Intelligence
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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Espionage & Family: A Tale of Two Watches
Chris Costa is the Executive Director of the International Spy Museum and a 34-year veteran intelligence officer, with extensive experience working in counterintelligence, human intelligence and with special operations forces...
Espionage & Family: A Tale of Two Watches
Chris Costa is the Executive Director of the International Spy Museum and a 34-year veteran intelligence officer, with extensive experience working in counterintelligence, human intelligence and with special operations forces (SOF). Chris has worked in numerous operational positions throughout the globe and was the first civilian squadron Deputy Director at...
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Trading a Rolex to Get out of a Sticky Situatio...
The "Escape and Evasion" Rolex The final requirement to be certified as a CIA Case Officer (C/O) is to pass the certification course at a classified government training center commonly...
Trading a Rolex to Get out of a Sticky Situation - Myth or Reality?
The "Escape and Evasion" Rolex The final requirement to be certified as a CIA Case Officer (C/O) is to pass the certification course at a classified government training center commonly referred to as “the Farm.” Students learn the tradecraft to clandestinely recruit and handle assets. The entire learning process is...
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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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Glorious Amateurs: The Watch Worn by the OSS an...
Readers of thrillers set in World War II and even some non-fiction histories of the OSS and SOE could easily assume the kit of these “special forces” operators was highly...
Glorious Amateurs: The Watch Worn by the OSS and SOE
Readers of thrillers set in World War II and even some non-fiction histories of the OSS and SOE could easily assume the kit of these “special forces” operators was highly specialized and the result of great care and curation in OSS and SOE headquarters. The reality was that early in...
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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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In Watches and in Espionage, Context Matters
By Cole Pennington I spent four years writing about watches professionally as an editor at Hodinkee, the leading publication in the world of horology. I focused my writing mainly on...
In Watches and in Espionage, Context Matters
By Cole Pennington I spent four years writing about watches professionally as an editor at Hodinkee, the leading publication in the world of horology. I focused my writing mainly on tool watches, meaning watches that were engineered and used for a specific function, oftentimes by members of the military, scientists,...
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CIA’s JAWBREAKER Team and a Rolex Submariner
At the entrance of the CIA's Counterterrorism Mission Center (CTMC, formerly CTC) is a sign that reads, “Every day is September 12, 2001.” While most of the country moved on...
CIA’s JAWBREAKER Team and a Rolex Submariner
At the entrance of the CIA's Counterterrorism Mission Center (CTMC, formerly CTC) is a sign that reads, “Every day is September 12, 2001.” While most of the country moved on from the horrific days immediately following September 11th, the men and women of CTMC continue to live this motto, serving...
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CIA Case Officer Reveals The Connection Between...
A Former CIA Case Officer Reveals The Surprising Connection Between Watches and Espionage Luxury timepieces play a significant role in the murky world of spycraft – just not the way...
CIA Case Officer Reveals The Connection Between Watches and Espionage
A Former CIA Case Officer Reveals The Surprising Connection Between Watches and Espionage Luxury timepieces play a significant role in the murky world of spycraft – just not the way they're portrayed in Hollywood. (Originally featured in Hodinkee.)
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