Despite its prominence, the dive watch is surprisingly misunderstood, especially as it relates to actual diving. Backed by my experiences in commercial and recreational scuba diving, in this Dispatch, I’ll unpack how to use a dive watch for actual diving, touching on historical use cases, the modern role played by dive watches juxtaposed against diving computers, a few special scenarios, and even some myths. 

If cost and scarcity didn’t matter, which watches would former intelligence officers, watch industry pros, firefighters, and Navy SEALs want for their personal collection?

From Tudor Submariners worn in the jungles of Vietnam to Casio G-Shocks and Seikos used as tools in the Global War on Terror and beyond, certain watch brands have stronger connections to the military than others. So much of what you see out there is for marketing’s sake that it’s hard to know which brands you can trust for watches well suited to the Use Your Tools ethos. Luckily, we are here to help.

One of our earliest partners, Leather Works Minnesota, has been making leather goods by hand in the United States since 1999.

On this Veterans Day, we highlight independent watchmaking brands founded by current and former service members from the United States & the United Kingdom. 

The Rolex gift that landed on President Trump’s desk and what it signals in broader trade diplomacy and US-Swiss bilateral relations. This weekend, photos surfaced of President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, with a new accessory on the 145-year-old Resolute Desk, a gold-plated desk clock with a green “malachite” dial and fluted bezel. 

When perception becomes reality, a watch can be used to manipulate belief, manufacture outrage, and reshape political narratives. At Watches of Espionage, we often analyze a domestic or foreign leader's watch to gain insight into that individual or current events. In the modern and politically charged media landscape, a watch can be a small piece of the puzzle as we strive to understand the world as it is. 

Revealing the Timepieces Worn by Key US National Security Figures - From an obscure Patek Philippe worn by President Trump to the National Security Advisor’s Rolex GMT and the FBI director's Breitling unit watch, the second Trump administration rolled into the White House with serious watch game.

From a high-profile heist targeting literal crown jewels in Paris to Vice President JD Vance returning to his Apple Watch-wearing ways to a French politician accused of hiding his luxury watch, to a major slowdown in Swiss watch exports to the US, it’s been a big few weeks for the broader Watches of Espionage community. 

A US Navy Diver and EDC enthusiast customizes a niche French military dive watch to suit his underwater workplace. Brock Stevens is a US Navy Diver and part of the photography team at W.O.E. He’s also an EDC nerd who has helped in the development of several of our custom tools, including the Birdwatcher and the Submersible Wrist Compass. When we heard Brock was leaning into his diving experience and design ethos to develop a dive watch, we asked him to tell the story of the design process and how the watch was informed by his experience in the Navy as well as his deep appreciation for the utility of mechanical watches.

The Use Your Tools Ethos Is About Utility, Heritage, & Shared Experience, Not MSRP - The watch media landscape is replete with lists of “affordable” watches, many of which are constructed based on brand input or marketing dollars, SEO optimization, or integrating affiliate links. The adage that you should not believe everything you read rings true, but for many, these lists are helpful, providing a useful starting point for further research for anyone who does not live among the weeds. With that in mind, we created a list of relatively affordable watches specifically tailored to the needs of our community.

Amazon removes firearms and covers Rolex from Bond posters? In a move that sparked outrage from both Bond nerds and culture warriors alike, Amazon Prime Video quietly edited promotional artwork for classic James Bond films, digitally removing or cropping out the spy’s iconic Walther PPK pistol.

What Can A Dive Watch Teach Us About Espionage In The Hermit Kingdom - Thirty minutes south of Tokyo, Japan, a mangled Seiko dive watch sits in an innocuous glass case in a museum dedicated to the Japanese Coast Guard.

Tudor partners with the new Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego, creating realistic displays of issued watches - This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the newly minted Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego, a short drive from the west coast Teams and Coronado, where generations of frogmen were forged in the crucible of BUD/S.

For Astronauts, Watches Are Tools & A Key Aspect Of Culture - In 2024, more than 8,000 individuals representing a diverse array of backgrounds and fields of expertise applied to be part of NASA’s 2025 astronaut class. 

Humankind’s quest to explore the final frontier has always relied on the most cutting-edge technology, including mechanical and digital watches. After the successful launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 satellite on 04 October 1957, a sense of fear and panic spread across the Western world. 

Revealing The Omega, Breitling, Rolex, & IWC Watches Used As Tools By Military Pilots - From Navy and Air Force fighter pilots to the Hollywood theatrics of Top Gun, watches are crucial tools and a key aspect of culture in the cockpit. 

Trump Hangs With The Rolex CEO, A Taliban Casio On Display, Honoring Robert Redford, The Syrian President’s Patek Philippe, & Plenty Of Watch Crime. 

From Sketchy Breitlings to Rolex, Vacheron, & Bremont, The FBI Has A Serious Relationship With Watches - With over a century of history, thirteen thousand special agents, and a broader workforce of some thirty-seven thousand, the FBI has a strong sense of heritage, which is evident in the watches worn by special agents and other key figures within the Bureau.

Carefully Selected Timepieces From Tudor, G-Shock, Seiko, Panerai, Citizen, & RESCO Add Depth To Jack Carr’s Characters - The Terminal List: Dark Wolf takes Jack Carr’s universe deeper into the shadows, with Taylor Kitsch returning as Ben Edwards in a prequel that explores his transition to shadowy CIA operative after a troubling exit from the SEAL Teams. 

The Story Behind the Olongapo Bracelet - The Vietnam-Era Tradition That Still Resonates With Collectors and Veterans Today

Todd Beamer’s Rolex & United Flight 93 - For an entire generation of service members and Intelligence Officers, September 11th was a defining moment. 

For Some Of The World’s Most Powerful & Influential People, A Watch Is Never Just A Watch - At Watches of Espionage, we view timepieces as tools, serving dual duty as timing instruments and cultural symbols.

Forget The Insiders: The Only Rule Is To Wear What Matters To You - Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal published an article, “Do Not Wear This Watch With a Suit! And Other Men’s Watch Rules to Know in 2025.” The article garnered significant attention, with many sending it in for our thoughts.

The single watch case is durable, compact and functional, and honors our community with subtle accents, most notably flap catches constructed from recycled Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs). It features subtle nods to our community, honoring those who have gone before us and upholding our ethos.

A Military Watch Icon Trusted By Navy SEALs & Secret Service Agents - Only one Swiss watch brand can claim to have been worn by everyone from Navy SEALs in the Vietnam War to the modern US Secret Service Counter Assault Team and the French Commando Hubert Combat Swimmers, and that brand is Tudor.

Tudor In The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, Tariff Drama Heats Up, Keanu’s Stolen Watches Coming Home, Hans Wilsdorf Revelations, Fake Cartiers, & Facebook Marketplace Watch Crime - It is once again time for the W.O.E. SITREP, or Situation Report, our monthly amalgamation of news and events related to watches, intelligence, national security, and the military.

The Most Fascinating In-The-Wild Watch Photos From Watches Of Espionage - W.O.E. is about watches, and we love watches, but it's really about people, heritage, and culture. We view the world through the lens of timepieces and use them as a vector to the human element for history and current events.

What watches have historically kept this emerging bloc that’s challenging the Western order on time? President Trump recently met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a land mass that was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867 for a measly 7.2 million dollars. 

From Open-Water Swims To Dinner Out, Meaning Comes From Use, Not MSRP - Summertime generally means travel, time off at the beach or in the mountains, or, if you are lucky, a trip to Europe or another cultural destination. It is also a great time to build lasting memories.