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Inside the Counterfeit Watch Trade - Hunting “S...
The goal was to find a so-called “superclone,” the highest tier of counterfeit watches that claim to mirror genuine models down to the weight, finishing, and movement. According to internet...
Inside the Counterfeit Watch Trade - Hunting “Superclones” in Dubai
The goal was to find a so-called “superclone,” the highest tier of counterfeit watches that claim to mirror genuine models down to the weight, finishing, and movement. According to internet lore, the superclones are so good that even an expert watchmaker can’t distinguish them from the real thing.
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Interview with a Watchmaker
For this Dispatch, we sat down with Greg Petronzi of True Patina to learn more about his life and work, as well as to explore some of the most common...
Interview with a Watchmaker
For this Dispatch, we sat down with Greg Petronzi of True Patina to learn more about his life and work, as well as to explore some of the most common questions y’all might have for a watchmaker.
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Iran Under Fire: The Watches of Operation Epic ...
From Washington to Tel Aviv to Tehran, these are the timepieces worn by the leaders directing a historic escalation. On the morning of 28 February 2026, the United States initiated...
Iran Under Fire: The Watches of Operation Epic Fury
From Washington to Tel Aviv to Tehran, these are the timepieces worn by the leaders directing a historic escalation. On the morning of 28 February 2026, the United States initiated Operation Epic Fury, a sustained air campaign targeting Iranian-linked assets and infrastructure, conducted amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran....
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Alex Honnold, Rolex, & the True Meaning of an E...
Last week, professional climber Alex Honnold free solo climbed Taipei 101, a 1,667-foot-tall tower in Taipei, Taiwan. The feat was streamed live to millions around the globe and was quite...
Alex Honnold, Rolex, & the True Meaning of an Explorer
Last week, professional climber Alex Honnold free solo climbed Taipei 101, a 1,667-foot-tall tower in Taipei, Taiwan. The feat was streamed live to millions around the globe and was quite the spectacle. Honnold is best known for his (even more impressive) June 2017 free solo ascent of El Capitan in...
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The Watches I Wore Most in 2025 - Watches of Es...
Despite owning more watches than any rational person should, I often find myself going back to the same watches, albeit for different reasons and use cases. Here are the top...
The Watches I Wore Most in 2025 - Watches of Espionage
Despite owning more watches than any rational person should, I often find myself going back to the same watches, albeit for different reasons and use cases. Here are the top four (maybe five) watches I wore the most in 2025.
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A Venezuelan Oil Company's Tudor Submariners
How Venezuela’s National Oil Industry Quietly Issued Tudor Submariners to Working Divers - Over the weekend, as headlines filled with images of helicopters, explosions, and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro,...
A Venezuelan Oil Company's Tudor Submariners
How Venezuela’s National Oil Industry Quietly Issued Tudor Submariners to Working Divers - Over the weekend, as headlines filled with images of helicopters, explosions, and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela once again reminded the world that power often flows through oil. At Watches of Espionage, we often use watches...
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“There’ll Always Be A Christmas” - Rolex
We came across two remarkable advertisements from 1942 and 1943 in Rolex Magazine that transcend the watch industry. Whether they are altruistic or motivated by self-interest is open to interpretation,...
“There’ll Always Be A Christmas” - Rolex
We came across two remarkable advertisements from 1942 and 1943 in Rolex Magazine that transcend the watch industry. Whether they are altruistic or motivated by self-interest is open to interpretation, but they are inarguably profound given the historical context.
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W.O.E. 2025 Holiday Gift Guide - Top Picks From...
Our Favorite Tools & Accessories From The Community - In what has become one of our favorite holiday traditions, we are back with another list of some of our favorite tools...
W.O.E. 2025 Holiday Gift Guide - Top Picks From Other Brands
Our Favorite Tools & Accessories From The Community - In what has become one of our favorite holiday traditions, we are back with another list of some of our favorite tools and accessories from a diverse array of brands with real ties to the W.O.E. Community.
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Is Breitling Still Sketchy?
“Sketchy dudes wear Breitling” has taken on a life of its own. What started as an inside joke between me and our 250k Instagram followers has been parroted throughout the...
Is Breitling Still Sketchy?
“Sketchy dudes wear Breitling” has taken on a life of its own. What started as an inside joke between me and our 250k Instagram followers has been parroted throughout the internet and mainstream watch publications. If I’m being honest, I am kind of sick of hearing it myself. But is...
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Inside Dubai Watch Week & Dubai Airshow
Dubai is a contradiction. A booming metropolis in a lifeless and arid desert, which didn’t exist in its current form just decades ago. From Michelin-starred restaurants to vast malls and...
Inside Dubai Watch Week & Dubai Airshow
Dubai is a contradiction. A booming metropolis in a lifeless and arid desert, which didn’t exist in its current form just decades ago. From Michelin-starred restaurants to vast malls and 6-star hotels, the overwhelming display of wealth and largesse is intoxicating. Emiratis maintain a conservative Arab culture, but Western practices...
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Watch Industry SITREP - November 2025
This month has been a big one, with Swiss and US officials finally reaching a much-needed tariff agreement that sucks less than the former 39% figure, a totally new Omega...
Watch Industry SITREP - November 2025
This month has been a big one, with Swiss and US officials finally reaching a much-needed tariff agreement that sucks less than the former 39% figure, a totally new Omega Planet Ocean that could end up on 007’s wrist, some intriguing watches in space, Oval Office clock drama that broke...
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What’s Your Grail Watch? W.O.E. Asks the Experts
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?
What’s Your Grail Watch? W.O.E. Asks the Experts
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?
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W.O.E. Partner Profile: Leather Works Minnesota
One of our earliest partners, Leather Works Minnesota, has been making leather goods by hand in the United States since 1999.
W.O.E. Partner Profile: Leather Works Minnesota
One of our earliest partners, Leather Works Minnesota, has been making leather goods by hand in the United States since 1999.
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Watch Industry SITREP - October 2025
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 Industry SITREP - October 2025
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...
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Designing a Dive Watch as a US Navy Diver
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...
Designing a Dive Watch as a US Navy Diver
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...
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Affordable Watches For The W.O.E. Community
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...
Affordable Watches For The W.O.E. Community
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...
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NASA Astronaut Candidate Wears An Omega Speedma...
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...
NASA Astronaut Candidate Wears An Omega Speedmaster
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.
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Watches in Space Exploration & Space Security
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...
Watches in Space Exploration & Space Security
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.
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