CIA
Watches as Intelligence & Diplomatic Currency: ...
New disclosures show how gifted timepieces remain tools of intelligence for CIA and DIA, but can they keep them?
Watches as Intelligence & Diplomatic Currency: The 2024 Gift Report
New disclosures show how gifted timepieces remain tools of intelligence for CIA and DIA, but can they keep them?
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The Real Watches of Venezuelan President Nicolá...
On the morning of Saturday, 3 January 2026, the United States Military conducted an interagency mission to capture and arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. While the long term implications are...
The Real Watches of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
On the morning of Saturday, 3 January 2026, the United States Military conducted an interagency mission to capture and arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. While the long term implications are still unknown and “analysis” has fallen along partisan lines, Operation Absolute Resolve appears to be a masterclass on modern warfare...
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The Rolex of a Tinker, Writer, Soldier, Spy
Elliot Ackerman’s Journey From MARSOC To CIA To Bestselling Author, and The Rolex Explorer II On His Wrist - I first met Elliot Ackerman at a discreet dinner in Northern...
The Rolex of a Tinker, Writer, Soldier, Spy
Elliot Ackerman’s Journey From MARSOC To CIA To Bestselling Author, and The Rolex Explorer II On His Wrist - I first met Elliot Ackerman at a discreet dinner in Northern Virginia for current and former members of CIA’s Special Activities Center (SAC).
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MKULTRA: How A Watch Foiled CIA’s Secretive Min...
The USG Finds An Unlikely Culprit That “Prevents Time Travel” - In the W.O.E. world, we focus on watches used as tools to get the job done. But in one...
MKULTRA: How A Watch Foiled CIA’s Secretive Mind Control Experiments
The USG Finds An Unlikely Culprit That “Prevents Time Travel” - In the W.O.E. world, we focus on watches used as tools to get the job done. But in one fascinating historical instance, a watch was part of the problem rather than the solution. According to CIA, a simple wristwatch...
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Istanbul: Shopping For Vintage Watches, Spy Cam...
Istanbul is one of the espionage capitals of the world, so it’s no surprise you can find spy artifacts for sale in the world's most famous bazaar. It’s difficult to...
Istanbul: Shopping For Vintage Watches, Spy Cameras, & Cold War Artifacts
Istanbul is one of the espionage capitals of the world, so it’s no surprise you can find spy artifacts for sale in the world's most famous bazaar. It’s difficult to write about Istanbul without falling into cliches, but there is a palpable romantic mystique and energy in the city on...
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Inside The Watch Culture Of CIA Paramilitary Of...
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 Officer with a gift, a...
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 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...
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The Real Spy Gadget Watches of the CIA, KGB, MI...
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 disguised as Rolex Submariners and...
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 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...
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Ask Watches Of Espionage Anything, Part II
In this edition of the Dispatch, we answer some common questions we get about W.O.E., timepieces and the Intelligence Community at large. Many of these responses can even serve as...
Ask Watches Of Espionage Anything, Part II
In this edition of the Dispatch, we answer some common questions we get about W.O.E., timepieces and the Intelligence Community at large. Many of these responses can even serve as stand alone stories– and probably will at some point–but for now, here’s some additional insight on Watches of Espionage. If...
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CIA Officers and Apple Watches
Counterintelligence Risks of Smart Watches “Apple watches are for nerds.” Though we don’t actually think this, it’s easy to understand how one could come to that conclusion. The Apple Watch...
CIA Officers and Apple Watches
Counterintelligence Risks of Smart Watches “Apple watches are for nerds.” Though we don’t actually think this, it’s easy to understand how one could come to that conclusion. The Apple Watch of today could be seen as the “calculator watch” of the ‘90s–in other words, a product with a nerdy association....
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Watches for the Modern CIA Case Officer
We asked former senior Case Officer, J.R. Seeger to write a piece on advice for a young Case Officer/Intelligence Officer for shopping for a watch. Spoiler alert: it is not...
Watches for the Modern CIA Case Officer
We asked former senior Case Officer, J.R. Seeger to write a piece on advice for a young Case Officer/Intelligence Officer for shopping for a watch. Spoiler alert: it is not a Rolex. CIA Case Officer: The Ideal Timepiece by J.R. Seeger When I joined the CIA in the 1980s, my...
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CIA Case Officer’s Everyday Carry - EDC
We get a lot of questions about “everyday carry,” commonly known as “EDC.” So in light of these requests, we want to provide some insight into our typical EDC and...
CIA Case Officer’s Everyday Carry - EDC
We get a lot of questions about “everyday carry,” commonly known as “EDC.” So in light of these requests, we want to provide some insight into our typical EDC and what I carried as a CIA Case Officer (C/O) in Africa and the Middle East. A timepiece is a crucial...
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Remembering the Legacy of Billy Waugh Through H...
Former CIA Paramilitary Officer Billy Waugh passed away at the age of 93 exactly one week ago; but we don’t mourn his death–instead we celebrate his incredible life of service...
Remembering the Legacy of Billy Waugh Through His Watches
Former CIA Paramilitary Officer Billy Waugh passed away at the age of 93 exactly one week ago; but we don’t mourn his death–instead we celebrate his incredible life of service in the best way we know how–through his timepieces. William “Billy” Waugh is the Forest Gump of CIA and Special...
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Jordanian Breitling: The Gift From A King That ...
At its core, the Breitling Aerospace is a functional tool watch. The dual digital screens of the chronometer-certified "SuperQuartz" have practical features including a digital chronograph, second time zone, day...
Jordanian Breitling: The Gift From A King That Spawned A CIA Case Officer's Love Of Timepieces
At its core, the Breitling Aerospace is a functional tool watch. The dual digital screens of the chronometer-certified "SuperQuartz" have practical features including a digital chronograph, second time zone, day and date, alarm, and countdown timer. In the intelligence business, these would be useful features for conducting clandestine operations where...
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CIA Analysis of Foreign Leaders’ Timepieces
A foreign leader's timepiece can play a part in informing the profile and psychological assessment of the given leader, and when it comes to analysis, just having a piece of the puzzle...
CIA Analysis of Foreign Leaders’ Timepieces
A foreign leader's timepiece can play a part in informing the profile and psychological assessment of the given leader, and when it comes to analysis, just having a piece of the puzzle helps – a watch might be significant or might not be.
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Forget Bond, A Real CIA Spy Seiko Watch
In the 1970s, CIA Technical Officers modified a digital Seiko to conceal a Tropel T-100 camera inside. The purpose of the watch-turned-espionage-tool was to allow a recruited agent to surreptitiously...
Forget Bond, A Real CIA Spy Seiko Watch
In the 1970s, CIA Technical Officers modified a digital Seiko to conceal a Tropel T-100 camera inside. The purpose of the watch-turned-espionage-tool was to allow a recruited agent to surreptitiously photograph classified documents in their place of work and deliver them to CIA. The camera was so quiet that it...
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Ask Watches of Espionage Anything, Part I
In this edition of the Dispatch, we address some common questions we get about W.O.E with an in-depth response. Many of these responses can even serve as standalone stories– and...
Ask Watches of Espionage Anything, Part I
In this edition of the Dispatch, we address some common questions we get about W.O.E with an in-depth response. Many of these responses can even serve as standalone stories– and probably will at some point, but for now, here’s some additional insight on Watches of Espionage. READ PART II HERE...
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The Lasting Legacy of the CIA’s Lockheed A-12 a...
In 1957 Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the leader of aircraft manufacturer Lockheed’s Advanced Development program dubbed Skunk Works, knew satellites would make reconnaissance aircraft obsolete in the near future. It was...
The Lasting Legacy of the CIA’s Lockheed A-12 and the Watch That Served It
In 1957 Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the leader of aircraft manufacturer Lockheed’s Advanced Development program dubbed Skunk Works, knew satellites would make reconnaissance aircraft obsolete in the near future. It was determined that the U-2 spy plane, which Johnson had worked on, had a radar cross section that was simply too...
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Digital Watches of Espionage, The Role Watches ...
by J.R. Seeger For this week’s Dispatch, former senior CIA Case Officer J.R. Seeger writes about the role his watches played in the early days of the conflict in Afghanistan....
Digital Watches of Espionage, The Role Watches Played in the Early Days of the CIA's War in Afghanistan
by J.R. Seeger For this week’s Dispatch, former senior CIA Case Officer J.R. Seeger writes about the role his watches played in the early days of the conflict in Afghanistan. As Seeger outlines, watches are tools, and one should choose the best tool for the job. In the world of...
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