Newest Articles
Spec Ops
![A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey Into The Watch World](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_92.png?v=1715704564)
A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey Into The Watch World
From The Mountains Of Afghanistan To Watches & Wonders In Geneva I pulled out my map and grease pencil, and said, “Tell me where you...
Read MoreFrom 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
Read More![Diving With The Marathon Search and Rescue](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_129.png?v=1715697887)
Diving With The Marathon Search and Rescue
Putting One Of The Last Real Military Dive Watches To The Test In the watch world, clout is king. For brands without centuries of history...
Read MorePutting One Of The Last Real Military Dive Watches To The Test In the watch world, clout is king. For brands without centuries of history to lean on, sales and marketing professionals are left in a mad scramble for authenticity and heritage, searching for a story that makes their watches more than the sum of their parts. These efforts become particularly transparent when those outside our community attempt to influence those within, claiming their mechanical luxury watches are the preferred option for divers, SpecOps, or intelligence professionals. The Marathon SAR was unveiled in 2001. (Photo Credit: Worn and Wound) In reality, Digital Tool Watches (D.T.W.) are most often the instrument of choice, but there is at least one analog tool watch still issued to the US Military in 2024: Marathon Watch. This isn’t the first time we’ve covered Marathon, a supplier to the US and Canadian governments since the Second World War. However, in this Dispatch, we’ll concentrate on the Search and Rescue (SAR) collection in particular, sharing its bizarre history and modern military associations before testing the watches on a dive on the California coast. It’s also a family of watches with which I have a significant history, having used both the quartz and automatic variants while serving the US Coast Guard and as a commercial diver. Beyond the utility, the Marathon SAR also has one of the more unusual origin stories in modern watchmaking. Watch Nerds Designing A Military Tool Watch For Operators RCAF SAR Techs made the initial request that led to the Marathon SAR Collection. (Photo Credit: Canadian Armed Forces) In 2000, Marathon Watch was approached by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) with a request for a purpose-built dive watch capable of handling the wide range of environments encountered by Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Search and Rescue Technicians or SAR Techs. Trained in “...Arctic rescue, parachuting, diving, mountain climbing, and helicopter rescue”, the elite community of around 150 SAR Techs had a few specific requests including luminescent indices for legibility in all conditions, an automatic caliber, ample water resistance, and a bezel that could be easily operated with all manner of gloves. In designing the watch, Marathon did something all but unheard of, looking to members of the watch enthusiast community for guidance. Marathon first tapped one of its military suppliers who then got in touch with the founder of the Military Watch Resource (MWR), a niche online forum dedicated to military horology. With the help of a talented machinist, the first SAR watches came together, with input being gathered at each stage of the design process from members of the MWR forum who also coined the SAR name. The original Marathon SAR of 2001 utilized printed luminescent indices while being inspired by several great historical dive watches. (Photo Credit: Worn & Wound) With a 39mm case silhouette generally inspired by the Rolex Submariner, a dial format resembling the Benrus Type I, a distinctive knurled crown, and an overhanging 41mm bezel reminiscent of a rare East German military diver’s watch from a brand called Ruhla, Marathon delivered the first orders of its new SAR watch in late 2001. Initially, the Marathon SAR was only available through official supply channels and in limited numbers, with a few select enthusiasts getting their hands on rare contract overrun pieces. Issued not only to SAR Techs but also Clearance Divers and other amphibious members of the Canadian Forces since 2001, an important design change to a tritium gas tube illuminated dial around 2005 answered a specific request from the US Military. While they are not widely issued, the GSAR or Government Search and Rescue as it is now known, and its quartz equivalent the TSAR or Tritium Search and Rescue, can both be ordered by military procurement specialists in the United States through the GSA catalog — a sort of military and government Amazon — using unit-allocated funds. USAF Pararescuemen wearing the Marathon GSAR while conducting dive training in 2019. (Photo Credit: DVIDS) Issued Marathon watches are not ubiquitous by any means, but it does happen. According to Marathon’s Government Contracting Officer, US Navy EOD, US Air Force Pararescue, and US Army Special Forces have all recently placed orders for watches from the SAR family. Our previous look at Marathon detailed several additional issued examples of the GSAR and TSAR. I distinctly remember seeing issued Marathon watches on the wrists of USCG Divers and select Aviators in my Coast Guard days. Over the years, Marathon has adjusted its approach to include a broader offering of watches intended for the civilian market while still doing the vast majority of its business for government contracts. Diving With The Modern Marathon SAR Collection (Photo Credit: Worn & Wound) The SAR collection has grown by leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings in the early 2000s. There are three case sizes (36mm, 41mm, and 46mm), quartz and automatic options, an automatic chronograph, and several dial colors and configurations. Marathon has leaned into the rise of watch enthusiasm but without losing the core direction. To obtain feedback from end-users and get closer to the enthusiast community, Marathon invited a few interesting individuals from the military and diving communities for a dive preceding Windup San Francisco, an enthusiast-oriented event. In 55-degree water, you wear as much rubber as you can. (Photo Credit: Worn & Wound) Preparing for a shore dive in water around 55°F/13°C, most of us donned thick 7mm wetsuits with a few ziploc bag enthusiasts opting for drysuits. Once suited up, we had our pick from a slew of Marathon SAR watches including the white Arctic dial GSAR, a JDD or Jumbo Day/Date, and an Anthracite GSAR. I used an original SAR from the printed MaraGlo dial days. Discontinued in 2006, the OG Marathon SAR is, according to a source within the company, poised for a triumphant return later this year bolstered by some subtle updates. A few of us needed to swap over to nylon straps to get our watches over our variety of thick exposure suits, but we were soon ready to go. Petty Officer Second Class (ND2) Brock Stevens with a Marathon Arctic GSAR. (Photo Credit: Worn & Wound) My buddy for the dive was Navy Diver Second Class (ND2) Brock Stevens, a veteran of over four years of ships husbandry on carriers and nuclear submarines in Norfolk, Virginia. Typically diving with a Kirby Morgan helmet as opposed to open circuit scuba, Brock is a guy with well over a thousand dives and is at home in the water. After the walk from the parking lot to the beach with all of our gear, we put on our fins and waded into deeper water. California diving can be hit-and-miss. In Monterey, being cold is all but assured, but the visibility varies wildly from as much as fifty feet or more on the best days to the three to five feet we had for our dive. That said, as you’d expect, everyone’s Marathon watch worked as intended, each of us timing the dive with our rotating bezels which remained legible even in murkier conditions. I had a diving computer on my other wrist, but given our max depth of around 40 feet, we would run out of gas long before any decompression-related concerns, and I could have easily left it on the beach. The visibility left something to be desired. (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens) After descending, we finned along a submerged outfall pipe covered in growth with the odd clump of kelp running lazily from the sea bed to the surface. Given the visibility, I kept Brock just within the limits of my range of vision. Reaching the end of the pipe, we set out for a field of metridiums, an out-of-this-world underwater forest of what looked like giant cauliflower stalks, then returned to the pipe for a leisurely swim back toward the shore. A dive like this goes nowhere near the limits of these watches, which are designed for and capable of much harder use. Brock has been using his Marathon while working on submarines, and it seems to be holding up. Still, it’s nice to see a brand invite a bunch of actual divers to experience their tools in their element. Given the SAR collections’s history, we know Marathon is no stranger to taking feedback from the enthusiast community, with a slew of recent releases to support the trend. When we met with the brand after the dive, they seemed genuinely interested in our feedback, which is seldom the case with watch brands. Brock Stevens wearing his Marathon GSAR while working as a US Navy Diver. (Photo Credit: Brock Stevens) My positive experiences with the watches aside, I would argue the modern GSAR isn’t for everyone. It’s not refined or elegant, it's a tool. Given the tall bezel, it fits poorly under shirt cuffs. But the GSAR isn’t about that. It’s a watch that was designed as a tool. While it’s true most people don’t use dive watches as the tools they once were, some still do. The entire concept of being “mil-spec” or military issue adds credibility to any piece of equipment and in the arena of dive watches in particular, Marathon’s legitimacy as a diving tool is well deserved. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. About The Author: Benjamin Lowry is a US Coast Guard veteran and commercial diver turned watch writer. Now a full-time member of the W.O.E. Team, Ben splits his time between writing and product development at W.O.E. and managing Submersible Wrist, a watch spotting account dedicated to military and commercial divers as well as the life aquatic. Thanks again to Brock Stevens for providing several of the images in this Dispatch. To learn more about Brock, check out @deepsea.edc on Instagram. READ NEXT: Watches and Commercial Espionage: Waltham Watch Company
Read More![US Army PSYOP: Christopher Ward “Unit Watch” in Recruiting Video](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_85.png?v=1715026882)
US Army PSYOP: Christopher Ward “Unit Watch” in Recruiting Video
Last week, the US Army’s 4th Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Group released Ghosts In The Machine 2, the second installment in a series of highly stylized...
Read MoreLast week, the US Army’s 4th Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Group released Ghosts In The Machine 2, the second installment in a series of highly stylized recruiting videos supporting one of the Army’s more unusual units.
Read More![From NASA To SpaceX - The Watches Of SpecOps Astronaut Recovery Teams](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_56.png?v=1713465387)
From NASA To SpaceX - The Watches Of SpecOps Astronaut Recovery Teams
The Historic Link Between The US Space Program, Special Operations Forces, & Timepieces In 2020, some 45 years had passed since a crewed US spacecraft...
Read MoreThe Historic Link Between The US Space Program, Special Operations Forces, & Timepieces In 2020, some 45 years had passed since a crewed US spacecraft splashed down at sea. On 2 August, NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken experienced no less than four g’s as they hurtled toward the Earth in Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour. The mission, Crew Demo-2, marked historic firsts including the first crewed commercial space flight as well as the first two-person orbital space flight launched from the United States since STS-4 in 1982. Slowed by four massive parachutes, Demo-2’s Endeavour capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 2:48 pm. But what then? SpaceX’s Crew Demo-2, the first crewed private space flight, is towed to a support vessel after recovery at sea in 2020. (Photo Credit: NASA) The model of launch, flight, reentry, splashdown in the ocean, and recovery, was established during the earliest days of manned space flight. Considerably safer than returning to earth on land, NASA has traditionally favored a waterborne splashdown for its manned space flights, including the storied Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions as well as more recent efforts including Artemis. However, things can and have gone wrong. Assuming the capsule meets the sea as intended, it can still sink or capsize, presenting a perilous situation for any astronauts inside. One area of space travel that goes mostly unexplored by enthusiast media is the long-standing relationship between select SpecOps units and the Space Program. Starting with US Navy Underwater Demolition Teams and Air Force Pararescue Teams in the 1960s and carrying on through modern SpaceX, Boeing, and Artemis missions, the challenging tasks of astronaut recovery and/or rescue continue to be quietly carried out with the help of specialized units from the US Department of Defense. Given the timing, early astronaut recovery teams wore some of history’s most iconic tool watches with names like the Submariner and Sea Wolf on the dial. Today, a select few still choose to wear mechanical watches for the challenging task of plucking spacemen from the ocean. Former US Air Force Pararescuemen (PJ) RJ Casey trains with NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, USMC, and the SpaceX Astronaut Rescue and Recovery Team. (Photo Credit: NASA Astronaut Anil Menon) To understand how SOF supports astronaut recovery today, we spoke with RJ Casey, who contracts as an astronaut rescue and recovery team leader at SpaceX. RJ’s history, which is deserving of a separate Dispatch, starts in Special Forces (SF) where he served as an SF Medical Sergeant and Detachment Officer (18D and 18A, respectively) assigned to 2/19th SFG in the West Virginia Army National Guard. A qualified Combat Diver, RJ picked up a Rolex Submariner in the early 2000s that he still wears today. A legendary watch in special operations, the Submariner serves as a nod to Special Forces units of the past, other more shadowy government agencies, and especially their maritime communities. RJ later joined the US Air Force’s Pararescue community where he currently serves as a reserve Combat Rescue Officer when he isn’t training and recovering astronauts at his civilian job. Today, RJ primarily wears his Bremont S502 Jet, a watch from the brand’s Military and Special Projects Division that he has used for all of his astronaut operations and training evolutions to date. RJ Casey assists NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann, USMC, and Crew-5 Commander, out of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, pictured with his Bremont S502 Jet military project watch. (Photo Credit: NASA) While space flight has come a long way, having elite rescue specialists like RJ nearby is still a requirement for manned space missions today. SpaceX and NASA’s modern capsule recovery efforts have gone largely without incident, but the involvement of units from the US Navy and Air Force as an additional layer of contingency for these missions is, like so many other lessons in space exploration, the result of a near miss that almost cost the United States the life of an astronaut. How A Near Miss Galvanized A Historic Relationship In 1961, Mercury-Redstone 4 was NASA’s second manned space flight, lasting only fifteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Astronaut Gus Grissom, a legendary member of the original Mercury Seven, would have been forgiven for thinking the hard work was behind him. After a successful trip into sub-orbit, the second American in space descended towards the Earth. Liberty Bell 7’s parachutes deployed as intended, and the capsule splashed down approximately 300 miles from its launch location in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Job done. Or so it seemed. Astronaut Gus Grissom, the second American in space. (Photo Credit: National Air And Space Museum) As Marine helicopters from the awaiting USS Randolph approached, Liberty Bell 7’s explosive hatch blew off of the capsule, almost immediately filling the spacecraft with water. A veteran of 100 combat missions in Korea, Grissom acted quickly, leaping from the open hatch to escape the sinking capsule but forgetting to close a valve on his space suit. Mistakenly thinking the astronaut was relatively safe, the crew of the primary recovery helicopter turned its attention to the rapidly sinking spacecraft. Grissom, whose suit was quickly flooded, waved and shouted as he struggled to keep his head above water. At the time, NASA procedures did not call for someone in a boat or in the water to assist with the astronaut’s egress from the capsule. Unfortunate for NASA, but lucky for Grissom, Liberty Bell 7 could not be saved. As the primary recovery helicopter battled with the weight of the sunken capsule, ultimately electing to cut it loose to the depths, the secondary helicopter swooped in to recover one very tired astronaut. One mechanical misstep and NASA very nearly lost its second man in space. After his harrowing ordeal, Grissom is lifted to safety by a Marine helicopter. (Photo Credit: National Air And Space Museum) NASA & The Frogmen Of The Underwater Demolition Teams While NASA already had ties to DOD for assistance in astronaut recovery or rescue, Grissom’s near miss illustrated the necessity of having trained personnel in the water at the splashdown location in the event of a similar mishap. Lacking such personnel, NASA looked to the US Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams, composed of “frogmen” with extensive experience in challenging open ocean conditions. Tracing their origins to nascent maritime special operations units established during World War II, the UDTs received specialized training in diving, ordnance disposal, beach clearance, and hydrographic reconnaissance, serving as the predecessor to the SEAL Teams which were established in 1962. A Navy frogman leaps from a recovery helicopter into the water to assist in the Gemini-12 recovery operations in 1966. (Photo Credit: NASA) From Mercury 6 onwards, recovery teams composed of specially selected members of various UDTs around the country were required on location to assist with astronaut and capsule recovery operations from the water. Along with a wide variety of specialized equipment more directly related to the mission, the frogmen used the iconic tool dive watches of the day including the Rolex and Tudor Submariner, Zodiac Sea Wolf, and others. Rather than timing dives, the operators utilized these now legendary watches to remain synchronized with the broader multi-agency recovery operation. Members of UDT 13 served as the recovery team for Apollo 12. The Tudor Submariner and Zodiac Sea Wolf can be seen on some of the frogmen. (Photo Credit: Navy Helicopter Association Historical Society) In the majority of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo flights, the mission of the UDT recovery teams was relatively straightforward and carefully outlined in this incredible NASA training film from the Mercury Program. After jumping into the sea from a recovery helicopter, the UDT men were tasked with making contact with the capsule before unfolding and deploying an inflatable auxiliary flotation collar intended to keep the capsule upright and high enough in the water. If the astronaut or astronauts inside elected to leave the capsule before being lifted and transferred to an awaiting support ship, typically an aircraft carrier, the UDT swimmers assisted with the exit and transfer into the helicopter’s personnel recovery sling or basket. Once the inhabitants were safe, the frogmen were then charged with assisting the helicopter in lifting the capsule and any other equipment onto the deck of the nearby carrier. Frogmen stand on the auxiliary flotation collar during recovery operations for Apollo 15 (Photo Credit: NASA) For the UDT men of the era, working with NASA to recover astronauts was, besides being extremely cool, relatively light work compared to their regular and often deadly deployments to the Vietnam War. A rarity for those within the world of SpecOps, many of the exploits of the UDT recovery teams were also broadcast live on radio and television, meaning hundreds of millions of people witnessed the typically unseen UDT’s hard work assisting in astronaut recovery, bolstering the legend that has, for better or worse, made today’s SEALs a pop culture phenomenon. Alan Buehler, a member of UDT 11, assisted with the recovery of Apollo 15 & 17. On his wrist, an OMEGA Geneve Chronostop. (Photo Credit: Alan Buehler) Getting back to watches, there are documented exceptions including the aforementioned Sea Wolf from Zodiac and the intriguing use of an OMEGA Geneve Chronostop, but in the majority of archival films and photography from these missions, UDT men are seen wearing Tudor Submariners (Reference 7928) the issue watch for Navy divers and SpecOps at the time. WOE’s personal Tudor Submariner 7928, one of history’s most legendary military dive watches. (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Eventually earning its own NSN or NATO Stock Number in 1978 (6645-01-068-1088), the Tudor Submariner saw extensive and well-documented service in Vietnam, during astronaut recovery and rescue operations, and even with other specialized units outside of the US Navy. It appears the phenomenon of Tudors of Espionage (T.O.E.) is nothing new. Bob Coggin of UDT 12 leans against the Apollo 8 Capsule with a Tudor Submariner Ref. 7928 on the wrist. (Photo Credit: NASA) US Air Force PJs & Astronaut Recovery NASA augmented its UDT recovery force with US Air Force Pararescuemen or PJs, combat search and rescue specialists who became legendary for their efforts in saving downed pilots in Vietnam. In addition to emergency medicine, technical rescue, parachuting, mountaineering, small unit tactics, and more, PJs were also trained in diving and ocean swimming, making them another excellent option for spacecraft recovery. In essence, the UDT was the recovery team in the event everything went as planned where the PJs served as the global rescue element in case of an emergency that caused a space flight to land somewhere other than on the X. US Air Force Pararescuemen before and after recovering Gemini VIII. In both images, the PJ on the right is wearing a USAF-issued Tudor Submariner 7928. (Photo Credit: NASA) And that is exactly what happened in 1966 when Gemini VIII entered a potentially deadly spiral in Earth’s orbit. Astronauts David Scott and some guy named Neil Armstrong managed to correct the spin, but the unplanned fuel expenditure meant the mission had to be scrapped. Given the spontaneous nature of the recovery and unplanned splashdown location, the job went to three on-duty US Air Force Pararescuemen out of Okinawa: Larry Huyett, Eldridge Neal, and Glenn Moore. In photos taken both before and after the operation, one of the PJs is seen wearing yet another Tudor Submariner Ref. 7928, a watch that was also commonly issued to PJs during the era. LTJG David R. Kohler of the Apollo-Soyuz Recovery Team with a Tudor Submariner on the wrist. (Photo Credit: Navy SEAL Museum) Jumping ahead, UDT Frogmen were in the water for the recovery of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Flight in 1975, the first manned space flight carried out jointly between the United States and the Soviet Union. Soon after, the United States shifted its focus to the Space Shuttle Program. For the first time, a spacecraft could re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, fly to its destination, and land like a traditional aircraft, obviating the need for water landings and recovery teams from the SpecOps community, at least for the next few decades. Commercial Space Travel Pararescuemen assigned to the 38th Rescue Squadron conduct water jumps in support of astronaut rescue operations for SpaceX in 2021. (Photo Credit: US Air Force) The rise of privatized commercial space travel has changed the picture for DOD’s involvement in astronaut recovery and rescue operations. For private space flights, the companies themselves are responsible for their recovery operations. For anything NASA-related and/or taxpayer-funded including the upcoming Artemis missions, the US Navy again serves as the primary recovery force, typically utilizing a blend of Navy Divers, SAR medics, and EOD Technicians. For anything requiring rescue, again more so in the event of an emergency, US Air Force Pararescue Teams also receive specialized training for capsule operations and are strategically located around the globe. Members of the 308th Rescue Squadron (RQS) “Guardian Angels” train with the Department of Defense's Human Space Flight Support Office, the only full-time organization that coordinates and trains personnel to support human spaceflight contingencies. (Photo Credit: US Air Force) Just as space flight has advanced technologically in leaps and bounds, watches have also progressed, much to the chagrin of die-hard mechanical timekeeping enthusiasts. Feature-rich digital watches from brands like G-Shock and Garmin now account for the majority of wrists in these specialized military communities. That said, there are plenty of watch enthusiasts in the military, the intelligence community, among astronauts, and even within the Pararescue community associated with SpaceX as we saw with RJ Casey. RJ Casey, pictured with his Rolex Submariner, and Louie Haus diving with the 308 RQS. (Photo Credit: PJ Ricky Dunn) While it’s difficult to compare the Space Program of the 1960s to today, the importance of safeguarding those who have recently returned to Earth remains all but unchanged. Highly skilled amphibious operators still stand at the ready to jump into the sea to assist astronauts in peril. Despite being overshadowed by sexier aspects of space travel that tend to garner the limelight, these complex, multifaceted recovery operations are a key component of what has made and continues to make space exploration possible. When men or women go into the sea to recover astronauts, whether it’s a Tudor Submariner or Zodiac Sea Wolf of old or a modern G-Shock, Garmin, or Bremont, the importance of a precision watch remains a critical instrument for human space flight rescue and recovery teams. -- If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: An Exploration of “Unit Watches” from the Special Operations Community: Tudor To learn more about RJ Casey, check out his Instagram. About The Author: Benjamin Lowry is a US Coast Guard veteran and commercial diver turned watch writer. Now a full-time member of the W.O.E. Team, Ben splits his time between writing and product development at W.O.E. and managing @SubmersibleWrist, a watch spotting account dedicated to military and commercial divers as well as the life aquatic.
Read More![Dear Panerai, Stop Putting the Navy SEAL Trident On Watches](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Navy_Seal_Panerai.jpg?v=1710781819)
Dear Panerai, Stop Putting the Navy SEAL Trident On Watches
An Open Letter to Panerai, From Watches of Espionage In 2022, Panerai released the limited-edition “Navy SEALs collection” available intended for purchase by the public,...
Read MoreAn Open Letter to Panerai, From Watches of Espionage In 2022, Panerai released the limited-edition “Navy SEALs collection” available intended for purchase by the public, and not exclusively Navy SEALs. The watches are operator-chic , complete with a Navy SEAL Trident on the dial or caseback and a “Time to Target countdown” feature. The prices range from $10,000 - $60,000, the high-end models including an invitation to a multi-day Special Operations experience (Xperience) which, according to one journalist, means the “buyer of the watch joins retired Navy SEALs on an immersive adventure that will include a rigorous training and rescue mission.” (Photo Credit: Panerai) The releases continued through 2023 and into 2024, with the latest Xperience occurring last week in Florida. As an influential voice in the NatSec watch community, we feel compelled to comment on the matter. To be clear, our intentions are pure. We’re apolitical and see watches as a vessel to look at the larger world of NatSec, Military, and Intelligence. We want Panerai and all watch brands to succeed and provide a service to our community and the broader public. But we think Panerai needs a course correction when it pertains to this watch and this “Xperience.” -- Dear Panerai, I first learned of Officine Panerai in the 2010s, sitting in a third world capital having drinks with a SEAL colleague. My friend explained that Panerai had a strong following in Naval Special Warfare (NSW) due to the brand's lineage that can be traced to the Italian Frogmen of WWII. Like many others, he bought his first Panerai to commemorate a deployment and the Luminor Marina was a nod to those who came before him. In our community, history is everything. Tradition matters. I was immediately intrigued. The signature case shape appealed to my alpha-driven tastes and the history of the brand appealed to me. Over the next year, I visited boutiques in London, Istanbul, and Johannesburg to try on some Panerais before ultimately making a purchase: a tobacco dial titanium Luminor Marina 8 Days PAM 00564. I wore it throughout the next overseas tour as a CIA case officer, including during the chaotic events of a coup d'etat. While my taste in watches has shifted over time, I will never sell that watch and it’s not an understatement to say your brand has had a strong influence on my passion for timepieces. U.S. Navy SEAL on training exercise (U.S. Army by Staff Sgt. Jacob Dunlap) Heritage Matters Several watch blogs have called into question Panerai’s claimed lineage and marketing narrative and even resorted to personal attacks on your leadership, but this discourse does not specifically interest us. The fact is, Panerai of today does have a strong customer base in Naval Special Warfare (NSW) regardless of exactly how it was formed. I have personally seen your timepieces on the wrists of operators overseas, at Chick’s Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach, and in SCIFs in Northern Virginia. No matter exactly how it happened, the connection between Panerai and the SpecOps community is real. That said, we think that your latest iteration of the “Navy SEAL” watches, and specifically the use of the SEAL Trident - an eagle clutching a U.S. Navy anchor, trident, and flintlock-style pistol - for the commercial market is a little too much- likely a well-intentioned marketing scheme gone awry. (Photo Credit: Jake Witkin, aBlogtoWatch) To be clear, I do not speak for the NSW community. I haven’t earned the Trident myself, which is why I would never wear it on a watch or t-shirt. I have spoken with over a dozen active and former “Team Guys” and opinions vary from disgust to admiration- the majority rolling their eyes, having bigger things to worry about. We can assume that you have support from some in the NSW leadership and have gone through the legal requirements to license the Trident. Further, we understand that a (unspecified) portion of the proceeds benefit the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, which is fantastic. But just because you can put the Trident on a commercially available watch, doesn’t mean you should. A Panerai purchased by SEAL Team 3 member and sold on the secondary market. (Photo Credit: Lunaroyster) The Best Things (Watches) are Earned Not Bought: The Navy SEAL Trident is earned by those who qualify for the Navy Special Warfare Operator (SO) rating after completing the arduous selection process: the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT). The “Budweiser” is a strong source of pride and reminder of service, sacrifice, and far too many lost brothers. Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) (Official Navy/DOD Photo) We understand that a limited number of the watches are reserved for active and retired Navy SEALS at a steeply discounted price (~60% off retail) and an (unspecified) portion of the proceeds are donated to the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum and at least one watch was auctioned for charity. Well done. BUD/S Phase 2 training (Official Navy/DOD Photo) Discretion is the Way There is nothing wrong with SEALs wearing a Trident on their watch and we are aware of several unit-specific watches (by Tudor and others) that incorporate the Trident into the design. I know several SEALs purchased your Panerai and treasure the watch. It’s the civilian versions that give me pause. A simple solution is to reserve the Trident-laden watches for the SEALs and sell a separate “military-inspired” version without the Trident or “Navy SEALs'' on the dial. Special Operations Experience (Xperience) (Photo Credit: Panerai Central) It’s tempting to criticize the “Navy SEAL Xperience” that comes with the $60,000+ PAM01402, and yes, it's borderline corny. That said, anything that pushes people to better understand the commitment and sacrifice our SEALs make on our behalf is a good thing. We understand you employ former SEALs to guide participants through this crucible and we are confident that they provide an experience that exceeds expectations. (Photo Credit: Jake Witkin, aBlogtoWatch) Assume Noble Intent - never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by naivety. To be clear, I actually don’t think this is a cash grab and I believe the “SEAL Watch” concept is likely a well-intended but naively-crafted strategy. When it comes to the military and the broader NatSec community, watch brands are naive. They simply do not know the complexities of the community. SpecOps personnel generally don’t seek out jobs in the marketing departments of luxury watch companies. That said, many other watch brands get it right and there is a template for success. Look at the special projects programs of Tudor, Omega, Bremont and your sister company IWC (also owned by Richemont) and you will find successful strategies that respectfully honor our community. HAWKEYE Tudor Pelagos “Unit Watch” - available only to member of the Secret Service Counter Assault Team Solution You don’t highlight a problem without presenting a solution. The key to any successful marketing initiative is authenticity. -Focus on Unit Watches - A unit watch is a timepiece that is customized by the manufacturer for members of a specific unit or organization and can only be purchased by current or former members. Most brands offer these at a discount. While initially secret, inevitably pictures leak out, which is fantastic publicity that drives sales and promotes brand loyalty on the civilian side, while still remaining exclusive to the military side. As a recent example, Omega quietly released a special Seamaster Diver 300M (with the Trident discreetly engraved on the caseback) that is available to current and former Team Guys. There was no press release; however, they ultimately found their way onto social media, creating a positive return for marketing for the brand. It’s a sound business decision and a win-win for everyone. Most importantly, it’s authentic. -Be transparent about donations: Last year our small company, Watches of Espionage, donated $24,800 to Third Option Foundation. How much did Panerai donate to NSW museums and charities as a result of sales? According to bar napkin math, if Panerai sold all of the watches in 2023, you would have generated over $30 million in revenue. How much was given to the museum or NSF? -Be transparent about US Navy lineage: According to a September 2022 Forbes article, “Panerai’s historic team verified the legitimacy of an order and approval dating back to 1953 for Panerai watches and diving instruments for the US Navy.” This is a fascinating development that seems to be glossed over. What are the details of this order and for “watches and instruments”? Is there official documentation available? Many from the watch and NatSec community would find this fascinating. (Photo Credit: Navy SEAL Museum) -Listen to the SEALs: Again, you have a real customer base in the NSW community. Reach out to them, ask for their input and feedback and incorporate this into the design. Anecdotally, I know several SEALs expressed concern about the Trident on the dial and the overall design of the watch. Listening to the intended end user is crucial for product development. -Lastly, keep the Trident and “Navy SEALs” off commercially available watches. It’s really that simple. (Photo Credit: Jake Witkin, aBlogtoWatch) Again, this is not meant to be a rabble rousing post–it’s quite the contrary; we want to see Panerai flourish and sell watches to the Intelligence and SpecOps community for generations to come. With a slight azimuth adjustment we think you can get back on course. If someone from the NSW community would like to respond to this we would be more than happy to run that article. We all know SEALs love to write. Sincerely, -W.O.E. -- If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our free weekly newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Forget Bond, A Real CIA Spy Seiko Watch
Read More![The Great Escape: Rolex & WWII POWs](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/great-escape-poster.jpg?v=1710167149)
The Great Escape: Rolex & WWII POWs
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...
Read MoreAllied 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
Read More![Watches & Wheels: Pairing Military Vehicles with Timepieces](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Watches_of_Espionage_Military_Vehicles.jpg?v=1708961250)
Watches & Wheels: Pairing Military Vehicles with Timepieces
Round Two of honoring the age-old tradition of matching watches up with heavy-hitting machinery. We’ve done it once before–paired watches with military aircraft–and now we’re...
Read MoreRound Two of honoring the age-old tradition of matching watches up with heavy-hitting machinery. We’ve done it once before–paired watches with military aircraft–and now we’re doing it again. Except this time, we’re trading wings and rotors for wheels and tracks. These watch pairings explore the world of military vehicles. There’s no hard and fast rule that we use to come up with the pairings–the goal is to explore the world of watches–and military vehicles–in a way that’s engaging and offers some insight into both worlds. Part of this exercise is to isolate characteristics of a watch or vehicle that make it unique. It forces us to look at a watch and contextualize it using its physical character and attributes, and beyond that, the reputation of the watch that the community has created for it, or sometimes the brand themselves. Many of you will have experience with some of these vehicles–and watches– and you might even have a specific pairing you’ve found works. We’d love to hear about them. To preempt any comments, yes, the Casio G-Shock could be paired with any and all of these vehicles, but that would be a pretty boring article. Let’s shift into low gear and roll right into it. The Vehicle: The 464 G-Class Utility Truck Credit: Mercedes-Benz The G-Wagon from Mercedes-Benz has been hijacked by the likes of the Kardashians and finance bros, but the roots of the truck couldn’t be further away from that specific culture. Contrary to the current reputation of the truck, it started off as an idea put forth by the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi for the Iranian military. The brief was to create a reliable and capable 4WD platform that could stand up to the austere terrain the Iranian forces operated in. The Shah was an important stakeholder of Mercedes at the time, so the brief was realized in the form of the 1979 debut of the “Geländewagen,” or “G-wagon”. Of course the modern civilian version is far from its roots, but for decades, forces around the world have used the G-Wagon to get it done. Mercedes still produces a special variant of the G-Wagon for defense and security forces. It’s called the 464 G-Class Utility Truck, and unlike the civilian version that needs 93 Octane, this version can run on poor quality diesel anywhere in the world, and sports a ladder frame, three locking differentials, and rigid axles up front and in the rear. And of course, a desert khaki paint scheme with black plastic instead of chrome. The Watch: IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Edition "Mojave Desert" Photo Credit: IWC This desert khaki ceramic perpetual calendar will set you back a cool 40 large. It’s the kind of watch with a case as big as its price tag at 46.5mm. But the aesthetic of the watch is its strength. It looks cool, even if you’re paying dearly for that look. IWC is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, in the German-speaking region near the German border. Underneath it all, there’s an in-house caliber that’s well engineered. The Link: Expensive but capable is the theme here, and both of these things have a degree of unnecessary tacticool flashiness that’s earned them a legion of loyal followers, even if they’re designed with stealthiness in mind. The Vehicle: Toyota Hi-Lux This is regarded as the most indestructible truck on the planet by most automotive enthusiasts. For better or worse, bad actors agree. That’s why you’ll often see a squad of masked goons perched in the bed alongside a shoddily mounted SALW set up ripping through the desert. We don’t get the Hi-Lux in the US, instead we get the Tacoma, which is a great truck in its own right–but not quite as tough as the Hi-Lux. It comes in a range of diesel and petrol options, 4x4 drivetrains, and the most basic features possible. Trucks modified as an “improvised fighting vehicle” are referred to as technicals. While yes, terrorists are known to employ technicals, our own Special Operations Forces have used them as well. The Toyota Hi-Lux is an absolute legend. The Watch: Casio F-91W Speaking of legendary, Kikuo Ibe’s G-Shock is unequivocally the watch of choice for terrorists. It’s no secret that Usama bin Laden wore the F-91W. This isn’t to be taken as a knock against the watch, however. Terrorists deserve absolutely zero praise, a lot of us have dedicated our careers to mitigating their efforts. But the truth is, the equipment that terrorists typically use has to be cheap and reliable. That’s exactly what the F-91W is. (Read More: Casio F-91W, the Preferred Watch of Terrorists) The Link: I’ve met a few terrorists in my life, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The one thing they all have in common, whether in Colombia, Somalia or Afghanistan, is a love for Hi-Lux and Casio. Indestructible, simple, easy to use, and both favorites of bad actors around the globe–and good ones, too. The Vehicle: Land Rover Wolf You probably know the Land Rover Defender–the boxy, no-frills 4x4 that’s earned a massive fan base around the globe for its collection of 90-degree angles, not to mention its reputation as the physical incarnation of the English can-do attitude. It’s long out of production now, but the Wolf is the Defender, mostly in OD Green, with a roll bar and soft top, and a number of fortifications that made it fit for military duty. It also used the 300Tdi engine instead of the Td5 as it was considered easier to work on in the field because of its analog properties. It was widely used by UK forces during GWOT. There were nearly 100 versions of the Wolf performing specific roles like serving as an ambulance or modified for winter-specific operations. The Watch: Bremont Broadsword Bremont Broadsword (Photo Credit Bremont) The Broadsword is Bremont’s interpretation of a Dirty Dozen watch, and it’s settled into the line-up as a GADA model that’s closely associated with Bremont’s military program. It’s simple, it’s tough, and has a touch of elegance. Just like its country of origin. It’s got small seconds at 6 just like the original Dirty Dozen watches, but now it’s joined by a date window. The font is modern, and it’s been endorsed by the MoD. That means Bremont has the rights to revive the Broad Arrow markings and put it on this very model. (See our profile: Aviation “Unit Watches”: Bremont Military and Special Projects Division) The Link: Strong ties to heritage and made in England with English pride is the theme here. The Vehicle: MRZR 4x4 You’ve either driven a Polaris RZR or know someone who has one. They’re everywhere outside major cities in the US. The MRZR isn’t all that different, but it runs on diesel and includes strategic protection for use in conflict zones. The strength of the vehicle remains the same between the civilian and military variant: being able to rip through rough terrain quickly and reliably. The MRZR is designed to be transported in the V-22, H-53, and H-47. The Watch: Pelagos 39 Photo Credit: James Rupley Rendered in titanium with the same legible dial layout as the apex predator dive watch, the Tudor Pelagos, the Pelagos 39 is slightly downsized for a perfect fit. Some folks don’t like the brushing on the dial or bezel, but it’s hard to deny how well this watch wears and how legible it is. (Read More: Tudors of Espionage (T.O.E.s) The Link: Light and nimble. Pared down. Easy to use. Their perfect size is their strength. The Vehicle: High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; Humvee) SOCOM Modified HUMVEE as a part of the Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) program. (Photo Credit: DOD) The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, otherwise known as the Humvee, entered service in the late ‘80s, just as tensions were heating up around the globe. Developed for large scale Cold War-level conflicts, it quickly became a central figure in TV reportage of the Persian Gulf War. Meanwhile it served in Just Cause, Somalia, and the conflicts of the time in Bosnia and Kosovo. Its early success cemented its reputation as reliable and effective, and it went on to become known as the most successful light military truck in modern history. Where the Willys Jeep is a symbol of American mid-century might, the Humvee stands in for the military role the US has played in modern times. In fact, the vehicle was so beloved by the Americans that AM General produced a civilian version of it, the Hummer. The Watch: Panerai Submersible PAM02973 (Photo Credit: Panerai) Panerai (in some fashion) was one of the original suppliers to Italian Frogmen. The brand’s signature svelte Italian curvy case and sandwich dial might have been relegated to the more style-oriented subset of watches today, but there’s certainly bonafide military history in Panerai’s past. The watches are chunky and oversized. The Submersible adds the functionality of a rotating bezel and is engineered for diving. What many people forget is just how desirable Panerais were in the ‘90s and early 2000s. There were waiting lists and you had to “be someone” to get an allocation long before the modern hype watch phenomena. While many watch blogs continue to debate (hate on) Panerai’s marketing, the fact is it does have a strong following in the NatSec space, particularly with the Naval Special Warfare community. The Link: Both the Humvee and the Submersible are built like tanks and were true kings of the ‘90s and 2000s. Back then, many people were probably into both. The brawny draw of both captured the same sort of enthusiast, though it may not remain so today. The Vehicle: Soviet/Russian MAZ-7917 With a 14x12 drivetrain and the ability to obliterate nations with ICBM launching capabilities, the MAZ-7917 is a force to be reckoned with. If you see MAZ-7917 movements on intelligence reports it gets attention. It transports, erects, and launches the Topol-M missile. The 54th Guards Order of Kutuzov Rocket Division is reported to oversee the Topol-M program. MAZ (Minsk Automobile Plant) manufactures the MAZ-7917 in Belarus, and is state-run. In addition to military vehicles, they produce vehicles like city buses for Eastern European nations. The Watch: Seiko Astron The 1969 Quartz Astron 50th Anniversary Limited Edition (Photo Credit: Seiko) In 1969, Seiko unveiled the first quartz watch, and set off what would come to be dubbed the “quartz crisis” by the watch industry. The Astron relied on electronics to tell the time rather than traditional watchmaking know-how that Switzerland specialized in. Quartz watches were cheaper and more accurate, and Japan’s trio of Citizen, Seiko, and Casio owned the market. The Astron was the watch that started this trend. We all know how the story went–Quartz had a moment but certainly did not completely stamp out the Swiss mechanical watch industry. But it was the Astron that sounded the alarms. The Link: Both the MAZ-7917 and the Seiko Astron have the potential to set off catastrophic chain reactions. And one–the Astron–did in 1969. The Vehicle: Bradley Fighting Vehicle The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is named for General Omar Bradley, made by British BAE Systems, and operated by Croatia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and of course, the US. It’s one of the most widely used tracked armored vehicles by the US and has been in service since 1981. As a tank, it’s a popular fixture in Hollywood military movies, and that’s for good reason: there are around 4,500 being actively used by the US military, and roughly 2,000 in storage. There are two versions, the M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. It’s still being delivered to this day, at roughly 160 units per year. The Watch: Omega PloProf Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M (Photo Credit: Omega) This is the ultimate dive watch from Omega. It’s waterproof to a staggering 1200 meters and originally used a monobloc case design which means the movement is loaded through the front and then a crystal is pressed into the case. In short, again, it’s built like a tank. There isn't an obvious curve on the case, either. The crown guard and bezel lock mechanism are actually part of the case, lending to a very functional design. The Link: Both of these things are built in the same way–like tanks. One is actually a tank (well, a tracked armored fighting vehicle), and the other is as close as a watch can get to a tank. The Vehicle: Type-10 Snow Vehicle Photo Credit: Military Today This vehicle is relatively obscure for a reason. Japan has a self-defense force (as opposed to an expeditionary force) and only recently has it moved towards exporting any sort of defense machinery. This means that most Japanese-developed military vehicles have stayed inside Japan, like the Type-10. It’s made by the company Ohara, which specializes in supporting civilian operations with vehicles in snowy environments, like Antarctica, where Japan maintains Syowa Research Station. The Type 10 is designed to carry 8 soldiers with gear and runs with a crew of 2. The Watch: Seiko SPB297 Photo Credit: Seiko In 1965, Seiko came out with the 62MAS, their very first dive watch. It was well-received for the time, and Seiko took testing and quality control very seriously. The watch was issued to the 8th Antarctic Research Expedition team that stayed on the ice from 66-69. This visual language and case shape laid the foundation for plenty of Seiko’s dive watches since, and in the last five years Seiko has released a bevy of watches directly paying homage to this model. The SPB297 is one of them, and it features an icy dial to establish the link. Showa Station, home of Seiko 62MAS testing. Credit: Antarctic Journal of the United States, 1967-68 The Link: We’ve said before that Seiko is the Toyota of Watches, but in this case it is the Ohara of watches. Seiko might still issue watches to Japanese Antarctic teams (it’s known that Seiko made watches for JARE47 and JARE49), and if they do, it should be the SPB297. And you might find a Type-10 at Japan’s Antarctic station Showa as well. The Vehicle: BTR-80 - Soviet Union The Soviet-Afghan War is often overlooked, but some of the equipment that took part in the conflict certainly isn’t. The BTR-80 is one of the most striking symbols of the Soviet Union’s military might. It’s often depicted rolling through the Red Square with its crew popping out the hatches in the front of the vehicle during military parades. Most recently, the BTR-80 played an important role in the War in Ukraine. Both sides operate the BTR-80, and both sides have lost a number of them in the conflict. They’re still being produced to this day. The Watch: Vostok Amphibia Steve Zissou wore this watch in the movie The Life Aquatic, but that’s not why we think it’s interesting. The Amphibia is probably the most recognized example of a “Russian” watch. Although it should really be known as a Soviet watch, since it’s been around since ‘67 and Vostok as a company has been around since ‘42. Some collectors have a fascination with Russian/Soviet watches because of their prevalence in the current conflict in Ukraine. The Link: Both are instantly recognizable Soviet designs. The Vehicle: Jeep Willys MB Part of Roosevelt’s plan to emerge victorious during WWII included “out-producing the enemy” and this meant that the military industrial complex was spun up to full force. It resulted in an economic miracle, and one singular byproduct of that is the Willys Jeep. Roughly 600,000 of these light and capable 4x4 vehicles were produced, and they were shipped to every theater that the US was operating in. The vehicle went on to play a role in just about every conflict immediately following for a few decades; it was prominently featured in the show M*A*S*H, a comedic illustration of life soldiers’ lives during the Korean War. Of course, the platform evolved into an automotive smash hit in the civilian world with the Jeep Wrangler, but it started off as a humble git ‘er done piece of machinery serving on the battlefield. The Watch: Hamilton Khaki Field Photo Credit: Hamilton We’re talking about an entire family of watches here, but if we want to get down to a specific reference, it would be the GG-W-113. This watch was produced by many manufacturers, including Hamilton, to a US Gov spec (and that spec is GG-W-113, hence the name of the watches it spawned). That spec came out in 1967, and has since been replaced. But the modern, non-gov spec Hamilton Khaki field is the spiritual reincarnation of those Vietnam-era watches. The Link: Hamilton is now owned by the Swatch group, but it was once a truly American company that gave the US a lot of pride. The Jeep is another American icon. Both the Khaki Field and the Jeep spin off very successful civilian products that have become icons in their own right from a military specification. -- If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: SEAL Team Six and a U.S. Navy-Issued Seiko Turtle
Read More![Sangin Instruments - The Marine Owned “Raider Rolex”](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Sangin_Neptune.jpg?v=1705497879)
Sangin Instruments - The Marine Owned “Raider Rolex”
Sangin Instruments - The Marine Owned “Raider Rolex” I first heard of Sangin Instruments during TDY travel to a WarZone while at CIA. At the...
Read MoreSangin Instruments - The Marine Owned “Raider Rolex” I first heard of Sangin Instruments during TDY travel to a WarZone while at CIA. At the time I was responsible for a counterterrorism Covert Action program in the Middle East and I was traveling to visit the program on a flight with other CIA officers. (REDACTED PARAGRAPH) The atmosphere on the plane was a Star Wars bar vibe, with bearded paramilitary officers, support personnel and analysts, all dressed in civilian clothing that varied from business casual to a college campus look and of course the obligatory new camping gear from REI. Like most things at CIA, rules were relaxed and the plane filled with professionals who didn’t need to be told which rules actually mattered. During a refuel stop in a European country, I struck up a conversation with the individual sitting next to me who I assessed (correctly) was a GRS (Global Response Staff) contractor reading a book on the Rhodesian Bush War. The conversation moved from evolution counterterrorism tactics, the ongoing conflict in our destination country and finally watches. The operator asked about the Rolex Submariner on my wrist, and was quick to interject that he used to wear his Sub during deployments but lost it in a recent divorce, so now wears a Sangin watch. He then launched into a passionate pitch for the company and an overview of what the Sangin brand represents. Sangin in the wild during Orion space capsule recovery (Sangin community photo) At the time, my interest in watches was surface level. But during that trip and following deployments I began to notice Sangin Instruments on the wrists of SpecOps personnel, CIA paramilitary officers, and other case officers. In the business we call this a pattern. Like many watch companies, Sangin was a subculture in itself. Very much a “if you know, you know” type thing. I wanted to learn more about the watch that seemed to keep appearing on the wrist of professionals in this world. So I reached out to one of the two founders, Jacob Servantes to learn about how the company came to be. (Sangin community photo) Sangin Instruments Watches are a medium for stories, but for Jacob Servantes, Marine Raider and founder of Sangin Instruments, they provided even more. “You come out of the military depressed as hell. At the professional level we were at, a lot of what you do becomes who you are. And when you leave, the machine just keeps going . . . so Sangin gave me a lot of purpose out of the military.” Servantes enlisted in 2008 as the economy was crumbling, hoping to earn some money for college on the other side of his service. The goal was to follow his father’s footsteps and become a Reconnaissance Marine. At the time, he wasn't aware that a restructuring in 2006 would mean that elements of the Marine Corps would participate in SOCOM, resulting in MARSOC. He ended up squarely in the special operations community. A rare photo of Jacob on deployment in Afghanistan. It was during selection that he walked away with his first lesson that he would incorporate into Sangin Instruments–become the new standard. Become the New Standard Not much was publicly known about the Raider selection process, and that’s by design. But Servantes recounted the biggest takeaway was that the standard to be selected by the instructors only moved in one direction: it became harder and harder. When Marines rose to the standard, and exceeded it, their standard became the new standard. “We used to joke that the mattress fairy would take people away at night, because every night you would see fewer and fewer people,” Servantes recalled. In his class, a group of 120 hopeful Marines were deposited in an undisclosed location somewhere in North Carolina. 25 people were selected after a grueling three weeks and countless miles of rucking/team events. Each class sets the standard for the next class, meaning that the standard is constantly being raised. It always gets harder, and that idea is something Servantes has incorporated into the way Sangin Instruments does things, “selection is continuous.” (Sangin community photo) Sangin, Afghanistan The name of Servantes’ company comes from Sangin, in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, an area along the Helmand River Valley where the Commando team he worked on spent much of their deployment. Sangin is a place that many who served during the GWOT will be familiar with, and it was known as “the most dangerous place in the world for multiple years running–the hospital on base was the busiest hospital, anywhere, at the time.” Servantes says. That’s part of why he chose the name Sangin Instruments. “Sangin is a horrible place in the world–many guys attribute awful memories to Sangin, but they’ll carry this name with them and hopefully have a positive memory about breaking down barriers, and their own sacrifices and achievements.” (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Building a watch company is not for the fainthearted and bringing the brand to life was an achievement in itself. It almost didn’t happen. But the can-do attitude prevailed. He got back from a deployment and told his wife that he’d put in his time with special operations. During his time in the Middle East and the Philippines, he wore a M-1 Breitling Chrono Avenger (sketchy) and several Digital Tool Watches. While deployed, he'd been thinking about watch designs based on the work he was doing. He tested the market among his friends and colleagues in the military and conceptualized a watch that would be affordable and capable. A watch that would stand up to the type of work they were doing while also speaking to the community. Watches Built For Warriors Servantes’ wife, Paris, bought the idea. This was 2017. After some help from his mentor, Bill Yao of popular watch microbrand MK II, they had a prototype. And following the evaluation of the prototype, Sangin launched a successful pre-sale that would help fund the initial batch of 250 watches called the Kinetic 1. The only problem was that Paypal held the funding without explanation and would not release it to obtain the watches. Paris reached into her savings and a small inheritance; Servantes had his bonus from his last Afghanistan deployment. Between them, they scraped together the cash and bet big on Sangin Instruments working out. They were in a squeeze, but Servantes had a steadfast partner in his wife, who learned how to do Quality Control on all the watches and packaged them up and answered customer emails while he was in business school. W.O.E.’s personal Sangin Overlord Believing in Sangin Instruments paid off, but it was never the plan–the primary objective was to take care of the community and make a product to be proud of. The first round of watches was delivered and the phones haven’t stopped ringing since. “Part of the culture of watches in general is wanting to have a part of something you’ve done. So when these guys leave the military, they can take a piece of that experience with them,” Servantes says of his watches. (Sangin community photo) Sangin Today Today, Sangin boasts an impressive line of watches, from the entry level quartz Overlord to the premium newly released Hydra, Sangin’s interpretation of a mid-century compressor-style diver's watch. The community remains an important part of Sangin’s identity with customers demonstrating a near religious fervor as they wait for the next release. Sangin also offers several watches that must be earned. The “Para” Overlord is only available to members of the airborne community and would-be customers must submit a certification verification. The green bezel Atlas and Neptune are available only to those who have completed a SOF selection course, red for first responders and blue for law enforcement personnel. They are tools for professionals. Jacob was mum on the ongoing special projects “unit watches” but a custom Professional made for the CIA Directors Protective Staff (DPS) was recently for sale on Ebay (but quickly disappeared without explanation). Suffice to say, we are aware of several special projects for units in the IC and SpecOps community but cannot go into details at this time. Ebay listing of Sangin Professional for the CIA’s Directors Protective Staff. (Ebay) Sangin Instruments - “With You” As Sangin grows, Servantes makes sure that giving back and taking care of the community he comes from is part of it. Servantes has developed watches that specifically speak to a community of men and women who serve. As he grew the business, an unlikely presence in the watch world supercharged the number of people interested in Sangin. “Rolex helped us out with their price point and availability. You have a lot of Green Berets who finally could afford a Rolex but just couldn't get them. And here we were offering something specifically for them,” he says. Informally, many refer to Sangin watches as the “Raider Rolex.” Now Servantes will run into guys who tell him that they have a few deployments on their watch, and the memories of service are imbued into the timepiece. That’s exactly what makes Servantes and Paris continue to push Sangin forward. A part of the Sangin Instruments mission that Servantes doesn’t publicly put forward is his support of important nonprofits contributing to those in the veteran community, including HunterSeven Foundation, Special Operations Care Fund (SOC-F) and Vigilant Torch. One of the altruistic motivations of the W.O.E. platform is preserving watch culture in the NatSec community. No one has done more to further this end than the team at Sangin Instruments. Many of us came up in the GWOT days where digital watches were the norm. Sangin offers a great way for professionals to get into watches in an unpretentious manner. -- 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: Demystifying a North Korean State-Sponsored Luxury Wristwatch Awarded to High-Ranking Officials
Read More![Omega's Modern Unit Watch Program - Frogmen, SEALs and the Secret Service](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/watches_of_espionage_3.png?v=1705355439)
Omega's Modern Unit Watch Program - Frogmen, SEALs and the Secret Service
Omega has a long history of producing watches for the military, most notably the classic Seamaster 300 made for the British Royal Navy. Today the...
Read MoreOmega has a long history of producing watches for the military, most notably the classic Seamaster 300 made for the British Royal Navy. Today the company is continuing that history with special production “unit watches,” and appears to have standardized its program, offering a unique Seamaster Diver 300M solely to military and law enforcement units. The options for customization include the unit insignia on the caseback as well as a name/call sign or other identifier associated with the individual. Submission from the W.O.E. community. Omega and the Military: While Omega watches are no longer issued to UK military units, we see them regularly on the wrist of operators as private purchases. The connections between Omega and the military, in particular maritime SOF units, are undeniable. We previously profiled the watch of the British Special Boat Service (SBS), a 2007 commission of the Omega Seamaster GMT 300 Co-Axial with a blue dial. It appears that Omega has revived this practice of creating a unit-specific Seamaster. Unit Watches: Unit Watches are at the core of modern day watch culture in the military, intelligence, and law enforcement community. We've seen a significant uptick in unit-specific customization programs by major brands in recent years. In contrast to other special projects programs, which provide significant customizations to their range of watches for military units, Omega appears more restricted in their offerings, potentially to streamline the process. (Omega marketing document) To review, a unit watch is a timepiece that is customized by the manufacturer for members of a specific unit or organization. Customizations can include the unit’s insignia on the dial and/or an engraving on the caseback. Unit watches are generally private purchases, paid for by the individual operator. We have profiled several unit watch programs, including Bremont and Tudor. Omega Unit Watches: We are aware of at least four confirmed recent configurations of this Seamaster made for units: the Danish Frogman Corps (Frømandskorpset), the US Secret Service, the US Navy SEALS, and a US Special Operations unit (name withheld). All watches appear to have the same dial and bezel, a matte version not available on the public market and the watches are customized with the organization's insignia engraved on the caseback. (Omega marketing document) Watch Specifications: The watch is a no date Seamaster Diver 300M with blackened skeleton hands, beige indices with blue lume on the hour & second hands and green lume on the minute hand. The movement is the Omega Calibre 8806, Co-Axial Master Chronometer. The preferred pricing is $5,100 (before taxes), discounted from the MSRP of $5,900 for a standard Seamaster at any AD. The Seamaster has a steel bracelet and an extra rubber strap. The watch comes in a waxed canvas travel pouch from British Millerain (sounds fancy!), and the unit's insignia is embossed on the pouch. (Omega marketing document) Danish Frogman Corps (Frømandskorpset): The Danish Frogman Corps is the premier maritime special operations force of the Danish Armed Forces and is a rough equivalent to the Navy SEALs/SBS and appears to be the first unit to receive this custom version of the Seamaster. (Photo: @fkp_froemandskorpset) Pictured is a Danish Frogman wearing the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “unit watch” during a training exercise. It was reportedly available for private purchase by current and former members of Frømandskorpset. After completing their service, the Frogmen can join “Conventus Ranae” (“a gathering of frogs”), which is the Frogmen’s association aimed at strengthening the bond between active and retired Frogmen. The Omega was available to anyone in that association. Submission from the W.O.E. community. This week, then-Danish Crown Prince Frederik X was proclaimed King of Denmark after his mother Queen Margrethe II abdicated the throne. King Frederik X served in the Frogmen Corps and when he took the throne, he wore his “unit watch” Omega Seamaster Diver 300M . . . on a tan Omega fabric strap. We always choose our most meaningful watches for big events and to the King, this appears to be his. Any watch brand would be thrilled to give him any allocation he wants–but instead he chose to wear the watch he served in. It doesn’t get any better. Navy SEALs: We have extensively profiled Tudor’s long time association with the SEAL Teams but watch culture in Naval Special Warfare extends to other brands, including Omega. The Omega Seamaster (and other references) has long been a favorite of the SEALs, due to its history as a dive tool watch, and of course, Bond, James Bond. While these were never issued to Naval Special Warfare units, they can be seen on the wrists of Team guys deployed and while at home. (See our previous profile of former Navy SEAL Dave Hall). Omega Seamaster Chronograph on the wrist of former Navy SEAL Rob Huberty during BUD/S graduation of class 259 (Photo Credit: Huberty) The SEAL version is the same as the Danish Frogman one, except the caseback displays the Navy SEAL Trident, an eagle clutching a U.S. Navy anchor, trident, and flintlock-style pistol, also known as the “Budweiser” given the similarity to the (former) American beer company. We are told that the SEAL version of the Omega Seamaster is currently in production and has not been delivered. Current and former members of a Navy SEAL team can submit orders and expected orders are somewhere between 150 and 200 units. In contrast to Panerai’s commercialization of the “SEAL Trident,” this watch is (reportedly) only available to SEALS . . . the way it should be. (Omega marketing document) United States Secret Service: The Secret Service is the US federal law enforcement agency responsible for conducting criminal investigations surrounding financial systems and protecting U.S. political leaders, most notably the President and Vice President. We have previously profiled the US Secret Service Counter Assault Team (C.A.T. aka Hawkeye) commissioned Tudor Pelagos LHD and it appears others wanted in on the action. In December 2023 USSS Special Agents began taking delivery of the custom Omega Seamaster. Each watch is similar to the SEAL/Danish versions and the caseback contains the Secret Service star and “Worthy of Trust and Confidence.” At the bottom of the dial is the Special Agent’s commission book number or something else unique to them. Approximately 182 were produced, the second batch set to deliver at the end of January 2024. W.O.E. community Submission. A Few Thoughts: We applaud Omega and The Swatch Group for offering this resource to men and women who answered the call to serve around the globe. These watches will no doubt remain a talisman of their service to their nation and heirlooms for generations to come. We expect several other units to adopt the Omega Seamaster as a unit watch over the coming months. While other brands appear to offer more customization options, the simple design and limited options for customization (insignia on the caseback) likely make this a more streamlined process which can result in more watches. Our hope is that this specific design is not released to the broader public as many have called for. The best things in life are earned, not bought. *This post is NOT sponsored by Omega, Swatch Group or anyone else. All views and opinions are solely our own. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. -- READ NEXT: Remembering the Legacy of CIA Paramilitary Officer Billy Waugh Through His Watches
Read More![A Brief History Of The Dive Watch - How The Military Helped To Shape History’s Greatest Tool Watch (Part Two)](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/DSF7546.jpg?v=1701136647)
A Brief History Of The Dive Watch - How The Military Helped To Shape History’s Greatest Tool Watch (Part Two)
Benjamin Lowry - If you’re new here, you’ll want to go back and read part one (HERE) of this two-part series where we detail the...
Read MoreBenjamin Lowry - If you’re new here, you’ll want to go back and read part one (HERE) of this two-part series where we detail the history of the earliest diving-specific watches and their crucial links to military organizations including Italy’s Decima Flottiglia MAS, the US Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT
Read More![Double Wristing Stormin' Norman](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/General_H._Norman_Schwarzkop_Delta_Force3.jpg?v=1696724367)
Double Wristing Stormin' Norman
No, General Schwarzkopf did not double wrist a Rolex and Seiko Despite What You’ve Read. Pictured is General H. Norman Schwarzkopf wearing two watches. Read...
Read MoreNo, General Schwarzkopf did not double wrist a Rolex and Seiko Despite What You’ve Read. Pictured is General H. Norman Schwarzkopf wearing two watches. Read any story on Schwarzkopf and watches and you’ll learn that it’s a Rolex Day-Date and a Seiko diver. There’s just one problem–he didn’t wear a Rolex. The truth is just as interesting, however. Both watches are Seikos, aka the Toyota of Watches. Thanks to research by our friend @niccoloy, we’d like to set the record straight, and while we’re at it, we’ll dig into the idea of “double wristing”, or simply put–wearing two watches at once. “Double Wristing” -Bravado vs practical utility: Double wristing can be understood today as somewhat of a “flex”, done by celebrities, athletes and rappers as an ostentatious display of wealth, an indication one has “f*ck you money.” But wearing two watches before the era of smartphones meant something different. Keep in mind, watches were largely used for their intended purpose - to tell time. Wearing two watches meant that you probably had a reason to. While the GMT complication has allowed a single watch to track two time zones at once, several historical figures have worn multiple watches. Most notable among them is Four Star General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, aka Stormin’ Norman, who wore a watch on each wrist during the First Gulf War. There’s undeniably an element of projecting a certain image, but here’s the reason in his own words: "I always wore two watches during the war. The one on my left arm was set on Saudi Arabian time and the Seiko on my right arm was set on Eastern Standard Time. That way I could quickly glance at my watches and instantly know the time in both Saudi Arabia and Washington, D.C.” Then commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and head of coalition forces against Saddam Hussein, Schwarzkopf was pictured regularly wearing the two timepieces, a supposed two tone "Rolex" and a Seiko diver on a rubber strap. Photo Credit: Yousuf Karsh The dressier watch is regularly reported in watch media as a two tone Rolex Day-Date, which is incorrect. According to expert historical watch spotter @niccoloy, both watches are actually Seikos. Niccoloy looked through scores of pictures to find this relatively obscure photo of General Schwarzkopf on a helicopter, the signature Seiko clasp clearly visible on the inside of the wrist. Practicality vs Imagery, Bravado, Perceptions: Did the General really need two watches to track the time in DC and Saudi Arabia? Probably not, a simple GMT function would have sufficed. Or a quick calculation. While we will not outright question Schwarzkopf’s claimed utility of the two timepieces, we can also assume that the watches also served as a tool in the information war. In Diplomacy, Military, and Intelligence, imagery and perception matters. Modern day Generals are just as much politicians and diplomats as they are warfighters. Schwarzkopf was the face of the Gulf conflict to the American people, allies, and Iraqis. He likely spent considerable time thinking about how he was perceived by each constituent. While it seems comical now, thirty-plus years ago, the “double wristing” arguably supported his persona as someone in charge, someone who valued time and someone intensely focused on accomplishing his mission. The contrast of the two watches, one a riff on the watch par excellence, and the other a known tool watch, mirrored his position as warrior-diplomat. An effective General can get his hands dirty during the day and stroll right into a state dinner at night looking the part. Our assessment is that these two accessories were intended as a physical display of this dichotomy. The watches were tools–each one for a different job. Interestingly, General Schwarzkopf appears to periodically switch wrists throughout the conflict, the reasoning behind this is purely speculation. While the two tone dress Seiko is unidentified, the blue and red “Pepsi” bezel Seiko on a rubber strap was auctioned in the 1990s at Antiquorum for $11,000. The Seiko diver is often listed as a Seiko SKX009, but according to the 1999 auction description, it was quartz so it is likely something a Seiko reference 7548. Havana - Moscow - Washington D.C. The General is by no means the first notable historical figure to wear two watches at once. Fidel Castro routinely wore multiple watches, sometimes on the same wrist, including during a 1963 meeting with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in the Kremlin. There are some indications he set the watches to Havana, Moscow, and Washington DC (The third utilizing the GMT function). Similar to Schwarzkopf, we can assume this was just as much a strategic decision as it was practical. We can only speculate what a socialist and Marxist-Leninist leader was trying to accomplish with this display, but we can assume it was no accident. (Today Washington D.C. and Havana are in the same time zone -UTC -5-, but between the years 1960 and 1964 Havana used the time zone UTC -4.) Modern Day Double Wristing - Is it acceptable? In general, we do not judge people for how or why they wear their watches. Anything that lets one enjoy their timepieces is a good thing. It appears that double wristing is having a renaissance with the advent of the smart watch. This may seem overboard, but the use case of wearing a high tech Apple Watch and a traditional timepiece seems to make complete sense. Recently, former Delta Officer and JSOC Commander, Four Star Gen. Scott Miller was seen double wristing an Omega Seamaster 300M and smart watch while meeting with some former Afghan partners in Texas. It's hard to judge a man like Scotty Miller. READ NEXT: The History Of Casio G-Shocks And The US Military
Read More![The Dive Watch - How The Military Helped To Shape History’s Greatest Tool Watch](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/FXD2.jpg?v=1696263009)
The Dive Watch - How The Military Helped To Shape History’s Greatest Tool Watch
by Benjamin Lowry On a moonless night, gently rolling waves reflect only the faintest shimmer of starlight. Fully submerged well up the beach by way of...
Read Moreby Benjamin Lowry On a moonless night, gently rolling waves reflect only the faintest shimmer of starlight. Fully submerged well up the beach by way of a spring tide, a team of commandos peer down at their synchronized mechanical dive watches, counting down the seconds before their waterside assault will begin in earnest. Eight pairs of eyes, hidden behind rubber diving masks, are just able to discern the time thanks to luminescent material applied to the dial and hands of their watches. Rotating bezels manage the elapsed time from when the combat swimmers emerged unseen from the torpedo tubes of a specially outfitted submarine further offshore. Mission time is elapsing, and the action is just about to start. Each operator’s head, mask, muzzle, and watch slowly break the surface on a pitch-black beach in a faraway land. It’s zero hour; time to put in the work. W.O.E. Personal US Navy Issued Tudor 7928 (Photo Credit: James Rupley) While we’re all familiar with the imagery so often celebrated in watch campaigns and marketing materials, few understand the extent to which the dive watch owes its very existence to amphibious military organizations. Despite the lack of popularity of scuba diving and the pervasive use of diving computers that has rendered the traditional mechanical watch all but unnecessary, the dive watch remains the most popular watch today. In other words, many SCUBA divers wear a wristwatch, but very few people who wear a dive watch actually SCUBA dive. As a category, the dive watch boasts an impressive array of executions and designs that rose in status to become culturally relevant, including the Rolex Submariner, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, and OMEGA Seamaster, to name a few. But how can this be the case? If no one cares about diving in 2023 and no one really wears a dive watch for diving, why are watches like the Submariner and Seamaster some of the most iconic luxury watches on the market? Tudor's recent Pelagos FXD was one of the more recent collaborations between a military organization and a major watchmaker, but far from the first. (Photo Credit: Tudor Marketing) The truth is that these legendary names could never have ascended to their premium luxury positions without first descending on the wrists of a select few military divers and elite special operations units. Units like the US Navy SEALs and French Commandos Marine are as relevant to the dive watch as we understand it today as any Swiss executive chain smoking cigarettes in a leather-bound boardroom. To understand how yesterday’s diving tool, intended for wear alongside a mask, fins, and oversized dive knife, transformed into today’s luxury jewel, often sported by hypebeasts with Gucci slides and a Supreme hoodie, we’ll shine an underwater flashlight on the military’s role in shaping what has become history’s most impactful sports watch. Like pasta and fashion, the history of the dive watch starts with Italy. An Entirely New Form Of Warfare & The Need For Water-Resistant Timekeeping Early operators from the Decima Flottiglia MAS utilized the Siluro a Lenta Corsa or "slow-running torpedo" along with Panerai dive watches. Starting in 1935, the Royal Italian Navy or Reggia Marina established one of the first dedicated undersea warfare units. Known as the Decima Flottiglia MAS, the unit was tasked with infiltrating Allied harbors and sinking ships by attaching explosive charges to their hulls. Given the complexity of these burgeoning maritime missions and the importance of careful coordination in any situation where things blow up, the need for a capable water-resistant watch emerged. Already a respected supplier of instruments to the Italian military, G. Panerai & Figlio of Florence stepped up, developing the reference 2533 around 1936 and later the reference 3646 with no small amount of help from Rolex SA across the border in neutral Switzerland. Panerai's pioneering Radiomir reference 2533 from 1936. With a massive 47mm case, multi-layered “sandwich” dial construction, and hand-winding pocket watch calibers, the “Radiomir”, as it came to be known for its radium-based luminescent material, finds its place in history as the first watch developed specifically for underwater use by divers. The earliest watches intended for underwater use by divers were from Panerai, with the tender in this legendary image wearing one of the earliest Radiomir references. Equipped with water-resistant luminescent watches and rudimentary pure oxygen rebreathers, as well as submersible “human torpedoes” to cover greater distances, the Royal Italian Navy’s novel diving commando unit was incredibly successful for its size and age, sinking or disabling some 200,000 tons of Allied war and merchant ships while establishing new modalities in naval warfare that would influence virtually all maritime special operations units to follow. And so their success would influence the use and design of watches as well. Seen as more of an outsider with their simple, rotating bezel-free format, Panerai’s WWII-Era creations are perhaps less impactful for the dive watch genre compared to some of the icons we’ll cover but do garner a place in history both for demonstrating the value of luminescence for underwater legibility as well as the need for direct feedback from military operators in influencing the development of diving-specific watches. (Photo Credit: Navy SEAL Museum) Across the pond, the United States Military was developing its own amphibious warfighters, initially known as the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU) and later the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT). These early United States maritime units gained notoriety for successful beach reconnaissance and explosive clearance operations in both the European and Pacific theaters of World War II. One of the earliest watches created for these maritime units was the Hamilton “Buships”, short for Bureau of Ships. Nicknamed the “Canteen”, Hamilton’s Buships secured its water resistance by way of a cap that was attached to the watch by a short chain and screwed over an inner push-pull crown for a watertight seal. Looking more like a field watch adapted to the sea than a true diver’s watch, the Hamilton is also a bit of an outlier but did help to bolster the case for submersible timers for amphibious military units. Hamilton's earliest military dive watches were designed for Underwater Demolition Teams and utilized a screw-down cap to create a watertight seal over the top of the standard crown. underneath. (Watch Image Source: Craft & Tailored) The Mid-Century - The Dive Watch Comes Into Its Own Without the advent of scuba diving and especially Jacques Cousteau's influence in popularizing recreational diving, the dive watch could never have become what it is today. However impactful, Panerai and Hamilton’s World War II and early post-war efforts in watch design didn’t make their way into watches designed for public consumption, and recreational scuba diving didn’t really take off until Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan’s Aqualung became more widely available starting around 1950. As scuba diving as a recreational pursuit grew, so too did the military’s adoption of scuba as opposed to the much older “deep sea” mode of diving undertaken by way of a brass helmet, rubberized canvas drysuit, and virtually unlimited breathing gas supplied through an umbilical. Given the limited gas supply inherent in diving with a tank on your back, as well as the life-and-death gravity of managing decompression-related issues, simply knowing the time of day underwater was no longer as important as tracking elapsed time. Starting in 1953, the dive watch as we know it today was born. Omega Seamaster- The transition from primarily hard hat diving to scuba required a closer watch on elapsed time in order for a diver to track their breathing and avoid decompression-related issues. The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms - Created For Combat Divers Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms was designed in direct response to a request from the French Navy's nascent combat diving corps, changing the history of dive watches forever. (Source: French Government Archives) The conversation about which dive watches were developed and actually released to the public first is nuanced, spicy, and not really why we’re here. That said, two important names officially hit the market in 1953, the Zodiac Sea Wolf and the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, with the latter having been developed in direct response to a request from the French Military. Of course there’s also the Rolex Submariner, first released in ‘54. There’s even an ongoing discussion around when the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms hit the scene–whether it was ‘53 or ‘54. The truth is, it doesn’t really matter who was first; it matters more how they all came to be. Modern tribalism is far less interesting than the genesis story of these legendary watches. The story of the Fifty Fathoms goes that Captain Robert ‘Bob’ Maloubier, a wartime espionage legend, and Lieutenant Claude Riff were charged with creating a French Navy commando diving unit modeled after Britain’s Special Operations Executive which was itself in part inspired by the aforementioned Italian frogmen of World War II. Disappointed by then-commercially available water-resistant watches, none of which were actually designed for underwater operations, Maloubier and Riff set out to find a manufacturer willing to create a watch to their own unique specifications. Turned down by Lip, a business decision the brand likely later regretted, it was Jean-Jacques Fiechter, longtime CEO of Blancpain and a passionate scuba diver, who took up the challenge, changing the future of dive watches forever. 1953 saw the arrival of Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms, a watch often credited as the first modern diving watch. Source: Blancpain Unveiled to the public at Basel Fair in 1953 after extensive testing with the French Navy’s combat divers, the new watch was dubbed the “Fifty Fathoms” in a nod to its water resistance as well as a line from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Galvanizing the basic silhouette that now embodies the dive watch, the Fifty Fathoms was housed within a then-gigantic 42mm case and offered a suite of newly-patented features including a rotating push-to-turn bezel for tracking elapsed time, a dual-gasket crown system, and a novel screw-down case back system in addition to a soft iron inner cage safeguarding the caliber from magnetic fields. The TR 900 from Tornek Rayville was a subtly modified Fifty Fathoms intended to subvert the Buy American Act and make the watch available to US Military divers. Source: Revolution Watch Immediately catching on with military divers around the world, a subtly modified version of the Fifty Fathoms known as the Tornek-Rayville TR-900 was later conceived by US Blancpain distributor Allen Tornek in an effort to subvert the Buy American Act of 1933. Now one of the rarest –and most expensive– military dive watches, the TR-900 was issued to US Military divers, Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians, and other maritime special operators starting in 1963. Despite a cooler reception from the mass market upon release, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms leaped into the mainstream with both fins thanks to its inclusion in 1956’s The Silent World, Jacques Cousteau’s epic diving documentary. Now rightly considered among the heights of luxury watchmaking with starting prices around $15,000, it’s important to remember the Fifty Fathoms would never have existed at all without its basic design parameters coming from a detailed request from an elite military diving unit. French combat divers pictured in 1956. A big shoutout to the French military for helping to create the dive watch as we know it today. The Curious Case Of The Zodiac Sea Wolf Offering a smaller 35mm case and more colorful options compared to the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms or Rolex Submariner, the Zodiac Sea Wolf also deserves its place in dive watch history. Source: Benjamin Lowry While Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms receives the majority of the kudos for its 1953 release date, the humble Zodiac Sea Wolf was also right there and is deserving of its place in both military and recreational dive watch history. Where the Blancpain eschewed trends, instead leaning into pure utility with its oversized 42mm case diameter, Zodiac’s Sea Wolf stayed closer to the sizing norms of the day with a 35mm diameter and abbreviated 43mm lug-to-lug measurement. Looking beyond its smaller stature, which no doubt aided in the Sea Wolf’s Mid-Century market appeal, Zodiac’s purpose-built diver was no less an aquatic tool, offering a rotating elapsed time bezel, luminescent indices, and optional expanding bracelets intended to work with a variety of diving suits. Though the Sea Wolf wasn’t necessarily ideated with the military in mind, instead capitalizing on the rapid growth of hobby scuba diving, the watch became a regular choice for US Military divers and special operations forces, commonly spotted on the wrists of US Navy SEALs during the Vietnam Era. Favored by early UDTs and the SEAL Teams to follow, the Zodiac Sea Wolf is commonly associated with service members from the Vietnam War Era. Source: Navy Helicopter Association Historical Society In comparison to the Blancpain and Rolex’s Submariner which we will of course address in detail shortly, the Sea Wolf was smaller and offered a more comprehensive array of more colorful dial and bezel options, traits that likely limited its appeal to military divers in particular, especially as preferred sports watch sizes gradually began to increase. In the ensuing decades, brands like Blancpain and Rolex effectively scaled the luxury ladder. In contrast, Zodiac, which was imperiled along with much of the Swiss watchmaking industry during the Quartz Crisis, changed hands several times, losing elements of its core design ethos in the process. With that being said, modern Zodiac, today a part of the Fossil Group, offers a much more attainable pathway to heritage diving legitimacy with its current collection as well as relatively reasonable prices for vintage Sea Wolf references, both attributes that cannot be claimed by the final missing piece of the OG dive watch trio, Rolex’s world-beating Submariner. A Zodiac Sea Wolf on the wrist of a US Special Forces solider. Source: The Dive Watch Connection In part two of this article, we’ll take a closer look at more of the most significant instances of military organizations influencing the history and design of diving watches including the Rolex Military Submariner, Tudors of Espionage (T.O.E) both old and new, the OMEGA Seamaster, and a whole lot more. As a note before the keyboard commandos attack, this piece is intended as only the most abbreviated overview of some of the most prominent and impactful instances of the military’s role in shaping the dive watch as we know it today. There are numerous other important military dive watches we simply couldn’t cover in this piece including brands like IWC and Benrus that you will hopefully be inspired to discover. If you’re interested in additional coverage of other important military diving watches and their unique histories, you know where to find us. READ PART II HERE Read Next: Read Next: Demystifying A North Korean State-Sponsored Luxury Wristwatch Awarded To High-Ranking Officials About The Author: Benjamin Lowry is a US Coast Guard veteran and commercial diver turned watch writer. These days, Ben splits his time between writing and video production in the watch industry and managing @SubmersibleWrist, a watch spotting account dedicated to military and commercial divers as well as the life aquatic.
Read More![SOG Seikos - Vietnam MACV-SOG Watches, Part II](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Sog_Pics.jpg?v=1695333136)
SOG Seikos - Vietnam MACV-SOG Watches, Part II
Detailing the Lesser Known Fourth CISO-Issued “SOG Seiko” By Nick Ferrell - Watches of Espionage previously covered a trio of vintage Seiko dive watches worn...
Read MoreDetailing the Lesser Known Fourth CISO-Issued “SOG Seiko” By Nick Ferrell - Watches of Espionage previously covered a trio of vintage Seiko dive watches worn by the U.S. Military’s ultra-secretive Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observat
Read MoreIntel
![Bribes & Operational Gifts - The Role Of Timepieces In Clandestine Operations](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_212.png?v=1718381027)
Bribes & Operational Gifts - The Role Of Timepieces In Clandestine Operations
Using Watches To Make Friends, Exert Influence, & Recruit Spies The job of a CIA Case Officer (C/O), or Operations Officer, is to recruit spies...
Read MoreUsing Watches To Make Friends, Exert Influence, & Recruit Spies The job of a CIA Case Officer (C/O), or Operations Officer, is to recruit spies and steal secrets. The core competency of a C/O is building relationships with individuals (targets) and ultimately recruiting them to provide Foreign Intelligence on their host government/organization in return for financial remuneration. The trade is not for the faint-hearted, one prized quality of a C/O is the ability to manipulate an individual to further the National Security interests of the United States. We have discussed the operational role of timepieces in espionage, but they can also play a role 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—these traits make them effective tools of intelligence tradecraft. Recruitment Process (Photo Credit: James Rupley) In Hollywood, CIA’s recruitment often happens in one dramatic meeting and generally involves a large stack of cash and/or blackmail. In reality, the agent recruitment cycle is more attuned to dating, lasting months and often years. The most successful examples are not transactional, they are real mutually beneficial relationships built on trust. At CIA, the recruitment process is framed with the acronym: SADRAT Spot - Identify a target who may have access to Foreign Intelligence (FI) of strategic or tactical interest to the US Government. He—they are generally men—may be a North Korean intelligence officer, an Iranian nuclear scientist, or a fixer for a non-state terror network. Assess for Access & Suitability - Learn as much about the individual as possible through all means available. Does he have motivations or vulnerabilities that would make him susceptible to a CIA approach? Does he have children who want to go to college in the United States? An ailing mother who needs medical care? Or maybe he's just disenchanted with his employer, has a gambling addiction, or some other vulnerability that can be exploited. Develop - Make contact with the target. It may be a chance encounter at a diplomatic function, an unsuspecting “bump” at the gym, or a “cold call” asking the individual to meet for a credible but contrived reason. Build a real and lasting relationship with the target to further inform your assessment. Gradually and methodically transition the relationship from casual to real and slowly introduce clandestine tradecraft. Recruit - Formally ask the individual to enter a relationship with CIA. Most of the time, this is an anti-climactic moment as the asset believed he started working for CIA in the developmental phase. Agent Handle - Clandestinely “handle” the agent to produce regular FI. At this point, it is no longer a personal relationship, but a formal relationship between the asset and the US Government. The agent should be responsive to tasking and fill intelligence gaps in return for a salary. The asset may be transitioned to a new handling officer during a “turnover.” Terminate - In the movies this involves a bullet to the head or piano wire around the neck. While this may be true for some services (ahem Russia’s FSB), at CIA we want our “terminations” to be firm and final but cordial. We want the asset to think fondly of the relationship, be treated fairly, and leave the door open for potential recontact in the future. (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Watches As Operational Gifts The recruitment cycle is slow and methodical, and the core step is the development of a Subject, which can last months or years. There are specific milestones a “developmental” must meet before moving to the next stage. At first, the acceptance of an expensive meal may be an indicator but over time, these financial benefits increase. A timepiece, whether luxury or affordable, is an ideal gift. It’s immediately recognizable, and it’s something that the agent can wear as a constant reminder of the friendship with the Case Officer and thus the greater relationship with the US Government. Further, the soon-to-be agent’s acceptance of an expensive gift from an American official is a strong indication that the individual is willing to move in the direction of a clandestine relationship. Most governments, including the US, have regulations that gifts should be reported and forfeited if accepted (or purchased from the government at a fair market value). If the developmental accepts the gift and does not report it, he has demonstrated that he is willing to break a rule for the personal benefit of himself and the relationship. It’s testing the waters for a future cash payment. (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Of course, when he or she accepts the watch, the Case Officer must work with the target to develop an appropriate cover story regarding the watch’s origin. A brand new Rolex Daytona on the wrist of a Russian Third Secretary would be difficult to explain, but a Seiko 5 costing a couple of hundred bucks could easily be explained away. Real World Examples As a CIA Case Officer, I provided several watches to assets and developmentals during my career and they were effective tools to further the relationship. While the specifics of these cases remain classified, there are several examples available in the public domain and evidence that CIA isn’t the only service leveraging this technique. Saudi Intelligence, Hublot, & Twitter Ahmad Abouammo leaving Alameda County Santa Rita Jail in 2019 after his arrest. In 2022, Abouammo was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for acting as a foreign agent. (Photo Credit: NBC News) In December 2014, Twitter employee Ahmad Abouammo met with an official of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in London and was given a Hublot Big Bang Unico King watch valued at $42,000, per Department of Justice (DOJ). Abouammo was a Media Partnerships Manager for the Middle East region and after the meeting, Abouammo provided information to “identify and locate Twitter users of interest to the Saudi Royal Family.” Mohammad Bin Salman with Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Montauk Highway. While the DOJ indictment described the watch as a "bribe," in reality, it was an operational gift provided by the Saudi Official (presumably an intelligence officer) to further the clandestine relationship. According to the DOJ, Twitter has a policy that employees report gifts such as expensive timepieces, which Abouammo did not. His acceptance of the gift was an indication that he was willing to move in the direction of a clandestine relationship, which he ultimately did. He would continue to meet with Saudi officials and provide sensitive information. In 2015 he established a bank account in Lebanon in which he received at least $200,000 in remuneration. At that point, he was recruited. Hublot Big Bang Unico King, described by Abouammo to the FBI as “plasticky” and “junky” To convert that timepiece to money, Abouammo flew back to the US with the Hublot and reportedly tried to sell this watch on Craigslist for $20,000, creating an electronic trail of the gift, one piece of evidence that ultimately led to his conviction. Abouammo would later tell the FBI the Hublot was "plasticky" and "junky." To learn more about this process read our piece on Watches as Tools of Money Laundering and Illicit Finance. Watches As Asset Payments FBI Agent Turned Russian Spy Robert Hanssen FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen was recruited by Soviet intelligence services and ran on and off for over 20 years until he was arrested in February 2001 servicing a dead drop in Virginia. He was directly responsible for the deaths of several US assets and was described by the DOJ as "the most damaging spy in FBI history.” According to the DOJ, Hanssen received at least two Rolex watches from his Russian handlers as forms of payment. In total, Hanssen received more than $1.4 million in cash, bank funds, and diamonds. Above is Robert Hanssen's “Rolex” and handcuffs at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. Interestingly, the watch is fake, which some may say is fitting for a turncoat like Hanssen. According to those who knew him, Hanssen was a watch collector and the FBI seized two other Rolexes when he was arrested. The Spy Museum also has at least one real TAG Heuer belonging to Hanssen not on display. Was the fake watch provided by Russian Intelligence? We can only speculate. CIA Case Officer Harold James Nicholson, A Rolex, & Russian SVR CIA Case Officer Jim Nicholson was arrested in November 1996 for spying for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and was dubbed the "Rolex-wearing spy nicknamed Batman." He was infamously photographed wearing a t-shirt that said “KGB is for me,” the irony of which is not lost. According to a Washington Post article, Nicholson was then the highest-ranking CIA officer arrested under espionage charges and provided classified information including the “personal data on many if not all of the young CIA officers whom he helped train from 1994 to 1996.” At the time, CIA Case Officers were not known for their fashion and Nicholson reportedly developed expensive tastes including tailored suits and watches. During one overseas trip, he returned with a new “silver” Rolex watch. While unconfirmed that this was a direct payment from the Russian SVR, there are indications that if not given then he purchased this or another watch with funds provided by his handling officer. Rolex also played a role in his tradecraft and was reportedly his visual recognition signal when meeting his Russian handlers. He was instructed to "wear his Rolex on his right wrist and carry a magazine and shopping bag." When he was arrested by the FBI at Dulles, FBI "Agents bent Jim over the trunk of the car, spreading his legs and frisking him. They stripped him of his wallet, Rolex, and shoulder bag." - The Spy’s Son. Liaison In addition to the use of timepieces in unilateral clandestine operations, watches make effective tools as gifts to create and solidify ties between intelligence services. We previously documented an example of a European intelligence service presenting a CIA Paramilitary Officer with a timepiece to commemorate operational success, but this tradition extends back to the earliest days of CIA. The Dalai Lama is a known watch enthusiast (Photo Credit: Patrick Leahy) 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. While it is tempting to separate the gifts to and from “liaison,” a colloquial term to capture third-country intelligence services that work jointly with CIA, in the wilderness of mirrors of espionage, you are always assessing your partners for recruitment, and vice versa. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. READ NEXT: CIA Officer’s Love Affair with the Arabic Seiko *This article has been reviewed by the CIA's Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information.
Read More![Bezels & Blades - Tools With A Purpose](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Hero_Shot_64768343-4c69-4ea6-81b4-5ac6f5e28fcf.jpg?v=1716213774)
Bezels & Blades - Tools With A Purpose
Timepieces & Watches Have Deep Meaning In The NatSec Community Ask any self-respecting watch nerd what passions pair with timepieces and you will inevitably hear...
Read MoreTimepieces & Watches Have Deep Meaning In The NatSec Community Ask any self-respecting watch nerd what passions pair with timepieces and you will inevitably hear about Porsche, Leica cameras, and Negroni-flavored toothpaste. Like any community, watch enthusiasts have coalesced around several big personalities (tastemakers) who set the aspirational standards of success: a vintage Paul Newman Rolex Daytona poking out of a cashmere Loro Piana sweater while driving an air-cooled Porsche 911 to the country club with a chilled Negroni in the cup holder. Some say it’s pretentious. For our community, watches are tools, functional items we integrate into our daily lives. Meant to last a lifetime and be passed down to the next generation, their “value” isn’t monetary, it's derived from our shared experiences with these inanimate objects. The interest is the human element. There are a lot of parallels between our relationship with timepieces and knives. Today we’ll explore. (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Bezels & Blades I have written about my relationship with knives from an EDC standpoint while at CIA (READ HERE), and it’s true that the essentials for every Case Officer generally include a watch, pen, knife, and flashlight. Every CIA Case Officer's EDC should include a pokey thing. For generations, soldiers and intelligence officers have deployed around the globe to carry out vital national security operations. While the tradecraft, technology, and locations evolve over time, two things present with every practitioner both then and now are a simple wristwatch and a knife. Yarborough, Ka-Bar, and Fairbairn-Sykes are as iconic in our community as Submariner, Tuna, and Seamaster. When we return from these conflicts our blades are talismans, physical embodiments of the people, hardship and accomplishments we encountered. Their value is more than the sum of their parts. Even a simple and relatively cheap Spyderco can be an heirloom. UDT Issued Tudor Submariner and SOG Knife (Photo Credit: UDT/SEAL Museum) Today everything is perishable: phones, computers, cars, and even spouses are replaced every few years. Most of these commodities are plastic and digital, and there are few functional tools capable of being used for decades and passed down to the next generation. No one needs a mechanical watch, premium knife, or titanium pen, but we use them because of what they represent and the stories they tell. Knifemakers & Watchmakers Just as we do with watches, we appreciate blades for their utility, but also their design and craftsmanship. Like a good watchmaker, knifemakers are hyper-focused on details. They obsess over design, materials, and aesthetics to create a premium functional tool. These are purpose-built tools, not collectibles or fashion accessories. (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Knives In The Global War On Terror One positive consequence of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is veteran-driven entrepreneurship. Many of these companies focus on utilitarian items with deep meaning to their community: coffee, watches, and particularly knives. Former Navy SEAL Andrew Arrabito founded Half Face Blades, Marine turned knifemaker Connor Toor founded Toor Knives, and a plethora of other former SpecOps personnel have directed their energy to the craft. Legendary knifemakers like Ernest Emerson and Daniel Winkler worked closely with elite units to develop tools for our community. The result of each of these efforts is a tool with both utility and meaning that transcends the physical object. Connor Toor, Marine turned knifemaker and founder of Toor Corporation. (Photo Credit: Toor Corporation) Similar to our approach to timepieces, when it comes to knives, we are brand agnostic and support a wide range of knifemakers, particularly those that focus on made-in-America and the community. The “knife community” is just as tribal as the “watch community” with online forums dissecting every detail and material to support “their brand.” The Best Knives (& Watches) Are Gifts Like watches, the best knives start their journey as gifts. When King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan gave me a Royal Jordanian Breitling, he also presented a Jordanian combat knife, a blend of the traditional Jambiya dagger (جنۢبية) and a modern weapon, with "The Arab Army" (al-Jaysh al-Arabiالجيش العربي) inscribed on the blade. Like the Breitling, which accompanied me for over a decade of Agency operations, the blade is a treasured keepsake, something I will pass on to my children when the time comes. While some cultures see this practice as taboo, signifying the severing of a friendship or wishing ill on the recipient, the symbolic meaning of gifting a knife is profound. This is particularly true in military and intelligence circles where deployments, graduations, and joint operations are often commemorated with knives. The Yarborough knife is one notable example, having historically been gifted to graduates of the U.S. Army Special Forces Qualification Course. (Photo Credit: Unknown) Father & Son - A Right Of Passage When I was eight years old, my father gave me a simple Swiss Army knife. It cost next to nothing but at the time it meant everything to me. It was more than “just a knife”, it was a symbol of responsibility and a milestone towards reaching manhood, a lesson in consequences. Today, the knife is long gone, but an inch-long scar remains on my left pointer finger. I have carried on this tradition, presenting my sons knives at specific milestones in their lives, and will give them watches as they get older. When I graduated from university, my father gave me my first real timepiece, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hometime. At the time, I didn’t realize its significance, but in hindsight, it was a pivotal moment in my life and a lesson in appreciation of time. While I wear the watch less today, it bears the scars of over a decade of hard use (something not necessarily advisable for a JLC dress watch). Former CIA Officer J.R. Seeger’s collection of military-issued watches and OSS memorabilia (Photo Credit: J.R. Seeger) This tradition and its deep ties to our community are what led us to develop our knife, the Mosebey Blade. It’s a functional tool that is appreciated for its utility, craftsmanship, and aesthetics. The Mosebey Blade is a tool for the discerning gentleman, “a PhD who can win a bar fight,” named after one of the most legendary Africa Division CIA Case Officers. Bill “Bwana” Mosebey Every tool we make comes with a history lesson. Our inaugural knife is named after Bill “Bwana” Mosebey, a legendary Africa Division Case Officer you’ve probably never heard of. The Most Dangerous Man In Africa Born in 1938 in Pennsylvania, Mosebey was the great-grandson of Civil War spy William Leslie Mosebey. Before joining the CIA in 1959, Mosebey joined the US Army as a reservist, earning his airborne wings before completing special operations training. An agency legend during the Cold War, Mosebey spent the majority of his 34-year CIA career on “The Continent” conducting intelligence collection and covert action against the Soviet Union. Developing a reputation as “The Most Dangerous Man In Africa”, Mosebey earned numerous awards for his service including The William J. Donovan Award and the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, our Nation’s highest for intelligence officers. Retiring in 1995, Mosebey rejoined the agency in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Known for his tailored safari suits and waxed mustache, Mosebey was also an avid outdoorsman, woodsman, and historian, and spent considerable time hunting while on assignment for the CIA around the world. Never one for the spotlight, Mosebey single-handedly influenced geopolitics while serving as the consummate quiet professional, a classic gentleman who lived a life of adventure and service to his nation. Our blade is a tribute to unsung heroes of the intelligence community like Mosebey, produced from the highest quality materials for a unique marriage of utility and refinement that embodies our “Use Your Tools” ethos. The Mosebey Blade (Photo Credit: James Rupley) The result of a nine-month development effort, the Mosebey is a fully customized all-purpose blade made in the USA from premium domestic materials. We made no compromises on the design or craftsmanship of this unique tool for our community. Presented as a limited edition, each blade is individually numbered and serialized. Inspired by the design of a one-off blade W.O.E. purchased while living in Africa, we worked with Marine veteran turned knife maker Connor Toor to bring our tool to life. As with most of our tools, the branding is subtle with a deep laser-engraved W.O.E. spearhead on the blade and another inside the leather sheath. The spearhead is modeled off the insignia originally developed by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and used by modern-day intelligence and SpecOps units. The Mosebey Blade Order Here RELEASES 21 MAY, 6 PM ET If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE.
Read More![The Seiko Found In The Wreckage Of A Spy Ship And North Korean Covert Operations](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_77.png?v=1714417927)
The Seiko Found In The Wreckage Of A Spy Ship And North Korean Covert Operations
A Seiko Dive Watch 7548 - 7000 was recovered from the wreckage of a North Korean Spy Ship after the Battle of Amami-Ōshima. Where did...
Read MoreA Seiko Dive Watch 7548 - 7000 was recovered from the wreckage of a North Korean Spy Ship after the Battle of Amami-Ōshima. Where did it come from and what does it tell us about North Korean Covert Action? At CIA, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is known as one of the “big four,” along with Russia, China, and Iran. The big four (five with Cuba sometimes included) are “hard target” countries that represent a particular challenge for traditional intelligence collection. Kim Jong Un wearing an IWC Portofino. (Photo Credit: Unknown) Hollywood will often relegate North Korean intelligence officers, primarily the Reconnaissance Bureau of the General Staff Department (RGB), as comedic bumbling amateurs, but we learned to never underestimate our adversaries. The Hermit Kingdom has been successful in projecting power well beyond its borders, including the 1987 bombing of Korean Air Flight 858 killing 115 people with a bomb in the overhead bin, the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures in response to the upcoming film The Interview, kidnapping dozens of Japanese citizens off the beach, and notably the 2017 assassination of Kim Jong Nam with a VX nerve agent in the Kuala Lumpur airport. Operatives have been particularly effective at conducting covert action and subversion activities in neighboring waters surrounding Japan and South Korea. A Seiko In A North Korean Spy Ship The Seiko 7548 - 7000 recovered from the Changyu 3705. (Photo Credit: Instagram: @thewristplorer & Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama) A Seiko on display in a museum located in Japan is nothing out of the ordinary. Seiko itself even maintains a public museum in Tokyo’s shopping district, Ginza, where notable watches from the brand are on display. These watches are part of the larger story of Japanese horology, otaku culture, and all that comes with it. Drive 30 minutes by car to the south, just outside the metropolis of Tokyo, there’s a Seiko diver sitting in a glass case at the Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama. It’s crusted in sea salt and flotsam-filled grime, and its bezel insert is nowhere to be found. This watch, in particular, a ref. 7548 - 7000, while horologically interesting, is part of a much different story, the story of relations between the nations of Japan and North Korea, often characterized by hostility and tension. Sometimes a watch has multiple stories to tell — be it of horological significance, the course of nations, or in this case, both. December 21st, 2001 - The Waters Of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan The Changyu 3705 shortly before being fired upon by the Japan Coast Guard. (Photo Credit: Japan Coast Guard) The Japanese Defense Intelligence Headquarters was picking up unusual signals from a communication station in Kikaijima, a small island in the Amami archipelago, far away from any major metropolitan area of Japan. The subtropical archipelago sits about 130 miles north of Okinawa. The communications caused what looked like a fishing trawler to come under investigation by the Japan Coast Guard. Four vessels were deployed to ascertain the ship’s intentions — benign or nefarious. The ship was issued a warning to halt. It did not comply. It resembled a fishing vessel, common in these waters. But breaking an official order certainly was uncommon. This was a fushin-sen, or “suspicious ship”, after all. Following established escalation procedures, the Japan Coast Guard fired 25 warning shots across the bow of the boat. Normally that would be enough to persuade even the most recalcitrant fishing trawler — possibly using illegal techniques to harvest fish — to cut its engine and allow the Coast Guard to board for inspection. Instead, the ship in question started performing evasive maneuvers and increasing its speed to 33 knots — staggeringly fast for a trawler. Japan’s Special Boarding Unit was established as a response to repeated spy ship incursions into Japanese waters. (Photo Credit: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) Meanwhile, the Japan Coast Guard had readied its Special Boarding Unit, known as the Tokubetsukeibitai, in case the situation reached a point where it would be needed. Instead of heeding the warning shots, the trawler fired back and a firefight ensued. It was equipped with light and heavy machine guns and the occupants of the ship utilized rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) to return fire to the Japan Coast Guard vessel. Later, Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) and a double-barrel ZPU-2 anti-aircraft weapons system would be found aboard. Bullet holes on the recovered wreck of the Changyu 3705, now on display at the Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama. (Photo Credit: Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama) The ship was no ordinary fishing vessel, it was a North Korean spy ship, later identified as the Changyu 3705. It was meticulously disguised as a fishing trawler with Chinese characters painted on its hull. Everyone aboard the North Korean vessel perished when the ship sank; a few bodies were recovered, while the majority went missing. It was unclear if it was Japanese rounds that sent it to the bottom of the East China Sea or if the crew scuttled it, but roughly six hours after warning shots were fired, the North Korean vessel became a shipwreck. September 2002 - The Site Of The Changyu 3705 Wreck A massive ship equipped with a crane was chartered by the Japan Coast Guard to raise the wreck of the 98-foot Changyu 3705. Once on dry land, the Japanese government discovered the boat had been specially modified with concealed compartments for the deployment of landing craft. There was also a system of armament on rails so a recoilless rifle could be moved out of sight. It turns out the ship had a self-destruction system too. Small arms recovered from the wreck of the Changyu 3705 in 2002. (Photo Credit: Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama) After inspecting the hull, the government took an inventory of everything onboard. Weapons, communication equipment, DPRK propaganda documents (including a portrait of Kim Jong Il), nautical charts of their area of operations, and something rather curious — a Japanese-made Seiko 7548 - 7000. North Korea & Seiko Watches Why would a North Korean spy have a Japanese watch in his possession? Japan is a sworn enemy of the North Korean state. Surely they wouldn't be supporting a capitalistic Japanese juggernaut like Seiko. A Seiko 7548 recovered from a captured North Korean frogman on Dadaepo Beach in 1983. (Photo Credit: KTV, via Ryan's Blog) We’ve covered how a watch can be used in an operational capacity, perhaps to support a cover. But the answer in this case is probably a simple one: intelligence practitioners need tools that work. And Seikos just work when you need them to and are particularly well suited for the maritime environment. It’s not the first instance of a known North Korean operator wearing a Seiko dive watch, either. An unconfirmed image of the North Korean spies captured on South Korea’s South Korea’s Dadaepo Beach in 1983. One was captured wearing a Seiko 6309 - 7040 and the other a 7548 - 7000. According to Ryan's Blog, in a separate incident on December 3, 1983, two North Korean frogmen were intercepted and captured while infiltrating South Korea’s Dadaepo Beach located in Busan. They would eventually defect to South Korea, but not before being processed by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service. They were stripped of their equipment, including the Type SP-10 semi-submersible they used to get onshore. A Seiko 6309 - 7040 taken from one of the North Korean frogmen following their capture in 1983 on Dadaepo Beach. (Photo Credit: The War Museum Of Korea, via Ryan's Blog) Strapped to their wrists? On one, a Seiko 6309 - 7040. On the other, a 7548 - 7000. Many forces, historically, have issued Seikos to their operators. This probably isn’t the case in North Korea, however. The prevalent use of Seikos by North Korean operators stems from the reliability of the watches and their relative ubiquity and affordability around the globe. Luxury Watches, American Vehicles, & Superdollars A 1970s Omega bearing Kim Il-Sung’s signature, further evidence of illegally imported luxury goods in the DPRK. (Photo Credit: Omega Forums) We’ve looked at a mysterious Omega bearing the signature of Kim Il-Sung on the dial, specially produced by Omega in the late ‘70s for the regime. Where there’s a dictatorship, luxury goods — illegally and legally imported — usually aren’t far away. It’s safe to say that the North Korean military didn’t put in an order with Seiko HQ in Japan to obtain these dive watches that seem to be used by North Korean spies and operators. In fact, it’s unlikely that there’s an official retail presence and distribution model for Seiko in the “Hermit Kingdom”. Even the neutral Swiss government banned the export of all Swiss watches to the DPRK in 2016 due to its ongoing research with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Often coming from China, black-market luxury goods including Swiss watches and even American cars make their way into the DPRK. (Photo Credit: CNN) But that doesn’t stop goods from flowing into the country on the black market. Most luxury goods and dual-use military equipment are imported through the grey market via neighboring China. You’ll even find American automobiles, like the Hummer H1, cruising the streets of Pyongyang. It’s reported that Illicit goods are often purchased with Superdollars, a counterfeit US currency produced by North Korea. An American-made Hummer H1 cruising the streets of Pyongyang. (Photo Credit: Thaddeus Stapleton) This all points to the tangled web of the black market that would allow Seikos to end up in the hands of North Korean operators and spies. North Korea has a network of undeclared intelligence officers around the world and legitimate diplomatic missions to allied states. The watches could be purchased abroad and brought back to North Korea in any number of ways. What’s left of the Changyu 3705 is on display along with the Seiko 7548 at the Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama. (Photo Credit: Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama) We’ll never know the exact origins of the Seiko found at the bottom of the sea aboard the Changyu 3705, or the models involved in the Dadaepo Beach incident. It’s all conjecture at best. The world of covert action and subversion is murky. Whether it's the Navy-issued 6309 on the wrist of a Navy SEAL in the mountains of Afghanistan or the 7548 - 7000 used by a North Korean spy, we can glean that spies and operators tend to gravitate towards the same timekeeping tools. The ones they can rely on. -- 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 Case Officer’s Everyday Carry - EDC Thanks to @thewristplorer on Instagram for providing several photos of the North Korean Seiko 7548 from the Japan Coast Guard Museum Yokohama.
Read More![CIA paramilitary officers watches of espionage spy watch](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Watches_of_Espionage_CIA_PMOO3_1.jpg?v=1711980974)
Inside The Watch Culture Of CIA Paramilitary Officers
A Watch Given To A CIA Paramilitary Officer After a successful joint operation in the late 2010s, a European intelligence service presented a CIA Paramilitary...
Read MoreA Watch Given To A CIA Paramilitary Officer After a successful joint operation in the late 2010s, a European intelligence service presented a CIA Paramilitary Officer with a gift, a U-Boat timepiece to commemorate operational success. Like most accomplishments in the world of espionage, the ceremony (if you can call it that) was small, just the officer and his counterpart, deep inside the headquarters of the European service. There would be no press announcement and the accomplishment would remain unknown to the world, though its impact was of strategic level value to the United States. Today, that Paramilitary Officer is medically retired due to health issues and is going through treatment with the assistance of the Third Option Foundation. In his post-government life, he treasures the timepiece as a memento, a private celebration of his accomplishments, and multiple decades of service to his country. In our community, it’s never just a watch. CIA Paramilitary Watch Culture CIA PMOO wearing a Rolex Sub, somewhere overseas. There is no such thing as a real-life Jason Bourne. The closest resources in CIA’s toolbox are the men and women of the Special Activities Center (SAC - formerly SAD) and specifically Paramilitary Operations Officers (PMOOs). PMOOs are trained as case officers and conduct traditional foreign intelligence (FI) collection, but what makes them unique is their focus on covert action. Covert action is the “Third Option” for the President of the United States when military force is inappropriate and diplomacy is inadequate - a deniable capability to further US National Security interests. While CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board won’t let us name countries, suffice it to say PMOOs have been on the ground before, during, and after most of the major conflicts of the past 70 years. Paramilitary Officers were particularly effective in carrying out train-advise-assist operations with local partner forces during the Global War on Terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the globe. Currently, they represent the tip of the spear in the multifaceted power competition in Europe and Asia. CIA Paramilitary Watch Culture SAC recruits primarily college graduates from Special Operations Forces (SOF) including Army Rangers/Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and Marines with a requirement of eight years of active duty service and multiple combat tours. While the majority of PMOOs rely on Digital Tool Watches (D.T.W.) in conflict zones, there is a strong watch culture inside the SAC, and it’s directly influenced by each operator's military background. We are aware of at least two “unit watches” commissioned by PMOOs with the SAC insignia on the caseback and/or dial, but can’t go into details at this time as these are ongoing programs. CIA Issued Timex Ironman. This watch was issued to a partner force and the CIA Paramilitary Officer wore it as a sign of solidarity. It is no surprise that PMOOs tend to prefer robust tool watches. On their wrists, you’ll find the usual suspects: Rolex, Breitling, Panerai, Sangin Instruments, and Bremont. While some in the Directorate of Operations will degrade PMOOs as “knuckle draggers”, the majority of the Paramilitary Officers I worked with were true intelligence professionals. SAC in particular puts a lot of focus on grooming future leaders and a traditional Case Officer/FI tour is practically a requirement for career progression, with the best Paramilitary Officers doing at least one traditional intelligence collection tour early in their careers. Timepieces As Operational Gifts As we have discussed, luxury timepieces play an outsized role in the murky world of intelligence while also serving as effective operational gifts for assets and developmentals (individuals being assessed for clandestine recruitment). They are also received by CIA Officers as gifts from “liaisons,” a colloquial term to capture third-country intelligence services that work jointly with CIA. This is the story of the receipt of a unique timepiece during one Paramilitary Officer’s traditional FI, or foreign intelligence, tour. Coming Of Age The paramilitary officer in question grew up in Connecticut, later moving out west during his teenage years. Motivated in part by the attacks on 9/11, he signed up for the Army and was commissioned as an officer in the mid-2000s. He deployed to the Middle East at the height of the Global War On Terror with the Joint Special Operations Command and was ultimately recruited by SAC's “operational branch/department” during a deployment to Afghanistan. After completing the training pipeline to be certified as a CIA Case Officer at “The Farm” as well as the tactical training required for PMOOs, the officer went on to have an extensive career with years of warzone assignments throughout the Middle East and more traditional assignments where he was accompanied by his wife and son. During the warzone assignments, he wore a Timex Ironman, a watch commonly issued by CIA to local partner forces. While he owned more feature-rich digital watches including a Suunto, this small detail was not lost on his local counterparts. As he learned in CIA training, a simple gesture like a shared meal — or a watch — can go a long way in building comradery. Gifting Watches In The Intelligence Business The tradition of gifting watches between partner military and intelligence units goes back decades and can be used to build trust and commemorate an operational accomplishment or joint deployment. W.O.E. previously discussed receiving a Breitling Aerospace from King Abdullah of Jordan, and while there are restrictions on receiving expensive gifts, CIA Officers can generally later purchase these items from the US Government. If an officer feels that not accepting the gift would damage rapport, he or she can accept the item in question, understanding it ultimately becomes property of the US Government until it can be purchased through the proper channels at fair market value later. Often, CIA works alone. However, at times, CIA works closely with “friendly” intelligence services, colloquially referred to as “liaisons.” It was through this partnership with a European service that the PMOO received the U-Boat watch. The European service has a long tradition of presenting watches as commemorative gifts to honor its partnerships with counterparts in CIA and other intelligence agencies worldwide. Representing more than mere gifts, they are emblems of significant alliances and successful (REDACTED) operations. Each watch commemorates a different operation, a distinct moment in time when multiple agencies representing differing sets of national interests came together to contribute to global security. After the operation (the details of which remain classified), the officer was invited to a (REDACTED) liaison meeting inside the intelligence service’s headquarters. The liaison counterpart rehashed the recent success and its impact on both countries before presenting the officer with a box. Inside was a U-Boat watch. The European officer explained his service's tradition of presenting watches: "The watch isn’t just a mechanism to tell time; it’s a reminder of our shared commitment, our shared victories, and sometimes, our shared losses.” For this CIA Officer and many others, a watch transcends its role as a timepiece, serving as a wearable testament to the trust and camaraderie developed in high-pressure situations, embodying a unique fraternity that surpasses national boundaries. These watches symbolize a brotherhood formed in secrecy, bound by a commitment to shared values and objectives. In the world of intelligence, where time can be the difference between life and death and seconds can alter history's course, these watches hold profound significance, representing critical moments when nations, through their covert operatives, align not just in time but in principle and purpose. The Watch U-Boat is a relatively young Italian watch brand. Founded in 2000 by Italian designer Italo Fontana, U-Boat takes its inspiration from the founder’s grandfather Ilvo Fantana who sketched designs for wristwatches for the Italian Navy in the 1940s. From this inspiration, U-Boat has a specific aesthetic that unites the different collections together. Oversized cases, highly legible dials, and left-sided “Destro” crowns complete the U-Boat look. The U-Boat Sommerso 46 DLC (Ref. 9015) is distinguished by its tactical PVD-coated case and lefty crown. The watch stands out both in design and presence on the wrist. The U-Boat watches gifted by this service are more than sophisticated timekeeping instruments; they are tokens of respect, trust, and an unspoken bond among intelligence professionals. They are reminders of joint efforts, shared risks, and commitments that transcend geographic and political divides, embodying the spirit of international collaboration in the clandestine world of intelligence. Today, that Paramilitary Officer is medically retired due to health issues and is going through treatment with the assistance of the Third Option Foundation. He continues to work in the national security space, with frequent trips to the Middle East. He regularly wears the U-Boat watch as well as his Special Activities Center “unit watch,” he purchased as a retirement gift to himself. The timepieces are a memento, a constant reminder of his multi-decade service to his country, and a private celebration of his accomplishments. As we said earlier, in our community, it’s never just a watch. If you would like to support the men and women of the CIA’s Special Activity Center, please consider a donation to the Third Option Foundation. 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: Marathon, Watch Maker for the Modern Military
Read More![Living In Zulu Time - Why GMT Watches Are Important to Special Operations & Intelligence Officers](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_20.png?v=1711373186)
Living In Zulu Time - Why GMT Watches Are Important to Special Operations & Intelligence Officers
Tracking Multiple Time Zones In Austere Circumstances By J.R. Seeger, former CIA SIS Greenwich Mean Time or “GMT” is an internationally accepted timing standard by...
Read MoreTracking Multiple Time Zones In Austere Circumstances By J.R. Seeger, former CIA SIS Greenwich Mean Time or “GMT” is an internationally accepted timing standard by which all other time zones are defined. A GMT watch tracks one or two additional time zones by way of a fourth hand, a bezel or chapter ring with 24-hour markings, or some combination of the two. Revered by enthusiasts for invoking a sense of nostalgia, GMT watches serve as a throwback to the golden age of travel before cell phones. But for those at the tip of the spear living in Zulu Time, the GMT has a more practical function. Living In Zulu Time While there were earlier attempts at tracking multiple timezones, like the watches US Navy officer Philip Van Horn Weems developed with Longines in the ‘20s, GMT watches as we know them today took off in the 1950s, first with the Glycine Airman in 1953 and followed by the Rolex GMT-Master in 1954. Robust and relatively attainable at the time, this burgeoning category of watches provided the ability to ascertain the time of day in two or even three time zones around the globe at a glance. The Tudor Black Bay GMT (Photo Credit: James Rupley) For pilots or the then-novel community of international business travelers, watches like the GMT-Master were exceptionally helpful. But why are GMT watches important to the world of Watches of Espionage? In The Shadow World - Timing Is Everything We regularly point out that time is an essential factor in both espionage and special operations, sometimes acting as the difference between life and death if a case officer or agent is not at a given meeting place precisely on time. Lingering on “the X” invites scrutiny and, in the shadowy world of espionage, scrutiny can mean arrest, prison, or even execution. Special operations missions are also exceptionally choreographed, meaning every second counts when a team is linking up on the ground, at sea, or in the air. And this is where a GMT watch serves as an essential piece of kit. Rolex GMT Master Reference 1675 on Billy Waugh’s wrist in retirement. Waugh was a legendary Special Forces operator and CIA contractor. (Photo Credit, Recoil Magazine and Tom Marshall) This level of choreography across assets often involves traveling across multiple time zones. Coordinating a multifaceted mission based on various local timing standards invites uncertainty and risk, with the entire concept of local time potentially meaning different things to different people for any number of different units or assets involved. This is why case officers and special ops personnel live in what is known as Zulu Time. Being on Zulu Time ensures everyone is on time and minimizes the risk of operations failing due to timing errors. Utilized by the military, various government organizations, and the world of aviation, Zulu Time is so named for the Z timezone in the ACP 121 military timing standard of 25 letter-designated zones, with each zone referring to a longitudinal swath of the Earth. As you may have surmised, the Z, pronounced “Zulu” in NATO’s phonetic alphabet, indicates Greenwich Mean Time or GMT, which is also often referred to as UTC or Coordinated Universal Time. If everyone involved in a given mission is working in Zulu Time, no matter where they are in the world, everyone is on the same page. If your watch happens to display Zulu Time in addition to local time, all the better. Vintage Bulova advertisement for the Accutron Astronaut. The 1960s & 1970s: Traveling At The Edge Of Space In Zulu Time The most celebrated story in the history of GMT watches is the legendary affiliation between Pan American Airlines, the Boeing 707, and the aforementioned GMT-Master. While the pages of that story are well-worn, several other GMT watches deserve their place in history especially when being viewed through the lens of our community. In the late 1950s, the CIA and Lockheed’s Skunk Works were working on the Archangel program to produce a manned, aerial reconnaissance aircraft. That program produced the A-12, an aircraft that would fly at the edge of space at speeds greater than 2000 mph. Given the incredible speed, every piece of the aircraft, the cameras, the film, and even the pressure suits for the pilots had to be redesigned to handle the rigors of the mission. Lockheed’s A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft Neither Lockheed nor the CIA were certain what would happen to a standard mechanical watch at the edge of space with the incredible g-forces caused by accelerating to such high speeds. At the same time, the Agency needed their pilots to have a watch that would track both local time at their base as well as Zulu Time, the basis for all of their communications. W.O.E.s Personal Vintage Bulova, Accutron (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Rather than a Glycine or a Rolex GMT-Master, both of which were popular with more conventional pilots of the day, early A-12 pilots were issued a Bulova Accutron Astronaut equipped with a GMT-hand as well as a friction-fit 24-hour bezel. At the A-12’s incredible speeds, a pilot traveled through various time zones in minutes, making the ability to easily track Zulu Time with their watch essential for coordinating and communicating with ground crews and higher levels of operational oversight. 1990-1991: Fighting A War In Two Time Zones In addition to the necessity of Zulu Time, there are examples of managing two critical time zones with two separate watches. Nearly every photo of General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) during the First Gulf War, shows the general wearing two watches. In a previous Dispatch, Stormin’ Norman explained that he needed to track the time in both Saudi Arabia and Washington, DC, balancing the needs of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of Defense, and the President, all of whom were operating on Eastern Standard Time (EST), with troops on the ground operating on Arabian Standard Time (AST). Why the general opted for a pair of Seiko watches as opposed to any number of GMT watches available in the early 1990s is anyone’s guess, but it’s possible the general simply found two watches to be the easier, or perhaps more attainable, option. CIA’s Team Alpha prior to Insertion into Afghanistan. Seeger Back Row, Third From Left. (Photo Credit: CIA) 2001: The Global War On Terror Fast forward to 2001 and post-9/11 conflicts in Southwest Asia and the Middle East. When I deployed to Afghanistan as a team leader of one of the CIA’s first teams to enter the country, the most common watches on the wrists of most Special Forces operators and specifically on my team were plastic digital watches from brands like G-Shock and Timex. While not often considered among the GMT category, these straightforward digital tool watches (D.T.W.) displayed a single time zone with another one available at the push of a button. What was the second time zone? Zulu Time or UTC was the most common option. Given the amount of military and government assets in the country at the time, Zulu Time was essential for coordinating complex operations in theater. When a Special Forces ODA in Afghanistan requested logistics support from TF Dagger at Karshi-Khanabad airfield in Southern Uzbekistan (with a half-hour time difference from Afghanistan) or close air support aka “steel on target” from a USAF aircraft based outside the theater or a US Navy fast mover from a carrier battle group in the Arabian Sea, all of the players could be working off of the same time “hack.” Similarly, when my team communicated with CIA headquarters, our satellite communication – whether data or voice – was keyed to Zulu Time so that all of the participants knew when that vital communication would take place. A trio of Rolex GMT Master II models. (Photo Credit: James Rupley) Today: An Abundance Of Choices While digital watches are exceptionally robust and in many cases offer convenient features such as solar charging, many do not provide an at-a-glance view of two time zones. Looking to the world of analog quartz and mechanical timekeeping, there are a number of options available today for GMT enthusiasts whether managing Zulu Time is at the top of your list of priorities or not. Starting with the most basic, certain watches including the Benrus Type I and II of the 1970s utilized a simple time-only movement and display in conjunction with a rotating bezel with 12-hour markings. By rotating the bezel to reflect a given time difference, an operator could relatively easily track another timezone including Zulu Time. Using a time-only caliber, the Mil-Spec Benrus Type I provided a measure of GMT functionality using nothing more than a rotating 12-hour bezel. (Photo Credit: Analog Shift) By a wide margin, the most common format for an analog GMT leans into a fourth hand used in coordination with either a chapter ring or bezel equipped with 24-hour markings. In many ways cemented by the GMT-Master and its modern descendant the GMT-Master II, which is still making its way beyond the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere on the wrist of a certain Saudi astronaut, the format can now be found in both quartz and automatic watches at a wide variety of price points. Though technology has drastically improved our operational capabilities when working across time zones, a straightforward and robust GMT watch still serves as a useful tool in any modern operator or case officer’s arsenal. No matter where they are based, and no matter what GMT watch they might use, today’s members of the WOE community will continue to live in Zulu Time. -- 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: A Navy SEAL’s Rolex Submariner on the Osama Bin Laden Raid About The Author: J.R. Seeger served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne and as a CIA officer for a total of 27 years of federal service. He served 17 years in multiple field assignments focused on counterterrorism, counterintelligence and irregular warfare. During his final, 3-year assignment in CIA Headquarters, he first served as a chief of operations for a geographic division in the Directorate of Operations and then served as a deputy director and deputy chief of the CIA Counterterrorism Center. His seven-part MIKE4 series is about a family who have served in the special operations and intelligence community from World War II to the present.
Read More![A Mystery Death in Oslo, an Intelligence Op Gone Wrong?](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Oslo_Murder_Watches_of_Espionage.jpg?v=1708258050)
A Mystery Death in Oslo, an Intelligence Op Gone Wrong?
An unidentified woman was found dead in a luxury Oslo hotel. Was “Jennifer Fairgate” an assassin, spy or a troubled woman looking to disappear? Her...
Read MoreAn unidentified woman was found dead in a luxury Oslo hotel. Was “Jennifer Fairgate” an assassin, spy or a troubled woman looking to disappear? Her timepiece is a clue to solving a complex puzzle that reads like a Hollywood thriller. 3 June 1995, Oslo Plaza Hotel, Room 2805 The woman’s body was sprawled out on the bed, a pistol lay awkwardly in her right hand with her thumb still on the trigger– a single entry wound to her forehead. An apparent suicide; but investigators quickly noticed several anomalies: the woman had no identification and the room was absent of any clues to her true identity. In fact, she had gone to great lengths to conceal her identity, first by checking into the room in alias and paying cash, and further, she removed the labels from the limited clothing in the room and even the serial numbers on the Browning 9 mm pistol that was found with her. There was no way of telling who she was or what she was doing, except for one obscure clue. The only item that was not modified to remove identifiers was her watch, a Citizen Aqualand worn on her left wrist. VG/Police Evidence Photo By any definition, the Aqualand is a robust tool watch and specifically a dive watch with strong military provenance with versions issued to many units including the British Special Boat Service (SBS) and Danish Frogman Corps. The clunky Aqualand was not the expected watch of a young fashionable Belgian woman; it was seemingly out of place. Oslo Mystery Nearly three decades later, the death of “Jennifer Fairgate” is still a mystery. Some theories about her death are certainly influenced by Hollywood's portrayal of the intelligence world–many speculate that she may have been an “operative” or “assassin.” At W.O.E., we offer a fact-based assessment of her tradecraft (and watch) in an effort to better understand the reality of these so-called “operative” theories. The more we explore this incident, the more we’re left with questions rather than answers. However one thing is for sure–her Citizen is a piece of the puzzle that could offer clues to her identity and trade. Artistic rendering of “Jennifer Fairgate” (Harald Nygård) 29 May 1995, Oslo, Norway The woman checked into an upscale hotel three days prior without a credit card, using the throwaway alias “Jennifer Fergate.” Conflicting reports indicate she may have been with a man, “Lois Fairgate'', who was later added to the room registration. ‘Jennifer’ provided a nonexistent address in Belgium on the registration card, and she wrote down a date of birth that indicated she was 21 years old, though forensic pathologists would determine she was approximately 30 years old. As detailed in a Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries, she spent the next few days outside the room with a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. On June 3rd, a number of days after she had checked in, hotel staff knocked on room 2805 in an attempt to collect payment from Fairgate. While a member of the hotel staff was at the door, a gunshot was heard inside. The employee left the room unsupervised for 15 minutes as he retrieved the head of security. When they returned, the room was locked from the inside. When they entered the room they reportedly smelled gunpowder, presumably from the recent shot fired in a confined space, and saw the dead body lying on the bed, shoes still on. VG/Police Evidence Photo While Occam's razor would lead to the conclusion that this was a distraught woman set on committing suicide and disappearing forever, many have speculated that she was in fact an “intelligence operative,” maybe even an “assassin” disposed of after a failed assignment. In the documentary, former Norwegian Intelligence Service officer Ola Kaldager assessed ‘Jennifer’ was an intelligence officer and her death was meant to look like a suicide, even though she was, according to Kaldager, executed. Intelligence Officer Tradecraft? From a tradecraft perspective, Fairgate’s profile is potentially consistent with that of an intelligence officer. The use of hotels for operational purposes is as old as espionage itself and is still a common practice today (though much more difficult with the rise of Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance). Based on logs from the keycard reader, she was absent from the room for extended periods of time, at one point for approximately 20 hours, which could indicate operational activity. While at CIA, I often leveraged similar tradecraft to what was used by ‘Jennifer’ when it came to hotel meetings and operational travel. The use of “throwaway aliases” is common, and Russian “illegals” even go as far as to assume the identity of a deceased child, the name and date of birth collected by Directorate S assets from graveyard or church registries. Another element that points to “Jennifer” having utilized tradecraft has to do with her clothing. A search of the room revealed few personal items, except for several changes of clothes for her upper body including sweaters and trenchcoats, which could be used for profile changes while operational. While removing tags from clothes is not necessarily common, intel collectors are trained to remove all pocket litter or anything identifiable when in alias. Assassination? There was a 15-minute gap between the sound of the gunshot and the arrival of hotel security. The room was locked from the inside, something that in theory could have been done by a professional during a hasty escape. Investigators have pointed out the awkward grip of the pistol and the fact that there was no blood splatter on “Jennifer’s” hand as possible indications that there was another shooter. There was a second bullet hole through a pillow and into the mattress, which in theory could have been a test shot from Jennifer or a warning shot to scare the hotel attendant at the door. Of note, many intelligence services have carried out targeted killings (assassinations) with the goal of making it look like a suicide, most notably the Russian KGB/FSB and Israeli Mossad, two services with a history of operational activity in Norway. The Watch The Citizen Aqualand is a purpose-built and robust tool watch, designed specifically for subaquatic duty, complete with a depth gauge and a no-decompression limit (NDL) chart on the strap. When it comes to tool watches, this is about as tool-like as it gets. Various references of the Aqualand have been issued to and worn by Special Operations maritime units throughout Europe, including the Italian Navy, UK Special Operations, and notably, the Danish Frogman Corps (Frømandskorpset). That the watch is issued to the Danish Frogmen Corps is noteworthy, as it neighbors Norway, where the “Jennifer” was found. Tony, a British SBS operator, 25 November 2001, Qala-i Jangi, Afghanistan wearing a Citizen Aqualand Dive Pro Master, which was issued to SBS “Z-Squadron" which specialized in underwater attack and insertion using Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDV) While correlation doesn't equal causation, the Citizen Aqualand is not a watch one wears by accident and wearing it starkly contrasts the semi-fashionable outfits found with the woman. In the intelligence business, a robust watch is a must and the dual analog/digital features would be an effective tool of espionage. In the 1990s, the Aqualand was popular amongst divers. It is entirely possible the woman behind Jennifer Fairgate was a diving enthusiast who lived by or traveled frequently to the coast. As Jason Heaton, diving enthusiast and friend of W.O.E., would later say, “the Aqualand became, in effect, the last dive watch built for, and bought by, real divers who needed a tool for timing dives.” No-deco limits printed on the strap (Jason Heaton) It’s an analytical leap to conclude that because the watch has strong ties to the military and is an issued watch, that “Jennifer” was an intelligence officer. But what can the watch tell us? To know, we have to look beyond simply the make and model of the watch. Tracing the Watch According to an investigative report by newspaper VG, the Citizen Aqualand reference CQ-1021-50 was manufactured three years prior in January 1992 with the serial number C022-088093 Y, 2010779, GN-4-S. This was confirmed by Citizen at in Japan. The watch contained three Swiss-made Renata 370-type batteries made in December 1994. The batteries were crudely engraved “W395,” which investigators believed means they were installed March 1995 and “W'' may indicate the initials of the watchmaker. Some online outlets have suggested the watch was purchased in Germany, but there is no substantial proof of this claim. The watch was reportedly later sold at a police auction. Of note, Watchmakers often record their work on the inside caseback of a watch with a light engraving, or in this case, on the battery itself with a hand-engraved note. It lets other watchmakers know in the future what’s been done and when. Wilderness of Mirrors The intelligence world is often referred to as the “wilderness of mirrors,” a space where the truth is complicated and nothing is as it seems. We spoke with John Sipher, who ran the CIA’s Russia operations, for his assessment in the incident. Sipher, who also served in Nordic countries during the 90s, explained that Norway and Scandinavian countries have long been of interest to Russia due to the proximity and strategic issues including the Baltic Sea, oil, and as an opening to Western Europe. In fact, as recently as October 2022, Norway’s domestic security agency arrested Mikhail Mikushin, a suspected Russian GRU (military intelligence) “illegal” posing as a Brazilian academic, José Assis Giammaria. Anna Chapman, A Russian “Illegal” arrested in the US as part of the Illegals Program, a Ulysse Nardin on her wrist. Given the information available, Sipher said that it is possible Fairgate was a Russian intelligence officer or asset, but that it’s just as likely she was involved in organized crime, and that the two were not always mutually exclusive during that period. Russian Organized Crime Sipher explained that in the 1990s many former KGB officers had gone on to work for organized crime after the collapse of the Soviet Union. KGB “formers'' were some of the few Russians that knew how to use international banks and could effectively carry out tasks in Europe. In fact, in the post-Cold War years there was “much more overlap of Russian organized crime and intelligence and the two were often synonymous.” Sipher pointed us to a quote by former Director of CIA James Woolsey from 1993-1995: “If you should strike up a conversation with an articulate English-speaking Russian… wearing a $3,000 suit and a pair of Gucci loafers, and he tells you that he is an executive of a Russian trading company…then there are four possibilities. He may be what he says he is. He may be a Russian intelligence officer working under commercial cover. He may be part of a Russian organized crime group. But the really interesting possibility is that he may be all three and none of those three institutions have any problem with the arrangement.” While she may fit the profile of a Russian intelligence officer, asset or “illegal,” there is a lack of indicators connecting Fairgate directly to Russia. East German Intelligence Former East German Intelligence “Stasi” compound in Berlin. Sipher further explained a similar phenomenon with former East German intelligence officers leveraging their skills for employment after the unification of Germany and disbandment of the East German Stasi (Ministry for State Security). Stasi officers had close contact with Soviet officials, were renowned for their sharpness and capabilities, and were often recruited by Russian services to carry out operations in Europe. German nationals could easily move around Europe without raising suspicions. Stasi ID card used by then-KGB officer Vladimir Putin from 1985-1990 in Dresden, East Germany. The card was found in a Stasi archive. While this is informed speculation, it’s possible that Fairgate was a former East German intelligence officer working on behalf of Russian intelligence or a criminal organization. There are several indications that Fairgate had ties to East Germany including her accent when checking in and forensic analysis of her DNA. Some of her clothes, including potentially her watch, originated in Germany. This links back to the theory that the watch was serviced in Germany. Mossad, Israel and The Oslo Accords The Oslo Plaza Hotel was also reportedly one of the locations of secret negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian authorities for the Oslo II Accord, signed a few months after Fairgate’s death. While evidence is only circumstantial, it is possible that there is some nexus to this event and that Fairgate was an Israeli operative or the target of a Mossad assassination. Mossad has a long history of both deep cover operations and targeted killings. In January 2010, a team of Mossad operatives (many under European alias) assassinated Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in his hotel room in Dubai using an injection to make it appear to be of natural causes. They locked the room from the inside and the body was not discovered until the following day. Israeli operative (tennis players) track Mahmoud al-Mabhouh to his hotel room. In fact, Mossad has carried out at least one botched assassination in Norway: in 1973, when a hit team mistook a Moroccan waiter for that of Black September member Hassan Salameh, they shot him 13 times with a 22-caliber pistol, in what became known in intelligence circles as the “Lillehammer Affair.” While there is nothing directly connecting Fairgate to Israel, Mossad is widely known to use dual-citizens for covert and clandestine operations. It is important to note, while Israel has issued several dive watches to elite units, we are not aware of any direct tie between the Citizen Aqualand and Israeli Defense Forces or Mossad. Black September member Hassan Salameh, target of Israeli assassination program after Munich attack. Conclusion While we cannot say definitively, there are several anomalies with this case that suggest the woman known as “Jennifer Fairgate” may have been involved in intelligence activity. That said, it’s also entirely possible that she was involved in some other illicit activity or potentially worked as an escort. Espionage is often referred to as the “world's second oldest profession” and at times has a similar profile to the first. The reality of the intelligence world is more mundane than portrayed in Hollywood. That said, assassinations, deep cover, and high-stakes movie-like operations certainly do happen. In intelligence collection, the mosaic of puzzle pieces are rarely all collected and for now the picture of this event is opaque. We’re only seeing part of the story, and perhaps it’s not even the ending. This could have been a covert operation carried out by the Russians, Israelis or a host of other services, but it is just as likely it was the case of a desperate woman, looking to leave this world behind without a trace. If that is the case, she certainly achieved her goal. The watch is still an outstanding clue and may be the only lead to her identity. Somewhere there is a watch maker who installed the battery in that watch, which may provide additional information on her origin. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. *For more information on this incident, check out the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries and the comprehensive investigative report by VG, “Mystery at the Oslo Plaza” -- This Dispatch has been reviewed by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board to prevent the disclosure of classified information. READ NEXT: Special Boat Service OMEGA Seamaster
Read More![CIA Timepiece Analysis: President Putin and Tucker Carlson](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Putin_Tucker_Carlson_Hero_Shot.png?v=1707682309)
CIA Timepiece Analysis: President Putin and Tucker Carlson
Last week, former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson interviewed former KGB officer and current Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. While much of...
Read MoreLast week, former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson interviewed former KGB officer and current Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. While much of the coverage surrounded the controversy of Tucker himself, we will focus on what we know best: the watches present at the meeting in the Kremlin. It’s not just W.O.E. who will be analyzing Putin’s watch, members of the American Intelligence Community will be scrutinizing it, too. As we previously discussed in “CIA Analysis of Foreign Leaders’ Timepieces”, CIA Directorate of Analysis (DA) analysts will scrutinize this video frame-by-frame in order to inform policy makers. Like we aim to do at W.O.E., they too will ignore the noise and rely on ruthless objectivity to produce an actionable product. Putin Takes off the Watch: Minutes into the interview, Putin, dressed in a dark suit and maroon tie, removed his watch (potentially a Blancpain Léman Aqua Lung Grande Date) and placed it on the side table next to him, facing the camera. At face value, this subtle gesture could have several meanings. In an interview that lasted over two hours, it was clear that Putin was very generous with his time and it could be a conscious signal that he was in no hurry to end the interview. Additionally, taking off one's watch and laying it on the table is a clear indication that it’s Putin’s home turf, i.e. the Kremlin. In general, people only take off watches in their home as the risk of leaving a watch behind is a mistake you only make once. Putin is in a position of power; he's in control in his home. Whether this was a calculated move or a subconscious habit, we can only speculate, but these are exactly the type of questions analysts ask. We have seen Putin take off his watch and place it on the table in the exact same manner as recently as October 2023. Putin Health Issues: After removing the watch, Putin vigorously rubbed his wrist for a few seconds. This could be a regular habit of his, but it could also be a potential indicator of health issues. Rumors have been swirling around concerning President Putin’s health for years. Many of these rumors have been disproved; they’re either fabricated or amplified as a part of disinformation campaigns by Ukrainian intelligence services, Russian opposition, or other third party actors. That said, there are some indications of deteriorating health, stiff or painful wrists are among them and could be a symptom of a plethora of medical issues, including carpal tunnel syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis. In a vacuum, the gesture is totally inconclusive, however if paired with other information, it could paint a clearer picture of Putin’s health. Misinformation is false or inaccurate information—getting the facts wrong. Disinformation is false information which is deliberately intended to mislead—intentionally misstating the facts. Putin's body double? Past videos of Putin and his watch have caused some to question whether the Kremlin uses a body double in public appearances. In one video he appears uncomfortable wearing a watch on his right wrist, and in another video he appears to glance down at his left wrist to check the time, presumably looking at the place the body double normally wears his watch. While it’s certainly possible, it appears this “body double” theory was likely disinformation from Ukrainian services to create questions about Putin's health and mental fitness. This narrative has been promoted by those close to Kiev, amplified on social media, and even picked up by some Western news outlets. Of note, several Dictators have used body doubles in the past (including allegedly Iraq’s Saddam Hussein) and it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that Putin would use one. That said, most of the known use cases of body doubles are for security purposes (dummy motorcade) as opposed to recorded interviews that can be heavily scrutinized. We see no indications that this or any other interview was conducted by a “body double.” A million dollar collection? The “expensive watch collection” owned by Putin that’s often cited in the media is estimated to be valued over $1 million although we can assume this number is low for one of the wealthiest men in the world. Putin appears to favor silver watches on a black strap as seen during the interview. In recent years Putin has consistently worn a Blancpain Léman Aqua Lung Grande Date but has also been photographed wearing a Russian made, Imperial Peterhof Factory (Raketa) watch. The one in the interview is potentially the Blancpain given the butterfly clasp. For a full rundown of Putin’s watch collection see: “Watches of the War in Ukraine.” Tucker and CIA Troll: Another striking W.O.E. moment in the conversation was when Putin seemed to troll Tucker with a backhanded compliment about not being accepted to CIA: “CIA of course, the organization you wanted to join back in the day as I understand. We should thank God they didn’t let you in. Although it is a serious organization I understand. My former vis-a-vis in the sense that I served in the First Main Directorate, Soviet Union's intelligence service; they have always been our opponents, a job is a job.” According to press reports, Carlson did in fact apply to CIA after graduating from Trinity College. As an apolitical platform, we are neither pro-nor-against Tucker Carlson, however we will note that not being accepted to CIA is by no means a failure. While we can only speculate on acceptance rates for CIA officers, the number is minuscule and many have speculated that it is easier to get into Harvard than CIA. Regardless, the President of Russia’s preplanned troll of the TV personality is on another level, just another example of once a KGB officer, always a KGB officer. During the interview, Tucker wore his “Buckley Dial” Rolex Datejust on a steel and gold Jubilee bracelet. Tucker appears to be a one-watch-man and the “Buckley dial” is a unique Datejust with printed (not applied) Roman numerals. The watches were produced in the 1970s and 80s and the name is reportedly linked to John Buckley, a vintage watch dealer. There is no shortage of stories to cover in the Watches of Espionage niche, and this article is an example of that. At most historic moments, there are watches present and they offer insight into the men and women wearing them. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. --Read Next: The Lasting Legacy of the CIA’s Lockheed A-12 and the Watch That Served It
Read More![The Real Spy Gadget Watches of the CIA, KGB, MIT and German Intelligence](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Bond_Omega.png?v=1706543890)
The Real Spy Gadget Watches of the CIA, KGB, MIT and German Intelligence
The Real Spy (Gadget) Watches of the CIA, Soviet KGB, Turkish MIT and German Intelligence While Hollywood's depiction of lasers, knockout gas, and grappling hooks...
Read MoreThe Real Spy (Gadget) Watches of the CIA, Soviet KGB, Turkish MIT and German Intelligence While Hollywood's depiction of lasers, knockout gas, and grappling hooks disguised as Rolex Submariners and Omega Seamasters is entertaining, it’s largely all a fantastical product of a screenwriter's imagination. In fact, at CIA I was never issued a watch and there were only a handful of times in my career that I used “spy gear;” instead, I regularly relied on low technology solutions to build relationships, recruit spies and steal secrets. The art of human intelligence (HUMINT) has changed little over thousands of years. That being said, there are several historical examples of intelligence officers leveraging timepieces as tools for concealment, surveillance, and listening devices. In the hyper-niche genre of watches and espionage, it is important to separate fact from fiction and break down the widespread notion of spies wearing gadget-focused watches. In this dispatch, we’ll get into the rare instances where spies did in fact use these sorts of watch-appearing gadgets. From the Collection of H. Keith and Karen Melton. We have profiled one instance when CIA Technical Officers modified a digital Seiko to conceal a Tropel T-100 camera inside, however there isn’t any solid evidence that this was actually fielded in clandestine collection. Since that article, we’ve spoken with several officers knowledgeable on the program and none of them were confident it was ever used in such a capacity. Many real “spy watches” are on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C, however. And much of their history is documented and proven. Omega Seamaster 300m with a laser embedded in Goldeneye, 1995. Hanhart Protona: One well known example of “spy gear” embedded in a timepiece is the Protona Minifon, which contained a microphone to surreptitiously record conversations during the Cold War era. The case was perforated and contained a microphone and a cord ran out of the 9 o’clock up the wearer's arm to the tape recorder. The “watch” itself did not actually keep time and the movement was removed to make space for the microphone. Recent descriptions of these at auction have suggested that they were used by CIA and other intelligence agencies, many pointing to an operation with detained Moscow-based CIA Case Officer Marti Peterson. The narrative of the “microphone watch” during the detainment of Marti continues today and is repeated in both historical publications and watch media outlets, a myth we debunked in a previous Dispatch (Read Here: Moscow Rules). But the watch certainly does exist, and was presumably designed and fielded to surreptitiously record conversations. But was it ever actually used for intelligence collection or was it just a gimmick? The device was designed in the 1950s and produced until Protana closed up shop in 1967. Numerous online forums claim the watch was issued to “German agents on both sides of the Berlin Wall” and involved in the defection of KGB officer Vladimir Petrov in Canberra, Australia in 1954. While there does appear to be a recording device in the latter, we have seen no documented evidence of it actually being this specific tool. In fact, in our conversations with numerous Cold War era CIA Ops and Technical Officers, none of them had heard of Hanhart (including Marti Peterson). In contrast to the CIA modified bespoke Seiko, the Hanhart was a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product, something that intelligence services are often hesitant to use without significant testing, evaluation and modification. Further, while the device was advanced for its time, the watch was bulky and impractical. Wrist watches on display at "Contact Istanbul" exhibition at Istanbul's Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) (Photo Credit: Daily Sabah) That said, a recent exhibition from Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) displaying espionage artifacts revealed that MIT indeed used several wristwatches with recording devices for “various operations,” and the watches appear to be Protona Minifon. So we do have some confirmation that this model was used by an intelligence agency, just not the ones that the internet forums would have you believe. While listening devices and recording conversations are definitely an occurrence in the Intel world, it’s rare at CIA. I don’t recall ever being trained in surreptitiously recording conversations and the only conversations I recorded were in specialty debriefing rooms for “walk ins”- individuals volunteering information to the US government, and they were aware they were being recorded. Steineck ABC Wristwatch Camera: Steineck ABC Wristwatch Camera, From the Collection of H. Keith and Karen Melton at the International Spy Museum. In surveillance operations, photographic evidence of the target can be a valuable piece in the mosaic of intelligence collection and analysis. In the present day, miniscule digital cameras can be embedded in just about anything and long-range cameras are capable of capturing real-time imagery in poor conditions. But that wasn’t always the case. In the early days of the Cold War, capturing photographs of a target required up close surveillance tradecraft. To fill this gap, West German based Steineck produced the ABC Wrist Watch Camera. Steineck ABC Wristwatch Camera, From the Collection of H. Keith and Karen Melton at the International Spy Museum. The watch was developed after WWII and produced from 1949 until the late 1950s. The tool is worn on the wrist as one would a watch, but doesn’t tell time. In theory, the metallic dial and leather strap would allow it to pass initial scrutiny at a distance or in low light conditions. The watch would likely require significant training and practice to capture an acceptable image while appearing to casually check the time. With a press of a button in the side of the case, the surveillant could photograph clandestine meetings or a target conducting an operational act. With a fixed exposure and focal length, not to mention a limit of eight images, the watch would likely need to be used only in ideal conditions and lighting. Again, we have no documented evidence of this actually being fielded by an intelligence service, but that does not mean it never was. KGB Pocket Watch - Concealment Device: KGB concealment device pocket watch. From the Collection of H. Keith and Karen Melton at the International Spy Museum. (International Spy Museum) The passage of sensitive information between the asset –“spy”-- and the handling Case Officer is a crucial part of a human intelligence operation. In the Cold War, tradecraft involving the transfer of film or microdots was common, often through Dead Drops or other impersonal agent handling methods. A concealment device (CD) with a cavity disguised in a benign item would allow the agent or intelligence officer to securely transfer the information across international borders or to the local Embassy for transmission back to headquarters. This pocket watch was (reportedly) designed by the Soviet KGB (Комитет государственной безопасности -КГБ) for this purpose. At first glance, it is a normal pocket watch that would not draw attention or scrutiny when carried by a diplomat or government official in any western capital. While ostensibly produced in the Soviet Union, the watch contains English writing “TAKE YOUR CHANCE” as it would have been issued to an asset working in an English-speaking country. But the watch contains a secret cavity to hold and conceal film, microdots or a folded note. CIA Clock with Concealed Receiver (1970s) for covert signaling. A Moscow agent could request an unscheduled meeting by activating a transmitter as he drove past the home of his CIA case officer, who kept this clock on his desk. (International Spy Museum) The Apple Watch: While the days of leveraging a traditional timepiece as a piece of spy gear may be obsolete due to technological advancements, the smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, offer endless possibilities for espionage both offensively and defensively. Leveraging “zero day” exploits, hostile intelligence services can remotely and surreptitiously compromise a smartwatch to activate the microphone, camera or pull locational data in real time. Given these technological advancements, spies of the future will continue to rely on low-tech solutions for timekeeping. Thank you to the International Spy Museum for the assistance with the background and research for this article. These and other watches are on display at the museum for your next visit to Washington D.C. -- 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: Special Boat Service OMEGA Seamaster
Read More![Watches as Tools of Money Laundering and Illicit Finance](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/hero_shot_woe.jpg?v=1704765153)
Watches as Tools of Money Laundering and Illicit Finance
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...
Read MoreLuxury 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
Read More![A Question of Time: The Time Pencil Explosive Fuze in World War II](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/013.jpg?v=1701715732)
A Question of Time: The Time Pencil Explosive Fuze in World War II
In intelligence operations, time matters. While our Dispatch articles traditionally focus on watches, today we look at another tool to measure time, the time pencil. ...
Read MoreIn intelligence operations, time matters. While our Dispatch articles traditionally focus on watches, today we look at another tool to measure time, the time pencil. It’s a short time fuze detonator used for explosive charges in covert operations in World War II. We have profiled watches of the Glorious Amateurs of the Office of Strategic Service (OSS) officers in World War II, this is another time measuring tool they used to accomplish their mission. By JR Seeger The allied support to resistance operations in Occupied Europe focused on sabotage operations before D-Day and then more aggressive combat operations after the fact. The challenge for sabotage operations was to conduct said operation but live to fight another day. Some of the most effective sabotage operations took place inside factories where enslaved workers would periodically insure whatever came off the assembly line was not quite to specifications. Still, the most dramatic of the resistance operations before D-Day focused on using explosives against roads, bridges, and railways. In 1939, with the Nazi blitzkrieg closing in on Warsaw, Polish military intelligence officers provided the small British contingent with intelligence and technology to be taken to England. Officers from the Secret Intelligence Service and the military intelligence contingent, including Lieutenant Colonel Colin Gubbins, returned to England with a treasure trove of intelligence including prototypes of a chemical time delay fuze. The prototypes were shared between SIS Section D (D for destruction) and Gubbins unit military intelligence unit focused on resistance operations. In 1940, these two offices were combined to become a new, independent organization, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). British Irregular Warfare: When the British SOE started their resistance training in England in 1940, explosives training was one of the primary classes. The SOE training on demolitions in the first years of the war was based entirely on military demolitions techniques including the use of standard military blasting caps and fuzes lighted either by a match or a simple friction plunger system known as a fuze ignitor. Based on this training, a resistance team had to emplace explosives and remain quite close to the actual blast – certainly no more than a few minutes away depending on the length of fuze used. While this technique worked well for combat engineers supported by infantry, it was not designed for a resistance group that wished to conduct sabotage and avoid capture. British scientists were already working on multiple time delay mechanisms, but their work focused on supporting other British irregular forces like the Commandos and other Small Scale Raiding Forces associated with the SOE. The Polish design was modified to create “time pencils” that used a chemical process as a time delay. Time pencils were used in the commando raid on the dry docks in St. Nazaire in March 1942. However, the reality was that British scientists simply did not have the resources to create a standardized time delay device that could be used by resistance forces across Europe. British Commandos, 1942 (Wikipedia Commons) Enter the Americans: After Pearl Harbor, William Donovan expanded the capabilities of his new office, the Coordinator of Information (COI), to include irregular warfare. Donovan provided the President with an irregular warfare plan in the summer/fall of 1941, but the US was still neutral, and President Roosevelt was not about to approve Donovan’s plans for special operations. By mid-December 1941, Roosevelt approved Donovan’s plans and he began to recruit America's counterpart to the SOE. Sabotage and subversion were central to Donovan’s strategic plan. In the early months of 1942, the COI and its successor in June 1942, Office of Strategic Services (OSS), were criticized at the time by generals at the Pentagon as simply a gathering of Ivy League intellectuals with little or no understanding of modern warfare. Donovan did gather some of the great minds of the American universities and industry and focused their skills on what he saw as a key part of modern war – irregular or partisan warfare. One of the key individuals in this new type of warfare was Stanley Lovell. Lovell was a successful industrial chemist and professor at Harvard when Donovan recruited him to use American technology in support of irregular warfare. Lovell was the chief of the OSS unit known as Research and Development and R&D designed and produced dozens of special weapons and equipment for the OSS and the SOE. One of the most useful and probably the smallest of Lovell’s devices was a modification of the British version of the “time pencil.” Lovell’s time pencil was an ingenious blend of chemistry and technology that could be mass produced and shared with resistance groups throughout Europe. It was a combination of a standard fuze ignitor at one end and a corrosive chemical compound at the other. When the corrosive compound was crushed inside the tube, it slowly eroded a fuze ignitor. The amount of the chemical mix allowed for time pencils to be created that delayed ignition from a few minutes to up to 24 hours. That meant that the saboteur could emplace the demolitions, lay out the camouflaged fuze, mix the chemicals by crushing one end of the time pencil and then leave. At a precise time, the time pencil would ignite the fuze, and start the explosive chain that would end with an explosion of plastic explosives. With the delivery of the time pencils, saboteurs and their resistance security partners could be miles away from the site when the explosion occurred and the inevitable Nazi investigation would begin. They could even conduct multiple operations in the same night. Of course, time pencils were not foolproof, and the chemical reaction would be affected by ambient temperature and other environmental factors. Still, the use of this new sabotage technique, coupled with an accurate wristwatch for keeping track of the time before the explosion made the resistance more effective. The time pencil was another example of cooperation between the US and UK teams supporting special operations. Like the easily ignored watch or the suitcase radio that made air and coastal delivery of resistance men and equipment possible, the time pencil was a small device with a big impact on special operations in World War II. Magnetic charge with Time Pencil placed on a vehicle (Imperial War Museum) READ NEXT: The Pragmatic Journey of a SEAL Through Watch Collecting -- J.R. Seeger served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne and as a CIA officer for a total of 27 years of federal service. He served 17 years in multiple field assignments focused on counterterrorism, counterintelligence and irregular warfare. During his final, 3-year assignment in CIA Headquarters, he first served as a chief of operations for a geographic division in the Directorate of Operations and then served as a deputy director and deputy chief of the CIA Counterterrorism Center. Seeger led multiple, small unit teams during his service, including leading one of the CIA teams that infiltrated into Afghanistan after 9/11. Since his retirement, J.R. has written articles and book reviews in the CIA professional journal “Studies in Intelligence” and the T.E. Lawrence Society newsletter. His eight-part MIKE4 series is about a family who have served in the special operations and intelligence community from World War II to the present.
Read More![Moscow Rules: Watches of the Widow Spy](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Screenshot_2023-11-08_102214.png?v=1700497018)
Moscow Rules: Watches of the Widow Spy
Spy Watches, Women and Espionage - At the height of the Cold War, a female CIA officer operated with impunity on the streets of Moscow,...
Read MoreSpy Watches, Women and Espionage - At the height of the Cold War, a female CIA officer operated with impunity on the streets of Moscow, free from the ever-present KGB surveillance. But it all changed one warm summer night when she was ambushed while servicing a dead drop for a sensitive asset, TRIGON. The Seiko on her wr
Read More![Watches of the Middle East and the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Rolex_Boutique_Jerusalem.jpg?v=1699273760)
Watches of the Middle East and the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict
The latest Israel-Hamas war began one month ago with the October 7 terrorist attacks. It’s another conflict that will have significant impacts on the future...
Read MoreThe latest Israel-Hamas war began one month ago with the October 7 terrorist attacks. It’s another conflict that will have significant impacts on the future of the region and potentially the world. While the nature of a conflict changes over time, one constant is the presence of timepieces on the wrist of those making decisions. Our content is often influenced by current events, so today we’re looking at watches of the Middle East. As usual, we take an intelligence officer’s approach–devoid of opinion– as we explore the wrists of decision-makers, past and present, in the Middle East. Analysis of Foreign Leaders Timepieces As discussed in the previous Dispatch, “CIA Analysis Of Foreign Leaders’ Timepieces,” a foreign leader’s or warfighter's timepiece can tell us a lot about their character, how they perceive themselves, and how they want to be perceived by others. Analyzing a practitioner's watch can provide unique insight into both their personality and what they are trying to telegraph to their own constituents as well as the larger world, something especially true in today’s information war, which is something both Hamas and the Israelis engage in with varying efficacy. 1 September 2010. During Middle East negotiations, Egyptian President Mubarak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel check their watches to see if the sun has set; during Ramadan. (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons) Watches and the Middle East In the Middle East, watches play a significant role in diplomacy and business. They are just as much a status symbol as anywhere else; however, in diplomacy and intelligence circles, senior government officials present Swiss watches as gifts to recognize and honor a personal relationship. As a personal touch, many Middle Eastern governments special-order watches with the royal or national military crest on the dial or caseback to present as gifts. Prior to joining CIA, I was given a Breitling Aerospace from King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and I have since acquired a second Jordanian Breitling Aerospace from Abdullah’s father, his Majesty Hussein bin Talal. Additionally, on one of my first days at CIA as a junior trainee, I was provided $20,000 in cash and sent to an authorized dealer 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. War: To Study, Not Glorify While we often explore the dark corners of horology, we do not seek to glorify war or take a side on this particular conflict or any other. Coverage does not signify endorsement; watches are simply our prism for looking at history and current events in the way we know best: analyzing the wrists of those involved. Israel Israel has a long history with military timepieces. Everything from Rolex and Omega to Seiko can be seen on the wrists of Generals, spooks and Prime Ministers. Isser Harel was reportedly awarded this Rolex Submariner ref 5512 at the conclusion of his 11 year tenure as Director of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad in 1963. The watch was complete with an engraving containing his name and the Mossad insignia on the caseback. Rolex Sub 5512 belonging to former Mossad Director Isser Harel, (Photo Credit: Antiquorum) Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu- Panerai PAM048 Prime Minister Netanyahu regularly wears a Panerai Luminor PAM048, as was seen when he met with Israeli Defense Force (IDF) personnel while planning the response to the 7 October attacks. The PM served five years in a Special Operations unit of the IDF, Sayeret Matkal, with multiple combat deployments including a 1968 operation into Lebanon and the rescue of Sabena Flight 571. Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin- Rolex Submariner 1680 Photo Credit: Tiroche Auction House Yitzhak Rabin served as the Israeli Prime Minister from 1974 until 1977 and again from 1992 until his assassination in 1995 by ultranationalist Yigal Amir. Rabin was a career military officer. He oversaw Israeli operations during the 1967 Six-Day War and ultimately served as Minister of Defense for much of the 1980s. Rabin reportedly purchased this Rolex Submariner 1680 in Washington, D.C. when he became Israeli Ambassador to the US in 1972. The watch sold at auction for $95,000 in 2021. Former Minister of Defense Benny Gantz - Breitling Aerospace Breitling has long adorned the wrists of military personnel in both Israel and Arab nations. Pictured below is Former Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister Benny Gantz wearing a Breitling Aerospace. Breitling has also produced several limited editions for Israel, including a Breitling Aerospace featuring the Star of David for the fifty year anniversary of Israel. Photo Credit: AAG Auctioneers Palestine Yasser Arafat- Rolex Datejust Yasser Arafat (kunya- Abu Ammar) was Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) from the late 1960s until the early 2000s and wore several watches, including a Rolex Datejust (pictured). A number of profiles have noted his obsession with time, constantly checking his watch. In a 1989 Vanity Fair article, the author mentioned Arafat's lack of personal possessions, except for toiletry items and an expensive watch. When asked about the watch, Arafat replied: “It’s a Rolex, and works well.” Then he laughed and said, “But I don’t want to do propaganda for them.” Jordan King Abdullah II - MTM Black Falcon King Abdullah II of Jordan wearing a tactical MTM Black Falcon, which appears to be his daily wear. He embodies a "Warrior-King" ethos and judging from my limited personal experience seems to truly live this philosophy. His Majesty attended Sandhurst (British Royal Military Academy) in the UK and spent a career in the military. In 1994 he assumed command of Jordan's Special Operations Forces and built the Joint Special Operations Command. He is western-educated, attended Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a course at American Naval Postgraduate School. He’s also a Black Hawk pilot, as you may recall from a previous Dispatch article on the Jordanian Breitling. King Hussein bin Talal - Breitling Cosmonaute 809 Jordanian King Hussein bin Talal is pictured below wearing a custom Breitling Cosmonaute 809 during a military exercise in 1969. While we’re not entirely certain, the young boy is likely the current King Abdullah II, as the then-prince would have been seven years old at the time. According to Breitling aficionado Fred Mandelbaum ( @watchfred ), the connection between Breitling and King Hussein bin Talal started in 1965 and 1966, when he ordered several Navitimer 806s and Cosmonaute 809s in steel and had this Special Edition solid gold Cosmonaute 809 made for his personal collection. (Photo Credit: @ watchfred) The "King Hussein" in lustrous 18k gold, manufactured “ex ledger” without serial number and model reference for the private collection of Hussein bin Talal, the King of Jordan, with only his coat of arms on the caseback. Syria Hafiz Al-Assad - Commissioned Rolex “Syrian Submariner” Hafiz Al-Assad served as the President of Syria from 1971 until June 2000. During his tenure, he commissioned several Rolex pieces, including a “Polar dial” Explorer II (ref. 16550), Sea-Dweller (ref 1665) and this Submariner (Ref. 5513). Notably, each reference contains Al-Assad’s signature in red Arabic script, which have led some to refer to this as the “Syrian Submariner.” (Photo Credit: Hairspring) (Photo Credit: Hairspring) The below Sea-Dweller was reportedly a personal watch of Assad, and was gifted to his chef in return for a Ramadan meal. (Photo Credit: 10 Past Ten / Eric Ku) Egypt Hosni Mubarak - Rolex GMT Former President and Egyptian Air Force commander, Hosni Mubarak wore a Rolex GMT-Master on a steel and gold Jubilee bracelet during a meeting with Yasser Arafat. Mubarak reportedly owned several Rolex watches, including another Pepsi GMT and a Rolex Date-Just. Photo Credit: Unknown, sourced from Jake’s Rolex World Major General Abbas Kamel, the Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID), wearing a not-yet-identified watch during a visit to Gaza. Palestinian security detail wearing a plethora of Digital Tool Watches. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. READ NEXT: Tudors of Espionage (T.O.E.s)
Read More![Esquire Profile: The Mysterious Story Behind 'Watches of Espionage'](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Esquire_Watches_of_Espionage.png?v=1698684189)
Esquire Profile: The Mysterious Story Behind 'Watches of Espionage'
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...
Read MoreWatches 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'
Read More![Israeli Spy Eli Cohen’s Eterna-Matic Centenaire Recovered by Mossad](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Eli_Cohen_Hero_Shot_2.jpg?v=1698155747)
Israeli Spy Eli Cohen’s Eterna-Matic Centenaire Recovered by Mossad
By Toby Harnden The announcement in July 2018 of a successful “special Mossad operation” to recover a watch came more than 53 years after its...
Read MoreBy Toby Harnden The announcement in July 2018 of a successful “special Mossad operation” to recover a watch came more than 53 years after its owner had been publicly hanged in Damascus, Syria. The Eterna-Matic Centenaire 61 had been purchased in Geneva in 1961 by a Syrian called Kamel Amin Thaabet, who would wear the timepiece for almost four years. But Thaabet was a fiction. In fact, he was a Mossad officer called Eli Cohen, an Egyptian-born Jew who became Israel’s most legendary spy. Cohen has been depicted in numerous books and screen treatments, including by Sacha Baron Cohen in Netflix's The Spy in 2019. The Centenaire 61, then marketed as “thin…elegant…new…time and date at a glance, automatically” and retailed at $135 ($1,389 today) was a finishing touch to his cover. It seemed to befit his identity as Thaabet, a wealthy, flamboyant businessman bound for Buenos Aires. To this day, the remains of Cohen, who operated in Damascus for three years until his capture in January 1965, have never been recovered. His watch was returned to his wife Nadia in Israel. Like the family of CIA contract pilot Norman Schwartz, killed in Manchuria in 1952, who received a Rolex Oyster Datejust from the U.S government in 2019, the Cohens have no body to bury and only a timepiece from his final mission. The lengths to which Mossad went to locate the Centenaire and the simmering national anger over the failure by an Arab enemy to return his body speaks to the centrality of espionage and enduring enmities in the psyche of the Jewish state. (Photo Credit: NetFlix) With Mossad facing criticism for the intelligence lapses that led to the surprise, barbaric attacks of October 7th by Iran-backed Hamas, Israeli leaders will doubtless consider stories of bravery and sacrifice in the wars against Arabs by the likes of Cohen to be as important and potent as ever. "We remember Eli Cohen and do not forget,” Yossi Cohen, then Mossad chief—and born in the year the executed spy bought the Centenaire—said in a statement when the watch was found. “His heritage, of dedication, determination, courage and love of the homeland, is our heritage. We remember and have maintained a close connection over the years with his family, Nadia and the children. “This year, at the conclusion of an operational effort, we succeeded in locating and bringing to Israel the wristwatch that Eli Cohen wore in Syria until the day he was captured. The watch was part of Eli Cohen's operational image and part of his fabricated Arab identity." (Photo Credit: Eli Cohen Museum) Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister—a position he now occupies once again—added: “I commend the fighters of the Mossad for the determined and courageous operation, the sole objective of which was to return to Israel a memento from a great fighter who greatly contributed to the security of the state." Thaabet, as created by Mossad, had been born to parents who were of Syrian origin but had immigrated to Lebanon. After his parents had died, he went to Argentina to work with his uncle, who had emigrated there in 1946. Eli Cohen, a devout Jew born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1924. His father had moved to Egypt from Aleppo in 1914. His parents and brothers had moved to Israel in 1949. Cohen remained to carry out underground Zionist operations and followed later. Cohen in Damascus, Syria (Photo Credit: Eli Cohen Museum) Cohen had initially been rejected as too arrogant for undercover work but was recruited to Unit 188, a military intelligence unit dedicated to operations outside Israel, at the end of 1959. Mossad trained him to speak Arabic with a Syrian dialect as part of his cover story as Thaabet. Cohen landed in the Argentine capital in February 1961 and began learning Spanish with a private teacher, reaching a proficiency that would convince Syrians he had been living in Argentina for 16 years. On January 10, 1962, Cohen, as Thaabet, boarded a tourist ship that set out from Genoa, Italy, on a passage to Beirut. From Lebanon, he was helped by Majeed Sheikh al-Ard, a CIA asset from 1951 to 1959, to enter Syria. Sacha Baron Cohen plays Eli Cohen in The Spy (Photo Credit: Netflix) Cohen did not try to hide or operate in the shadows. His role was to insinuate himself into the high society of Damascus, renting a luxury villa near the Syrian army headquarters and the diplomatic district. Soon, he was throwing parties attended by generals and politicians. Cohen had a remarkable memory and he was skilled at pretending he was drunk while keeping a mental note of everything that was being said. Although there were prostitutes and alcohol at his parties, Israeli sources insist that Cohen cover did not extend to having sexual relationships with Syrian women or taking a girlfriend, as was depicted by Sacha Baron Cohen in The Spy. Each morning, Cohen radioed out back to Mossad, his transmissions covered by those from the nearby Syrian army base. He dispatched backgammon pieces, modified to contain microfilms of documents he had copied, to “friends” in Argentina. His intelligence reports tracked the rising influence of the Ba’ath party, which came to power in a coup in March 1963. Amin al Hafiz, who Cohen had befriended when Hafiz was military attache in Buenos Aires, became defense minister. Mossad now had access to the heart of the Syrian government. Cohen reported details of the Syrian order of battle and border defenses. He was said to have learned about the Jordan River engineering works—designed to divert water from Israel—from Mohammed bin Laden, a Saudi engineer who had won the contract. One of Bin Laden’s sons, Osama, later became the leader of al-Qaeda. When Israel was able to capture the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War of 1967, credit was given to Cohen’s reporting. Cohen (in the middle) at the Golan Heights (Eli Cohen Museum) According to his daughter Sophie Ben-Dor, Cohen was the ideal Israeli spy. “He was a conservative person,” she said in a 2020 documentary. He was very Zionist, very loyal and very honest. “He was very brave and sociable, but he also really liked his own company. He was very thorough. He knew more than just Arabic. He knew a number of languages to a very high level. He was very intelligent and trustworthy.” Controversy still rages over how Cohen was caught. Some charge that his Mossad handlers pushed him to produce more, others that Cohen was reckless in transmitting for longer than the two minutes—easily timed by glancing at his Centenaire—he had been told was his limit of safety. Mossad has accepted a degree of responsibility in recent years. In 2015, then Mossad chief Tamir Pardo said: “In retrospect, it’s clear that his last return to Syria was a mistake. In the profession of secret warfare, we know that from the first moment of an operation, we’re in a countdown to its end.” (Photo Credit: Eli Cohen Museum) On January 24, 1965, Syrian troops stormed into Cohen’s apartment while he was transmitting. The Syrians forced him to send bogus messages back to Israel but Cohen was able to indicate he was being coerced. Mossad finally realized the game was up when they received a final message addressed to the Israeli prime minister: “Kamal and friends are our guests for three years. Calm down about the fate of what is to come. Military organization of Syria.” Cohen, like any intelligence officer behind enemy lines, especially one operating under non-official cover, had already sacrificed an immense amount. Ben-Dor described in the documentary his arrival at the airport in Israel during one of her father’s last visits home. “I saw him from a distance, wearing a suit and a coat,” she said. “He was nervous. He took my hand and squeezed it. He hardly recognized me. He was so nervous that he hurt my hand but I was too embarrassed to tell him. He was always a stranger to me.” Eli Cohen executed by hanging in Damascus, Syria- May 1965 He almost certainly endured torture at the hands of the Syrians, who forced him to submit to a show trial and then hanged him before a baying crowd in Marjeh Square. A parchment filled with anti-Zionist slogans was attached to his body, which was left swaying from the rope for six hours. The Centenaire is said to have been recovered as part of a new push to locate his remains that began in 2004, according to former Mossad chief Meir Dagan. While the Israeli government hinted in 2018 that the watch was found during a daring undercover mission in Damascus, the Cohen family has suggested that it was bought from a Syrian seeking to profit from its provenance. Eterna Centenaire 61 (Photo Credit: Invaluable) Mossad is believed to have kept documentation of the purchase of the Centenaire—perhaps connecting a serial number—that confirmed Cohen purchased it in Switzerland when his cover as Thaabet was being established. Eterna is a Swiss brand that was founded in Grenchen, Switzerland in 1856 and initially called Dr. Girard & Schild. It gained a reputation for producing high-quality and reliable watches and in 1948 Eterna introduced a revolutionary innovation—the Eterna-Matic automatic movement, featuring a ball-bearing rotor system, which improved accuracy and reliability. In the 1960s, Eterna became a leader in developing diving watches, introducing the KonTiki line, named after the explorer Thor Heyerdahl's famous raft expedition across the Pacific. The brand would later provide watches to the Israeli Navy, most notably the Shayetet 13, a maritime commando unit to the IDF. Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, shows a photograph of herself with her late husband, during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. Picture taken October 6, 2019. (Photo Credit: REUTERS/Amir Cohen) The Centenaire has been added to the Eli Cohen legend. In 2019, one television reviewer used it to describe the limits of Sasha Baron Cohen’s Netflix portrayal: “Like the watch, the show is durable, handsome, expertly engineered, but predictable in its movements.” It has, however, provided the Cohen family with a degree of comfort, if not closure. Cohen’s wife Nadia, now 87, described in 2018 being told that the Centenaire, now on display in a new Eli Cohen museum at Herzliya, had been found. “The moment that they informed me, my mouth went dry and I got the chills. At that moment I felt that I could feel his hand, I felt that part of him was with us.” READ NEXT: Jordanian Breitling: The Gift From A King That Spawned A CIA Case Officer's Love Of Timepieces About the author: Toby Harnden is the author of First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11. He is currently working on a new book about courage and the CIA, due to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. He can be followed on X at @tobyharnden and on Instagram at @tobyharnden1 and @espionage_bookshelf.
Read More![DARPA’s Take on the Next Generation of Military Watches](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Darpa_Robotics.jpg?v=1697543554)
DARPA’s Take on the Next Generation of Military Watches
How Has DARPA Imagined the Future of Wristwatches? The unquantifiable nature of watches is that these little mechanical objects can be imbued with stories of...
Read MoreHow Has DARPA Imagined the Future of Wristwatches? The unquantifiable nature of watches is that these little mechanical objects can be imbued with stories of service, sacrifice, and relationships. When W.O.E. covers watches, we often shy away from product reviews and instead look at the human element that makes watches meaningful. But to DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a watch certainly isn’t a vessel for men and women who have served the nation to mark their achievements or service. It isn’t actually about the stories. A watch can only play one role: to provide the United States with a technological advantage against adversaries. DARPA’s mission is simple: To make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security. When it comes to modifying and creating watches for the purpose of gathering intelligence and performing counterintelligence operations, the Agency’s in-house Directorate of Science & Technology (DS&T) is responsible. More on that HERE. (The name of the Center/Directorate has changed over the years, but the mission remains the same). DARPA’s scope is much different. It spans the entire Department of Defense, meaning the projects they lead have a much broader national security application beyond intelligence collection. As an Agency solely dedicated to Defense, the mission of the organization is not linked to a single operational capability, instead it serves as a “technological engine” that supplies the entire DoD with advanced solutions to maintain US technological superiority. The lead picture of this article is RoboSimian during a DARPA robotics challenge, designed to advance the use of robots in disaster situations. In Hollywood, DARPA is often depicted as the secret underground laboratory that’s reverse engineering alien spacecraft or working on time travel machines. This isn’t an accurate portrayal, instead DARPA is headquartered in the DC burbs and works on sometimes-mundane projects that serve the entire DoD, not just the stuff having to do with propulsion systems borrowed from little green men and global weather modification platforms. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Headquarters Arlington, Virginia, United States DARPA is credited with playing a pivotal role in creating the internet, providing the world with GPS technology, and even HAARP, a research station in Alaska that gathers data about the ionosphere. It’s also a popular subject of conspiracy theories, even more so today in the age of podcasts and social media. If there’s a piece of equipment the military uses, DARPA looks to optimize it and provide the United States with a competitive advantage when it comes to national security and defense, and that even means the humble wristwatch has been scrutinized by DARPA to maximize its role on the battlefield. The Atomic Clock–From Laboratory to Soldiers’ Wrists Patek Philippe & Hewlett Packard Atomic Clock (circa 1960s) (Image Credit: M.S. Rau Antiques / @DrGarcia) Neophytes in the watch world often use accuracy and precision interchangeably. Accuracy in timekeeping is how close a clock or watch can come to a constant true and accepted value. Precision, on the other hand, is how much variance there is in measuring said time. Here’s where it gets interesting–both the most accurate and most precise clock is the atomic clock. An atomic clock works by taking cooling down cesium-133 atoms and then measuring the oscillations at the atomic level with specialized lasers. Cesium-133 “vibrates” at 9,192,631,770 times a second, providing a standardized unit to measure time. This produces the most accurate–and most precise clock in the world. A number of universities and research labs maintain atomic clocks around the world, like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Colorado and Maryland; and the National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom. Of course, Switzerland is home to one as well, at The Time and Frequency Laboratory at the University of Neuchâtel. NIST physicist Judah Levine with the NIST time scale that maintains official U.S. civilian time. NIST atomic clocks are used to calibrate the time scale. (Photo Credit: NIST) These laboratories occupy entire wings of campus buildings and research centers, but DARPA has the vision of using Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to shrink down the system and install it on a single chip. A chip-scale atomic clock would benefit DoD by not only creating a near-perfect time reference across all military forces, but greatly reducing the footprint increases the mobility of military communication systems. Additionally, it’s impervious to jamming. The first time this technology was mentioned was in a 2004 fiscal report prepared for the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, House Armed Services Committee, U.S. House of Representatives. DARPA’s Projected Future Wristwatch Applications This chip-scale atomic clock technology most recently became part of a larger DARPA initiative called Robust Optical Clock Network (ROCkN) in 2022. But instead of a theoretical study, the objectives are clearly defined: The clock was to be used aboard fighter jets, Navy ships, satellites, and eventually a wristwatch. Modern GPS systems, communication systems, and even the internet, operate down to nanoseconds, and this is exactly why synchronization is still important. Timing matters here because packets of data need to be exactly where they need to be, when they need to be there. If it’s even slightly off the packets get scrambled or lost. Add in the threat of cyberwarfare and timing becomes even more important. Most atomic clocks have a +1/-1 variance over a time span of 31.71 million years. The idea with ROCkN is to get them down to an accuracy of a trillionth of a second. And every single device would be on one network, running at this level of accuracy. This is exactly the kind of moonshot idea the DARPA specializes in. As with most of their projects, this technology exists in the future. After all, we’ve come a long way in 2023 from DARPA’s initial early-’90s vision for the wristwatch. Before the miniaturized atomic clock, DARPA conceptualized what would eventually become something functionally similar to the smart watch of today. Patent document for wearable computer packaging device Celebration and Skepticism Around Wrist-Computing In 1998, Military+Aerospace Electronics magazine ran a piece titled DARPA Describes Vision of Wearable Computing. In it, author Chris Chinnock describes a DARPA-led program about a decade earlier, that allowed soldiers of the future to utilize “wearables”, like a wristwatch, to plug into a MIL-STD 1553 bus interface and run tests to determine feasibility of repair and maintenance in the field. The idea was that “Interactive electronic technical manuals would be on the wearable computer, and wireless communications would enable the operator to order replacement parts via the World Wide Web.” Wearables are still being researched and developed, during the Covid-19 pandemic, DARPA has invested in an early-detection projection leveraging the Oura Ring. Air Force 18th Component Maintenance Squadron wearing a Garmin watch and an Oura ring as part of a 2021 study(Photo Credit:/ U.S. Air Force) Beyond interacting with machinery on the battlefield, DARPA’s vision carried over to large-scale communication, much like the 1940s Dick Tracey model of using your wristwatch like a two-way radio and tracking device. DARPA-backed ViA Inc. of Northfield, Minnesota came close to developing a wristwatch that doubles as a folding computer, much like a laptop. The user would raise their wrist, flip open the screen, and type messages and commands with the other hand in addition to using voice commands. But the idea wasn’t widely adopted. Wearing technology on your body–or wrist–took some getting used to, the story states: People felt uncomfortable talking to the computer," says Dick Urban, deputy director of the electronic technology office at DARPA…There was a cultural barrier that was inhibiting the use of such a novel computing platform. Those early users were certainly on to something. Not only is interacting with an inanimate object inherently difficult, it also introduces a security threat. In 2017, More than 3 trillion data points were compromised and used to reveal the location of sensitive military locations in Syria, Niger, and Afghanistan. Open-source data from Strava, an app designed for the Apple Watch, was used to pinpoint these locations. Now it’s second nature to interact casually with a so-called smart watch, and one day DARPA’s atomic wristwatch will adorn the wrist of service members. But for now, the military will have to make do with G-shocks, Tudors, and Marathons. And that’s just fine with us here at W.O.E. READ NEXT: Trading a Rolex to Get out of a Sticky Situation - Myth or Reality?
Read More![Covert Influence in Watch Media](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/DSF4498.jpg?v=1693357389)
Covert Influence in Watch Media
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...
Read MoreA 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.
Read More![Which Watch Would James Bond Really Wear?](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_226.png?v=1719238474)
Which Watch Would James Bond Really Wear?
Picking More Reasonable Timepieces For History's Most Famous Secret Agent When it comes to Watches of Espionage, James Bond is the elephant in the room....
Read OnPicking More Reasonable Timepieces For History's Most Famous Secret Agent When it comes to Watches of Espionage, James Bond is the elephant in the room. While there is a significant gap between real-world intelligence operations and Hollywood's depiction, Ian Fleming’s character has had an indelible impact on our community’s watch culture. We know several real “spies” who purchased an Omega or Rolex because of the Bond connection. Even before the legendary films, 007 was already closely linked to the world of horology. Fleming, the legendary author behind Bond, even went so far as to name names, calling out a “Rolex Oyster Perpetual” in his 1954 novel, Live and Let Die while unfortunately failing to identify a specific model. Likely inspired by Fleming’s reference 1016 Explorer, many regard the James Bond of the literary world as an Explorer man as well. However, 1962’s Dr. No, the secret agent’s first foray into film, would forever alter Bond’s history with Rolex, with Sean Connery serving up a full-screen wrist shot of a Submariner reference 6538. Beyond a few abbreviated sojourns into other brands including Breitling, Seiko, and Hamilton, the Bond of film was primarily a Rolex guy until 1995’s GoldenEye where Irish actor Pierce Brosnan famously wore an Omega Seamaster Professional, a seismic shift for watch enthusiasts. In the Dispatch, we’ve argued for tradition in favor of The Crown in the past with an excellent counter-argument coming from Caleb Daniels in favor of Omega, which remains Bond’s chosen brand. It’s a fun debate, but what watch would a former British SpecOps turned “Secret Agent” really wear? Bond’s Rolex Submariner 6538 in Dr. No and the OMEGA Seamaster Professional in GoldenEye are both icons, but what if they’re not the right picks? Taking a step back, there’s a good chance a real “secret agent" using their license to kill on MI6’s behalf wouldn’t wear a luxury watch at all. With the most up-to-date Rolex Submariner Date reference 126610 coming in at $10,250 (assuming you can get one) and Omega’s 007 Edition No Time To Die Seamaster priced right at ten grand US, the biggest issue here is probably cost taking into account Bond’s role as a civil servant. Add to that the ostentatious nature of these heavily-branded luxury watches for a guy who would probably prefer a low profile, and some other timepieces just might be better suited to Bond’s profession. In addition, we'd argue our Bond would also favor British watchmaking brands, with more great options than ever before coming from the UK. In this Dispatch, we’ll share our picks for which watch we think our more reasonable 007 would wear. CWC SBS Diver Issue Price: $750 Given Bond’s insurmountable Britishness, we would argue it makes sense to look at brands with strong ties to the Empire as well as the Ministry of Defense (MOD). The obvious choice is a brand with a strong following in the W.O.E. community, CWC or Cabot Watch Company, which was founded in 1972 for no reason other than supplying the MOD. For maritime specialist units including the Royal Marines and Special Boat Service, CWC has long supplied the SBS Diver Issue, a PVD-coated descendant of the original Royal Navy Diver’s watch that succeeded the Rolex Military Submariner in 1980. We know several former British SBS members who still have, and wear, their issued SBS, making this a logical watch for Bond. Robert 'Bob' Hawkins (1961-2023) was a legend in the Mine Warfare Clearance Diving community. Like Bond, Hawkins was a Commander in the Royal Navy and is seen here wearing the CWC SBS Diver Issue. With 300 meters of water resistance, the utility offered by day and date functions, and excellent legibility, the SBS Diver Issue is an excellent option for the modern British secret agent whether he’s doing some Thunderball-style diving combat or simply keeping a lower profile. Fixed lug bars mean Bond is stuck with pull-through straps, but for a secret agent who inspired a namesake nylon strap color scheme, it shouldn’t be a problem. Vertex M100A Price: $2,625 For a more old-school look that also leans into the literary Bond who many argue wore a Rolex Explorer, we have the Vertex M100A. Dating back to 1912, Vertex is another brand closely associated with the Ministry of Defense, having produced watches for the British military as early as the First World War. Of the twelve manufacturers of the legendary “Dirty Dozen” watches produced for the Allied war effort in World War II, Vertex was the only British option, with the modern M100A calling back to that history with its core design while making room for more modern watchmaking standards and specifications. But what does James Bond have to do with a WWII field watch, you may ask? (Photo Credit: WatchGecko) Thunderball aside, the vast majority of Bond’s adventures both tactical and otherwise have taken place in the dry, and we might argue some of the key elements of a perfect Bond watch would be—even more than water resistance—legibility, durability, and the timeless style so often associated with Bond’s on-screen portrayals. Compared to something like the aforementioned blacked-out CWC, the Vertex would also be a lot easier to wear with a tux. Elliot Brown Holton Professional Price: $541 Where the CWC SBS celebrates its history of issue to the Special Boat Service in both name and marketing, the Holton Professional from Elliot Brown takes a more subtle approach to its special operations associations. Founded in 2013, the founding principle of Elliot Brown’s collection is durability, with many of the watches finding favor within the British Military. Based in Poole, the elite Special Boat Service approached Elliot Brown in 2015 to help design a watch for the unit to issue. The result was the Holton Professional, a watch that has earned an NSN or Nato Stock Number making it available for official issue to military forces. Coming from another British brand, and with a quartz movement, hardened stainless steel bezel, and C3 Super-LumiNova, the Holton also presents a solid option for someone like Bond who is likely to be harder on his watches than most. For deep nerds, Bond has an entirely imagined special operations background, meaning Commander Bond may have either been issued the Holton Professional or purchased a special version as part of a smaller unit-specific order. Bremont S302 Price $4,200 Currently the subject of some well-deserved controversy regarding a recent rebranding effort, Bremont is still among our top picks for James Bond. Despite its foundations in aviation, Bremont also boasts an impressive array of diving-oriented watches under the Supermarine name. For a more luxurious option compared to some of the other watches we’ve highlighted, we select the S302 for Bond, a watch that combines 300 meters of water resistance with the useful addition of a GMT function. Where some of our choices thus far are more utilitarian and even tactical, Bremont manages to straddle the line, feeling just almost as at home with a suit from Savile Row as it does with a wetsuit, no mean feat. The S302’s GMT is particularly appropriate as well. As we discussed in our Dispatch unpacking Zulu Time, having a second timezone at a glance provides tremendous upside for an asset coordinating with a broader multi-agency effort. Besides, Bremont is one of the few companies that has actually made a unit watch for the British Secret Intelligence Service. Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300 Price: $1,095 Long scolded as a microbrand rehashing established designs, Christopher Ward has stepped up massively in recent years and is another brand with a strong following in the W.O.E. community, at an affordable price point. For a government employee like James Bond, the price of the C60 Trident Pro, one of Christopher Ward’s marquee dive watches, is fair. Add to that the watch’s solid water resistance and legible dial format and we have another under-the-radar pick for Bond. Adding an element of legitimacy, Christopher Ward has been quietly collaborating with numerous military units in recent years. Despite solid finishing for the price range, the Trident isn’t ostentatious and doesn’t advertise to prying eyes or invite further scrutiny. Bamford London GMT Price: $1,500 Better known for Bamford Watch Department’s watch customizations and collaborations with established watchmakers from the luxury tier, George Bamford also produces a more attainable line of wholly designed watches under the Bamford London moniker. Assuming our modern Bond was a man of more avant-garde styling who rubbed shoulders with Eton graduates, something like the Bamford London GMT could make a lot of sense. Available in a wide array of dial colors, Bamford’s GMT is housed within a reasonable 40mm case complete with an internal rotating GMT bezel that obviates the risk of accidentally changing the secondary timezone on display. For the $1,500 asking price, Bond also gets an excellent bracelet, 100 meters of water resistance, as well as a sub-12mm case height that should work as well with a tuxedo as it would with a woolen commando sweater. Arken Alterum Price: $750 A true microbrand at this stage, Arken presents a wild card choice for Bond. Housed within a scratch-resistant titanium case, the Alterum, the second watch from the brand, fuses GMT functionality with 200 meters of water resistance and a design format that is a lot further afield than many of our previous choices. Admittedly, the Alterum dial serves up a lot of information including the second time zone, managed by a GMT hand, as well as a date sub-register and an intriguing day/night indicator executed with a pair of apertures on the dial’s lower half. Despite the additional complexity, the overall effect is clean, subtle, and the kind of thing Bond could easily wear in virtually any environment without anyone asking too many questions. Final Thoughts For the diehard Rolex and Omega James Bond fanboys, the picks in this Dispatch may be blasphemous. We invite you to submit your counterarguments in the comments. In any counterpoints, it's important to remember that for intelligence professionals like Bond, watches are, first and foremost, a tool. While there is a significant watch luxury watch culture in espionage, it’s not so hard to imagine a real-life James Bond might benefit from a watch that won’t get him mugged by some scooter-riding London street toughs. As for Bond's strap of choice, we'd argue 007 would do his best work with a Five Eye (FVEY). -- If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Does Rolex Make Mistakes? The Motley 8 - Error Batman Bezel
Read On![An Overview Of The Watches Of Espionage Strap Collection](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_198.png?v=1718729711)
An Overview Of The Watches Of Espionage Strap Collection
Materials, History, Fit, & Which Strap Is Right For You One of the most common ways for members of our community to customize their watches...
Read OnMaterials, History, Fit, & Which Strap Is Right For You One of the most common ways for members of our community to customize their watches is with a new strap that is, in either material or design, more appropriate for austere conditions. Over the past couple of years, we have grown our strap collection to include more refined options made from domestically sourced leather and more attainable choices designed to excel in the most extreme scenarios. We are often asked what is the best strap for a given use case, and in this Dispatch, we’ll provide an overview of our strap collection including some pros and cons, historical and design background, and recommendations based on some of the questions we are most commonly asked. As always, everything we make is developed for the quiet professional, someone who appreciates the history of Intelligence and Special Operations and honors those who came before us. W.O.E. Fabric Straps Closely associated with military watches, pull-through fabric watch straps trace their origins to the mid-century when they were utilized by American and British armed forces, with the most popular format tracing dating back to 1973 and a British Military design known as the G10. Commonly issued to the British Ministry of Defense, the G10 also cemented the formula for the majority of nylon watch straps to follow. In starting our collection of fabric watch straps, we partnered with veteran-owned and UK-based Zulu Alpha Straps to create the most premium fabric straps possible which are also manufactured in Great Britain. Then, to provide a more attainable alternative that also conforms to the obsessive quality standards of our community, we designed the Five Eye nylon strap that we believe is the best on the market for the price. Five Eye Nylon Watch Strap - $35-38 Named after the intelligence-sharing alliance of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the Five Eye (FVEY) Nylon Watch Strap is our modern take on the iconic British Military G10 design from 1973. This collection is more attainable compared to our Zulu Alpha collaborations while still providing a premium wearing experience and unrivaled durability for a watch of this style. The Five Eye is built from a custom matte woven material with a reinforced stitched tip and is complete with our custom stainless steel hardware. We didn’t reinvent the wheel but did take the original design to the next level with modern materials, manufacturing standards, and colors tailored to the unique needs of our community. To suit a wider variety of watches, we offer solid colors, striped variants, and Five Eye straps with black-coated PVD hardware, all in 20 and 22-mm sizes that will fit wrists from 6.25 to 9 IN (15.9 to 22.9 CM). Of note, like all “affordable” nylon straps, these are produced in Asia. Cons: With almost four hundred five-star reviews, the Five Eye doesn’t have a lot of cons, but like any nylon strap, the look isn’t elegant or refined and wouldn’t be a great pairing for dressier watches. ORDER HERE Glomar Explorer - Hook And Loop Watch Strap - $45 Modeled off traditional hook-and-loop dive watch straps, the Glomar Explorer is a premium single-pass adjustable adventure strap for those who use their watches as tools. We set out to create a premium “hook and loop” watch strap, something that many consider an oxymoron. After many iterations over a six-month period and extensive testing, we finally came up with the design of the Glomar Explorer. We developed an ultra-thin custom matte weave nylon construction, a custom 316L stainless steel engraved buckle, and a strap keeper to ensure the watch remains secure on your wrist. The Glomar Explorer is available in two lengths, Short (for wrists between 5.5 to 6.5 IN/14 to 16.5 CM) and Standard (for wrists between 6.5 to 8.5 IN/16.5 to 21.5 CM), and in two colors: black and admiralty grey with olive green coming soon. The strap name is derived from USNS Hughes Glomar Explorer, a deep-sea drillship platform that was used by the CIA to recover a Soviet submarine K-129 in the Pacific Ocean in 1974. To be clear, this is not your grandpa’s Walmart hook and loop strap. Cons: With a casual and utilitarian look, a hook and loop strap simply isn’t going to be for everyone. Sizing will also be an issue for some as the wearing experience will depend on the lug length of the watch in question, wrist size, and how tightly the strap is worn. ORDER HERE Single Pass Zulu Alpha Strap 4.0 - $145 It’s crazy to think we’re on the fourth iteration of our collaboration with Zulu Alpha, one of the world’s premier makers of fabric straps and a supplier of other webbing items to the British Ministry of Defense (MOD). Back in 2022, we started with the 1.0, with each subsequent variant incorporating color changes and small upgrades inspired by the community. Our Single Pass Zulu Alpha 4.0 is the culmination of everything we’ve learned working with Zulu Alpha and direct feedback from end users. Completely constructed in Great Britain, the 4.0 is 11.8 IN (30 CM) long, 1.2mm thick, and complete with a uniquely adhered patch with the W.O.E. Spearhead logo. Secured by way of an over-engineered stainless steel buckle that is also available with a PVD finish, the 4.0 is available in both 20 and 22-mm widths and will fit the vast majority of adult wrists. If you’re looking for the most premium, capable, and durable fabric strap on the market, this is it, full stop. Cons: Every aspect of our Zulu Alpha straps is ultra-premium, produced entirely in the UK, and designed without compromise. The price reflects our no-holds-barred approach to a fabric watch strap for the most extreme conditions. ORDER HERE USA Five Eye - Third Option Foundation - $40 While it’s otherwise the same as our standard Five Eye Straps, our USA Third Option Foundation Fundraiser offers the most eye-catching visual format in our entire collection with a subtle play on the red, white, and blue color scheme. Benefitting CIA paramilitary officers and their families, $20 (50%) of every USA Five Eye sale goes directly to Third Option Foundation. Just as at home sipping PBR in your local dive bar as it is sailing the Cape on your dad’s catamaran, the USA Stripe Five Eye is the undisputed strap of summer. Available in both 20 and 22mm, the USA Five Eye can also be purchased with PVD hardware, a look works a lot better than we thought it would. Cons: Celebrating freedom and donating to charity aren’t for everyone. This strap is a limited edition. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. ORDER HERE W.O.E Leather Straps While there is a lot of virtue signaling and overstated marketing language associated with goods that are “Made in America”, supporting small businesses in the United States is in line with our core beliefs as a community. This is especially true when it comes to leather goods. There is no shortage of reasonably high-quality leather straps imported from Asia, but we believe the finest leather straps come from right here in the USA or, in some cases, Europe. With that in mind, our collection of leather straps is entirely produced by hand in small batches from the finest quality materials in the United States or Europe, with each strap demonstrating subtle differences and the ability to patina over time for a custom look and feel. Like all leather straps, these are not your best options for use in or around water but do provide a durable and handsome pairing for field watches, vintage divers on desk duty, or any other refined watch in your collection. Jedburgh Leather Watch Strap - $125 Named after the Jedburgh teams of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), “The Jedburgh” was W.O.E’s first leather strap, handmade in the USA with American-made English bridle leather. Available to fit 20 and 22-mm lugs, the Jedburgh is complete with a subtle W.O.E. Spearhead stamp at the tip, white hand stitching throughout, and a buckle available in either polished stainless steel or black-coated PVD. The Jedburgh is designed to break in for a comfortable custom fit that is best for wrists between 5.75 to 7.5 IN (14.6 to 19.1 CM). For a refined look, the Jedburgh also tapers 4 millimeters from the lugs to the buckle, meaning the buckle measures 16mm on the 20mm strap and 18mm for the 22mm variant. Cons: Tapering from 20 to 16mm and shorter than some of our straps, the Jedburgh is not the best choice for larger wrists or heavier watches. While we’ve seen some of you guys push the envelope, the Jedburgh is also not the best option for extreme use i.e. jumping out of airplanes. ORDER HERE Horween Leather and Canvas Strap - $185 Produced in the United States in extremely limited quantities, our Leather and Canvas Strap pairs Horween leather tanned in Chicago with repurposed camouflage canvas from surplus military uniforms. These robust straps were designed by W.O.E. in collaboration with Greg Stevens Design, one of the best in the custom leather strap business, and manufactured by hand in Utah. Available in 20 and 22-mm widths, the Leather and Canvas strap is thicker than the Jedburgh and does not taper, making this strap an excellent choice for heavier watches while being designed to fit wrist sizes between 6.25 to 7.75 IN (15.9 to 19.7 CM). Given our use of repurposed military uniforms, this strap also offers a wide range of variation in terms of the actual color and condition of the canvas material. Complete with a signed stainless steel buckle, the Leather and Canvas Strap is a more rugged leather option ideally suited for larger watches and larger wrists. Cons: Manufactured without taper and with a less subtle look compared to many of our straps, our Leather and Canvas Strap is unapologetically extreme and therefore not for everyone. ORDER HERE Leather Single Pass Zulu - $92 Our newest leather strap, the Leather Single Pass Zulu is intended to serve as a bridge between our leather strap collection and the legendary nylon pull-through straps long favored by military members and divers. Manufactured in the United States from a single layer of premium cowhide measuring 1.4mm thick, the Leather Single Pass Zulu also provides a “pull up” effect meaning the leather lightens when stretched or creased, creating a custom finish unique to your wearing experience. In comparison to many nylon pull-through straps, the tail on our Single Pass Zulu is shorter, and the hardware is closer together, designed for wrists up to 7.5 IN (19.1 CM). With hand stitching and more rugged leather material, the Single Pass Zulu is our most casual leather strap, pairing well with utilitarian tool watches. Cons: Despite being modeled after nylon straps designed for diving, this leather strap is not intended for in-water use. Wearing leather straps on dive watches is a controversial topic, anyway. ORDER HERE Final Thoughts: While we believe there is a strap in our collection that will work for virtually any watch or scenario, like choosing a new watch, strap selection is highly individual and personal. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and like with any tool, we encourage you to experiment and find out what works best for you. Subsequent iterations of our straps will always be informed by your feedback. Be sure to let us know what you think. View our entire strap collection HERE.
Read On![The Best Military Watches For Land, Sea, & Air](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/Untitled_design_197.png?v=1717613501)
The Best Military Watches For Land, Sea, & Air
A Capable Timepiece Is An Essential Tool For Service Members Timepieces intended for the military have inspired the broader watch industry since the earliest days...
Read OnA Capable Timepiece Is An Essential Tool For Service Members Timepieces intended for the military have inspired the broader watch industry since the earliest days of wristwatches. Names like the Rolex Submariner, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Breguet Type XX, and Hamilton Khaki have all been influenced by or owe their very existence to military use. Buying a watch can be challenging and modern watch marketing clouds the picture, with major watch brands seeking an edge by calling out tenuous or altogether false associations with certain hyped military organizations or units, particularly from the world of special operations. In reality, most modern military members utilize digital tool watches (D.T.W.) to perform their duties, seeking attainability and utility above all else. But, as we’ve so often documented in the W.O.E. Dispatch, a growing subset of the military and the Intelligence Community value the combination of utility, heritage, and mechanical intrigue presented by analog timepieces. In addition, many outside the military reach for military watches because they provide not only a rugged aesthetic but also a higher level of legibility and durability in comparison to more pedestrian options. In this Dispatch, we’ll present our choices for analog watches intended for military members operating in the most common environments: land, sea, and air. If you’re on the cusp of graduating from basic training, officer candidate school (OCS), another more specialized pipeline, or you’re just a regular civilian who appreciates the “Use Your Tools” ethos, our picks represent a wide range of price points, spanning affordable options for the brand-new privates out there as well as a few luxury options for the academy ring-knockers with family manors in the Hamptons. Land - Watches For The Field Timex Expedition North Field Mechanical - $229 Timex has surprisingly deep military associations dating back to World War I when the brand created specialized pocket watches for artillery gunners. Also known for watches worn by US presidents and its plastic, disposable field watches provided to the US Army in the 1980s, modern Timex has a legitimate right to the field watch DNA embodied by the Expedition North Field Mechanical. Measuring 38mm in diameter, the North Field Mechanical offers 100 meters of water resistance, a hand-winding mechanical caliber, and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, rare specs for this price range that combine to represent a solid field watch for any infantryman on a budget. CWC G10 Military Issue Watch - $300 In contrast to almost every other brand on this list, CWC was created for no reason other than to supply military watches to the British Ministry of Defense (MOD), providing its first quartz-powered G10 in 1980. The modern G10 is — beyond a slimmer case profile — almost identical to the original, still equipped with fixed lug bars, a Swiss quartz caliber, a legible dial and handset, a battery hatch for easy battery changes, and a relatively modest 50 meters of water resistance. Over 200,000 of these simple field watches have been issued over the years, serving as further proof of the utility of this legendary British field watch design. Marathon General Purpose Mechanical - $420 Almost a Canadian answer to a brand like CWC, Marathon was founded in 1939 and was already supplying watches and clocks to the Allied war effort by 1941. Better known for its SAR collection of dive watches, Marathon also produces a large volume of its General Purpose Mechanical field watches for military contracts. Powered by a Seiko NH35, the automatic GPM is housed within a 34mm High-Impact Composite Fibreshell case paired with a stainless steel bezel. Easily visible at night thanks to tritium gas tubes on the dial and hands, the GPM’s smaller size is actually an asset, making the watch unobtrusive when paired with a bunch of tactical equipment. As a note for anyone less familiar with watch sizes, the combination of the 34mm case and a 16-millimeter wide strap means the GPM wears relatively small. Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic - $695 A supplier to the US Military since the First World War, Hamilton is probably the number one name in field watches thanks to its heritage and the value proposition offered by the modern Khaki Field collection. Our pick for this list is the Khaki Field Automatic, offering a more modern design compared to its more-celebrated hand-winding sibling, the Khaki Field Mechanical, as well as 100 meters of water resistance, and a Swiss automatic caliber offering 80 hours of power reserve. If you’re newer to watches and looking for a proven do-it-all field design that is as appropriate for daily wear as military service, this is going to be one of your best bets. Seiko Alpinist SPB121 - $725 The successor to the SARB017, an all-time watch enthusiast favorite from Seiko, the SPB121 is the modern form of the Alpinist, which is the Japanese brand’s explorer’s or field watch. Measuring 39.5mm in diameter, the Alpinist has a few quirks including the use of a cyclops, the odd pairing of green and gold on the dial and hands, and an internal compass bezel. Still, a legible design, impressive lume, and a ridiculous-for-this-category 200 meters of water resistance mean the Alpinist is a field watch deserving of Seiko’s heritage in this department, having been the producer of capable field watches for specialized units including MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War. Tudor Ranger - $3,300 Once positioned as a cheaper Rolex alternative within the same family business structure, modern Tudor has become so much more than that. As we’ve established many times in the Dispatch, Tudors of Espionage (T.O.E.) are very much a thing including special unit versions of the brand’s dive watches, the Black Bay and Pelagos, as well as the brand’s Explorer-like field watch, the Ranger. Also one of the least expensive sports watches in the collection, the modern Ranger is now 39mm in diameter, powered by an in-house caliber, and capable of hard use for anyone looking to test the “Use Your Tools” ethos on a Swiss luxury watch. Rolex Explorer 40 - $7,700 Assuming you’re an Academy graduate, former captain of the polo team, daddy’s special boy, and a newly minted second lieutenant, you may be able to flex something like the Rolex Explorer 40 in uniform. An inspiration for virtually the entire Rolex sport collection, the Explorer as a model family has incredible chops in the arena of mountaineering history, having accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on their 1953 ascent of the world's tallest mountain. Today serving more as a luxury item given the price point, the Explorer is still one hell of a watch for anything outdoors, but likely not a serious option for most service members relying upon their biweekly direct deposit. Sea - Watches For The Maritime Environment Scurfa Diver One D1-500 - $250 To put it mildly, the advent of so-called “microbrands” has changed the watch landscape forever, bringing previously unobtainable features and specifications to price points once thought unimaginable. A great example of this trend is Scurfa Watches founded by commercial saturation diver Paul Scurfield. For around $250, the Diver One serves up a domed sapphire crystal, 500 meters of water resistance, a real helium escape valve tested by the founder, some of the best lume on this entire list, and a custom rubber strap. For anyone on the aquatic end of the military searching for a durable dive watch for a more affordable price even compared to brands like Seiko or Citizen, Scurfa is one of the more compelling options to explore. Seiko Prospex SRPE99 - $550 Affectionately known to enthusiasts as the “Turtle” for its cushion case shape, the SRPE99 is inspired by the older 6309, one of Seiko’s most iconic dive watch designs and a watch issued to numerous special operations units including the US Navy SEALs. Revived in 2016, the modern Turtle provides hacking and hand-winding functionality, a larger 45mm case that thankfully wears smaller thanks to its shorter lugs, and much of the old-school Turtle DNA throughout the dial and hands. With the SKX having been discontinued a few years back, the Turtle is Seiko’s flagship automatic diver in this price bracket. Seiko makes some of the most effective utilitarian dive watches on the market, and the Turtle — whichever variant you go for — is a great place to start for any military diver. Tornek-Rayville TR-660 - $895 One of the more intriguing tales in dive watch history, the original Tornek-Rayville was essentially a modified Blancpain Fifty Fathoms intended to subvert the Buy American Act requiring military organizations to purchase US-made goods. Designed for US Navy SEALs and other amphibious special operators, vintage Tornek-Rayville TR-900s have become prohibitively expensive for most, making Mk II and Bill Yao’s relaunch of the brand and watch a couple of years back all the more exciting. While it stays close to the vintage look, the modern TR-660 is subtly upgraded everywhere you look from the Seiko automatic caliber to the domed sapphire crystal to the custom-woven nylon strap. If celebrating the old-school with a modern diving tool appeals to you, Tornek-Rayville is a niche pick worthy of a closer look. Citizen Aqualand JP2007-17W - $550 In military and commercial diving circles, Citizen is one of the top names in the game thanks to models like the Aqualand, an analog-digital diver that debuted in 1985. An ISO-6425-rated professional dive watch, the Aqualand combines diving functionality including a depth gauge in a robust utilitarian package that simply works, earning fans among Navy SEALs and other amphibious military units. The modern Aqualand appears almost unchanged compared to the OG other than a new caliber using one battery instead of three on the older model. Last year, Citizen unveiled the JP2007-17W, a new Aqualand with a full lume dial housed within a dark grey PVD case. For the price, it’s among the best picks on this list for anyone doing the military’s wettest and saltiest work. Marathon GSAR 41mm - $1,500 Many of the watches on this list are great for military divers, but only the Marathon GSAR is currently for military and government issue through official supply channels. Surprisingly, the SAR family of watches has a history closely linked to the enthusiast community, with Marathon having tapped the head of a niche military watch forum for help designing the watch in 2001. Intended for Canadian Air Force Search and Rescue Technicians (SAR Techs), the modern GSAR or Government Search And Rescue provides 300 meters of water resistance, a Swiss automatic caliber, tritium tubes on the dial and hands, and one of the best rubber straps in the price range. Our in-house maritime expert, Benjamin Lowry, recently went diving with the SAR collection, confirming its utility in the underwater environment. Sinn U50 Hydro - $2,690 Another brand closely associated with military diving is Sinn, which was founded by a pilot named Helmut Sinn in 1961. Despite its aviation heritage, Sinn is well known for dive watches backed by impressive tech not commonly seen elsewhere including the oil-filled approach utilized in the new U50 Hydro. Based on the 41mm U50, the U50 Hydro swaps an automatic movement for quartz which is the only option when the central case is filled with oil, a seldom seen method of combatting water pressure that makes the watch all but pressure-proof. Another oil-filled watch from Sinn is standard issue for the KSM or Kommando Spezialkräfte der Marine, essentially the German Navy SEAL equivalent and the brand also makes special “mission timers” for the GSG 9, the German Federal Police’s special operations unit. Tudor Pelagos 39 - $4,700 A favorite of the W.O.E. team, our next pick is the Tudor Pelagos 39, the hotly-anticipated smaller version of the 42mm Pelagos that is just a bit too large for some wrists. While it’s not cheap, Tudor presents a solid value for what you’re getting in a modern luxury dive watch from Switzerland, with the P39 housed within a grade 2 titanium case and equipped with a manufacture caliber providing 70 hours of power reserve. The Pelagos FXD might seem like the obvious choice here, but we’re going with the 39 for its versatility, a watch that looks just as appropriate on its rubber strap with dive gear as it does on its bracelet with a dress uniform. Whether we like it or not, most knuckle-dragging enlisted divers simply aren’t reaching for a $5,000 watch for actual diving duties. Omega Seamaster Diver 300 - $5,900 Often associated with James Bond, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 is also a watch with legitimate military history including use by the Special Boat Service, Danish Frogmen, and the US Navy SEALs. Originally intended as a direct competitor to the Rolex Submariner, Omega’s professional diving watch now comes in at around half the trading price of a regular Sub while offering finishing and specifications that exceed the Rolex in some departments. Rather than simply engraving a caseback for special orders from military organizations, Omega also has a completely different version of the Diver 300 with a matte-finished case and bracelet, no-date dial, and a special color for its luminescent material. The days of military organizations issuing watches like the Seamaster are long gone, but for anyone seeking a dive watch offering a blend of military provenance and luxury, the Seamaster Diver 300 is one of the better options. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 42mm - $16,600 To get it out there right up front, a $17,000 watch probably isn’t going to be the number one pick for military members, but it is important to pay homage to the original gangsters in this space. Dating back to 1953 and designed specifically for the needs of French commando frogmen, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms cemented the format we now innately understand as the prototypical dive watch. Having climbed the ranks of luxury brands over the past 70 years, the recently-released Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatic Titanium 42mm isn’t for everyone given its price tag, but would still serve as one hell of a dive watch for anyone with the scratch. Air - Watches For Pilots & Aircrew Seiko SSK001 - $460 Beyond durability, low-pressure resistance, and legibility, the ability to track a second timezone is one of the most useful aspects of a pilot’s watch. If there has been one major change in more affordable watches in the past few years, it is the advent of less expensive mechanical GMT watches, with Seiko’s SSK collection leading the way. For under $500, the SSK001 offers a friction-fit, bidirectional GMT bezel, an automatic “caller” GMT caliber, and the established case silhouette and dial format calling back to Seiko’s legendary SKX007 and SKX009. Also backed by 100 meters of water resistance, the Seiko SSK001 is one of the better inexpensive GMT watches on the market and ideal for a budding military pilot while also being a brand with extensive service history in the US Military in particular. Sangin Kinetic II - $600 Despite plenty of negative outcomes from the Global War On Terror, one of the positives has been the rise of entrepreneurship among GWOT veterans whether we’re talking about coffee, apparel brands, knives, or watches. Sangin was founded by a Marine Recon Raider and specializes in watches intended for military environments while also representing solid value for what you’re getting. The Kinetic II is Sangin’s purpose-built aviator’s watch, the result of extensive testing by over forty military pilots and aircrew. With a ridiculous 300 meters of water resistance, Swiss-made Super-LumiNova on the dial and hands, and a Swiss Ronda GMT quartz caliber, the Kinetic II is a lesser-known but not less capable option for any military pilot looking to celebrate the community with a legitimate tool watch. Longines Spirit Zulu Time - $3,150 Another brand with legendary status in the arena of pilot’s watches is Longines which produced specialized watches intended for flight for none other than Charles Lindbergh. Also once a supplier to the Czech military, modern Longines still makes some excellent watches for pilots including the Spirit Zulu Time. With refined looks, design DNA that calls back to vintage Longines designs, and an impressive caliber offering “true” GMT (or Zulu Time) functionality and 72 hours of power reserve, the Zulu Time is one of the better “entry-to-luxury” options for a GMT watch today. Of interest to military pilots, the Zulu Time is also available on a wide range of straps including an excellent leather strap with a micro-adjusting clasp, a traditional nylon strap, and a well-done stainless steel bracelet. Bremont U-2 - $4,950 Coming from a brand founded by a pair of pilots, Bremont was always going to need to be on this list. Also one of the primary producers of “unit watches” in the current watchmaking landscape, Bremont’s U-2, which was designed with input from serving military pilots, is our pick for this list. Housed within a 43mm case made of hardened steel, the chronometer movement inside the U-2 is located within a rubberized movement mount that reduces the effect of shocks. Also including an internal rotating bezel operated by way of one of the two crowns, the U-2 can be used for a variety of different navigational computations. There have been numerous unit-specific versions of Bremont watches over the years, the U-2 is one of the most common models chosen by military aviation professionals for good reason. Breitling Navitimer - $9,850 Among the all-time icons in the world of aviation timekeeping, the Breitling Navitimer is at or very near the top, having been created with pilots in mind back in 1953 in association with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Like a few other watches on this list, Breitling has ascended to a more luxurious position but still has a strong history of use by military pilots as well as numerous other sketchy dudes. Looking at the functionality, the Navitimer is of course a chronograph but also offers a unique rotating internal bezel that can be used for a wide range of navigational and computational functions directly related to the needs of pilots in the air. You wouldn’t necessarily think of a watch costing nine grand on the wrist of a military pilot, but when it comes to the Breitling Navitimer and a few other models from the brand including the Aerospace and Emergency, it happens more often than you’d imagine. IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX - $5,250 Used by military pilots on both sides of World War II, IWC is another brand with serious legitimacy in the world of military aviation. While IWC’s chronographs including the Top Gun collection receive a lot of the shine, our pick in this category is the Mark XX which traces its history to the Mark XI, a watch produced for the British Military by IWC (and other brands) in the wake of the Second World War. Today, the Mark series serves as a robust time-only watch honoring IWC’s heritage in the space while also providing crystal clear legibility for modern pilots. Recently reimagined, the Mark XX offers 100 meters of water resistance and a more wearable case compared to previous iterations. For the price, the movement is also solid, providing an extended five-day or 120-hour power reserve. Rolex GMT-Master II - $10,900 In the arena of sports GMT watches, whether we like it or not, one name reigns supreme: The Rolex GMT-Master II. When the original GMT-Master was unveiled in 1954, the watch aligned with the early jet-setting era and the advent of business travel, but the GMT-Master and later the GMT-Master II would become legendary in our community thanks to the watch’s use by pilots as well as special operations personnel. One might argue the modern GMT-Master II feels more jewel than tool, but there are still numerous instances of military members selecting this iconic model for hard use in austere environments including the cockpit. Final Thoughts As we mentioned, any of the watches in this could be replaced by a capable digital tool watch, but for anyone in uniform who values the mechanical intrigue and heritage represented by a quality timepiece, this list is for you. Our goal is to let this be a living article that we can add as we go until we’ve created the most complete list of excellent analog military watches on the internet. If you think something is missing, be sure to let us know in the comments. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. READ NEXT: Watches of Diplomatic Security
Read On![Advice for Buying a Watch](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/DSF4544.jpg?v=1699881651)
Advice for Buying a Watch
The Watches of Espionage community can be broken down into two segments: professional watch nerds tired of the traditional watch media; and complete newbies, those...
Read OnThe Watches of Espionage community can be broken down into two segments: professional watch nerds tired of the traditional watch media; and complete newbies, those initially attracted by Military and Intelligence content but with little interest in watches. Over time, the latter group usually develops an interest in watches and regularly asks where to begin. This Dispatch is for you, newbies. It’s a cheat sheet for breaking into the world of watches. Our goal is simple: to cultivate and preserve watch culture in the NatSec community. We have no commercial relationships with any of the brands mentioned, and we’re brand-agnostic. (James Rupley) Step 1: Do your research: There are more resources than ever on watches, and if you are reading this then you’ve already demonstrated that you’re far enough down the rabbit hole and you want to know more. We at W.O.E. do not do traditional watch reviews- but other platforms do and do it well. Hodinkee, Bark and Jack, Teddy Baldassarre, Fratello, aBlogtoWatch, etc. There are plenty of great outlets with different perspectives putting out content on Youtube, online editorial platforms, and podcasts. But it’s important to exercise caution when it comes to any enthusiast media, as much of the content on these sites are paid advertisements and/or heavily influenced by the watch brands. Read our Covert Influence In Watch Media piece so that you approach it with a skeptical eye. Step 2: Talk with people. The simple lost art of conversation. Ask your friends, coworkers and family members about their watches. See a guy with an interesting watch on at a bar, coffee shop, or even at the urinal? Ask him what he is wearing. Why did he buy that specific watch? What does he like and dislike about it? Ask to try it on. Most people into watches want nothing more than to talk about them. Major cities likely have watch meetups. RedBar Group is the largest and most well-known of these group meet ups. I have never been to a watch meet up but know a lot of people enjoy this community and it is a great way to get your hands on lots of watches in the wild. Step 3: Visit an AD. An “Authorized Dealer” is a store that sells watches from major brands, and they have an official relationship with said brands. We recommend visiting a dealer with a larger selection of brands so that you can physically try on different watches to see what works for you. Tourneau, Watches of Switzerland, and Bucherer are some of the largest ones, but chances are even your local mall has a store that sells watches. Sales associates can be notoriously pretentious and they’re not always “watch guys” but there is something to be learned from everyone. At a minimum they should have the training to explain the range on the market. Step 4: Buy your first watch. After spending a few weeks/months on steps 1-3, you should have a general idea of what interests you. It’s time to buy your first watch. Regardless of one's socioeconomic status and access to disposable income, we recommend starting with a watch under-$1,000, and even under $500 is better. Just because you can afford a Rolex doesn't mean you should start there. Check out our previous Dispatch on “Best watches under $1,000” for some thoughts from a broad range of practitioners with experience. (James Rupley) Step 5: Pause - wear your watch, repeat steps 1-3. It’s tempting to immediately focus on the next watch, always wanting more. But wear your watch, find out what you like/dislike about it. Sometimes you learn things about your taste only after wearing a watch for a while. Think about how it feels on your wrist, how it works with your lifestyle, etc. Most importantly, however, is to make sure that the watch works as an extension of your own life philosophy. Maybe the values of the brand don’t line up with your own–or maybe they do. This is the time to learn. (James Rupley) Step 6: Accessorize. A strap is a great way to change up the feel of your watch. We have a host of straps in the W.O.E. shop, but don’t let us limit your options. In the strap game, you generally get what you pay for. Like most things in life. Stay away from Amazon and pay a few extra dollars for something of quality. Most of the major watch content outlets also sell straps and are a good one-stop-shop. Buying a strap from a smaller business is a great way to show your support and rep that brand/community. Here are some of the different straps you should consider: 2 Piece Leather: These should be handmade in the USA or Europe, nothing mass produced. There are some great craftsmen out there making one off and small batch straps like our Jedburgh and Leather and Canvas DNC Strap. A good leather strap can work on mostly any watch. Affordable Nylon: You can buy these anywhere and should be somewhere in the $20-40 price range. Our Five Eye is on the higher end of this but in return you get quality. The better ones are well-made but cheap enough that you can use and abuse them and throw them out like a pair of good socks. A simple nylon strap is a great way to support a group/person that you’re interested in. (James Rupley) High-End Fabric Strap: In my opinion, Zulu Alpha is the best quality fabric strap on the market. The Quantum Watch Strap from TAD has great hardware and Tudor has some great fabric straps (see Hodinkee video). None of these are cheap but you get what you pay for. Single piece leather is tricky, most are thick and I do not like to use bent spring bars on my watches. These do fit some of my pieces with a wider gap between the spring bar and I wear them. I am a big fan of both Soturi and Zanes. Rubber: I have owned a few from Everest and overall have been happy with them. There are plenty of options on the market here and quality generally coincides with price. Elastic MN Straps: I have a MN strap from NDC straps which I like and have heard great things about Erika’s Originals. A great way to change up your watch. A new strap can completely change the feel of your watch. Most watches are 20 mm or 22 mm so if you buy a handful of straps you can rotate them between your watches. (Photo Credit: @navs.watch) General Advice & Tips: As you look to expand your collection, here are some general tips that we use as a north star. Remember, none of these are hard and fast rules: Buy what makes you happy; no one else cares what you are wearing and 99.9% of people will not notice the watch you have on your wrist. (This one is cliché but it’s entirely true.) Buy the watch you can afford. You won't be happy if you spend more than you can afford. “Buyer’s remorse” is real and can undermine the sense of satisfaction from wearing the watch. DO NOT FINANCE YOUR WATCH. Don't buy for investment. Your watch may appreciate in value, but buy with the expectation you will wear it until you die (and a loved one will wear it after you die). Values are generally trending downward in the watch world anyway. That’s not what they’re made for, and treating a watch like a financial instrument takes away something from the passion. When in doubt, stick with a known brand: Seiko, Sinn, Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Tudor, JLC, IWC, Bremont, Patek, etc. There are some great micro brands out there (like Tornek-Rayville, Sangin Instruments, Elliot Brown etc), but also a lot with smoke and mirrors, especially in the “tactical” space. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Any worthwhile watch company wasn’t either. When you do decide to go into the micro-brand space, do your homework. Buy the seller and build a relationship with that person. If the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. A lot of people have had great experiences with Ebay and other online forums, but there is something about building a relationship with the actual person selling the watch that makes it special. Plus, it’s very easy to get burned on Ebay. It’s less easy to get burned by someone you know and trust. Take your time. Do your research. Even if you have the money to buy the watch you want right away, spend time learning about the different variations and history of the reference or brand. This will likely change your outlook and make you appreciate the watch you end up with even more. (James Rupley) As a closing remark, don't feel like you need a "luxury watch," a ~$500 watch can be just as meaningful as a $5,000 watch. Remember, those Speedmasters that went to the moon and the 1675 GMT-Master examples that our pilot heroes wore were all value buys back in the day. They weren’t luxury products in that period. As we have said many times, the man makes the watch, not the other way around. Vintage Watches: Lastly, if you are just starting out, we recommend staying away from vintage watches. While there are some great deals out there and it is a lot of fun, it is not for the uninitiated. There are plenty of fakes at every level and it is easy to get ripped off if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. Additionally, old watches come with old problems, this can be exciting once you have a handful of watches in your collection, but sending your sole watch off for service for 3 months doesn’t make for a good time. If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. Read Next: Blackwater Breitling - The Story
Read On![Best Watches Under $1,000 - Ask the Experts](http://www.watchesofespionage.com/cdn/shop/articles/croppy.jpg?v=1684778705)
Best Watches Under $1,000 - Ask the Experts
One of the coolest parts of the W.O.E. platform is exposing people to the world of watches in an unpretentious and engaging manner. Getting into...
Read OnOne of the coolest parts of the W.O.E. platform is exposing people to the world of watches in an unpretentious and engaging manner. Getting into watches can be intimidating and it is difficult to know where to start. Regardless of one's socioeconomic status and access to disposable income, we recommend starting with a watch under-$1,000. Just because you can afford a Rolex, doesn't mean you should start there. In the “Ask W.O.E. Anything” Dispatch, I put forward my belief that a Seiko is a good place to start, and maybe end with watch collecting. That said, there are some great watches under $1,000 and there is no right answer to this question. In order to capture a broad collection of suitable watches, we asked a handful of our friends from both the traditional watch and NatSec communities to provide their choice for the “Best Watch Under $1,000.” This is an incredibly diverse list of individuals from former Special Operations warriors, Intelligence Officers, and divers, to some of the leading experts in the watch community. The one thing they all have in common is a shared appreciation for watches. While all of them have objectively more “expensive” watches in their collection, they have a genuine appreciation for these more affordable timepieces. CWC Royal Navy Jason Heaton, author, freelance writer, and podcast host, The Grey NA TO and author of Depth Charge. I’ve long contended that the CWC Royal Navy dive watch is the watch a “real” James Bond would wear, at least the 21st-century iteration of MI6’s famous “blunt instrument” spy. Issued since the 1980s to British Navy divers and Special Forces operators, it is a tough, classic, unassuming watch that can truly go anywhere and manages the balance between looking good and not drawing attention to itself. The quartz version (Approx. $930), with its 300 meters of water resistance, long-life battery, and fixed strap bars means its owner can go forth in the world on adventures, clandestine or otherwise, without having to worry about his watch. And that’s the highest of compliments, in my mind. Seiko Prospex SNJ025 aka The 'Arnie' Chris Craighead, former British Special Air Service (SAS), @christian_craighead The Seiko Prospex ($525) has a unique and rich history. Not only was it worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in movies such as Commando, Predator, and Raw Deal, it was also one of the first watches issued to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare (NSW) unit. The watch is extremely tough and practical. The dual, analog and digital face makes it a versatile watch for whatever purpose you choose to wear it. Tornek-Rayville TR-660 Brock Stevens, Active Duty US Navy Diver, EDC enthusiast, and photographer behind @deepsea_edc. The Tornek-Rayville TR-660 ($950) is a no-frills, straight-to-the-point tool watch. As an active duty US Navy Diver who believes in wearing watches for their intended purposes, I love that about it. With a robust movement, 200 meters of water resistance, a legible dial, and lightning bright lume, I count on this watch to get the job done during my working dives. I have beat the living hell out of this thing, banging it around on just about every type of warship the US Navy has to offer, and it just keeps on ticking. Any watch can sit in the collection and look pretty, but if you’re after ultimate function and genuine military heritage at a reasonable price point, look no further. Rowing Blazers X Seiko 5 Sports Watch (Limited Edition 2023) Eric Wind, leading expert in vintage watches. Eric founded and owns Wind Vintage The Seiko 5 Sports line offers some of the best accessible mechanical watches on the market. Having had a bunch over the last few years, they are solid, reliable, and attractive - a winning combination. I really like the model we have used for our latest Rowing Blazers x Seiko watches ($495) as it is 40mm, but wears slightly smaller and looks great on men or women. They are hard to argue with for under $500 and are great for travel, the pool, and whatever else you might need. Sangin Instruments “Neptune” James Rupley, Co-founder of small arms reference publishing industry leaders, Vickers Guide and Headstamp Publishing. Regular photographic contributor to W.O.E. I subscribe fully to the “buy cheap, buy twice” maxim, so buying an inexpensive watch can actually be a riskier proposition than buying a much more expensive watch. Is there a $200 watch that you can be happy with forever? It’s a fascinating question, and you can easily blow a day on YouTube watching others try to answer it. As someone who spends so much time photographing collectibles, aesthetic merit is always going to be a dominant factor in just about anything I focus on. I think the Sangin Instruments “Neptune” ($859) is an excellent example of a watch that skillfully blends functional elements with an attractive design. I love that the Neptune comes with both a metal bracelet and a rubber strap – options that offer me plenty of variety for use in any situation. Timex Marlin Automatic Marty Skovlund, Jr., Former Army guy, avid coffee drinker, aspiring sketchy dude, current Editor-in-chief of Task & Purpose I love a classy watch that is comfortable on the wrist but doesn’t draw attention or accusations of elitism. Timex is the opposite of elite in the watch world, and they make a helluva wrist piece that you aren’t afraid of wearing as a daily driver. And frankly, I wore a digital Timex Ironman on many deployments in a past life, so a non-digital, automatic Timex with a day and date complication feels like a natural evolution. I love mine, and it’s one of the most affordable automatics on the market. The Timex Marlin Automatic ($269) rocks a 40mm stainless steel case, a beautiful deep navy blue dial, and a classic domed acrylic crystal — it looks like a compromise between an ultra-rugged sport watch and a black tie dress watch. This isn’t a go-everywhere, do-anything piece with only 50m of water resistance and a crystal that’s easy to scuff; but it’s perfect for long days at the office or hitting all of Hemingway’s old drinking spots in Madrid in a single day. Pro tip: My Timex Marlin came with a leather strap too orange for my taste. I swapped it out for a W.O.E. Jedburgh Leather strap, and that dark brown leather complements the navy dial perfectly. Seiko Turtle Dave Hall, SOCS (SEAL), USN, Ret. Retired US Navy SEAL. Watch and firearms enthusiast. @davehall1911 The Seiko “Turtle” ($300-600), a nickname for the 6309-7040, could easily be described as the “AK-47 of the watch world”. It’s simple, rugged, affordable, reliable, and has stood the test of time with little necessary improvement. The watch is at home underwater, in freefall, or running an obstacle course. It’s accurate enough to keep track of your total time of dive, calculate M700 time fuse burns, or keep track of your dune run times. You don’t have to take it off to enter a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) and it is as equally at home on a direct-action mission as it is at the hotel bar in Zangaro (“Dogs of War” cameo reference). The modern Turtle, known as the Prospex SRPE93, has all the same clean lines and durability from the original 6309 and keeps better time than ever. Tornek-Rayville Paradive J.R. Seeger, retired Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer and author of seven MIKE4 espionage novels and three Steampunk Raj novels set in WWI. T-R is a US-based watch company that builds field and dive watches that have the DNA of 1960s and 1970s MIL-SPEC watches. The Paradive ( approx. $900) is a modern take on the vintage Benrus Type 1. It is a bead-blasted stainless steel, purpose-built automatic watch with excellent luminous markings and comes with either a standard dive bezel or a 12-hour bezel providing a means to track two time zones. The watch has a depth rating of 200m. It is the most robust dive watch I own. T-R is a small company and there is a wait time while they make your watch. It is well worth the wait. Marathon Navigator Steel SSNAV-D James Stacey, Lead Editor with Hodinkee.com and co-host of The Grey NA TO podcast. If we’re talking about a great tool watch under a grand and you really want to use it, you can’t do much better than the new steel version of Marathon’s long-standing (and long-serving) Navigator ($800). Trading the common and gov’t issue-ready composite case for one in steel, this newly announced Marathon is still 41mm wide, 11mm thick, and sports a field-ready 12-hour bezel. Add to that a high-accuracy quartz movement, 100 meters of water resistance, and tritium tube illumination and you've got a worker. It’s a modernized take on a classic design that traces its lineage across some of the toughest locales that our world has (and had) to offer and it remains a watch that was primarily designed to be offered in contract to governments and special outfits all over the globe and the new steel version even has its own Nato Stock Number. If you want a go anywhere, do anything watch that remains subtle but tough enough for any sort of work, the Navigator is a natural in steel - just add your fav color NA TO. I recommend grey. Sangin Dark Professional Asha Wagner, HazMat Team Manager for a National Disaster Response Task Force and watch and gear enthusiast. @wildlander6 My pick for a sub $1,000 watch is my Sangin Dark Professional ($658). This has been my go-to work, play and travel watch for the past few years. The reasons why I keep opting for this watch are it’s durable, versatile, and comfortable. I am a full-time Fire Captain and a HazMat Team Manager for a National Disaster Response Task Force and am also pretty active with a bunch of outdoorsy hobbies in my off time. I am rough on equipment and an impact-prone individual. I need a watch that can keep up with me and that I don’t have to worry about whether I’m scuba diving or breaching and forcing entry into a building. The Dark Pro has taken everything I’ve thrown at it and come up smiling. As far as versatility it is a 300-meter dive watch with a 24-hour GMT hand, drilled lug holes for easy strap changes, a fully indexed, unidirectional count-up bezel with bright long lasting lume, and a color-matched date wheel at 4:30. The date wheel is there when I need it, and all but disappears when I don’t. The crazy bright lume is great in inclement situations, plus lume just downright makes me happy. The case comes in at 43.5 mm, but with a 20mm lug width 12 mm thickness, and 42 mm bezel, it wears sleeker than its specs might initially suggest. It’s a watch that doesn’t draw a lot of undue attention depending on where I’m traveling, but at the same time makes me smile every time I look at it. Mine is a co-branded watch with Triple Aught Design and comes in at $795. Halios Seaforth IV Justin Couture, “The Wristorian” Freelance blogger fascinated by the historical context surrounding vintage tool watches. @the_wristorian Being a vintage guy at heart, I am ever on the lookout for a watch that combines old-school design language with modern capability. Enter the Halios Seaforth IV ($775), the newest iteration of what could now be called a horological cult classic. With Goldilocks dimensions and a clear focus on legibility, the Seaforth IV effortlessly exudes the sort of skindiver vibes that will make you want to inexplicably take up spearfishing. Factor in the brilliant Bahama Yellow dial and the titanium case option and you’ve got the apex predator of modern microbrand divers. Pro-tip for the WOE crowd, for added utilitarianism the Seaforth can be made into a destro configuration by request. Seiko SKX Nick Ferrell, Founder DC Vintage Watches Vintage Seiko is rich in history, and none more than the venerable Seiko SKX, worn on the wrist of many military and intelligence officers I've worked with - both previously employed with the government, and now as customers - the world over. The SKX line has long been a "gateway drug" for watch collectors just starting down the slippery slope towards obsession, as it was for me. One of my first Seiko's, I wore the 1999 Seiko SKX007 (on the right) throughout a two-year tour in the White House Situation Room, and it served me well. And this is a two-for-one - a savvy hunter can find both the SKX and the steel-grey dial 1960s Seiko 7625-8233 dress watch, absurdly large for the era, in good nick for under $1k. A fantastic two-watch collection, perhaps? Scurfa Diver One D1-500 Benjamin Lowry, Writer, US Coast Guard veteran, former commercial diver, and curator of @submersiblewrist. With my background in commercial diving, I was always going to be a fan of Scurfa Watches, a brand owned and operated by Paul Scurfield, a North Sea commercial saturation diver. Beyond our occupational connection, the watches themselves represent class-leading value for the busy diving tool watch category, pairing impressive specifications with the legitimacy that comes with having been developed and tested in the owner’s salty workplace. The Diver One D1-500 is the brand’s centerpiece, offering 500 meters of water resistance, excellent lume, an automatic helium escape valve (which, in this very rare case, makes sense), a domed sapphire crystal, and a Swiss quartz caliber from Ronda, all housed within a surprisingly restrained 40mm wide by 47.7mm long case. While I’m nowhere near as cool as Paul, I have worn the Diver One extensively in recreational and commercial diving scenarios, including at least one near-death experience. Priced around $200, which is insane, the Scurfa Diver One is a great way to live the #useyourtools ethos we subscribe to around here without breaking the bank. Tornek-Rayville TR-660 Owner of Soturi, - Marine veteran-owned handmade watch straps inspired by military heritage. When I came across the Tornek-Rayville TR-660 ($950) it instantly hooked me. As an avid enthusiast of military watches, the T-R’s slab-sided case, matte finish, and lighter weight are everything you want in a field/dive watch. Simple, yet significant. Add-on T-R’s intriguing history with U.S. Special Operations (the TR-900 model) and you have yourself a winning combination that’s hard to compete with. Bonus - its integrated lug/pin holes make for easy swapping of your favorite watch straps. “Arabic Seiko'' W.O.E., former CIA Case Officer turned watch influencer The 42mm “Arabic Seiko'' ref SNKP21J1 (aka the Seik-W.O.E. aka the W.O.E. hype watch) is popular in the W.O.E. community. In part this is because it is a cool and unique piece at an affordable price point and received consistent coverage on W.O.E., but just as importantly because of the meaning it has for our community. Many of us have spent a considerable amount of time in the Middle East over the past 20+ years. I have a strong affinity for the rich culture and language of the Arab world and this piece is a constant reminder of that connection and that period in my life. A lot of veterans and NatSec identify with this connection. ($130-$200) If you enjoyed this article, please consider signing up for our weekly free newsletter for further updates HERE. READ NEXT: W.O.E. Holiday Gift Guide
Read On