percent. This means they typically don’t take a financial stake in a watch, but make money by selling the watch. While they will provide information and condition reports, keep all of this in mind when reviewing the information provided. The goal will be to illustrate the potential of a lot without focusing on its issues or making any guarantees. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) Buyers (Dealers, Collectors, Brands): Anyone can throw their hat in the ring and bid at an auction, but they may have different goals. Private collectors want to own historically important watches for all the reasons a collector might – from pure passion to pure ego. Watch out for the latter: ego knows no rationality. As we’ve discussed, brands might also bid at auctions. This could be to acquire historically important pieces for their archives or museums. Or, they might want to “protect” the perception of their brand on the secondary market. Either way, it’s important to know that big-time, institutional money might be after a lot, particularly if it has historical importance. Finally, dealers are always lurking. If there’s an opportunity to resell a watch for more money, expect a dealer’s paddle to go up. For large institutional dealers that hold significant inventory, there also may be incentives to bid up certain watches to “protect” the value of their existing inventory. For example, a well-known secondary market player has significant stock in indies De Bethune and F.P. Journe and is known to actively support those markets at auction. The Crowd: There’s also the crowd. That’s everyone from media to influencers to curious onlookers. They cover the news and can amplify record-breaking or scandalous results to generate clicks or headlines. Do Your Homework & Build Your Own Relationships (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.) In the watch industry, professionals often move between roles—media members move to auctions, dealers become specialists, and vice versa. All are invested in maintaining a healthy market and ensuring steady growth, so buyers feel confident in spending on expensive watches. This means they all have their own relationships and generally don’t want to disrupt the status quo. This dynamic explains why it’s important to build your own relationships before spending significant sums at auction. This requires being on the ground to assess the situation. When possible, it’s best to attend auctions and auction previews in person. Watch auction previews are a great watch to learn more about vintage watches. (Photo Credit: Asharq Al-Awsat) Auction previews are perhaps the best way to experience vintage watches in person. You’ll hear stories from specialists that don’t make their way into catalogs. But it’s also the best way to make connections, assess watches, and learn. Put your ear to the ground and see if you catch any gossip (there’s always gossip). On the day of the auction, being in the room is the only way to get a feel for the important players, who’s bidding on what, and the general vibe of the sale. Because auction specialists ultimately represent the seller, it’s often helpful to have an independent third-party dealer you trust to help vet watches. Once you develop a personal relationship with auction specialists, they are also more likely to tell you more information about a watch. Flaws that might not be readily disclosed but that they’re comfortable telling to a valued client. Last Call (Photo Credit: Bonhams) Watch auctions, though public, carry a certain air of espionage. Specialists whisper discreetly into phones, connecting with clients around the globe. When brands like Rolex bid, they often don’t even raise a paddle; a nod to the auctioneer often suffices – visible only to those who know to look for it. While these professionals act in rational self-interest, they may exploit private collectors driven by passion. That’s why coming to auctions well-informed is essential. Armed with knowledge, you can bid strategically. If you’re ready to try your hand at auctions – good luck! If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: An Inside Look At The Swiss Watch Industry About The Author: Tony Traina is the editor and founder of Unpolished, a weekly newsletter about what’s really happening in watches. He’s a former editor at Hodinkee. Subscribe to receive Unpolished in your inbox.

Espionage In Luxury, Trump Tariffs, Watch Crime, & The Watches Of Middle-Eastern Leaders By Benjamin Lowry It’s time for the December edition of our Watch Industry SITREP or Situation Report, a brief recap of the previous month’s watch-related news, and any other current events related to our community, paired with our commentary. Tomorrow, we’ll kick off 2025, but before we put a bow on the past year, let’s take a closer look at December’s watch-related happenings. December didn’t disappoint, with espionage making the news at the highest echelons of luxury goods, the watches of Syrian leaders, and new tariffs on the horizon that will likely significantly impact watch brands. In addition, we take a closer look at yet another instance of watch crime targeting a comedian friend of none other than Joe Rogan before discussing the auction of a Rolex owned by Gamal Abdel Nasser, the former President of Egypt. Buckle up, it’s time for the SITREP. Luxury’s Most Powerful Man Takes The Stand In Corporate Espionage Trial (Photo Credit: AFP) While espionage is often the work of state actors and the military, intelligence tradecraft works just as well, and is just as common, in the corporate world. Earlier this month, Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH and one of the world’s richest men, was called to testify in the French trial of Bernard Squarcini, a former head of France’s domestic security service—a spy in other words. Squarcini was hired as a consultant by LVMH to help monitor counterfeiting and more interestingly keep track of some of the group’s left-wing adversaries, allegedly breaking more than a few laws in the process. (Photo Credit: Reuters) Unsurprisingly, Arnault said he didn’t know anything about any illegal surveillance or other illicit activities. In any case, the trial is a rare glimpse into an often unseen world where huge corporations are willing to pay big bucks—and break the law—to protect their image and bottom line. Along with the Swatch and Richemont Groups and Rolex/Tudor, LVHM is among the largest conglomerates in watches, serving as the parent organization behind TAG Heuer, Hublot, Zenith, and Bulgari, among other brands. Syrian Rebel Leader Changes Watches As He Seeks To Become Statesman Al-Jolani made the change from a digital tool watch to a more refined Seiko as he molded himself into a statesman. When “rebel leader” Abu Mohammed al-Jolani overthrew the Assad regime earlier this month, taking control of Syria in the process, he wore the de facto Middle Eastern rebel uniform: olive drab fatigues and a black plastic digital tool watch (D.T.W.). Since then, al-Jolani has made a noticeable shift in his appearance, from bad-guy-in-a-GWOT-movie to a bonafide Banana Republic head of state. Once again demonstrating the power of watches in sending a message, al-Jolani also swapped watches from his tactical digital model to a much more refined Seiko Kinetic SRN045P1. The Seiko Kinetic SRN045P1 is Ahmed al-Sharaa’s watch of choice when in head-of-state mode. The Seiko is not expensive by watch standards but is also not out of place in his new role as he seeks international legitimacy. Whether the watch plays a part or not, the changes seem to be working. Al-Jolani, who now prefers to be called by his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been busy entertaining throngs of diplomats from around the world in recent weeks, all with a Seiko on his wrist. An Al-Assad-signed Rolex Submariner was auctioned by Antiquorum in November. (Photo Credit: Antiquorum) Often in the news for the wrong reasons, Syria has always been an interesting historical footnote for watch enthusiasts, with the Al-Assad regime famously ordering numerous Rolex models including the Submariner, Explorer II, and Sea-Dweller, typically with Hafez Al-Assad’s signature on the dial. For more on Assad’s watches, see a previous Dispatch on Watches Of The Middle East. Trump’s Promised Tariffs Could Make Already Expensive Watches A Lot More Costly (Photo Credit: AP) President-Elect Donald Trump has promised to invoke new tariffs targeting Mexico, Canada, and China as early as his first day in office. These tariffs, essentially a tax on goods coming from these countries, will amount to 25% for Mexico and Canada and a 10% increase to any existing tariffs for China. (He previously threatened 60% tariffs on goods from China). In China’s case, Trump specifically states the tariffs will continue until the country ceases its illegal import of fentanyl into the United States. Whether they say “Swiss Made” on the dial or not, many watch components come from China. (Photo Credit: European Press Photo Agency) The rising tariffs for goods manufactured in China will likely mean higher prices for the watch industry as many raw materials and finished components are Chinese, including parts of watches that claim to be “Swiss-made”. This could have a particular impact on microbrands, which rely on China for cost-effective manufacturing. At the moment, it’s unclear how it will shake down if these tariffs come to pass, but with around 20% of Swiss watchmaking being imported to the United States through the US arms of Swiss watch brands, one would imagine these higher costs will eventually be passed on to US consumers. Comedian Hans Kim Drugged & Robbed Of Rolex & $25k In Cash Hans Kim wearing his (now-stolen) Rolex Submariner. (Photo Credit: Time & Tide) If you’ve read the SITREP before, you know we like to catch our monthly dose of watch-related crime. This month, the growing luxury watch robbery trend touched the fringes of celebrity when Hans Kim, a comedian and friend of Joe Rogan, was robbed of his Rolex by a woman he brought back to his place. This story comes from episode 2238 of The Joe Rogan Experience, where Rogan describes Kim losing his Rolex and “25,000 dollars in cash” after waking up alone the morning after meeting what he thought was a nice young lady. According to Rogan, testing later revealed Kim had a lot of Xanax in his system. Apparently, Kim’s lady friend put crushed-up Xannies in his drink the night before to put him to sleep, making him an easy target. Also, who on Earth (besides Diddy) has $25k lying around their house? Luckily, though out 25 grand a Rolex, Kim appears to be unharmed. We’ve said this before, but if you’re a solid six and a ten walks up to you in a bar anxious to take you home, be suspicious. It’s possible they’re not only interested in your sense of humor. James Stacey, Hodinkee’s New Editor-In-Chief While we normally don’t cover industry news as such, we’d like to take a moment to congratulate our friend James Stacey who recently took the reins as Editor-In-Chief over at Hodinkee. James is a good dude, half of the team at TGN along with Jason Heaton, a gifted writer/photographer, and a longtime believer in the Use Your Tools ethos, at least when it comes to GMTs. James is a friend of both W.O.E. and myself and has been a great resource as we have grown our platform. While we admit Hodinkee has faced its share of challenges in recent years, we’re excited and hopeful to see where the platform goes with Stacey at the editorial helm. Rolex Purchases A 1963 President Day-Date Belonging To President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt (Photo Credit: Sotheby’s) On December 6th, a 1963 gold President Day-Date sold at a Sotheby’s auction for an astonishing $840,000, well over the auction house’s $60k estimate. Far from the average mid-century Rolex, this watch was owned by late Egyptian President Gamal Nasser and given to him by Anwar El Sadat, his successor, in 1963. Dripping with provenance, the case back offers an inscription from Sadat, and the watch has been in family hands since Nasser’s passing in 1970, right up until his grandson elected to put it up for auction. Presidents Eisenhower and Nasser, photographed in New York in 1960. Nasser’s Rolex is just visible. Nasser was responsible for the 1952 revolution that destroyed Egypt’s British-controlled monarchy. His influence on the country’s political landscape and the broader Arab world’s relationship with the West are difficult to overstate. Intriguingly, the watch was purchased by the Rolex organization, marking another example of the Crown curating its history by buying important watches at auction, including a GMT-Master worn by Apollo 17 Command Module Pilot Ron Evans. We’ve written at length about watches and world leaders, but suffice it to say that especially for heads of state, a watch is never just a watch. We have asked our friend Tony Traina what this really means and he has pledged to write a more in-depth Dispatch in the near future, stay tuned. Final Thoughts With only a few days left in 2024, we hope you’ve enjoyed this holiday-sized portion of watch industry news and our pedantic commentary. Whether it’s Bernard Arnault catchin’ smoke over corporate espionage, new Trump tariffs that might make your next Seamaster more expensive than ever, a Syrian rebel leader’s watch transformation, a comedian being drugged and robbed of his Rolex, or the Crown itself buying yet another historically-important watch, December provided a ho-ho-whole lot of watch goodies to capture our attention. Before we close out the year, thanks again for your support. We’ve been amazed to see W.O.E. grow from the Instagram page that started it all to the website to our collection of purpose-built tools to the W.O.E. YouTube Channel. We have a lot more in store for 2025. Stay tuned. Happy New Year from all of us at W.O.E. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Watch Industry SITREP - November 2024

Trump’s NatSec Pick Wears A Rolex, New Omega Seamaster, Yakuza Stealing Luxury Watches, Giuliani Surrenders Watch Collection, & $50B Worth Of Submariners By Benjamin Lowry Welcome back to the Watch Industry SITREP or Situation Report, a brief recap and discussion of the previous month’s watch-related news and any other current events pertaining to our community. Here in the United States, Thanksgiving has come and gone and November is officially at an end. If it hasn’t already, Mariah Carey’s seminal work, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" will soon be bombarding your ears to harden your resolve ahead of another bustling yuletide season. But for now, let’s keep our sight picture squarely on watches and espionage. November offered a plethora of watch-related happenings from the worlds of politics, national security, and crime. In case you missed it, the US presidential election unveiled a new (old) president, with at least one of his potential appointments demonstrating solid watch taste likely related to his intriguing background. In addition, we have an updated Omega Seamaster, a legendary Japanese crime syndicate getting in on the watch theft trend, politicians surrendering watches, and some impressive Rolex stats. Trump’s Former SpecOps Pick For National Security Advisor Wears A Rolex GMT-Master II Rep. Mike Waltz is, like many members of US Army Special Forces, a Rolex guy. A few weeks back, President-elect Donald Trump asked Mike Waltz to serve as his national security advisor (NSA). We’re not here to comment on the political ramifications of Waltz serving in the role, but the Republican Representative from Florida does have quite the resume, having served in US Army Special Forces during the Global War On Terror and earning a total of four bronze stars (including two for valor). Waltz in Afghanistan wearing a Digital Tool Watch (D.T.W.). Embodying the adage that all a Special Forces man needs are “a star sapphire ring, a Randall knife, and a Rolex”, Waltz has been spotted on several occasions wearing a GMT-Master II, likely reference 126710 also known as the “Batman”. W.O.E. has been known to call the Rolex GMT-Master the perfect CIA Case Officer’s watch. With Waltz and SF legend Billy Waugh serving as excellent anecdotal evidence, the model family has strong roots in Special Forces as well. (Photo Credit: Green Beret Foundation) In another photo from the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France where Waltz jumped from a WWII-Era C-47, he is seen wearing an older Rolex GMT-Master II with the all-black bezel, potentially a reference 16710, on a nylon pull-through strap, clear indication Waltz is at least a little bit of a watch guy. A New Omega Seamaster Diver 300 Bares A Striking Resemblance To Unit Watches (Photo Credit: Omega) Leaked during the Olympics on the wrist of wannabe spy Daniel Craig, Omega finally officially unveiled its revamped Seamaster Diver 300. It’s not a meteoric change compared to the preexisting model, moving to a non-date format, transitioning from ceramic to aluminum for the dial and insert, and adding a mesh bracelet option. While we don’t typically cover new releases, there is an uncanny resemblance between the updated Seamaster Diver 300 and recent examples from Omega’s modern unit watch program that has outfitted the US Navy SEALs, US Secret Service, and the Danish Frogman Corps, to name a few. The US Secret Service Omega Seamaster unit watch. It would be a stretch to say the new watch was developed as an answer to the hype surrounding Omega’s unit watch program after the US Secret Service variant was spotted on the wrist of an agent during the attempted assassination of President-elect Donald Trump, but in any case, we’re happy to see one of the most popular luxury dive watches move in a more utilitarian direction better suited to the Use Your Tools lifestyle. Yakuza Suspected In Coordinated Luxury Theft Of 172 Rolex Watches An alleged Yakuza member wearing a Rolex Submariner “Bluesy”. (Photo Credit: Sabukaru) Recently in Osaka, Japan, a delivery van loaded with over 170 new Rolex watches was stolen while its driver left the vehicle unattended and unlocked for “around three minutes”. Three individuals have since been arrested in connection to the theft, with one having strong ties to the Yakuza, a legendary organized crime syndicate with roots dating back 300 years. As you’d imagine, the van was later dumped after being emptied of its horological contents, which had an estimated value of $1.9M. If your AD has been dodging you, now might be a great time to check Chrono24’s Japanese Rolex listings… I’m just saying. Also in Osaka, a store clerk and police detained a would-be robber after he attempted to flee with four luxury watches. While much of the conversation surrounding watch theft in 2024 revolves around European cities including London and Paris or New York and Los Angeles in the United States, this coordinated robbery demonstrates a growing trend in Japan. In contrast to the strongarm robberies often perpetrated in Europe and the US, watch thefts in Japan are, other than this delivery van robbery, typically characterized by organized smash and grabs of high-profile retail locations. For another example of an organized crime syndicate focused on watches and jewelry, check out our recent Dispatch on the Pink Panthers (HERE). Rudy Giuliani Surrenders 26 Luxury Watches After $148M Lawsuit L Giuliani wearing a Shinola chronograph that appears to have been among his surrendered watches. Former New York City Mayor and Time Magazine Person of the Year Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to surrender 26 luxury watches as well as a 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 formerly owned by movie star Lauren Bacall. This comes after Giuliani’s meteoric $148M loss in a defamation lawsuit filed by two Georgia election workers following the 2020 US presidential election. Giuliani has been the subject of no shortage of financial concerns as of late, and it looks unlikely that he will be able to repay the $148M, hence the surrender of many of his personal effects which also includes a $5M apartment on the Upper East Side. A screen capture from Ted Goodman’s video on X showing some of Guiliani’s surrendered watches. (Photo Credit: X) On November 14th, a spokesperson for Giuliani, Ted Goodman, posted a video on X showing 18 watches and a ring he said were in the process of being turned over to relevant authorities. According to court documents, these watches include Bulova, Shinola, Tiffany & Co, Seiko, Frank Muller, Graham, Corium, Rolex, IWC, Invicta, Breitling, Raymond Weil, and Baume & Mercer.  In the video, Goodman goes on to say, “This is the accumulation of 60 years of hard work. Many of these watches hold great sentimental value.” Whatever Guiliani’s watch collection is worth, it’s a small drop in a $148M bucket. The Total Value Of The World’s Rolex Submariners Surpasses Many Nations Analysis of data released in the recent Rolex Submariner book provided surprising conclusions. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) Based on analysis of the production data for Rolex Submariners released in the Crown’s recent book, Oyster Perpetual Submariner—The Watch That Unlocked The Deep, the combined value of all of the nearly four million Submariner and Sea-Dweller models produced over the years adds up to a weighty $50B. It’s an astonishing figure, but the real revelations stem from contextual analysis of what a number like that means. We would have guessed the total value of Rolex’s Subs would have been a lot, but still… $50B is, for example, greater than the GDP or gross domestic product of countries like Jordan, Tunisia, Bahrain, El Salvador, Cambodia, and Iceland (according to 2023 World Bank Data). Of course, you can’t compile all of the world’s Submariners into an unholy Scrooge McDuck-style pool of gold doubloons, but the world-beating figure does help to illustrate the size of the global financial impact commanded by Rolex SA over the decades, which also turned over no less than $10B in 2023. We’re not here for Ernst Blofeld comparisons, but what kind of bargaining power and political influence does that offer to a brand that is already also among the most recognized on Earth? There’s a reason they call it “The Crown”, and it ain’t just the logo. Final Thoughts As we brace ourselves for the holiday season, we sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed your monthly helping of watch industry news and commentary. From a former Special Forces guy being picked to work in the White House with a Rolex Batman on the wrist to Rudy Giuliani’s forfeited watch collection to a Yakuza luxury watch heist, and an astonishing Rolex statistic, the November gales of watch industry content blew fast and strong. If you appreciate this format or have other stories you’d like to see covered in next month’s SITREP, please do not hesitate to let us know in the comments. If something about our coverage offended or upset you, we’re confident you’ll have no trouble expressing your concerns as well. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Watch Industry SITREP - October 2024  

US Navy-Issued Doxas, Rolex, & A Complete Surprise By Benjamin Lowry The US Navy’s SEALAB experiments of the 1960s were pioneering attempts to prove man’s ability to live and work on the sea floor for an extended period, supported by a specialized underwater habitat. The techniques and equipment developed for SEALAB I, II, and III would later be used in shadowy underwater espionage targeting the Soviet Union, but SEALAB is better remembered to watch enthusiasts for some of the legendary watches used by some of history’s boldest divers. In this Dispatch, I’ll share how a chance encounter with a piece of handwritten history forever alters our understanding of the watches of the Navy’s final SEALAB project. __ For someone like me, the Man In The Sea Museum in Panama City Beach is something akin to paradise, providing one of the world’s most impressive collections of vintage military diving memorabilia, much of it related to SEALAB. Given the timing, SEALAB is associated with some of history’s great tool dive watches and played a key role in the development of the Rolex Sea-Dweller. 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) But, despite what the internet may say, Rolex isn’t the only name in the SEALAB game. Thumbing through old binders while volunteering in the museum’s library, I came across an issue log for dive watches hand-written in 1968 by a SEALAB legend. The usual suspects including Rolex were there, but the log also illuminated the outsized role played by Doxa as well as another Swiss brand I would argue no one would ever guess. In this Dispatch, we’ll look to archival evidence, interviews with surviving Aquanauts, and a few educated guesses to provide the most complete picture ever assembled of the watches of SEALAB III. Man In The Sea Museum, Panama City Beach - 2022 My dad and I were hard at work cataloging and organizing the library in the Man in the Sea Museum when we came across a document that stopped us in our tracks. In this increasingly digitized world, there are still a few horological secrets lost to history waiting to be uncovered, the type of secrets that haven’t been converted to PDF. The same watch stories make the rounds again and again, some amazing discoveries are put forth by genuine horological enthusiasts, and some stories are haphazardly cobbled together by brands to help push more watches. Searching for dive watches in vintage photographs at the Man in the Sea Museum is the stuff of legend. (Photo Credit: Man in the Sea Museum) Most are somewhere in between. Watches have never received the amount of attention they do today. Record-keeping for the sake of enthusiasm or posterity was not common practice. This is also true in the arena of dive watches, fostering a healthy debate about the actual timeline of the introduction of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Zodiac Sea Wolf, and Rolex Submariner, in particular. Except when it comes to the military. In military settings and especially diving, recording every bit of minutiae is an occupational necessity, a matter of life and death in certain cases. Luckily, as a Coast Guard veteran turned commercial diver, it happens to be my area of interest, which is how I found myself volunteering to help organize the Man in the Sea Museum’s stacked but admittedly disheveled library a couple of years ago. The Man In The Sea Museum is home to the original SEALAB habitat as well as an incredible library full of old US Navy records. Leafing through records from the SEALAB programs, I came across a few scribbled lines on notebook paper that validated my years-long horological quest to understand the role of tool watches in the United States military, particularly in underwater applications. Along with these handwritten records, I uncovered hundreds of photographs from SEALAB that had yet to be digitized, and therefore, had yet to be seen by the watch community, until now. A dive watch enthusiast’s dream. An archival photo from the SEALAB program shows Dr. George “Papa Topside” Bond (left), Captain William Nicholson (center), and Commander Jack Tomsky (right). Tomsky is wearing a Doxa Sub. (Photo Credit: Man in the Sea Museum) I went through binder after binder of records from all three of the Navy’s SEALAB experiments. I was looking for something that clued me into what equipment was used, particularly what watches were used. These aquanauts recorded everything. It was part of their job, of course, but the level of detail was staggering. A detailed record of saturation dives undertaken in a chamber at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) preceding SEALAB III. (Source: US Navy) Finally, after hours spent carefully flipping through delicate aged paper and deciphering faded handwriting from the ‘60s, my efforts paid off. A list of the exact watches that were used on SEALAB III. And when I say exact, I mean it—right down to the serial numbers. And it came directly from one of the aquanauts, meticulously detailed like everything else about the mission. While several watchmakers have established SEALAB connections—including an excellent article by Justin Couture detailing the role potentially played by Aquastar—some of the brands mentioned in the log had never really been in the SEALAB conversation before, let alone with hard evidence of being officially issued by the US Navy. If I could, with the help of friends and former Aquanauts, prove the veracity of this hastily written log, our understanding of military dive watches would be forever altered. Here is the handwritten log that sent me so deeply down the rabbit hole. The original handwritten log was reportedly penned by none other than Bob Barth, the only aquanaut to serve on all three SEALAB missions. For the sake of legibility and to aid in deciphering the shorthand, I have—with help from surviving aquanauts—added some context to the list to help give us a better picture of who these watches were issued to. Watches Issued On 03 Sep 1968 SEALAB III Rolex, 25 jewels Cyril Tuckfield, Chief Petty Officer, USN     Rolex, serial 1478174 Derek J. Clark, Petty Officer First Class, Royal Navy    Jaquet Droz Keith H. Moore, Machinist’s Mate Second Class, USN Doxa William P. Lukeman, Leading Seaman, Royal Canadian Navy Doxas Issued To Aquanauts On 23 Sep & 27 Sep 1968 SEALAB III Doxa 6665358 Keith H. Moore, Machinist’s Mate Second Class, USN Doxa 6665354 Cyril F. Lafferty, Lieutenant Royal Navy, Team Leader Doxa 6665425 James H. Osborn, Lieutenant Commander, Civil Engineer Corps, USN Doxa 6665416 Leo Gies Lieutenant Commander, USN Doxa 6665364 Richard M. Blackburn, Aviation Ordnanceman First Class, USN Doxa 6665367 Mark E. Bradley, Lieutenant Commander, Medical Corps, USN Doxa 6665417 Robert A. Bornholdt, Lieutenant, USN, Team Leader   Aquanaut Bob Barth’s Rolex Submariner Ref. 5512. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) Unsurprisingly, we see the usual suspects on the wrists of the aquanauts, starting with Rolex, although it’s important to note that what was sometimes recorded as Rolex was sometimes actually a Tudor Submariner, as Rolex took care of distribution and delivery. In ‘69, the US Navy had a contract with Tudor that had already begun in the late ‘50s, so there’s a chance these watches came from that procurement arrangement. A brand associated with anything but diving in 2024, I was surprised to see Jaquet Droz mentioned in the issue log from SEALAB III. Looking through the list, something else stood out immediately. “JK Droz” was listed in the records as having been issued to an aquanaut. Surely not the Swatch-owned atelier producing automatons that cost six figures and watches with all sorts of crazy enameling and decorations. Jaquet Droz isn’t a name you hear in the W.O.E. sphere often. The brand has never once been mentioned on this site before, and they certainly don’t fit in with the “Watches of Espionage” crop of brands. As usual, there are layers to the story. But first, let’s look at the watches from brands we do know something about: Doxa and Rolex. While Doxa has been loosely associated with SEALAB and Navy Divers in the past, the discovery of this document adds clarity to the brand’s official position as a US Navy-issued watch during the SEALAB experiments. Digging deeper into the Doxa watches on the list, the brand’s serial numbering convention has been well documented by MKWS, a Doxa expert on Watchuseek. MKWS posits that Doxa introduced a 7-digit system where the first two numbers correspond to the year of production. In the case of all the models issued to SEALAB, that number is 66, which would suggest they were produced in ‘66, at least in theory. Officially released in 1967, there are only a few other examples of Doxa Sub 300 models from 1966, meaning the US Navy was among the earliest adopters of the brand. If that’s not an endorsement for a new-to-market dive watch, especially when Navy Divers already had access to Rolex and Tudor Submariners, I’m not sure what is. A Doxa Sub 300 from 1967. (Photo Credit: Analog:Shift) Interestingly, the only Rolex serial number listed also registers as being produced in ‘66 (Rolex serial numbers of that era aren’t an exact science, but can be traced to an approximate year of production). This all checks out, as the gearing up for SEALAB III would have taken place during this time. SEALAB II had been a successful mission in ‘65, and SEALAB III took some time due to engineering requirements and modifications that allowed the habitat to go significantly deeper than the previous two missions, 610 feet as opposed to 205 feet for SEALAB II and 192 feet for SEALAB I. The Vietnam War also put pressure on budgets for such a novel and costly project. Bob Barth (right) wearing his Rolex Submariner 5512, one of many Rolex Submariners used on the SEALAB missions. Much of the equipment and material—including watches—for the final SEALAB program was likely carried over from SEALAB I and II. After Doxa, the second most present brand appearing in the logs was Rolex, and the Crown had certainly been ever-present in underwater exploration for nearly a decade at the commencement of SEALAB III. Bob Barth, the only aquanaut to have dived on all three SEALAB missions, was reportedly instrumental in developing the Rolex Sea Dweller. This SEALAB III Rolex Submariner is not on our list but was owned by Leo Gies and sold by Bonhams in 2015. (Photo Credit: Bonhams) Barth dove with his Rolex Submariner on SEALAB I and II, so it’s no surprise to see several Submariners listed in the SEALAB III records. Another Rolex Submariner was issued to Leo Gies who is recorded on our list as having received a Doxa. Gies’s Submariner—which was sold by Bonhams on behalf of the Gies family in 2015—was engraved “SEALAB III” on the back, which makes its absence from our list all the more interesting. Maybe there is another handwritten log out there. Our research continues. We’ll do another Dispatch on the role of Rolex in US Navy Undersea Research, but for now, let’s continue by discussing the role played by Doxa in the dive watch landscape of the late 1960s. Doxa & Diving In The 1960s Georges Ducommun founded Doxa in 1899, and the company quickly developed a reputation for producing a broad range of dress and sport watches—but the brand will always be best remembered for its contributions to the world of undersea timekeeping. In the 1960s, Doxa was one of the front-runners when it came to producing watches specifically for professional diving applications. The “skin diver” category of watches was well established, with sporty watches suitable for recreational water activity. These came out of the recreational diving boom of the late ‘50s, but as diving equipment became more technologically advanced, so did the need for a watch that could handle significant depth and pressure, but more importantly, remain legible in murky water. This is where Doxa’s signature design element surfaced; the company found that a specific hue of orange was most visible underwater. The bright orange “Professional” dial became their calling card. Legendary oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau wearing a Doxa Sub 300T “Sharkhunter”. The Sub 300 and later 300T models emerged from Doxa’s design and field studies and quickly became a popular diving watch for professionals—the intended target segment, and the military alike. The Swiss Armed Forces purchased and issued this model to Swiss combat divers in approximately 1970. Bolstered by its inclusion in Clive Cussler’s thriller novels, the orange dial and “beads-of-rice” bracelet have become a common sight in recreational and military dive communities ever since. The model also became popular because it was championed by none other than French oceanographer Jacques Costeau. Doxa & The US Navy A Navy Experimental Diving Unit photo from the early 1970s shows a Doxa Sub 300T Professional in use. (Photo Credit: Richard Blackburn) With a better grasp of the brands and watches on the list, our next step was to track down and speak with the surviving aquanauts, one of whom provided a bombshell about the written log’s author. When we reached out to aquanaut Richard “Blackie” Blackburn, he took one look at the log and confirmed that it was the handwriting of none other than Bob Barth, the Bob Barth who helped create the Sea-Dweller, pioneering the use of a helium escape valve in watches in the process. Barth was also, according to Blackburn, the man who kept track of where all the Navy’s Doxa Sub models and other watches were going. Unfortunately, Barth passed in 2020, so we weren’t going to be able to ask him directly about the log, but our research carried on. It’s also important to note there is no mention of the Doxa Conquistador in our log, which is a specific version of the 300T equipped with a helium escape valve. For more on the rarest Doxa Sub variant, check out Perezcope’s research on Doxa’s role in developing the helium escape valve. Given SEALAB was a saturation diving experiment—the one environment where you need the valve—it would have made sense for Doxa to have sent over the Conquistador, but we found no definitive evidence of this being the case. There are numerous examples of Doxa Sub models being used by Navy Divers, but their role in SEALAB hasn’t been confirmed until now. (Photo Credit: Man in the Sea Museum) The next step was taking stock of exactly what was issued using the records and then matching those serial numbers with the watches on the wrists of aquanauts, if possible. It was time for the detective work. While many have passed—SEALAB III took place 55 years ago—five of the aquanauts listed in the log as the recipients of Doxa watches are still alive today. We started by tracking down their contact info and cold-sending emails to these legends of undersea exploration. Doxa 6665364 Richard M. Blackburn, Aviation Ordnanceman First Class, USN Taken while working on an oil spill in California after leaving the Navy, this photo shows Richard Blackburn’s Rolex GMT-Master, a gift from Bob Barth upon his retirement. Whether or not Blackburn ever received a Doxa remains a mystery. (Photo Credit: Richard Blackburn) When I sent an email to Richard “Blackie” Blackburn with my number in the signature, my phone rang about two minutes later. After identifying the handwriting on the log as that of Bob Barth, Blackie informed me he had no recollection of ever being issued a Doxa. But, he said it wasn’t that unusual to see his name on the log, describing Barth’s issue process for watches as being as casual as “trading a cup of coffee” for a watch in certain instances before noting the transaction in his log with whatever name and number moved him at the time. Years later, Barth made up for it, gifting Blackburn a Rolex GMT-Master with his name and “SEALAB III” engraved on the caseback, a watch that he lost to a shady watch repairman years later. Doxa 6665354 Cyril F. Lafferty, Lieutenant Royal Navy, Team Leader Cyril Lafferty during SEALAB III. (Photo Credit: Shared By Perezcope) Because of a photo circulating the web showing the former Royal Navy officer wearing a Doxa, I felt confident Cyril Lafferty, who was loaned to the US Navy SEALAB project by Her Majesty’s Royal Navy, might have the goods. While Mr. Lafferty confirmed he is the man in the photo wearing a Doxa, he said he had no recollection of being issued a Doxa watch or any other by the US Navy. He did remember being issued a Rolex or Omega by the Royal Navy, however. Later serving as the captain of the Royal Navy’s only deep-diving research vessel, HMS Reclaim, Lafferty went on to pioneer hyperbaric treatment techniques for multiple sclerosis. Doxa 6665425 James H. Osborn, Lieutenant Commander, Civil Engineer Corps, USN Then-LCDR Osborn preparing for a dive in 1968. (Photo Credit: Jim Osborn) In an email exchange with retired Captain Osborn, he confirmed he was issued a Doxa watch and wore it for all of the years he was an active Navy Diver before making the change to a Seiko in 1983, a gift from his wife when he retired from the Navy. Years later, Osborn sold the Doxa and a personal Rolex to a jeweler, saying, “The cash went into my pocket and I never gave it a second thought.” We may not have the watch or its serial number, but this is a second piece of evidence—after the Laffery photo—supporting the issue log we found. Doxa 6665416 Leo Gies, Lieutenant Commander, USN While I failed to contact LCDR Gies via email, the salty old Naval officer was kind enough to give me a call one Friday morning. Despite the passing of some five and half decades, Gies is razor sharp and remembered being issued a Rolex dive watch before receiving the Doxa when he joined the SEALAB III program. Sadly, the Doxa is no longer in his possession. After leaving the Doxa with a watchmaker in the 1970s, Mr. Gies explained he never saw it again, thinking it was perhaps sold under dubious circumstances. It’s the kind of thing that could break a watch enthusiast’s heart, but for Gies, another lost diving tool wasn’t a huge deal then or now. In any case, Gies’s recollection serves as another hard firsthand link confirming the US Navy’s issue of Doxa watches during SEALAB III. Doxa 6665358 Keith H. Moore, Machinist’s Mate Second Class, USN I met Omar Moore in 2022 at a SEALAB reunion. He was wearing a Navy-issued Doxa T-graph, the stuff of legend. The hardest to track down was ironically the only aquanaut from the list I have met in person, Keith “Omar” Moore. On the very trip where I discovered the issue log in question, I also attended 2022’s SEALAB reunion. Moore attended wearing the impeccable example of a Doxa T-Graph photographed above, a watch he says was also issued to him by the Navy in 1968, before its commercial introduction in 1969. Could one of the serial numbers on this list belong to Moore’s T-Graph? After several unanswered emails, I asked a couple of the other aquanauts I connected with to vouch for me to Moore. 1968 photo of Omar Moore showing the incredible amount of gear worn by divers training for SEALAB III. (Photo Credit: US Navy) It did the trick. One morning a few days later, the phone rang. Moore informed me he was indeed issued a Doxa on one of the days listed in our note. He remembered Bob Barth setting up a small folding table not unlike a bake sale where SEALAB III divers and support staff could go and make an argument for why they should be issued a watch. Moore’s rapport with Barth was good, and Moore distinctly remembered Barth throwing him his brand new Searambler dial Doxa in its box from “across the room”. Where Barth got the watches from is unclear, but it is at least possible Doxa sent the watches to Barth directly or in the care of Barth because of his status as one of the “celebrity” aquanauts along with Mercury 7 astronaut Scott Carpenter. In any case, a few months later, Barth gave Moore another Doxa, this time the then-pre-production T-Graph chronograph. Moore remembered using both extensively in training dives and while supporting the construction and installation of the SEALAB III at no less than 610 feet of seawater off the coast of California’s San Clemente Island. “Mr. Moore, can I take a photo of your watch?” “Sure, man, whatever”. Unfortunately, when I was finally able to confirm the serial numbers of  Moore’s Doxa, both of which he still has, neither matched the handwritten log. Here are the numbers as read (and confirmed) from Moore’s Doxa watches: Doxa Sub 200 T-Graph - Serial: 6675653 Doxa Sub 300 Searambler - Serial: 717923 How the documented serial numbers manage to differ from Moore’s actual watches is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the recordkeeping on Barth’s part was simply not great—a theory Moore seconded—or the names and numbers had become mixed up as could easily happen with any piece of diving equipment. The idea that the first two numbers of a Doxa serial number indicate the year is also not watertight at this point as we are pretty sure the T-Graph wasn’t around in 1966 when the Doxa Sub itself was in its infancy. There are other examples of vintage T-Graphs with “66” as the beginning of the serial number, so I believe Moore’s example to be correct. Omar Moore’s incredible Doxa Sub 200 T-Graph. While it isn’t the smoking gun I was hoping for—a perfect match between the serial numbers on the handwritten log and the caseback of a Doxa Sub owned by a surviving Aquanaut—we’ve done more than enough to prove the role played by Doxa during SEALAB III and after, serving as an intriguing addition to the annals of dive and military watch history. Of course, the mission to record these stories for posterity is never over, so let’s finish with a closer look at the role played potentially by Jaquet Droz during SEALAB III. Though the log lists Moore as the recipient of a “JK Droz”, he has no memory of the watch. The plot thickens… An Unexpected Contender Jaquet Droz produced dozens of dive watches during the 1960s and 70s. Could some of them have been used on SEALAB III? The records indicate that several “JK Droz” watches were also issued alongside the Doxa models. If that sounds familiar, that’s because it sounds like the modern luxury brand “Jaquet Droz” that produces intricate automaton watches. And there is indeed a connection—but let’s get it straight—aquanauts were not wearing complicated watches featuring mechanical butterflies and singing birds worth tens of thousands of dollars during SEALAB III. Pierre Jaquet-Droz was a prolific watchmaker and automaton producer in the 1700s based in the Swiss city of Neuchatel. His name looms large in the Swiss Jura watchmaking region, and that makes it the perfect borrowed name for a brand—or many. Throughout the years, a few brands have resurrected the Jaquet Droz name to capitalize on his fame and imply a quality product, but many of these have a tenuous connection at best. They all originated in the same area of Switzerland, but that’s about it. It’s next to impossible to know for sure, but there are a few watch sightings in SEALAB archives that could be Jaquet Droz. The "JK Droz" watches that were issued have yet to be spotted. They could well be one of the ones pictured above or below, but we have no conclusive evidence. Given the timeframe and the role of the watch, it makes sense that the watch came from Jaquet Droz SA registered by Dr. Charles-Edouard Virchaux in 1964. The name was used to brand watches in the “Coopérative” that he ran. The Coopérative was essentially an OEM manufacturer that produced what were known as “catalog watches” that could be branded by any number of clients. (Photo Credit: Naval Undersea Museum) His in-house brand became known as Jaquet Droz, and they produced watches that looked similar to watches from a number of popular tool watch brands at the time. In the photo above, the “C” case might appear at first glance to be an Aquastar—and it may well be—but indeed Jaquet Droz also produced models resembling this design. Since the logs indicate that a few “JK Droz” watches were issued, this may be one, possibly even a standard skin diver whose bezel fell off. We may never know, but with period ads boasting that there were 1000 distinct models available, the possibility is there. Jaquet Droz might not get named along with the usual undersea living and exploration watches of the ‘60s and ‘70s, but that’s just it—the story is constantly being written. With these documents, two new brands are imbued with the lore of the United States Navy’s SEALAB program. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: The Dive Watch - How The Military Helped To Shape History’s Greatest Tool Watch  

In 2001, Special Forces icon Billy Waugh celebrated his 72nd birthday in the remote mountains of Afghanistan while working for CIA in the search for Osama Bin Laden. While his age was unusual for the tip of the spear, this was far from Waugh’s first rodeo. From his service in Vietnam with MACV-SOG to fighting in the Global War On Terror with the CIA’s Ground Branch, Waugh was a larger-than-life character who became a legend in SpecOps and the Intelligence Community. In our new video on the W.O.E. YouTube Channel, we tell the story of Billy Waugh’s life and some of the watches he wore including a Seiko 6309, a Rolex GMT-Master, and a solid-gold Rolex President Day-Date. Enjoy episode seven of W.O.E. TV. Happy Hunting, -W.O.E.

“Terrific” Trump Watches, Rolex Submariner Secrets, Shark Tank Tudors, & More Watch-Related Crime By Benjamin Lowry Last month, we tested a new Dispatch format offering a brief overview of notable watch industry news as well as a discussion of current events either directly or tangentially related to our community. Given the positive feedback on our first run, each month I will provide a brief overview of watch-related news and current events pertaining to our community, all paired with our commentary. As a disclaimer, our monthly Watch Industry SITREP (Situation Report) will never include vapid reporting about which Patek Philippe model Zac Efron pairs with his chiseled abs or what brands have paid to be included in this year’s Fashion Week. Most celebrity endorsements are sponsored anyway, and we frankly don’t care (unless it’s Daniel Craig). To quote Thomas Jefferson, “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” While that is probably overstating the value of this watch and espionage-oriented platform, suffice it to say that knowledge is power and you don’t want to be caught sleeping on the big news at your next local watch meetup. That said, here are some notable watch industry events from this past month coupled with our commentary, starting with the recent unveiling of 45th President Donald J Trump’s very own collection of “luxury” watches. “That’s A Lot Of Diamonds. I Love Gold, I Love Diamonds” - Donald Trump Watches If you like gold and diamonds, which Trump says “everyone does”, the Victory Tourbillon could be for you. Bottom line up front, W.O.E. is an apolitical platform, but now and then, political figures cross over into our horological world and—as is the case here—require closer examination. Yesterday, Donald J. Trump revealed a new collection of watches headlined by a solid gold “Victory Tourbillon” that will set you back a cool $100k. If that’s out of your price range, there’s also the “Fighter”, sometimes also called the “Fight Fight Fight”, a dive-inspired model that presents a more reasonable $500 price point while still being equipped with an automatic Seiko movement. But as silly as they are, the watches, which are pre-order only for now, are not the news here. As always, Trump himself is the hook. Trump’s “Fighter” model will set you back a cool $499. In what feels almost like a parody or an AI deep fake, the website, GetTrumpWatches, is led by an embedded video that is the stuff of dreams. In the video, Trump introduces himself as your favorite president, proclaims that he is doing “quite a number with watches”, and that, “the quality to me is very important”. Describing the Victory Tourbillon by saying “This isn’t just any watch, it’s one of the best watches made” before launching into the number of grams of gold and the number of diamonds used in the Victory’s eye-watering six-figure design. No matter where you stand politically, watch enthusiasts must unite to enjoy this incredible minute or so of content. If you thought the front of the “Fight Fight Fight” was amazing, the back is even more terrific, though it does say the watch is rated to 200 meters where the specs indicate 100 meters. I digress. Further, the watches do not appear to be making America great again, with the FAQ section indicating the watches are made from “premium, Swiss-Made materials”, whatever that means, and saying proceeds from the watches do not support the former president’s campaign. Instead, the watches—whose country of origin is unclear—are a product of a licensing deal with TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC. With watch-specific and mainstream media eating these watches up—ourselves included—it’s difficult to fault Trump’s ability to remain at the forefront of the public eye. NFL Player Shot But Survives Attempted Rolex Robbery In San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Rocky Pearsall after being shot in an attempted Rolex robbery in San Francisco. In our last SITREP, we discussed watch-related crime including a still-at-large NYC man who placed victims in chokeholds before relieving them of their watches. It gets worse. Days later, on August 31st, San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was shot in an attempted robbery of his Rolex on the streets of the troubled city that is San Francisco in 2024. According to local news, a teenager spotted the Rolex on the 6’1” 192-pound first-round draft pick, brandished a firearm, and demanded the watch. A struggle ensued in which both Pearsall and his assailant were both shot, but the wide receiver kept his watch, which appears to be a Rolex Datejust, proudly wearing it on the sidelines only two weeks later. Pearshall wearing his nearly-stolen Rolex Datejust on the sidelines only a couple of weeks after the attempted robbery. At W.O.E., we shy away from telling people how to live their lives but have discussed how to safely travel with a watch in great detail (read HERE). Your experience may vary, but suffice to say SF is not the place for flexing your luxury watch collection. Hammer-Wielding Smash & Grab At Pentagon City Mall Broken glass litters the scene around the Pentagon City Mall Tourneau | Bucherer. In further crime news, a Tourneau | Bucherer boutique close by the Pentagon was the subject of a smash-and-grab robbery back on September 1st, when three teens allegedly used hammers to smash into display cases inside the watch boutique. According to police, the sound of the breaking windows was enough to make multiple eyewitnesses report a shooting had taken place, leading to a full lockdown of the shopping center for about an hour. Whether specifically targeting watches or other industry pillars including Louis Vuitton, the luxury industry has been plagued by similar robberies in recent years.  Tourneau, which dates back to 1900, was acquired by Bucherer, one of Europe’s largest watch retailers, in 2018. In some of the most surprising watch news in years, Rolex SA then purchased Bucherer in 2023, presumably to have greater control over its supply chain, secondary market, and customer experience. For luxury boutiques, often “protected” by unarmed security professionals unwilling to engage in fisticuffs with hammer-wielding assailants, the smash-and-grab methodology is challenging to counter, with similar robberies targeting watch retailers taking place in Newport Beach, California, Ellis​​ville, Missouri, Washington, D.C., and Concord, North Carolina in the past year. That said, with most of the watches on display being “Exhibition Only,” they will likely be disappointed with the loot. A Rolex Submariner Book Full Of Revelations Long shrouded in secrecy, a new book developed with Rolex shares untold history and details about history’s most popular watch. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.) As one of the world’s most secretive brands, Rolex is not known for sharing, making the recent unveiling of a book entitled Oyster Perpetual Submariner—The Watch That Unlocked The Deep all the more surprising. A co-venture between watch industry historian Nicholas Foulkes and the Crown itself, the book peels back the layers on several aspects that have long been speculated among Rolex enthusiasts in the darkest corners of internet watch fora. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) First and foremost, and in a move that led to numerous pearl-clutching gasps among Rolex diehards, the brand formally provided production numbers for each and every Rolex Submariner reference ever made. For collectors, this is huge, providing concrete data for any argument about how rare a particular reference is or isn’t. We’ve never seen a move like this from Rolex before, and perhaps the book indicates a changing tide for a luxury icon that is quite possibly as secretive as any respected intelligence agency. Beyond the production numbers, a detailed history is provided for the Sub’s close relationship to the Explorer, former names considered by the Crown before landing on “Submariner” and plenty of other historical gems. The book formally launches in French and English on October 1st and rest assured, we will have more to say about the text in due course. A Custom Tudor Black Bay 925 For The Shark Tank Cast Known for wearing red straps with the watches in his luxurious and ostentatious collection, Kevin O’Leary is the resident watch enthusiast on Shark Tank, the popular entrepreneurial reality show that just wrapped shooting for its sixteenth season. To celebrate the 24 team members who have been with the show since the pilot, O’Leary purchased 24 of a custom version of the silver Black Bay 925 with a Shark Tank logo on the dial as well as the name of the recipient and “One great idea can change your life forever” engraved on the exhibition caseback.  Within the watch collecting hobby, so-called “unit watches” are one of our favorite aspects, with Tudors Of Espionage (T.O.E.) playing a not insignificant role in our admiration for these customized timepieces. That said, these particular iterations come off more than a little bit corny. Further, the accompanying attempt at virality—a short video entitled Gifting 24 Custom Shark TankTudor Watches—feels like engagement-thirsty virtue signaling of the highest order when the project could have easily been more subtle. We’ll have to see where aftermarket pricing for these goes when someone inevitably sells one… Final Thoughts Whether it’s a solid gold tourbillon from none other than Donald Trump, an NFL player fending off a would-be Rolex thief and getting shot in the process, or the chamber of secrets that is modern Rolex letting just a little bit of light in with a new Submariner book, September didn’t disappoint when it comes to watch-related news. If you guys enjoyed this format and our commentary, please let us know. If you come across great stories as the next month progresses, be sure to share those as well. As a whole, the watch industry is often guilty of taking itself too seriously. With this monthly column, we aim to share some relevant events you might actually care about while also just maybe having a good time in the process. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our free weekly newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Watch Industry SITREP - August 2024 *As a disclaimer, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. When you click on links to various books in our articles 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.

Timepieces Recovered From The Rubble Serve As Reminders Of The 2,977 Victims Of The Terrorist Attacks On 9/11 The world changed forever on September 11th, 2001. For my generation, this day would change our life trajectory, launching us on a path to seek retribution for those who attacked us. Following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, the United States Military and numerous three-letter intelligence agencies served in the Global War On Terror, a new kind of conflict conducted in a novel digital age. But before the US found itself embroiled in a war that would stretch across two decades, September 11th saw a massive loss of life among civilians and first responders, creating secondary and tertiary ripple effects that will affect generations to come. Many of the victims wore watches on the last day of their lives which were later recovered during the unprecedented forensic effort in the weeks following 9/11. As is often the case on W.O.E., the watches worn by the people killed on 9/11 are insignificant in comparison to the magnitude of the events. This isn't about watches, it's about people. The watches are simply the medium through which we experience the human element, physical representations of the lives lost that day. In this Dispatch, we’ll discuss the watches worn by some of the survivors as well as the 2,977 victims who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Our thanks go out to the 9/11 Memorial Museum which provided the majority of images and information included in this Dispatch. If you’ve never had the chance to visit the museum, it is a moving and special place every American should visit at least once. Thomas Canavan’s Quartz Milan Field Watch Canavan and his quartz Milan Field Watch, which is forever frozen at 8:49 AM on the 11th. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee & 9/11 Memorial Museum) Covered in greater detail in a beautifully written story on Hodinkee, Thomas Canavan is a 9/11 survivor who was on the 47th floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center when it was struck by American Airlines Flight 11. Making his way down an interior stairwell as smoke filled the building, Canavan was assisting an elderly couple when the building collapsed around him, burying him in the rubble. Tunneling his way some 40 feet across and four stories up, Canavan reached the surface with a host of injuries, totally unaware the quartz Milan watch on his wrist had stopped ticking. Months later, he picked up the watch he wore that day, its hands frozen in time at 8:49 AM—three minutes after Flight 11 plowed into the North Tower. The date was also stuck on 11. Later, Canavan donated the watch to the 9/11 Memorial Museum where he has also worked as a volunteer, telling his harrowing story firsthand to thousands of visitors. Todd Beamer’s Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph (Watch Photo Credit: 9/11 Memorial Museum) On the morning of September 11th, Todd Beamer, a 32-year-old Account Manager at Oracle, rose early to catch United Airlines Flight 93, leaving his pregnant wife, Lisa, and their two children at home. After the plane was hijacked, Beamer acted quickly, placing a call to authorities: "If I don't make it, please call my family and let them know how much I love them… Are you ready? Okay, Let's roll." Beamer then led other passengers in a charge on the cockpit, causing the plane to crash in rural Pennsylvania and thwarting the terrorists’ plans. Incredibly, Beamer’s gold and steel Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph was found among the debris from Flight 93. While the hands are disfigured and the sapphire crystal is gone, the date window—frozen in time—still reads “11”, a solemn reminder of the heroic actions of Todd Beamer and the other passengers onboard Flight 93 on 9/11. Beamer is survived by his wife Lisa and their three children. For more on Todd Beamer’s Rolex and his heroic actions on 9/11 check out our new YouTube video HERE. FDNY Lieutenant Michael T. Quilty’s Casio 3298 W-86 (Watch Photo Credit: 9/11 Memorial Museum) Lieutenant Michael T. Quilty was 42 years old and had just celebrated his 20th anniversary working for the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) on September 5th when he responded to the Twin Towers on 9/11. An avid pilot, carpenter, and recreational scuba diver, Quilty wore a simple black Casio digital watch on his wrist when on duty, including on 9/11 when he lost his life in the line of service. Later recovered in the wreckage, Quilty’s Casio 3298 W-86 Alarm watch was in decent condition but the strap was shredded to pieces, a demonstration of the force of the falling skyscrapers. While we are quick to romanticize the use of luxury mechanical watches among military and first responders, the truth is that most in these austere lines of work trust inexpensive digital watches as timekeeping tools. Quilty is remembered by his wife Susan, their two children, and by his brothers and sisters in the FDNY. Calvin J. Gooding’s Pulsar (Watch Photo Credit: 9/11 Memorial Museum) A stock trader working in the North Tower, Calvin Joseph Gooding slept on the floor of his baby daughter’s room the night before the morning of September 11th to help his wife, LaChanze, a Tony Award-winning actress who was also pregnant, get some sleep. Gooding earned an MBA from New York University and was on the 104th floor of the North Tower when it fell. His watch, a quartz Pulsar with day and date sub-registers, was later recovered from the wreckage at Ground Zero. Gooding is remembered by his wife, who has spoken at numerous 9/11 memorial events, and his two daughters, one of whom he never got to meet. Lourdes J. Galletti’s Bulova (Watch Photo Credit: 9/11 Memorial Museum) Lourdes Galletti lived in the Bronx and was working as an executive secretary for Cantor Fitzgerald’s vice chairman, Stuart Fraser, on the 105th floor of the North Tower on the morning of 9/11. According to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, those who knew her said Galletti’s determination and character helped her overcome a tough childhood, earn a high school equivalency degree, and ultimately earn a position working with a prestigious firm in the World Trade Center. In the rubble, authorities discovered Galletti’s vintage mechanical ladies Bulova, a watch that was likely older than she was. 33 years old at the time of her death, Galletti is remembered by her mother, friends, and siblings. Yamel J. Merino’s Quartz Field Watch (Watch Photo Credit: 9/11 Memorial Museum) Another young victim, Yamel Josefina Merino was only 24 years old and was working as an emergency medical technician when the call came in that aircraft were flying into the World Trade Center. Merino was among the first EMS responders providing medical assistance to evacuees outside the South Tower when it collapsed at 9:59 AM. Having risen from the transport division to become an EMT at MetroCare and even being named the company’s EMT of the Year in 1999, Merino aspired to one day become a nurse to better support her eight-year-old son Kevin. Merino’s son, Kevin, cries over his mother’s casket at her funeral, a solemn reminder of the last impact for those who lost their loved ones on September 11th. Her watch is a straightforward quartz-powered field watch that either is or is meant to resemble a Victorinox, a subsidiary of the Swiss Army brand so often associated with pocket knives. Like many field watches, the watch has secondary 24-hour markings which are useful in medical settings. Merino is remembered by her son, Kevin, as well as her parents and siblings. Rosemary A. Smith’s Quartz Dress Watch (Watch Photo Credit: 9/11 Memorial Museum) A survivor of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Rosemary A. Smith was a switchboard operator for Sidley, Austin, Brown, and Wood on the 57th floor of the North Tower. Beyond her job, Smith was a passionate chocolate maker who was often asked by friends, family, and coworkers to provide custom chocolates for events. Considered among the missing, Smith’s generic quartz dress watch, which has a light blue dial and strap, was recovered among the rubble. 61 years old at the time of her death on 9/11, Smith is remembered by her daughter who said: “I lost my heart when I lost my mother. She was very happy, very happy with her life, adored her grandchildren, and always wanted to be with them." A US Navy Skilcraft Clock From The Pentagon (Clock Photo Credit: 9/11 Memorial Museum) Often overshadowed by the events at Ground Zero and the heroic efforts of the passengers onboard United Flight 93, the Pentagon was also attacked on 9/11 when it was struck by American Airlines Flight 77. This Skilcraft clock from the US Navy’s Command Center inside the Pentagon was—like some of the watches mentioned previously—frozen in time at 9:37, the precise moment of impact. Skilcraft clocks are manufactured in the United States by Chicago Lighthouse Industries by workers who are legally blind. Anyone who has served in the military or worked in government recognizes this humble quartz-powered clock that now serves as a lasting reminder of a day that would change the course of American and world history. It’s Never “Just A Watch” Watches as physical objects offer little meaning in their own right. However, as a timekeeping tool that is often thoughtfully selected by an individual and then worn throughout a lifetime, watches take on a sort of emotional resonance, transcending their physical value to represent their wearers long after they are gone. On 9/11, a day where so many were killed often without a trace of their physical being to bury and mourn, watches and other personal belongings are more than the sum of their components, carrying forward a solemn reminder of those we lost as well as the incredible sacrifices of EMS and first responders on that Tuesday in September.     If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE.  For additional reading on the US response to the September 2001 attacks, check out the following articles: Digital Watches of Espionage, The Role Watches Played in the Early Days of the CIA's War in Afghanistan CIA’s JAWBREAKER Team and a Rolex Submariner A Navy SEAL’s Rolex Submariner on the Osama Bin Laden Raid

The Incredible Story Of Todd Beamer, A Rolex, & United Flight 93 It has been two weeks since we launched the W.O.E. YouTube channel with our first video, “Sketchy Dudes Wear Breitling - We Don’t Make The Rules”. The response has been humbling, THANK YOU! While the first one was more of a lighthearted look at the relationship between a brand and its sketchy end-users, our second video tackles a more serious topic, sharing the incredible story of Todd Beamer, an ordinary man who rose to the occasion when United Flight 93 was hijacked on September 11th, 2001. After terrorists took control of the aircraft on the morning of 9/11, Beamer quickly contacted authorities: "If I don't make it, please call my family and let them know how much I love them… Are you ready? Okay, Let's roll." Incredibly, Beamer’s gold and steel Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph was found among the debris from Flight 93, serving as a solemn reminder of the brave sacrifice of the passengers onboard United Flight 93 on 9/11. This video was created in honor of the 2,977 people who died on September 11th, 2001 as well as Todd Beamer’s wife, Lisa, and their three children. -W.O.E.

How A Spiritual Leader Became A Watch-Collecting Icon - It All Started With The Office Of Strategic Services We have discussed the operational role of timepieces in espionage and how they can be tools in the agent recruitment cycle—the transition of an individual from a target to a recruited asset (aka spy). Espionage is a human business and watches are transferable stores of value that have personal meaning, traits that make them effective tools of intelligence tradecraft. One of the earliest documented examples of this is with an unlikely figure, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama.  While there is no indication that the Dalai Lama was a recruited asset of the OSS or CIA, he was provided a watch as a tool to build a relationship and gain influence.  OSS Officers Ilia Tolstoy and Brooke Dolan may have inadvertently spurred the Dalai Lama's love of watches. In 1943, Ilia Tolstoy and Brooke Dolan, both members of CIA’s predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), presented the Dalai Lama with a Patek Philippe reference 658 on behalf of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Reportedly, the purpose of the gift was to win the Dalai Lama’s support for a potential road through Tibet into China to assist the Chinese in fighting the Japanese. The watch clearly had meaning for the Dalai Lama and is something he still carries today. In contrast to the agent recruitment cycle, this operational gift was more of a rapport builder between “liaison,” a colloquial term to capture third-country intelligence services that work jointly with CIA. The Dalai Lama’s Patek Philippe reference 658, gifted to him by FDR via a pair of OSS officers during WWII. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) Tenzin Gyatso was born in 1935, ascending to his position as the Dalai Lama when he was only four years old. Having served as the Dalai Lama—the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism—for 84 years, the 14th Dalai Lama has lived what would by any standard be called an interesting life, with a common thread being his continued advocacy for the welfare and autonomy of Tibetan citizens. Part of a global effort to undermine communism, the US Government reportedly had a close relationship with the Dalai Lama and his brothers since the days of the OSS, providing a whole lot of money in return for the Dalai Lama’s continued maintenance of at least the idea of Tibetan sovereignty. Despite the covert influence of the United States on the region, Tibet’s whole sovereignty thing didn’t work out, and the Dalai Lama was ultimately exiled by the Chinese government in 1959 to India, where he still lives today and continues to serve as a seminal figure for Buddhists around the world. In more recent years, the Dalai Lama has also become a person of interest for watch enthusiasts, boasting a small but intriguing collection including some of the most storied names in Swiss watchmaking. In this Dispatch, we’ll take a closer look at the Dalai Lama’s history with horology including a watch closely tied to the world of international espionage. You can’t make this stuff up. A Rare Patek Philippe Reference & The OSS The Dalai Lama with his Patek Philippe 658 at an event in Washington, DC in 2016. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) Presented in greater detail by Eric Wind over on Hodinkee, the abridged version of the story of the Dalai Lama receiving a rare Patek Philippe goes that a pair of Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Officers, Captain Brooke Dolan and Major Ilia Tolstoy, trekked across India, China, and Tibet on a diplomatic mission to meet the Dalai Lama and present him with gifts in an apparent effort to recognize Tibet’s autonomy within the region. OSS Officers Captain Brooke Dolan and Major Ilia Tolstoy during their 100-day trek to Lhasa, Tibet’s capital city. (Photo Credit: US National Archives) The impetus behind the mission was more complicated than simply meeting the Dalai Lama. The United States, embroiled in World War II, was also desperate to create an overland route connecting China and India to outfit the Chinese in their war against Japan. This path would have no choice but to pass through Tibet, and so Captain Brooke Dolan II, a soldier and explorer, and Major Ilya Tolstoy, a naturalist, explorer, and the grandson of Leo Tolstoy, ventured some 100 days by horseback through rugged terrain to Lhasa, Tibet’s remote capital. The Dalai Lama’s Patek Philippe Reference 658 is one of only 15 ever made. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) When the OSS officers finally reached the spiritual leader, among their gifts was a Patek Philippe reference 658, one of only 15 ever made, and including a perpetual calendar chronograph, a minute repeater, and a split-seconds chronograph. What led FDR to select such an expensive Swiss watch remains a mystery, but what is certain is that the overly complicated gold pocket watch was intended to win favor with the Dalai Lama and receive his blessing for a road through the region. It was a tool of diplomacy and espionage. While there are numerous examples of intelligence officers using watches to influence or recruit sources, FDR’s gift of a Patek Philippe to the Dalai Lama has to be among the most high profile. It’s unclear whether the Patek Philippe served to foster the Dalai Lama’s well-established love of horology, but it probably didn’t hurt. Even more surprisingly, the Dalai Lama has been seen carrying the watch as recently as 2016, which is a flex of the highest level. The Dalai Lama & The Crown His Holiness wearing a Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18038 on an elastic metal strap. In addition to his celebrated Patek Philippe, the Dalai Lama also has several Rolex models in his collection with a tendency to wear them on simple elastic metal bracelets like many other men in their 80s tended to do. One of His Holiness’s most worn Rolex models appears to be his Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18038, a watch we are also willing to go out on a limb and say was probably a gift. Given the oversized elasticated metal bracelet and the Dalai Lama’s slender wrists, the watch almost always sits inside his wrist, making the otherwise ostentatious look of the gold Rolex more subtle. It’s less often seen, but there is also photographic evidence to suggest the Dalai Lama owns at least one other Rolex, a two-tone Datejust on its signature Jubilee bracelet. In Tibetan Buddhism, letting go of material possessions and excess in a quest for spiritual enlightenment is a core tenet, making the Dalai Lama’s penchant for luxury watches from Switzerland a bit surprising (contradictory?). However, considering the high probability His Holiness was gifted the watches, we are prepared to let it slide. Further, the Dalai Lama’s interest in watches appears to be deeper than the trappings of European luxury as His Holiness is also known to tinker with and repair watches for personal enjoyment. It’s hard to know the specific reference without a better shot of the dial, but the Dalai Lama’s other Rolex appears to be a two-tone Datejust. His Holiness The Watchmaker Various unconfirmed sources claim the Dalai Lama owns as many as 15 watches, with many of them products of his love for mechanical tinkering and watchmaking in particular. Despite his interest, the Dalai Lama does not appear to be an expert, however. In his book, Ethics for the New Millennium, His Holiness says: “I have always enjoyed repairing watches. But I can remember a number of occasions as a boy when, completely losing my patience with those tiny, intricate parts, I picked up the mechanism and smashed it down on the table. Of course, later I felt very sorry and ashamed of my behavior—especially when, as on one occasion, I had to return the watch to its owner in a condition worse than it was before!" An as-yet unidentified Valjoux 7751-powered chronograph on the Dalai Lama’s wrist. In addition to the Patek Philippe and Rolex models we mentioned, the Dalai Lama has also been spotted wearing a couple of different chronographs that appear to be powered by the Valjoux 7751 and therefore could have come from a variety of different brands. It could be this is a caliber he enjoys tinkering with, but that is pure speculation. A Love Of Watches Spawned By The OSS? It would be a leap to argue that the gift of a rare Patek Philippe reference to the young Dalai Lama in 1943 galvanized his apparent lifelong love of watches, but we'd like to believe the OSS played a role in creating one of history's most unexpected watch enthusiasts. In any case, the tie-in between His Holiness, horology, and espionage is intriguing, showing once again that no matter where you go, whether we’re talking about an elite special operator, a politician, an intelligence officer, or the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, passion for timepieces runs deep and across virtually all demographic qualifiers. It’s unclear whether the Dalai Lama reads the Dispatch or subscribes to the “Use Your Tools” ethos, but his enthusiasm for watchmaking is real. 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

The Olympics, Swiss Industry Challenges, & Watch-Related Crime By Benjamin Lowry In general, the daily watch media news cycle doesn’t interest us. Numerous websites are hanging their collective hat on being up-to-the-minute, covering new releases and other watch industry shenanigans, and doing a far better job than we ever could. That said, we are often asked for our opinions on current watch events, and there are certain stories from the world of watch media and beyond that are interesting for our community. To keep you updated on the intriguing trends, military-adjacent developments, or current events you might actually care about, we decided to test a watch industry “SITREP” or situation report, a quick snapshot of the previous month’s news coupled with our commentary. To start, we’ll take a look at the news from August when all eyes were on the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games In Paris Daniel Craig wearing an as-yet-unreleased no-date Omega Seamaster in Paris during the Olympic Games. (Photo Credit: Hodinkee) Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve been beaten over the head with content from the Olympic Games this past month. As important for marketing as it is for sports, the watch industry also played its part, with Olympic sponsor Omega garnering the majority of the headlines with a carefully orchestrated campaign. In addition to the obvious celebrity watch spotting and a slew of athletes including pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis competing while wearing the newly-released Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Ultra Light, Daniel Craig “accidentally” unveiled what appears to be an as-yet-unreleased no-date version of the Seamaster Diver 300 so often associated with James Bond. Keen observers will note that this no-date version is close to the Seamaster currently available as a unit watch solely to SpecOps personnel. An Omega Seamaster Diver 300 “Unit Watch” celebrating elite French law enforcement units tasked with security at the Olympics. While the Bond connection is always interesting, even if carefully curated by Omega’s marketing department, a more intriguing W.O.E.-related development occurred at the Olympics with Omega’s unit watch program. Omega is producing a Seamaster “unit watch” for the three elite French law enforcement units tasked with security for the event: GIGN, RAID, and BRI. The marketing stuff is fun, but a GIGN/RAID/BRI unit Seamaster is what really gets us going. Beyond the insignia on the case back, this is effectively the same watch as the one utilized by US Secret Service officers during the recent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump and a unit-specific model created for the Danish Frogman Corps. Unit watches appear to be having something of a moment, one industry trend we can get behind. We are told that this picture is actually a prototype and the final versions are expected to be delivered in the fall of 2024. Astronauts Stranded In Space Also Wearing Omega Watches A planned week-long space flight was extended for a pair of American astronauts because of doubts surrounding a potential return in a troubled Boeing space capsule, confirming once again that one of the world’s hardest jobs is working with Boeing PR. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both retired US Navy Captains, will extend their stay until February of 2025 when they can be safely brought back to Earth on a more proven SpaceX capsule. The only element we have to add is that in the photo being circulated along with the headline, Wilmore is seen wearing an Omega X-33, a seldom-seen ana-digi titanium watch developed specifically for astronauts and introduced in 1998. Where the mechanical Speedmaster Professional continues to be the only watch qualified for space walks, the X-33 is issued to astronauts for use inside the International Space Station (ISS), offering a suite of digital timing functions specific to the needs of astronauts. Swiss Watch Market In Decline It may not be good for the industry, but secondary market pricing for brands like Rolex continue to fall in 2024. (Photo Credit: W.O.E./James Rupley) As has been the case for a couple of years now, Forbes reported a further decline in Swiss secondary market prices for virtually all of the major Swiss luxury brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet. Falling secondary market prices also impact perceived value among consumers, leading to broader challenges for the industry at large, with the Swatch Group conglomerate—which owns Omega—posting an over 10% drop in sales in the first six months of 2024 led by Asian markets where the fall-off was closer to 30%. Ouch. Richemont, one of the other biggest luxury conglomerates and the owner of IWC, Cartier, Panerai, and others also reported double-digit declines in sales once again led by Asian markets including China. What does all of this mean for you and me? Again reported by Forbes, the wait time for treasured Rolex models including the Submariner is going down, now estimated at 68 days as opposed to 105 days only one year ago. While we don’t think it’s as bad as some of the trolls on Reddit, Bremont’s latest releases left much to be desired for the brand’s biggest fans. Perhaps more impactful to our community, Bremont, a brand known for working closely with military organizations, appears in serious distress, reporting a loss of 14M GBP earlier this year. This news comes after American billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman purchased a minority stake in the brand in early 2023 and following a few releases that were not warmly received at Watches and Wonders in 2024. We’re big fans of Bremont’s earlier efforts and penchant for military collaboration under the aptly-named English brothers and would welcome a return to form that does not include many of the newest designs from the brand. Fingers crossed. Rolex To End Sponsorship Of F1 More of a quick hit here, but Rolex is set to end its 11-year partnership with F1 in 2025, with LVMH stepping in to the tune of an estimated $150M per year, according to Coronet. There are a few ways to look at this, but whatever it is, it isn’t a money problem for Rolex, which according to Morgan Stanley posted earnings of over $10Bn in 2023, more than its five biggest competitors combined. What is perhaps more likely is that LVMH hopes to align TAG Heuer with F1, cementing the brand’s hopeful perceived position as the premier watch brand of motorsports. Rolex, which was reportedly paying closer to $50M per year, may simply have felt the investment was too large for the return in consumer influence, especially when the Crown is already raking in the cash hand over fist. Watches & Crime London has become a hotbed for watch-related muggings in recent years, a trend that is leading billionaires to mild discomfort. (Photo Credit: Sky News) Always a favorite subject of ours, luxury watches continue to be in the news associated with crime, whether that’s street-level mugging as has become so prevalent in London and other European capitals or more elaborate robberies of retail locations. According to Fortune, at least one British billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, says he will no longer wear his Rolex watches in London for fear of having his watch stripped off by scooter-riding hoodlums (our language). What is the world coming to when billionaires no longer feel safe wearing their luxury watches? According to police, this gentleman approached victims from behind before choking them out and relieving them of their Orient and Rolex watches. (Photo Credit: NYPD Crimestoppers) On a more serious note, a man is wanted in New York City after a trio of robberies in which he placed his victims in a choke hold until they lost consciousness before stealing their watches. Two of the stolen watches were from Rolex while the other was an Orient valued at $300, not the sort of thing you expect to get choked out over. And finally, while his DUI arrest took place on June 18th, the keen journalists at the NY Post released a story a few weeks back saying Justin Timberlake—who single-handedly brought sexy back in 2006—had a “...vape, a Rolex, a gold ring, and a wallet with $306 in cash when he was placed in handcuffs in Sag Harbor”. We wish we knew the Rolex model in question, but Timberlake has clearly read our EDC article where we explain the value of not only a watch but also keeping a few crisp Benjamins on your person at all times, even when you’re hammered. The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Is Now Available In Blue While Tudor’s divers including the Black Bay and Pelagos and especially unit-specific variants (T.O.E.) of those models tend to garner the majority of our attention, the Black Bay Chrono is another excellent luxury sports watch from the brand. A few days ago, Tudor unveiled a blue version of the Black Bay Chrono, the appropriately named Tudor Black Bay Chrono Blue. We know this isn’t much of a breaking news story. We love Tudors, and the new variant looks cool, but if you are looking for in-depth watch reviews on new releases, you won't find them here. Is Watch News Even News? To be clear, a post like this is as close as we ever intend to get to “the news”, which is soon to become an even more off-putting cesspool as the election looms. Still, knowledge is power, and while some months are spicier than ever, we mostly enjoyed putting together this quick and hopefully easy-to-digest look at events and releases that are related to or interesting for members of our community. Were there any other watch-related events or news you think is worthy of sharing this past month or so? 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

American Mercenary details the movie-like career of a SEAL Team Six assaulter turned gun for hire. The one constant throughout his career was a Rolex Submariner on his wrist.   Belgrade, Serbia - 2017 Working as a private intelligence collector, former Navy SEAL Daniel Corbett found himself in an unenviable situation. While visiting a source to collect information on a terrorist financier, the door flew open, and in walked plain-clothes Serbian police officers, one of which pointed a shaking pistol at his head. Corbett would spend the next 18 months in a Serbian jail, charged with possession and trafficking of explosives and illegal firearms, and even accused in the press of attempting to assassinate the Serbian President. But this was not Corbett’s first rodeo, a former SEAL Team Six assaulter who later became a “mercenary,” Corbett’s career began at a young age.  He completed the arduous Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) selection process at 18 years old and screened for Naval Special Warfare’s Development Group (SEAL Team Six) at 23. Corbett conducted multiple combat deployments with DEVGRU’s famed Red Squadron and participated in the highly publicized rescue of Captain Phillips off the coast of Somalia in 2009. A gifted linguist, Corbett then departed the relative comfort of the Teams for the murky world of private military contracting, spending years conducting anti-piracy operations off the coast of Africa, mercenary train-advise-assist operations in Yemen, and collecting private intelligence for unspecified clients in unspecified locations. A Rolex Submariner Reference 16610 From the SEAL Teams to private military contracting, one constant throughout his career was the presence of a Rolex Submariner on his wrist. Corbett is a self-described non-materialist, but the timepiece has deep meaning and operational utility. Initially acquired as a nod to the old school Frogmen who were issued Tudor and Rolex Submariners, the role of the timepiece would evolve during Corbett’s time as a contractor, serving as a tool to build relationships and to potentially use for escape and evasion. When he was arrested in 2017, Corbett signed for his Rolex and other possessions before being held in a Serbian jail, awaiting his fate. The pro-Russian press reported he was sent to Serbia to assassinate Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a convenient narrative in an election year.  Remarkably, Corbett’s Submariner was returned to him when his case was unceremoniously dismissed. Corbett in Korean language school. Mercenary vs Contractor The term “mercenary” is overused to the point it’s almost meaningless.  Generally agreed to describe “a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army,” mercenary is used by commentators to degrade private military contractors and by contractors to inflate their role as… well, just contractors. That said, mercenaries certainly exist and play a significant role in the world of gray zone conflict. While Corbett’s anti-piracy work is more accurately described as that of a contractor, the transition to Yemen and intelligence collection in Serbia arguably places him in the murky world of true mercenary work on behalf of a foreign government or non-state entity. Corbett details his experience as both a contractor and mercenary in the newly released book, American Mercenary, The Riveting, High-Risk World of an Elite SEAL Team Operator Turned Hired Gun. We spoke with Corbett to learn more about his career and the role of the Rolex Submariner. San Diego, California - May 2007 After returning from a deployment to the Philippines with SEAL Team 5, Corbett attended a West Coast SEAL Reunion along with some older frogmen, many of whom were wearing their issued Tudor and Rolex Submariners. Corbett wasn’t a “watch guy” and previously had no idea about the SEAL-Rolex connection. He was enamored with the timepiece and the subtle but important meaning it had for his community. In our conversation, Corbett recalled, “I have always liked the culture of a symbol or object that if you are a part of that group, you know.” Like the patches he would later wear at SEAL Team Six, Submariner dive watches were part of the culture of his tribe. When shown the beat-up Subs on the wrists of veteran frogmen, the young SEAL thought to himself, “That’s fucking cool.” He needed one of his own. Shortly thereafter, Corbett visited the Fourtane Rolex Boutique at Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego. Walking in wearing board shorts and flip-flops, the sales associate skeptically agreed to let him try on a pre-ceramic Rolex Submariner reference 16610. When he held the Rolex, he quickly said “I am leaving the store today with this,” producing his Navy Federal Debit Card, flush with cash saved up from his last deployment. Green Team & SEAL Team Six Shortly after acquiring the Submariner, Corbett was invited to attend “Green Team,” Naval Special Warfare’s selection course for SEAL Team Six. While he doesn't recall wearing the Submariner during selection, he remarked that he rarely took it off for a simple reason—he hated winding it. The watch was an extension of himself and a part of his persona. After passing selection and arriving at Red Squadron, his eyes were opened to the broader world of watches. In the “regular” SEAL Teams, Corbett rarely encountered other Team Guys with high-end timepieces but at DEVGRU, watches were deeply ingrained in the unit’s culture. Corbett remembered, “I started seeing guys with Explorers, Pepsi GMTs, Submariners, and of course Panerais at Red Squadron. I started actually learning about watches, and there was a strong watch culture at the command.” Corbett explained that most of these timepieces were reserved for home or training, but others did wear them on operations. It was at this point that Corbett met fellow Red Squadron assaulter and dog handler, Will Chesney, who wore a Rolex Submariner on the Usama Bin Laden raid (read HERE). Afghanistan - 2009 For Corbett, the Rolex rarely left his wrist. During a 2009 vehicle interdiction operation in Afghanistan, a piece of shrapnel damaged the crystal after he shot a suspected suicide bomber at close range, causing the militant to drop a primed grenade. Let that sink in for a moment. In the midst of combat, Corbett used the green glow of his night vision goggles to check his Rolex, recognizing a deep scratch on the crystal. He was pissed, and he would have rather the shrapnel go into his arm instead of his sole prized possession. When he returned from deployment, he had the crystal replaced in Virginia Beach.   Maersk Alabama - Indian Ocean - April 2009 On April 8th, 2009, four Somali pirates hijacked the US-flagged Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia, eventually taking Captain Richard Phillips hostage on the ship’s lifeboat. Corbett’s squadron was activated as a part of a rescue operation, jumping out of planes into the ocean before positioning themselves on the USS Bainbridge. Corbett’s Submariner also made the trip. While gearing up for the combat jump, another SEAL jokingly remarked, “You must be single!”, a comment that implied only a single SEAL would bring a Rolex on a combat jump. Corbett thought to himself that it was pretty cool he was wearing his Rolex on a combat jump into the Indian Ocean, but it wasn’t a conscious decision, he simply wore the watch everywhere. Within 4 days of the hijacking, snipers in Corbett’s squadron shot and killed the three Somali pirates, rescuing Captain Phillips and inspiring the 2013 film of the same name. SEAL wearing a Rolex Submariner during aerial training op out of the back of a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, Aug 2011. (Photo Credit: Department of Defense) American Mercenary After a falling out with members of his command, Corbett made the difficult decision to leave SEAL Team Six and return to NSW, spending two years instructing junior SEALs in Close Quarters Combat, a skill set in which Corbett excelled. But he missed the action and after a chance encounter with a former SEAL Team guy, he was recruited into the gray world of private military contracting, initially conducting anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, an assignment he found relatively mundane.   Aden, Yemen - 2016 After returning to reserve SEAL Team 17 and completing sniper school, Corbett was offered another contract with Trident Group, initially working in Abu Dhabi training an Emirati Special Unit before deploying with them to a base in Yemen. At this point, Corbet arguably transitioned from contractor to mercenary, working for a foreign government conducting counterterrorism operations jointly with a third country, the United Arab Emirates partner force.   Tradecraft - Cigarettes, Cash, & A Rolex Corbett completed intelligence training in the Navy, but his new calling required an adaptation in mindset —a transition from a member of an elite unit with all the resources and protection of the US government to a contractor operating as a singleton with no diplomatic protection. An early mentor explained the benefit of wearing a Rolex in nonpermissive environments as a potential bargaining chip and a store of value. It was a principle that Corbett summed up as “Marlboro Reds, Cash, and a Rolex.”  If stuck at a checkpoint, he would initially offer a pack of cigarettes to smooth things over. If that didn't work, then cash. The Rolex was a last resort, but something he was willing to give up if his life were on the line.  Describing this mindset, Corbett stated matter-of-factly: “My Rolex is my currency.”    Belgrade, Serbia - 2017 In 2017, Corbett agreed to travel to Serbia as a singleton to collect information on a suspected terrorist financier for later use as blackmail. Corbet focused on “wiring the AOR,” building relationships with individuals close to the target. He developed a network of individuals in Belgrade, many of which had questionable associations. In this case, Corbett’s Rolex served as a tool to establish credibility and build relationships. Many of the social brokers he developed had access to significant funds and displayed their wealth through timepieces. Spending his nights at bars and clubs, the Rolex gave him a basic form of legitimacy and assisted in his relationship-building efforts. Corbett explained, “I could not have established legitimacy wearing a Casio, the Rolex was just enough to give me legitimacy when others wore AP (Audemars Piguet)” and other luxury watches. The Rolex was a tool. (Photo Credit: Buzzfeed) The operation was short-lived. Corbett’s 2017 arrest launched him on another mission, to gain his freedom from charges for crimes he claims he never committed. Corbett spent the next 18 months in jail, facing a 12-year sentence for trumped-up charges. The police seized Corbett’s few belongings including his cellphone, passport, Rolex, and cuff links, all of which he signed for. He was placed in a cell with a state-sponsored assassin, drug addicts, and various other individuals with questionable backgrounds. Without his Rolex, Corbett felt naked, experiencing a phenomenon over the first few months of his imprisonment that he called “phantom Rolex,” often shaking his wrist expecting to feel the reassuring weight of the watch that never came. Local Tabloid: “SEAL is ready to settle. To discover whom I came to kill. Just save my head” For months Corbett had little insight into his fate, with periodic court visits separated by months with limited contact with the outside world. In July 2018, his lawyer was killed in a gang-style shooting, something that Corbett insists was unrelated to his case. Throughout his confinement, he was confident that the government had no case but concerned that he was caught up in inescapable political intrigue. Fully prepared to spend 12 years in jail, Corbett developed friendships with many of the inmates.  Corbett leaving the courthouse post-trial. On June 19th, 2019, Corbett was acquitted of all charges and unceremoniously told to leave the country. He returned to the jail to get his belongings and during out-processing, he was handed a zip-lock bag with his passport and—unbelievably—his Rolex Submariner. He was skeptical that it may have been replaced with a fake but was able to confirm it was indeed his Rolex, recognizing the scratches from over a decade of wear. He immediately slipped the watch back on his wrist and after a short stop at the Customs Police Station was free to leave. Falling back on his network of contacts, he spent a night in a hotel owned by the Hells Angels and left the country the next day. Arizona - 2024 After being released from prison, Corbett returned to the US without fanfare but with an extensive list of bills and expenses from being off the grid for 18 months. Corbett quickly returned to contracting, taking an unspecified gig in South America (he refused to elaborate). The Rolex remains one of his sole prized possessions and remains on his wrist not only as a tool but also as a reminder of his incredible Hollywood-like experiences to date.  American Mercenary Corbett has channeled his experience into instructing weapons and tactics for the Sentient Shooting Group. After much consideration, Corbett decided to document his experiences in the newly released book, American Mercenary, The Riveting, High-Risk World of an Elite SEAL Team Operator Turned Hired Gun. While we like to make fun of SEALs writing books as much as the next guy, Corbett’s story is not another SEAL book. American Mercenary provides a first-hand look into the murky world of Private Military Contracting, private intelligence collection, and mercenaries. Whatever is next for Corbett, we can be confident his Rolex Submariner will be on his wrist. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Trading a Rolex to Get out of a Sticky Situation - Myth or Reality?

From The Mountains Of Afghanistan To Watches & Wonders In Geneva I pulled out my map and grease pencil, and said, “Tell me where you are. We are coming.” Calmly, Kevin started giving his position, reaching the sixth number before another shot rang out. Silence. Another team member whispered, “Man down.” Kevin was shot, and the others were pinned down in the mountains. I didn’t know it at the time, but Kevin was probably already dead. November 24th, 2012 was a cold night in the mountains of Zabul Province in Afghanistan. As a member of SEAL Team 4, I was on my third deployment. Our mission was to train Afghan commandos, utilizing the local forces to clear villages in the most dangerous areas. “Clear'' is an innocuous way of saying the Afghans were — under our supervision — tasked with kicking the bee's nest before killing as many enemy fighters as possible.  At times, it was boring. Other times, it was terrifying. But we loved it. The author with his teammates from SEAL Team 4 in Afghanistan. A Rolex Deepsea is seen on Rob’s wrist at center. (Photo Credit: Rob Huberty) On this particular night, approximately 150 Afghan commandos and 12 SEALs flew towards a village that served as a staging area for repeated attacks on a small Army Special Forces base nearby. Through night vision, I watched the landscape fall away through the open ramp on the back of the Chinook, listening to the pilots’ radio traffic and checking my Rolex Deepsea. We thought we had a clever plan. We were wrong. SO1 Kevin Ebbert providing medical care for villagers in Afghanistan.  My friend and brother, Special Warfare Operator First Class (SO1) Kevin Ebbert, was assigned to a six-man sniper team charged with overwatch from the mountains above the village. To avoid discovery, Kevin’s team landed six hours before the assault element, reaching its final position just as day broke and the clearance operation began. As the Afghan commandos entered the village, shots unexpectedly rang out in the mountains near Kevin’s position.  I could tell the gunshots were from a sniper rifle, which I assumed was Kevin’s. Seconds later, Kevin’s voice cut through the radio, “We are taking fire… We are taking effective fire.” The term “effective fire” means you need to take cover or get shot. Kevin Ebbert during training in New Mexico leading up to final deployment. (Photo Credit: Meranda Boo Keller) I quickly assembled an element of four SEALs and ran at full speed toward the danger. I took control of all of the helicopters and airplanes on the radio, breathlessly telling the air support where I was going and asking them what they could see. The goat path we traversed was known for explosive traps and IEDs, but there was no time to go around. Seconds mattered. I was at peace with the possibility that I might die trying to reach my brothers in danger. The author carries Kevin Ebbert's patch every day along with his Rolex Deepsea. (Photo Credit: Rob Huberty)  My training and experience as a point man, climber, JTAC, and sniper, as well as my fitness level and ability to handle stress, were challenged like never before. Unfortunately, my efforts weren’t enough. We lost Kevin that day. We couldn’t risk a helicopter getting shot down, so we had to take turns carrying him down the mountain. I remember his smell. He joked that he had a musk and never wore deodorant. When we put him down, I remember his hand was cold. I noticed his wedding ring and G-shock. I wanted to take them off him and give them to his wife myself. That’s when I broke down into tears, overcome by the greatest physical and mental exhaustion I’ve ever experienced.  The author wearing his Rolex Deepsea in Afghanistan in 2012. (Photo Credit: Robert Huberty) I kept my blood-covered clothes on long after everyone else had showered and decompressed. I looked down at the Rolex on my wrist, still smeared with Kevin’s blood. The horrific loss of my brother in arms and the watch I wore on that mission are etched in my heart forever. Kevin was on his last mission and had been accepted into medical school. He planned to continue to serve others outside of the military. He was the best of us. He was quiet, but when he spoke, everyone listened. I vowed to use my time on this Earth better, knowing my fallen brothers would never get the chance.  Kevin Ebbert’s G-Shock in his mother’s hands. (Photo Credit: Charlie Jordan) Kevin also valued watches, having gifted his groomsmen pocket watches at his wedding. Like most Team Guys, however, he wore a G-Shock, preferring reliable workhorses over luxury items. Kevin’s mom, Charlie, still wears his G-Shock periodically. The inexpensive digital watch helps her feel closer to her fallen son. Watches are powerful. Childhood Heroes, Rolex, SEALs, & A G-Shock I grew up with the idea that rugged barrel-chested freedom fighters wore Rolex. Chuck Yeager wore a Rolex Pepsi GMT while he inspired the Apollo Astronauts. Paul Newman did as both a movie star and a real-life hero, as did Magnum PI, James Bond, astronauts, adventurers, spies, and frogmen both real and fictional.  The G-Shock DW6600 Rob earned after graduating from BUD/S class 259. (Photo Credit: Robert 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.  The author’s Omega Seamaster Chronograph 2225.80 he received from his parents after graduating from SEAL Qualification Training (SQT). (Photo Credit: Robert Hubery & WatchBox Studios) To celebrate my graduation from SEAL Qualification Training or SQT,  my parents gave me an OMEGA Seamaster Chronograph, my first “good watch.” With my first reenlistment bonus, I bought my first Rolex. I wore it in combat, in tragedy, and in triumph. I wore it for my wedding and the births of all four of my kids. After about twelve years of hard use, it finally stopped in dire need of a service.  Navy SEALs in Vietnam wearing a Rolex or Tudor Submariner. During my time in the Teams, wearing a Rolex on deployment was abnormal, few deployed wore a “luxury” watch. I wore a Rolex because I thought it was badass and honored the legacy of the Teams. Rolex is inextricably linked to SEAL history, particularly of the Vietnam Era. In Vietnam, SEALs wore blue jeans and tiger stripes and carried stoner machine guns while using issued Tudor 7928s or Rolex Submariners to time their operations and combat dives.  W.O.E.'s Vietnam-Era US Navy Issued Tudor 7928 (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Life & Watches After The Teams Through the loss of friends who ran out of time, I have learned that seconds matter. The watches I wear serve as constant reminders to never take the time I have for granted. During my military career, many of my watches including the Rolex I was wearing when Kevin died are tied to moments of sorrow.  SO2 Adam Olin Smith was killed in a helicopter crash in 2010.  When another friend and teammate of mine, SO2 Adam Olin Smith died in a helicopter crash during my second deployment in 2010, I retreated into myself, wasting time doom scrolling the Baselworld releases or The Rolex Forums, researching my first purchase. On August 6th, 2011, when Extortion 17 was shot down, my mentor, SOC John Faas, and 30 other Americans perished. John was another old-school G-Shock guy who preferred his simple digital watch over higher-speed options from Garmin.  Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John Faas When I found out about John’s death, I hit the bars and then went watch shopping, which I guess was some kind of watch enthusiast coping mechanism. I didn’t manage to purchase the “Hulk” Submariner I was drunkenly eyeing, but years later I purchased a green Submariner that is still tied to that moment in my mind.  The author’s Rolex Submariner, a watch linked to one of the worst days of his life. (Photo Credit: WatchBox Studios) Evolution Of A SEAL Turned Collector When I left the military, I continued my quest to use my time to serve others. Rather than chasing war, I vowed to make the world better and also grow my family. I went to Wharton Business School. I struggled. I landed a presumably excellent job at Amazon. I struggled. I felt like I lacked a meaningful purpose. I eventually regrouped with other veterans and started ZeroEyes, an AI gun detection company whose goal is to reduce gun violence. We have developed technology that can detect a firearm in real-time before someone starts shooting. We have a team that verifies every alert and contacts local law enforcement to neutralize the threat. We provide valuable time to respond where every second matters. Working with this team with this purpose, I feel like I am using my time well again to help make our world safer. Watches remain a powerful symbol of the value of time. My watch-collecting journey has evolved alongside the way I strive to fulfill my mission of serving the world. I started with tool watches. A warrior's watch is a Submariner, a Tudor, an Omega Seamster, a Seiko, or any field watch. It should be stainless steel, mechanical, divable, and easy to read. Over time, I grew to love all watches, discovering a respect for other types I never would have considered. Today, I am a watch collector, a title I would have once considered embarrassing. Warriors should wear watches as tools, not collect them like stamps. The author with Charlotte and Andrew Morgan, Edouard Meylan, Tim and Kate Mancuso, Mathieu Haverlan, Simona, Rikki during Dubai Watch Week. (Photo Credit: Rob Huberty) As I became a part of the community, I learned there were collectors and enthusiasts who shared my same level of passion (or insanity). Finding my tribe, I went further down the rabbit hole, attending Dubai Watch Week and Watches and Wonders earlier this year. Just as it was during my time in the SEAL Teams, watches can be more than the sum of their parts. Today, watches are a powerful connector of new friends and like-minded individuals. I’ve also met watchmakers whose passion for their craft has inspired me. I started with mass-market brands like Swatch, Seiko, and Casio before moving to Tudor, Omega, and Rolex. I now pursue brands like Ulysse Nardin, Moser, and MB&F. I’ve had the distinct privilege of meeting with Max Büsser and visiting his “Madhouse” manufacture, befriending the Meylan brothers behind H. Moser & Cie, and spending time with Matthieu Haverlan of Ulysse Nardin. When it comes to Rolex, I’m still on the waiting list like everyone else.  A few of the author’s high horology pieces including an MB&F LM101, Ulysse Nardin Freak X Ops, & a H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Centre Seconds. (Photo Credit: Robert Huberty) As I continue my journey into watches, I have met people who genuinely enrich my life. Watches serve as catalysts for connections and symbols of deep meaning, whether for remembering fallen teammates from the past or new friends from the present. More than simply telling the time, watches remind us to use what time we have left the best we can, time teammates like Kevin, Adam, and John never got. Use your time well. Use your tools. Long Live the Brotherhood. About The Author: Rob served as a U.S. Navy SEAL for nine years. During this time, he led both Navy SEALs and foreign forces during training and combat missions. Rob holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA in Political Science from the University of Arizona. Rob is currently COO of ZeroEyes, an artificial intelligence (AI) gun detection system for real-time weapon detection and alerts. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. READ NEXT: Aviation “Unit Watches”: Bremont Military and Special Projects Division

Sketchy Surfers, Intelligence Officers, And A Dictator – Timepieces Add Depth To Characters While Entertaining Watch Nerds As we established in our first installment of this series (READ HERE), watches play a significant role in film and television, particularly as it relates to the world of espionage. Watch enthusiasts can’t help but notice when a propmaster or costume designer has absolutely nailed the watch or in some cases, missed the mark entirely. Portrayals of watches on the wrists of characters representing the military and intelligence communities are often particularly challenging, with factors like paid product placement further complicating the issue. In the vast majority of films or TV shows, watches play little to no role in the overall plot, instead serving as a minor detail representing at times incredible attention to detail on behalf of the filmmakers. However, here and there, watches add something to a film as a whole, adding depth to a character or acting as a plot element. For intelligence officers and special operations, the tiniest details matter, and, if nothing else, watch spotting within the context of our community is an old-fashioned good time. In this piece, we’ll take a look at five additional examples of W.O.E. in Hollywood and provide our thoughts on the watch choices for a given character. Point Break - A Sketchy Breitling Navitimer Quartz (Pluton) Starting with one of history’s finest action films, Point Break is the improbable story of undercover FBI Agent Johnny Utah, played by Keanu Reeves, infiltrating a band of surfers with a penchant for bank robbery led by the charismatic Bodhi, portrayed by the late Patrick Swayze. While Bodhi is much too laid back and cool to wear a watch in much of the film, he does wear a Breitling Navitimer Quartz (also sometimes known as the Pluton) when it’s bank robbing time, even going so far as to say “little hand says it’s time to rock and roll” after a full-screen watch shot that we will attempt to recreate here. (Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox) It’s unclear whether Breitling’s early 90s marketing budget played a role in making the Navitimer Quartz Bodhi’s watch of choice, but it’s tough to argue with their decision-making process. Essentially the same watch as the Chronosport UDT, which was produced by Breitling and favored by Navy SEALs and other special operations forces of the day, the Navitimer Quartz provided 200 meters of water resistance and a slew of digital functions on top of its basic timekeeping abilities, exactly the kind of specs you need when you’re surfing in the morning and making tactical withdrawals in the afternoon. We don’t make the rules, sketchy dudes wear Breitling.  Jack Ryan - Hamilton Khaki Field Auto Chrono Inspired by Tom Clancy’s best-selling series of books, Jack Ryan stars John Krasinski as a CIA analyst turned special operator, almost single-handedly saving the world from certain doom at least once in each of the show’s four seasons. While any number of inexpensive digital watches from brands like G-Shock might have made even more sense given Ryan’s Global War On Terror Marine Corps background, the analyst of action opted for a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto Chrono Automatic for the first couple of seasons. Stemming from Hamilton’s Khaki collection, which is inspired by the brand’s history of producing field watches for military forces as far back as the First World War, the Khaki Field Auto Chrono opts for a tacti-cool all-black treatment from the PVD-coated stainless steel case to the hands and indices. Conceptually, an automatic chronograph with 100 meters of water resistance checks out for Ryan’s character, but we can’t help but wonder if the watch might be a little bit hard to read given the almost total lack of contrast. Overall, it’s not a terrible choice, and at just under $2,000 would be affordable for the presumed GS-13. Spy Game - Victorinox Swiss Army Officer’s 1884 In Spy Game, Robert Redford stars as Nathan Muir, a seasoned CIA Case Officer on the cusp of retirement tasked with freeing his former protégé Tom Bishop, portrayed by Brad Pitt, from imprisonment in China. Released in 2001, this film inspired a generation of post -9/11 Case Officers and is a relatively accurate (though Hollywoodized) portrayal of the business of intelligence. On Redford’s wrist throughout the film is a Victorinox Swiss Army Officer’s 1884. Victorinox is of course better known for its ubiquitous Swiss Army collection of knives and has also been a major producer of Swiss watches since at least the early 90s. While many watch snobs might turn up their noses at a brand like Victorinox, the watch makes perfect sense in this instance. Serving as the prototypical career C/O, Redford’s character is a gray man, blending in and avoiding auspicious clothing or luxury items that might solicit further questions about his background or occupation. As much as many within the CIA appreciate and use watches from luxury brands including Rolex, Tudor, or Breitling, certain circumstances require a more subtle approach. The straightforward white dial and stainless steel format of the Victorinox Swiss Army Officer’s 1884 does exactly that, providing reliable quartz timekeeping and the additional functionality provided by a secondary 24-hour scale without attracting the type of undue attention that can get you killed and, perhaps more importantly, prevent you from rescuing Brad Pitt.  The Dictator - Cartier Pasha  Revered for his seminal work Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator is the (true) story of General Aladeen, leader of oil-rich nation called Wadiya. After the assassination of yet another body double, Gen. Aladeen opts to travel to the relative safety of New York City with a Cartier Pasha on his wrist. So named for Thami El Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakesh, the internet claims the Pasha was a special design dating back to the early 1930s and intended for the Pasha’s sporty lifestyle. Whether that’s true or not is another matter, but the story does lend itself to the inclusion of the modern Pasha, which was unveiled in 1985 and famously designed by Gerald Genta, in this film.  Still, despite the supposed history of being designed for a fabulously wealthy Middle Eastern governing figure, we can’t help but wonder whether something even more ridiculous might have been a better fit for General Aladeen’s character and lifestyle. Just to throw a few ideas out there, what about a diamond-encrusted Patek Philippe or even an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak? That said, the Pasha’s historical tie-in demonstrates great care on behalf of either Sacha Baron Cohen himself or perhaps a particularly astute wardrobe designer. The watch might even be the least ridiculous part of the entire film. Argo - Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea 116660 In Argo, based on the real story of CIA technical officer Tony Mendez, played by Ben Affleck, is tasked with extracting six Americans holed up with the Canadian ambassador in Tehran, Iran after militants stormed the US Embassy on November 4th, 1979, taking 66 American diplomats hostage. Disguised as a film producer scouting locations for a science fiction film in Tehran, Affleck’s character wears a Rolex, which would theoretically be right in keeping with his cover assuming the Rolex in question was period correct. No joy, however, as the Rolex worn by Affleck in Argo was a decidedly modern Sea-Dweller Deepsea reference 116660, a watch released by the Crown in 2008.  How this came to pass is anyone’s guess. In 2022, Hodinkee reported an urban legend that the prop department provided a replica of a period-correct Rolex Submariner for Affleck to wear, but the actor preferred a genuine Rolex. Any Rolex from the era, but perhaps especially the Submariner, would have made perfect sense. A posh Hollywood producer wearing a rugged luxury watch intended for diving for his adventurous location-scouting trip to Tehran? Hell yes. Instead, a modern 44mm Rolex theoretically designed for saturation diving time traveled to 1979 to assist Affleck on his personnel extraction adventure, once again proving that details matter in espionage as well as filmmaking.  If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. READ NEXT: Bond: A Case for Omega

Allied Prisoners of War and Rolex Watch Co., a story of hope in the midst of a grim world conflict. As the war between Axis and Allied forces raged on, Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the watch company named Montres Rolex SA, had a brilliant notion: Why not let these prisoners ‘purchase’ a new timepiece on the proviso

Luxury timepieces are one of the most effective mediums to move illicit funds around the globe and a tool to integrate those ill-gotten gains into the financial system.  Transnational criminal networks, terrorists, narcotraffickers and corrupt politicians have used watches to launder money as a part of global illicit finance. The Weight of a Million Dollars – 22 pounds A million dollars weighs just over 22 lbs.  I learned this during one of my first tours as a CIA Case Officer.  Like any other morning, I mounted my Gary Fisher mountain bike and rode out the gate of our compound for a quick exercise ride in the hills surrounding the African capital where I was working.  This activity was “in pattern,” should I have surveillance, they would note the departure, but it would not warrant further investigation.  A trained eye might have seen that something was different, however. The dead weight of ten thousand $100 bills in my backpack made the bike top-heavy and awkward to ride.  The operation was simple and routine. After a long Surveillance Detection Route (SDR) through the hills and side streets of the third world capital, I worked my way to a predetermined ops site.  The watch on my wrist would have (probably) been a Timex Ironman, my go to Digital Tool Watch (DTW) for exercise over the past two decades.  I would have checked the time before moving into the site, confirming that I would hit the operational window.  In espionage, timing is everything. Right on time. I identified a couple in the alley.  We established bona fides with a verbal parole -- a predetermined phrase and response.  I then handed them the heavy backpack in exchange for a similar one and rode off in the other direction, the entire exchange lasting less than a minute. In tradecraft lingo it was a “BE” (Brief Encounter).  A standard CIA Case Officers EDC, read more HERE Except for the backpack stuffed with cash, it was a routine day for a case officer. Certainly not the stuff of Hollywood but instead a crucial operation for the global network of intelligence collection. Due to compartmentalization, I didn’t know who the individuals were that I handed the backpack to or why they needed the large sum of cash, though I have my suspicions.  They had likely just arrived in the country and could not bring the cash in through customs without drawing scrutiny. Watches as a Currency: One takeaway from this operation is that money is heavy.  It’s inconvenient, bulky and difficult to transport, not to mention having to explain it away if discovered.  This is why many illicit actors, spies and criminal networks rely on expensive but innocuous luxury items to move funds across borders.  Given the significant increase in value of timepieces, watches are a favored currency when it comes to illicit activity.  I easily could have handed off a single watch to transfer that same value to the couple that morning. The value-to-weight ratio of a Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet or other premium brands is exceeded only by precious gems, making it easy to physically transport a watch across international borders. The vast, unregulated, and fragmented gray market makes converting timepieces into cash relatively easy. Unlike vehicles, gold, and diamonds, there is no oversight or registration for timepieces and a million dollar Patek can be worn on your wrist, easily breezing through customs. Lebron James wearing a "Tiffany Blue" Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711, a watch that has sold for 100 times its original price at $5,350,000 at auction.  Luxury Watches – Money Laundering: The international financial system is heavily regulated and monitored by law enforcement and intelligence services to identify illicit activity. Transactions over $10,000 are automatically flagged and international border law restricts the amount of cash one can bring in/out of a given country undeclared.  By contrast, watches are a perfect medium for exploitation by bad actors.  They are innocuous and liquid, and pawn shops, auction houses and high-end dealers often turn a blind eye to these activities. Every major auction house has been involved in a controversy where profitability triumphed over ethics at some point. This isn’t to say that they’re willfully supporting money laundering, rather that it is simply a frequent occurrence. Eight days after 9/11, CIA officers pick up $3 million cash in three cardboard boxes. This money would enable the Northern Alliance (NA) commanders to pay their troops and convince other tribes to rally to the NA rather than fight them. (Photo Credit: CIA) Moving Illicit Funds - A Case Study Imagine, you need to move $1 million from the United States to Turkey.  The logical choice is a traditional bank transfer, which would require you to deposit it in a financial institution.  This would alert the authorities who would request an explanation for how you came about the funds, for both tax purposes and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) enforcement. Carrying cash would require a 20 pound duffel bag, making hand-carrying it cumbersome and again would cause scrutiny from customs officials, resulting in questions and import tariffs and complications. Additionally, you introduce a major security risk by carrying that much cash around and potentially becoming a target.  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer processes a passenger into the United States at an airport. (DHS Photo by James Tourtellotte) So, what do you do?  You could convert it to diamonds and hide them in a tube of toothpaste (or concealed in your body), but again, if caught, this cannot be explained away.  So, you visit the diamond district in New York, purchase a dozen Rolex and AP watches, each of which could be worth up to $500k per watch.  You use couriers to “smurf” the watches on commercial flights, each one wearing a watch on the wrist and a couple in a carry-on bag.  For the cost of a few round-trip tickets, the watches could be relocated to Istanbul relatively risk-free.  A single (new) Rolex Dayton can have a street value of $30-$50k, vintage significant higher (James Rupley) Once you arrive in Turkey, you find the local watch dealer and offer to sell for cash, or a bank transfer to integrate them into the financial system, the first step of money laundering (placement, layering, integration).  Given the illicit activity, you may lose some money on the sale, but this is simply the cost of integrating illicit funds.  The dealer is happy to purchase them below market value and not ask questions. Well over $100k in Rolex Watches (Photo Credit: Jame Rupley) Hezbollah’s Illicit Finance: In 2015, an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed that Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia terrorist organization, purchased large quantities of watches in Europe, which were then transported by couriers to Lebanon where they were sold for cash.  Hezbollah reportedly purchased €14 million in watches from a single store in Germany, thus evading international monitoring.  (The movement and exchange of expensive goods has long played a role in informal Middle Eastern “Hawala” money transfer networks throughout the globe.) This practice is so common that Dutch law enforcement has urged watch dealers to refrain from cash transactions.  Several high profile arrests of criminal networks in Spain, Netherlands, Romania and Belgium revealed luxury watches as integral to the movement of illegal funds, and closely associated with the recent increase in watch crime in the region. Money Laundering: The 3 Stages of Money Laundering (Image Credit: Alessa) Money Laundering (ML) is the act of integrating illegally acquired cash to legitimate financial institutions with the goal of concealing the illegal origins of those funds.  While this is traditionally associated with criminal networks, in the intelligence world, cash is king and most intelligence services practice some form of benevolent money laundering.  Watches can play a crucial part in each step of the money laundering process. Placement: Step one is introducing illicit gains into the financial system.  In the example above, this can occur with the sale of the watch and the depositing of those funds into a bank account by the purchasing party.  At initial scrutiny, this will appear to be a legitimate transaction. Breaking Bad- money laundering (AMC) Layering:  Step two is the process of moving those same funds through multiple transactions to conceal the origin of the funds.  Once funds are converted, one could use the illicit funds to purchase watches, and then resell them in a manner to distance the original transaction and repeat this process.  The example above of transferring watches overseas could be another example of layering in addition to potential placement.  Integration:  The final last step is returning the funds to the criminal organizations for personal use, thus appearing legitimate.  Embezzlement and Money Laundering- Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro  According to press reporting, in 2022, Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro found himself in hot water for (reportedly) selling a gifted Saudi Rolex and a Patek Philippe watch, netting him $68k.  Bolsonaro used a third party (smurf) to transport the watches to the United States and quickly found a buyer in a relatively obscure Pennsylvania mall. If true, Bolsonaro used the same technique as above to transfer the value from Brazil, convert it into dollars and then (supposedly) repatriate that cash to Brazil.  This is an example of Money Laundering by disguising an unreported diplomatic gift and converting that gift into a usable currency. This is not the first scrutiny of Bolsonaro's gifts from foreign governments, in 2021, a Brazilian government official was reportedly detained at the border with more than $3 million in jewels from Saudi Arabia in a backpack, allegedly gifts for Bolsonaro and his wife.   The world is not all flowers and rainbows and we expect to continue to see the use of luxury timepieces in the global illicit finance network, particularly as prices for these luxury goods remain high. -- If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE.  This Dispatch has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information. READ NEXT: CIA Analysis of Foreign Leaders’ Timepieces

Watches of Espionage was recently profiled by Andrew Harrison for Esquire's "The Big Watch Book." The Mysterious Story Behind 'Watches of Espionage' The Instagram account and website has become a runaway hit by revealing the surprising links between luxury timepieces and spycraft. One detail remains classified. The identity of the former CIA officer who runs it by Andrew Harrison Which watch would you choose to wear on the day you die? It’s not a question that many of us face too often. But then our day’s work seldom involves flying in secret by Black Hawk helicopter from Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan to the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, there to locate and kill Osama bin Laden. Will Chesney was the dog handler with SEAL Team Six, the US special-forces unit selected to carry out “Operation Neptune Spear” in 2011. His chances of being shot down by Pakistan’s air defences en route or killed by an explosion in bin Laden’s compound were, he calculated, high, for Chesney and his dog Cairo were tasked with locating IEDs on the compound perimeter. So for this operation only, Chesney put aside his workaday digital and wore his prized Rolex Submariner instead. It was a special watch, reference 14060, engraved with the SEALs’ “red man” logo. Rolexes and Tudors had been engrained in SEAL culture since Vietnam; Chesney had bought his own watch when he passed the infamously harsh selection process to join Team Six. It was, by certain measures, impractical for the mission. But what exactly, he reasoned, was he saving it for? “I thought it would be fitting to wear the watch on that operation since it was my gift to myself for making it there,” he would say later. “I figured we wouldn’t be making it back so I might as well die with it on.” But they got their man, Chesney didn’t die and neither did Cairo. When Chesney told this story — of how the two would later be presented to President Obama, how Cairo would help him rehabilitate after he was seriously wounded in a grenade attack in Afghanistan in 2013, how Chesney commemorated his canine partner in the book No Ordinary Dog after Cairo died of cancer in 2015 — he told it to Watches Of Espionage. (Read the full post, it’s fascinating.) Launched in February 2021 by a former CIA intelligence operative with an itch for timepieces, the Watches Of Espionage Instagram feed has gained some 130,000 followers and its website has a cult audience unlike anything else in the horological universe. “WoE” readers range from hardcore watch aficionados who want to know exactly why SEALS love Panerai and how Delta Force guys get their custom Breitlings; to fans of the vicarious military experience, from the knowledgeable to what you might call the Gareth-from-The-Office demographic; to another, more select, harder-to-reach group: anonymous men who do anonymous things in the service of their country. They might not be allowed to talk about what they’ve done — many a WoE post ends with the words, “This has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information” — but they want to communicate their watch lore to others in the know, and maybe leak a little to the rest of us. WoE is both their community centre and a window into their world. Continue Reading: The Mysterious Story Behind 'Watches of Espionage'

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

Todd Beamer’s gold and steel Rolex was found among the debris from Flight 93. While the hands are disfigured and the sapphire crystal is gone, the date window–frozen in time– still reads “11.” Remembering the heroes of September 11th Attacks: On the morning of September 11th, 2001, Todd Beamer, a 32-year-old Account Manager at Oracle, rose early to catch United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco for a business trip. As part of his morning routine, he snapped the clasp shut on the two-tone jubilee bracelet of his 36mm Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph before heading out the door at 6:15 am, leaving his pregnant wife, Lisa, and their two children at home.  After a 42 minute delay, he boarded Flight 93; it departed from Gate 17 at Newark Liberty International Airport and took off at 8:42 am. At 9:28 am, the calm Tuesday morning flight was interrupted when Al Qaeda hijackers, led by Ziad Samir Jarrah, used box cutters and a supposed explosive device to take control of the plane and divert the aircraft back east towards Washington D.C. The hijackers moved Beamer and the other 43 passengers to the rear of the plane. Using cellphones and seatback phones, the passengers contacted loved ones and airport officials and learned that three other aircraft were weaponized and deliberately crashed into some of our nation’s most important buildings: the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Beamer and other passengers acted fast and stormed the cockpit in an effort to take back the aircraft. Beamer’s last words were recorded through the seatback phone. If I don't make it, please call my family and let them know how much I love them...Are you ready? Okay, Let's roll. At 10:03 am, Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes flying time from the terrorists’ intended target: the U.S. Capital. Beamer and a number of other passengers had thwarted Al Qaeda’s plans.  Beamer’s gold and steel Rolex was found among the debris from Flight 93. While the hands are disfigured and the sapphire crystal is gone, the date window–frozen in time– still reads “11.” His watch is a two-tone 18k yellow gold Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph, likely reference 16263, with a champagne tapestry dial. Despite the use of precious metal, the watch was originally developed as a tool watch in the early 1950s with a bidirectional bezel for timing. Nicknamed the “Thunderbird,” it was issued in the late 1950s to the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron pilots, with the famed unit’s insignia on the dial. Late 1950s Rolex advertisement. Hanging on the wall of my office is an old Rolex advertisement that I see everyday. The copy, in bold, reads, “Men who guide the destinies of the world wear Rolex Watches.” The ad is clearly meant to conjure up images of Presidents, Generals and Diplomats– but what Beamer did that day is exactly what the ad says: he changed the course of history. Had he and the other brave passengers on the plane not acted, the aircraft would have continued to Washington D.C. and likely inflicted significant harm on the U.S. Capitol, the heart of American democracy. Beamer was an ordinary American who showed extraordinary courage during a time of need. He was a man of action. Like most great men, the man made the watch, not the other way around. The fact that he was wearing a Rolex is insignificant, but the watch lives on as a memorial to him and his fellow passengers that made the ultimate selfless sacrifice on the morning of September 11th, 2001. Beamer’s legacy lives on beyond his parting heroic action. Let's Roll became a unifying command, a battle cry for America in the Post-9/11 era. Troops deploying to Afghanistan months later would use this as a motivational phrase to bring the fight to the enemy. Years later when I traveled to war zones, “Let’s Roll” was still commonly heard before departing on an operation or seen painted on a gym wall at remote U.S. Government outposts. Today, Beamer’s mangled Rolex is on display in the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City, along with an Oracle business card discovered in the wreckage, both donated by his wife, Lisa, to honor his sacrifice and legacy. The date window still chillingly displays the day that the world changed forever; “11.” Let's Roll - CIA in Afghanistan after 9/11 attacks. Beamer’s father, David Beamer, would later remark to the New York Times, “The function of the watch is supposed to be to tell time. What it doesn’t tell is what time it is anymore. What it does tell is what time it was. It marks the time that a successful counterattack on Flight 93 came to an end.” There are few actions more selfless than sacrificing your life for another, and that’s exactly what the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 did. Had the airplane continued to Washington D.C. and struck the U.S. Capitol, scores of elected officials, civil servants, and innocent civilians would have perished.  Like Beamer on the morning of September 11th, 2001, countless men and women would choose to roll into action and answer the call to serve in the wake of 9/11.  This Dispatch is in honor of the 2,977 people who died on September 11th, 2001 and Todd Beamer’s wife, Lisa, and their three children.   Read Next: CIA’s JAWBREAKER Team And A Rolex Submariner This newsletter has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information.

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.

In Watch and Firearm Collecting, Details Matter I purchased a new Rolex GMT Master II “Batman” directly from an authorized Rolex dealer (“AD”). After photographing the watch in my studio, I was surprised to see a production error that I had never seen before. In the “8” in the “18” on the bezel, the top circle is blue, while the bottom is black.

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.

Chris Costa is the Executive Director of the International Spy Museum and a 34-year veteran intelligence officer, with extensive experience working in counterintelligence, human intelligence and with special operations forces (SOF).  Chris has worked in numerous operational positions throughout the globe and was the first civilian squadron Deputy Director at the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and the Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.  The one common thread throughout his career is the presence of a Rolex Submariner on his wrist. A Tale of Two Watches  By Christopher P. Costa I came from humble roots.  My mother raised me and my two siblings alone as a single parent after my dad passed away far too young. I was always into watches, but it was my younger brother who caringly kept my father’s watches and much later in life gave them to my two sons at special milestones in their lives; he continued this tradition by gifting watches to our grandsons.  The idea of me or my siblings having a Rolex of our own was far-fetched until much later in our lives. I spent most of my career as a U.S. Army intelligence officer.  After the Panama invasion and then the first Gulf War, I thought maybe I could afford to buy a Rolex Submariner; I wanted something meaningful to leave for one of my boys.  Like many soldiers, I saw early on in my army career the untimely service-related deaths of troops, way more often than I like to talk about.  In one of my first assignments, I dealt with the tragic aftermath of the Gander, Newfoundland plane crash that killed 248 soldiers.  Two of the fallen troops who perished in the crash were from my rifle platoon as part of the 101st Airborne Division.  This disaster was an early reminder in my career that life was precious and fleeting.  December 12, 1985, Arrow Air Flight 1285 crashed during take-off in Gander, Newfoundland. The chartered flight was transporting 248 soldiers from the 101st Airborne back to their base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, ending a six-month peace-keeping mission in Sinai, Egypt. (Photo Credit: DOD) After returning home from the first Gulf War, my wife ended up getting me the Rolex Submariner that I had always wanted, and I wore it for the rest of my intelligence career, ever-mindful of its deeper meaning.  I wore it for decades– during training to be a Case Officer; during hurried meetings in cars with sources; in remote villages, cities, and safehouses.  I wore it during surveillance and countersurveillance.  I wore it in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa.  I even wore that Rolex when I briefed the President on terrorism and hostages at the White House.  I often quipped to my sons that if my Rolex Submariner could talk, many of the stories it could tell would be classified.  It was a critical piece of my gear and part of my clandestine work.  Costa (L) serving as Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. (Photo Credit: White House) Case Officers carefully, even obsessively, focus on their operational time windows for meetings with their sources.  Precision is important in both clandestine work and in special operations.  So is operational adaptation, when necessary. I sheepishly smile when I think of an improvisation featuring that Rolex Submariner during an important meeting that I had with an influential Afghan tribal leader.  The ambassador, a general officer, senior intelligence officers – and even the president of that country – were all anxious to hear the results of that particular meeting, which was very much choreographed to achieve our objectives, namely to change the malign behavior of a tribe and its fighters.  I was frustrated and weary of the lengthy, lecturing tone of the tribal chieftain during my excruciating meeting with him, so along with a little unrehearsed drama, I tersely cut the chieftain off in mid-sentence.  I told him that I will see him thirty days from that very moment, and, somewhat theatrically, I tapped my Rolex and told him the exact time I expected him back to see me.  He protested that al-Qaeda would kill him if he came back.  I told him that was not my problem.  No one aware of that meeting believed this warlord would be back thirty days from the moment that I registered the time out loud by glancing at my Rolex.  Surprisingly, the tribal chief came back thirty days later at the exact time I had directed, then he returned again – and again. During another combat deployment, I woke up in the middle of the night with pangs of anxiousness, something I suspect is universal among people operating in combat zones.  I worried that an improvised roadside explosive and a fiery ambush would destroy my watch and my son would never get it.  In the aftermath of a particularly tough night in a combat zone, where a lethal ambush had taken place, I contemplated taking the watch off and leaving it behind at a forward operating base. I was going out again to the same village where the attack had taken place the night before, and I thought it was prudent to leave the watch behind, having a premonition of bad things ahead.  In the end, I just decided to wear the watch anyway.  I was once again fortunate and incredibly grateful to get through another deployment.  After all those years, that Rolex made it, and in good time, it will be passed on to my oldest son with a few tales attached to it. As it turned out, my younger brother turned his passion for watches into a successful professional career at Tourneau Watch Company and Rolex. He traveled across the United States as well as internationally to Switzerland, at the request of manufacturers looking to expand their market share, and was a brand ambassador for Breitling.  My brother loved watches – and people – and his unflinching optimism for life is more a parable of his character perhaps, rather than a tale about a second Rolex. Coming up on my 60th birthday I really wanted another watch, albeit I was self-conscious that perhaps one Rolex was enough for me.  But I really wanted a second watch so that I could leave it to my youngest son someday.  My brother – always selfless – engineered a conspiracy with my wife and his watch store colleagues for a 60th birthday surprise.  So, my wife bought me a Rolex GMT-Master II, and my whole family chipped in to get me a very nice watch winder.  I was serenely at peace knowing that I could someday leave a Rolex for each of my sons.    Still, I was a little regretful that the GMT-Master would not be on my wrist during any clandestine meetings, in combat zones, nor with any tribal leaders.  My GMT-Master would never have the history of that first watch.  Or so I thought. Just about a year to the day that my brother and wife arranged to get me that Rolex GMT-Master, fulfilling my plan of being able to pass the watch on to my second son, my brother died unexpectedly. Through my personal grieving, I realized yet another gift my brother gave me.  The GMT-Master does not need to be on my wrist for clandestine work; this second watch is my brother’s legacy, it’s part of our family story now – our lore – that will get told and passed on.  My brother never had his own Rolex, or his own children; he was simply a loving brother, son, friend, uncle and a treasured colleague for those loyal co-workers that sold watches alongside him in Boston.  He was satisfied with being happy for others.  So, every morning that I put on that watch, it’s a treasured reminder of my brother’s selflessness and the precious time he shared with us.    READ NEXT: CIA Analysis Of Foreign Leaders’ Timepieces Colonel Costa is the Executive Director of the International Spy Museum, and a 34-year veteran of the Department of Defense. Previously, he served 25 years in the United States Army working in counterintelligence, human intelligence and with special operations forces (SOF) in Central America, Europe, and throughout the Middle East. He ran a wide range of intelligence and special operations in Panama, Bosnia, the first and second Iraq wars, and Afghanistan. Costa earned two Bronze stars for sensitive human intelligence work in Afghanistan. Later assigned to the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, he served as the first civilian squadron Deputy Director. In 2013, Costa was inducted into the United States Special Operations Commando Hall of Honor for lifetime service to US Special Operations. Most recently, he served as the Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.  

Former CIA Paramilitary Officer Billy Waugh passed away at the age of 93 exactly one week ago; but we don’t mourn his death–instead we celebrate his incredible life of service in the best way we know how–through his timepieces. William “Billy” Waugh is the Forest Gump of CIA and Special Forces with a larger than life personality and an uncanny knack for adventure. At the conclusion of WWII he attempted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps at age 15. His age got in the way, but three years later, in ‘48, he successfully enlisted in the United States Army, launching a career that would become nothing short of legendary in the Special Operations community.  (Photo Credit: James Rupley) In the very year Waugh enlisted, North Korea, along with Israel, became recognized nations. The US-led Berlin Airlift was underway in response to a Soviet blockade, and Czechoslovakia had fallen to communism. By the time Waugh retired in 2005 at age 75 from the CIA, the entire geopolitical landscape had been dramatically reshaped–and Waugh’s half a century of service had played a part in that change. He deployed to the Korean, Vietnam, and Afghanistan wars as well as numerous covert operations throughout the globe. Waugh’s Rolex, Photo Provided by Waugh’s widow through Ric Prado and Tom Marshall. Waugh wore several watches throughout his career, including at least three iconic Rolexes and a Seiko 6309. They were crucial parts of his kit and can be seen on his wrist from pictures in Vietnam, Sudan, Cuba, Afghanistan, and in his retirement as he speaks to the next generation of warriors.  Like many stories here at W.O.E., it’s never strictly about the watches. The watches we cover are simply a token–a memento–that stand in to represent incredible tales of servitude and sacrifice. Billy Waugh’s watches are no different. They represent key moments in a life dedicated to the Special Operations community. The Missing Rolex, Vietnam: In 1954, after serving in Korea, Waugh earned his Green Beret and joined the 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Tölz, in what was West Germany at the time. The same year the Vietnam war kicked off, and Waugh found himself right at the center of the conflict for a number of years. Eventually Waugh joined Special Forces A-team A-321, an “Operational Detachment Alpha” serving with 5th Special Forces Group.  The ODA conducted a night raid on a Viet Cong compound in Bong Son, in Binh Dinh Province. The area was littered with Viet Cong, North Vietnamese and other Communist forces including the Chinese and that left Waugh and his teammates thoroughly outnumbered. A fire fight broke out and the ODA was hit hard. Most of Waugh’s teammates were injured in the fight, including Waugh. He described the situation in his book, Hunting the Jackal. Waugh as a young Special Forces Master Sergeant, 1964 (Photo Crédit: Hunting the Jackal) I took another bullet, this time across the right side of my forehead. I don’t know for sure, but I believe the bullet ricocheted off the bamboo before striking me. It sliced in and out of a two-inch section of my forehead, and it immediately started to bleed like an open faucet. It sounds like the punch line to a bad joke, but you know it’s a bad day when the best thing about it is getting shot in the head. Miraculously Waugh was still alive, but in bad shape.  All that mud had baked on me like a crust. The leeches were everywhere. The bones on my leg were sun-baked. The dried blood on my forehead made it tough to see, but I didn’t need my eyes to understand I was naked. They’d (the North Vietnamese Army) come across that paddy and stripped me of my clothes, my Rolex watch, my gear–everything.  Eventually Waugh's teammates found him and brought him to safety. The road to recovery was long, but for his valiant efforts, he was awarded a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.  While we can’t say for sure, this Rolex was likely a Submariner ref. 5513 or GMT ref. 1675, both popular in the SF community and could then be purchased for “a month's salary.”  Waugh (left) in 1969 wearing what is potentially a replacement Rolex on a fabric strap and compass. (Photo Credit: Unknown) After recovering, Waugh got back in the fight and joined the shadowy Military Assistance Command-Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG). Plenty of his work in this capacity is still classified, but it’s known that he helped train up Cambodian and Vietnamese forces in unconventional warfare tactics that would help disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail supply route and stymy the efforts of the Viet Cong. Additionally, Waugh became highly skilled in High Altitude Low Opening parachute jumps, known as HALO. This insertion platform allowed operators to enter hostile territory virtually undetected. Waugh led the last special reconnaissance mission in ‘71; Waugh and his teammates used the HALO platform to enter a denied territory held by the NVA.  Custom Gem-set Gold Rolex Day-Date: Waugh briefly retired from military service when the Vietnam War wound down and took a job with the United States Postal Service. But Waugh wasn’t meant for the USPS. He had more to give to the world of Special Operations. Before he knew it, he was back in the fold.  In the mid-1970’s Edwin Wilson, formerly CIA, recruited Waugh and a few of his former teammates to train up Libyan special forces. Waugh thought this was a CIA-backed operation, but it turned out Wilson was acting outside an official capacity. Waugh's saving grace is that he was indeed recruited by CIA prior to his transition to Libya for Wilson’s project. The CIA tasked him with photographing and reporting on any interesting activity that he noticed while he was there. The USSR was heavily invested in Libya and was of interest to US security. He photographed and observed the soldiers he was training and various Surface-to-Air missile sites.  Waugh’s Gold Rolex Day-Date with aftermarket diamonds. (Photo Credit: member of W.O.E. Community) It was here that he reportedly purchased a gem-set gold Rolex Day-Date. According to a member of the W.O.E. community, Waugh told students of a recent Special Forces 18A course that he “purchased it in the late seventies in Libya for 13-14k.” But Waugh was well aware of the rise in value of Rolex watches. “Ya better believe that goddamn thing is worth about $25k or more now!” Waugh exclaimed when discussing the watch.  Waugh’s Rolex, Photo Provided by Waugh’s widow through Ric Prado and Tom Marshall. We’ve had pictures of this watch for over a year but didn’t publish them for a simple reason: we surmised the authenticity of the watch may have been questionable.  However, we reached out to several vintage watch experts who said they believe the watch is likely real but modified with aftermarket diamonds on the bezel and dial. This style of modification was relatively common during the period. Rolex even launched its own service creating bespoke pieces for discerning clients in the ‘60s and ‘70s with custom gem-setting.  While we can’t establish a concrete history of the watch, the diamond-set gold Rolex is perfect for an old school SF operator.  Waugh was also famous for wearing an SF pendant on a gold chain and gold rings.  This watch can be seen frequently on his wrist after retirement, the bracelet is stretched and scratched after decades of hard use. (Photo Credit: Nick Stubbs / US Air Force / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) Post Libya: After his Libya stint Waugh was assigned to the Kwajalein Missile Range in the Marshall Islands to survey and report on Soviet maritime activity in the area. In 1991 he returned to Africa, this time to Khartoum, Sudan to survey and track Usama Bin Laden, who was relatively unknown to the public but of interest to the US intelligence. Waugh’s assignment was to survey the activities and patterns of life of Bin Laden. According to a contact that discussed the assignment with Waugh, he would “conduct his surveillance under the guise of going for a jog around the living area of bin Laden and his guards, frequently ‘flipping those bastards the bird or pretending to shoot them by pointing finger guns and imitating pulling the trigger’ while they watched him conduct his run. Waugh mentioned pushing up the request to kill bin Laden as it didn’t make sense to him to burn more time watching him. That request was denied and he wrapped up his surveillance shortly thereafter.”  Waugh in Cairo, Egypt late 1990s (Photo Credit: Waugh) The subject of much of Waugh’s book, Hunting the Jackal, is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as “Carlos the Jackal.” Waugh was assigned to track him down after Sanchez had evaded a number of intelligence agencies around the world after committing murder in a number of countries and playing a role in terror attacks. Waugh set up a surveillance site, tracked and photographed The Jackal for some time before turning over the intelligence to the French, who conducted the capture mission.  Rolex 1675 “Pepsi” GMT-Master: Rolex GMT on Waugh’s wrist in retirement. (Photo Credit, Recoil Magazine and Tom Marshall) We have previously said that a GMT-Master is the perfect watch for a CIA Case Officer, and this is especially true for an old school operator like Billy Waugh.  This reference is likely from the 1970s around the time Waugh would have been recruited by the CIA.  Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm the details of when he acquired the watch and if it was worn operationally in any capacity, though given Waugh’s life, it is reasonable to assume this is the case. Waugh has been photographed wearing the watch, including during a recent interview with Recoil Magazine. Rolex GMT on Waugh’s wrist in retirement. (Photo Credit, Recoil Magazine and Tom Marshall) September 11th, 2001: After the September 11 attacks, Waugh, then 71, deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the CIA’s Northern Alliance Liaison Team –codenamed JAWBREAKER.  The Rolex was left at home and Waugh can be seen wearing a digital Suunto watch, similar to that worn by CIA team leader J.R. Seeger, as documented in “Digital Watches Of Espionage.”  As previously discussed, the digital tool-watch was a far more effective tool for the modern day fighter, even a SOG veteran like Waugh.   Despite his age, Waugh was well suited for the initial mission into Afghanistan, given his time tracking Usama bin Laden in Sudan in the ‘90s and his decades of combat and intelligence experience.  He would celebrate his 72nd birthday in Afghanistan. Gardez, Afghanistan January 2002, wearing a Suunto (Photo Credit: Hunting the Jackal, Waugh) In total, Waugh would be awarded one Silver Star, four Bronze Stars for Valor, four Commendation Ribbons for Valor, fourteen Air Medals for Valor, two Combat Infantryman badges and eight Purple Hearts.  We can also assume Waugh was awarded numerous classified commendations from CIA. As previously discussed, this reflection is less about Waugh’s watches and more about the man who wore them.  Billy Waugh served the nation with the most difficult assignments for both the US Army Special Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency.  This is our way to memorialize that service and honor his sacrifice. Fair Winds and Following Seas Waugh sky diving in Cuba wearing a Seiko 6309 at an astonishing 89 years old. (Photo Credit: Annie Jacobson)  For additional information, read Waugh’s “Hunting the Jackal” and watch the interview with Waugh by Recoil Magazine.  Thank you for Tom Marshall and an unnamed member of the W.O.E. community for providing pictures and additional background on the pieces. Read Next: Vietnam MACV-SOG Seikos: Setting The Record Straight   

Over the past decade, just about every detail of Operation Neptune Spear, the Navy SEAL raid that brought Usama bin Laden to justice, has been recounted. The service members involved, the elusive stealth Black Hawk helicopters, the quad NODs, have all become objects of intrigue and some have risen to iconic status. But one detail we all missed is the Rolex Submariner on the wrist of one of the operators. This detail surprised us here at W.O.E.  Why was it worn on this raid? Was it for Escape and Evasion- a potential bartering tool?  Was it chosen for its robustness as a mechanical timepiece, mitigating the risk of battery failure? The answer is actually simple–but far more profound.  The SEAL wearing the Sub, Will Chesney, believed he was going to die that night in Pakistan. Chesney reasoned that he might as well take his most meaningful watch with him for his final ride. He bluntly told W.O.E. that, “the watch would burn up with me.”  Like many of the warriors on the helicopters that morning, Chesney thought they would either be shot down by the Pakistani air defense or blown up once inside bin Laden’s compound.  He was acutely aware of the latter, as it was in part his job to mitigate that specific risk. Cairo and Chesney training at the command in Virginia Beach (Photo Credit: Chesney) Operation Neptune Spear, Abbottabad, Pakistan:  In the wee hours on May 2nd, 2011 Chesney rushed out of the helicopter just outside bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Locating bin Laden took almost ten years; ever since 2001 the US had been trying to track down his whereabouts. Finally, the time had come to strike. Chesney had two things he cherished with him: the Submariner on his wrist, but more importantly, one of the most important members of the team: a 70 lb Belgian Malinois named Cairo.  Chesney humbly described his job as “babysitting” the highly trained combat assault dog, but the task was crucial.  The duo screened the perimeter of the compound for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) before moving inside with the team to sweep the compound for explosives or hidden rooms.  Like the men on the mission, Cairo was a seasoned operator with multiple combat deployments. In fact, the dog was shot twice during an operation in Afghanistan less than two years prior. Media would quickly report on the presence of Cairo, including sensational claims that the dog had titanium teeth, one of the many inconsistencies that would lead Chesney to write a book, No Ordinary Dog, in an effort to document the history and honor the legacy of his best friend. Red Squadron “Red Man” patch on Cairo’s vest, the same emblem engraved by the SEAL armorers on the Rolex Submariner's caseback.   The Rolex Submariner: Like Cairo, the Submariner was no ordinary Rolex. It was a late 2000s no-date reference 14060, the last classic Submariner with the traditional aluminum bezel insert and drilled lugs.  During a 2009 visit to the Command’s armorer, Chesney laser engraved the caseback with the “Red Man'' insignia of the famed Red Squadron, the same patch on Cairo’s harness. Chesney acquired the Rolex as a present to himself when he passed screening for Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) in 2008.  Chesney was aware of the history between Rolex and the SEAL Teams, but was ultimately drawn to the brand for what Rolex represented; it was a reliable and “cool” piece.  Chesney grew up in a trailer park in Southeast Texas where, like most places around the world, Rolex stood out as a particular luxury. The Rolex Submariner reference 14060, Chesney’s Trident and a metal tin containing the ashes of Cairo. (Photo Credit: Chesney) Rolex- The Symbol of Achievement: For decades, men have memorialized professional accomplishments with the purchase of a Rolex, be it a promotion, the closing of a big deal, or retirement. Chesney was no different. Only this “professional accomplishment” that Chesney achieved in 2008 was passing “selection” and being accepted into SEAL Team Six. Chesney was one of the youngest SEALs to make it through the 50-60% attrition rate. The “Training Team” screens for the “best of the best” SEALs and like the others trying out for the Command, Chesney had multiple prior combat deployments with SEAL Team 4. Chesney and Cairo on a helicopter in Afghanistan. (Photo Credit: Chesney) After Chesney completed the selection, he visited a Rolex Authorized Dealer in Virginia Beach and quickly settled on the no-date Submariner, purchasing it new and walking out with it that same day.  In contrast to those we have previously profiled, the Submariner was not a daily wear and with the exception of the bin Laden raid, he did not wear it operationally.  Chesney reserved the timepiece for special occasions, which included traveling to and from every deployment.  He would wear it on the plane, but once he arrived in Afghanistan, he would replace the Submariner with a digital Suunto or Garmin, a far more practical tool for a 21st century assaulter.  When it was time to go home, the Rolex would come out of his bag and back on his wrist.  It was a ritual and a reminder of his accomplishments. Chesney with Cairo after being shot in Afghanistan during the search for Bowe Bergdahl in June 2009.  (Photo Credit: Chesney) Captain Phillips Rescue, Indian Ocean: Reflecting on his career and the role the watch played, Chesney said he had two regrets.  He wished he had purchased a date Submariner, as this would have been more practical, and he wished he had worn the watch on the rescue of Captain Phillips, another historic hostage rescue operation of the famed squadron.  At the time, the clasp was loose and Chesney was concerned that if he had jumped out of the plane, the watch could have come off and fallen into the Indian Ocean.  As a practical man, he reflected that he easily could and should have taped the watch to his wrist. Abbottabad Compound, Pakistan (Photo Credit: AP) Usama bin Laden: Prior to leaving for Afghanistan to take part in Operation Neptune Spear, Chesney made the conscious decision to wear the Rolex for this historic mission.  He knew the polished steel watch wasn’t “tactical,” but he didn’t care. He was going to die anyway, he reasoned.  Like the other members of the team, he extended his life insurance policy to prepare for this eventuality.  During a recent conversation, Chesney reflected, “I thought it would be fitting to wear the watch on that operation since it was my gift to myself for making it there, and I figured we wouldn’t be making it back so I might as well die with it on.” Chesney briefly considered that the watch could be used as a bartering tool if he was stuck across the border in Pakistan, but was quick to say that he would never give the watch up, implying that he would die fighting. The role the watch played was more symbolic than practical. Rolex and Navy SEALs: The symbolism of the Rolex Submariner on one of the most historic Special Operations missions is profound.  Watch culture is strong in the Naval Special Warfare community and Chesney’s Navy SEAL predecessors wore similar watches– both Rolex and Tudor Submariners as they operated in Vietnam 40 years prior.  The founder of SEAL Team Six, Dick Marcinko, wore a no-date Tudor Submariner, not dissimilar to the Rolex worn by Chesney that night.  Many SEALs commemorated their graduation from BUD/S or other operational accomplishments with a Rolex Sub. Rolex and SEAL Trident next to Cairo’s ashes. (Photo Credit: Chesney) Fortunately, Chesney’s ill-fated premonition did not become reality.  Chesney and the team successfully brought the world's most wanted man to justice and returned safely to Bagram Airbase.  Days later, Chesney would wear the Submariner to meet President Obama and Vice President Biden, both of whom were insistent they get a picture with Cairo, the only member of the Team whose name had been released at the time. Chesney and Cairo meeting President Obama and Vice President Biden after Operation Neptune Spear. (Photo Credit: Chesney) But for Chesney, the fight was far from over.  Chesney would redeploy and ultimately earn a Purple Heart from a 2013 grenade attack in Afghanistan. Chesney details his personal struggle with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress, and credits his relationship with Cairo as a key tool in supporting his recovery.  After Cairo was retired, the Navy allowed Chesney to adopt him.  Cairo passed away after a battle with cancer in 2015, and Chesney was by his side. Today, the Submariner is still reserved for special occasions.  The watch is in need of service, but Chesney is concerned that the Red Man insignia will be removed from the caseback. Chesney would like to potentially add to the caseback, subtly honoring friends lost during the past two decades of conflict.  The piece itself will remain an heirloom: the watch will be passed down to future generations as a way to continue to honor what his team –and Cairo– accomplished that night in Abbottabad.   Rolex and SEAL Trident next to Cairo’s ashes. (Photo Credit: Chesney) Chesney’s book, No Ordinary Dog, is a powerful read that explores the genuine emotional bond between a warrior and his military working dog. As Chesney summarizes, “Cairo was my dog. And I was his dad. I don’t use that term euphemistically. The relationship between a handler and a canine SEAL is profound and intimate. It goes well beyond friendship and the usual ties that bind man to dog.”  The book also explores both Chesney’s and Cairo’s difficulties transitioning from years of sustained combat. In addition to the book, Chesney supports several nonprofits for both veterans and Military Working Dogs, and he specifically highlighted Warrior Health Foundation, Spike’s K-9 Fund as a particularly impactful organization. -- 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

Prince Harry has worn at least four watches with strong military ties: a Pulsar G10, Rolex Explorer II, custom Breitling Aerospace Avantage, and even a Casio G-Shock.

by Cole Pennington A watch is just a watch–until we add meaning to it. Open up the Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, turn to the section on American warbirds and you’ll notice one plane is broken out under the heading “The P-51 Mustang: Perhaps the greatest fighter of them all”. The use of a superlative is a tricky claim to make when the pages are filled with the Mustang’s capable contemporaries like the Supermarine Spitfire, the Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero, and the P-47 Thunderbolt. But if you grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, you knew that this book was the authority on military aircraft. If Rand McNally said it was the greatest fighter of them all, then it was. That one encyclopedia entry set the stage for a lifelong admiration of the P-51D. The plane came to represent more than just an exceptional piece of engineering; instead it became a symbol for the unbreakable American spirit and strength in the face of adversity. My fascination was bolstered by watching movies like Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line and seeing the Mustang come through when it’s needed most. We often project these ideological values onto physical objects, I’m certainly guilty of it. In fact, the last thing James Kindelberger and Edgar Schmued were thinking about when they brought the Mustang to life was greatness. The plane was an answer to a proposal made by the British Purchasing Commission. It was a pragmatic solution to answer the growing needs of wartime. Like most mechanical objects I’ve grown to admire, it was born out of a need to get something done. It’s less art, and more tool. Ahead of a big move to another continent, my girlfriend arranged a flight on the legendary warbird to punctuate our time in America as we prepared to move to Europe. After all these years, I finally got to experience another dimension of the Mustang: the aerial capabilities that established its dominance during WWII. Suddenly it wasn’t all ethereal and philosophical. Six G’s makes you forget about all that stuff and focus on just keeping your head on straight. Man O'War, the P-51D I flew on, was first shipped to England during WWII but didn’t see any combat time. Later it found a home with the New Jersey National Guard. Today it rips through the skies of Palm Springs, CA, inspiring both those in the back seat and on the ground. Adding an emotional layer to an inanimate physical object isn’t just something that happens with planes, of course. On a much smaller scale, it happens with watches, too. For the Mustang ride, there was only one watch that made sense to wear, and it wasn’t a pairing I came up with. The legendary pilot Chuck Yeager started working with Rolex in 1946, but it was in the ‘80s that an advertisement featuring Yeager in front of a P-51D Mustang, wearing a GMT-Master II on his wrist was first published. That day, flying in the Mustang with my GMT-Master II on my own wrist, I finally figured out why both the Mustang and the Rolex had become ideological symbols of something much bigger and more powerful than the actual tools they are. There’s nothing greater than being inspired and reminded of what we’re capable of. We need heroes and legends to do that. Stories of this nature are the oldest form of currency. And sometimes it takes a watch or a plane to serve as a reminder of how much human ingenuity and perseverance we have within us. That’s what it’s really about.