The Real Watches Of Navy SEALs

The Tudor, G-Shock, Seiko, & Omega Watches Actually Used By Naval Special Warfare

For decades, Navy SEALs lived in the shadows as quiet professionals, an often unheralded weapon in the US Military arsenal. But, as a result of high-profile missions during the Global War on Terror, including Operation Neptune Spear that killed Osama Bin Laden, not to mention a slew of films, tell-all books, and podcasts, SEALs have become mainstream famous. One byproduct of this newfound fame has been the overuse of the SEAL Trident for marketing purposes. Watch brands are in on it, too, with many claiming to manufacture the SEAL watch, but which timepieces actually deserve the honor? 

While the reality is that most Team Guys today rely on digital tool watches while training or deployed overseas, SEALs have a strong watch culture dating back to the earliest days of the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT). Many iconic “tool watches”, names like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Rolex Submariner, and Seiko 6039, were originally designed for undersea use, with some even receiving significant design input from military end users, including SEALs. Digital watches may be what are issued, but many SEALs also value the heritage of analog tool watches that link modern frogmen to their roots. 

To separate horological fact from promotional fiction, we’ll reveal the real history behind the timepieces used by NSW as well as the watches favored by SEALs today. The watches covered in this article were selected based on our research as well as numerous in-depth conversations with current and former SEALs within the W.O.E. community. Everything you see here is legit. Remember, whether it’s a cheap G-Shock, a Seiko diver, or a customized Tudor FXD or Omega Seamaster, for SEALs, a watch is never just a watch.

Tudor

A SEAL wears a Tudor Submariner during training operations in 1984. (Photo Credit: US National Archives)

While Tudor had been supplying the US Navy since the 1950s, the legend of the Tudor Submariner in Naval Special Warfare came into being during the Vietnam War, when the reference 7928 was issued in large numbers on a black fabric strap. After the war, the Tudor Submariner remained the most commonly issued watch for SEAL Teams well into the 1970s, as the reference 7928 gave way to Snowflake Submariners, including the reference 7016. 

As the Navy transitioned to less expensive dive watches, many SEAL-issued Tudors were destroyed or sold in government auctions, with surviving examples becoming coveted keepsakes and a sign of OG status in the SEAL community. While Tudors are no longer issued to SEALs, the brand’s relationship with Team Guys and other communities within NSW, including Navy Divers and EOD, remains strong, with customized unit versions of the Pelagos FXD and the Black Bay 58 having been produced for various SEAL teams in the past few years. 

Tudor Pelagos FXD - $4,450 

A watch designed in collaboration with the Commando Hubert, the French answer to the SEAL Teams, the Pelagos FXD is perhaps the most utilitarian dive watch in the luxury tier, with integrated lugs, a titanium case, 200 meters of water resistance, and some of the best luminescent material in the price category. The FXD has also become the platform for many custom Tudor Unit Watches produced for numerous SEAL Teams as well as the Navy’s Tier One SpecOps unit. 

Tudor Black Bay 58 - $4,300

For the modern operator in search of an old-school look, the Black Bay 58 is Tudor’s heritage-inspired diver, calling back to the earliest “Big Crown” Submariner references that were utilized as diving tools by the early Underwater Demolition Teams. Despite the vintage look, the BB58 is still a capable diver and has been ordered as a customized unit watch by at least one SEAL team, with a gold Trident at 6 o’clock. 

Seiko 

A SEAL wearing a Seiko 6309 in 1987. (Photo Credit: US National Archives)

In the 1980s, as the Navy searched for a less expensive alternative to the Tudor Submariners that had been issued to special operators since the 1950s, it looked to Seiko, equipping the Teams with the now-legendary 6309, affectionately known to collectors as the “Turtle” for its distinctive cushion case shape. For the Cold War generation of frogmen, the 6309 was the SEAL watch, seeing action on deployment as well as during training operations. 

Discontinued in 1988, the Seiko Turtle was, in many cases, the last mechanical dive watch officially issued to the SEAL Teams. And while modern Frogmen are no longer issued Seiko watches, there are several new models with direct ties to the Frogmen of the 1980s.

Seiko Prospex SRPE93 - $495 

Though certain elements of its design were carried forward by models like the 7548 and 7002, it was not until 2019 that Seiko unveiled a true modern update to the original Turtle design. With its signature cushion case, 200 meters of water resistance, a dial and handset that remain close to the original, and an upgraded 4R36 caliber with hacking and hand-winding, the SRPE93 is a modern Turtle that is every bit as appropriate for life in the Teams as the original. 

Seiko Prospex SNJ025 “Arnie” 

Another Seiko diver with strong ties to NSW is the “Arnie”, with the original H558-5000 from 1982 having been purchased by select SEAL Teams, no doubt inspired by the watch’s onscreen cameo in 1987’s Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2019, Seiko revived the analog-digital design the SNJ025, which alleviates one of the main drawbacks of the battery-hungry original with a solar caliber. With digital functions on top of the easy-to-read analog display, the modern Arnie lands in a sweet spot somewhere between a Digital Tool Watch (D.T.W.) and a traditional analog dive watch. 

Casio G-Shock 

While we generally focus on mechanical watches at W.O.E., a list of NSW watches would not be complete without the legendary Casio G-Shock. For a complete list of Digital Tool Watches used during the Global War on Terror (GWOT), read HERE.

A West Coast SEAL wears a G-Shock DW9052-1V during training operations in 2024. (Photo Credit: US Navy)

The 1983 introduction of the Casio G-Shock changed the landscape of analog watches in military service forever. Less expensive compared to its analog competitors, the Japanese digital G-Shock offered a combination of affordability and durability that couldn’t be matched. It’s crazy to think, but many SEALs were quick to turn in their issued Tudor Submariners and Seiko divers in favor of the new G-Shocks that offered a host of additional timekeeping functions as well as a useful, button-operated backlight. 

When the GWOT began in earnest, G-Shock was the tool of choice for NSW deploying to the Middle East. Most SEALs were issued either the DW5600 or DW6600, two of the four G-Shock models to have been awarded an NSN or Nato Stock Number, making the watches readily available through military supply channels. Today, the other two NSN G-Shock models are some of the watches most commonly issued to and used by SEALs. 

Casio G-Shock DW6900-1V - $60

The direct descendant of the DW6600-1V issued to SEALs during the early days of the GWOT, the DW6900-1V is now among the watches most often worn and used as a tool by SEALs. With a large, hard-to-miss light button at six o’clock, this case style is famously good for diving at night while also providing an almost Hilux-worthy level of durability. 

Casio G-Shock DW9052-1V - $60 

A newer player for NSW is the DW9052-1V, the other replacement for the DW6600 when it was discontinued in 2010. Where the 6900 has an identical case and strap that are rigidly connected at the lugs, the 9052 has a more traditional hinged effect where the strap meets the case, making it more comfortable in many cases. Like the DW6900-1V, the DW9052-1V can be readily purchased for around $60 or less, meaning two of the watches actually worn by SEALs today are also incredibly affordable. 

Omega 

Former SEAL and astronaut Jonny Kim wearing the SEAL Seamaster Unit Watch on the International Space Station. (Photo Credit: NASA)

While the Omega Seamaster was never issued to SEALs, the brand does have real ties to NSW through private purchases in the 1990s and 2000s. Today, Omega is home to a thriving unit watch program that began delivering a special version of the Seamaster Diver 300 to current and former Team Guys as recently as 2024. 

Omega Seamaster Diver 300 SEAL Unit Watch

The military-specific version of the Seamaster differs with its matte-finished case, off-white luminescent material, and non-date format, and has the SEAL Trident engraved on the caseback. Jonny Kim, the former SEAL, qualified medical doctor, and current astronaut, has been wearing his SEAL Seamaster onboard the International Space Station, further proof that the best watches are earned.

Rolex 

A SEAL wears a Submariner during helicopter marksmanship training in 2011. (Photo Credit: US Navy)

While many rumored SEAL-issued Rolex Submariners from decades past were more likely Tudor Submariners, many modern SEALs have a soft spot for the legendary Rolex Sub, including Will Chesney, the SEAL Team Six dog handler who wore his Submariner on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and numerous others. 

Rolex Submariner 126610 - $10,650

It sounds insane given the current price of a Rolex Submariner—over $10k—compared to an enlisted SEAL’s salary, but for some special operators, saving up cash from numerous training and operational deployments to buy a Submariner is a rite of passage, honoring the frogmen who came before with a modern luxury dive watch. 

The Submariner itself has also changed, feeling more jewel than tool in many respects, but we also know of many examples of modern SEALs not only owning Subs but also using them, proof that the Use Your Tools ethos is alive and well within the Teams. 

Of note, given the difficulty in obtaining a new Submariner and astronomical secondary prices, we are seeing fewer and fewer SEALs rocking Submariners than we did even 10 to 20 years ago.

RESCO Instruments

A RESCO UDT customized for a specific SEAL Team. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)

RESCO Instruments was founded by an active duty SEAL in 2009 and is one of the very few commercially available watches to receive the SEAL stamp of approval. Given that the founder comes from the community, RESCO has made numerous customized unit watches for the Teams over the years and serves as proof that a watch can include SEAL-related branding if it’s coming from the right place and being done for the right reasons. Despite being a smaller brand, RESCO has also made waves for appearing on the wrist of Chris Pratt as he portrays James Reece in The Terminal List. 

RESCO UDT - $1,955 

One of RESCO’s flagship divers is the UDT, which measures 42mm in diameter while being powered by the Sellita SW200. Using screw-in lug bars as opposed to spring bars, and offering both titanium and steel case options, the UDT is a rare automatic diver assembled in the United States from a brand run by a former SEAL. Unlike larger brands, RESCO also takes custom orders, meaning you can get your preferred dial color, handset, and even different bezel options. 

RESCO Manus - $985 

Named for Max Manus, the legendary WWII Norwegian resistance fighter and a pioneer in maritime sabotage, the Manus chronograph is RESCO’s entry-level option that still offers 200 meters of water resistance and a surprisingly wearable 42mm case size. Legitimate diving chronographs with Swiss calibers are rare in this price range, and the RESCO Manus is as legit as they come. 

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